BAD LUCK A CHARM TIMBO. 389 



latter, however, took care not to come within range of the 

 rifle. 



At the return of daylight, having then been already twen- 

 ty-four hours without food, I felt very hungry, and hastened 

 back to the Bushmen to see whether they had left any of the 

 flesh I had given them ; but I might as well have searched 

 the dens of ravenous wolves as the lair of these starved "chil- 

 dren of the desert." Indeed, they looked very crestfallen 

 when I announced my bad luck. 



Fearing my men might possibly delay in following me, I 

 wrote a few hurried lines in my note-book, and tearing out 

 the leaf, handed it to one of the guides with the intimation 

 that he must hasten back whence he came ; but, having nev- 

 er seen a piece of paper before, he received it at first with 

 caution, and, taking it between two of his fingers, began 

 blowing on it, thinking probably it was a kind of " charm" 

 for better luck. Seeing me smile, he took courage and blew 

 still harder. This was too much, and I burst into a roar of 

 laughter, in which I was heartily joined by my tawny friend. 

 However, after numerous signs and gestures, I made him com- 

 prehend my wishes, and off he started to meet the caravan. 



After another twelve hours' fasting and waiting, and just 

 as it was getting dark, I had the satisfaction to see the whole 

 party arrive safely. They had succeeded in procuring enough 

 water for almost all the oxen. 



To guard against thirst by the way, the men had brought 

 two wooden kegs of water from the last halting-place. See- 

 ins; Timbo about to take his fill from one of the vessels in 

 question, I observed to him that there was surely no longer 

 any necessity to partake of such villainous stuff. He never- 

 theless drank, exclaiming, "Master, the water is capital!" 

 *• Nonsense," I ejaculated, skeptically, " you don't mean to 

 say that that abominable fluid is good ?" " Well," he rejoined, 

 " if master won't believe me, he better try it himself." Less 

 from any faith in what he said than from curiosity, I did 



