CHAPTER II 



ANDRIES ESTERHUIZEN — SILVERFONTEIN — THE KOEKER- 

 BOOM — GAMOEP — SAND GROUSE — OUR HORSES — 

 KANXAS — NIGHT IN THE DESERT — DAWN — HEAT — 

 THE MIRAGE — BANTOM BERG — THE DUNE MONSTER 

 THE FLIGHT OF THE OXEN. 



ANDRIES Esterhuizen had lived 

 all his life on the fringe of Bush- 

 manland. His farm, Silverfontein, 

 which lay a little more than twenty miles 

 from the Ookiep Mines, had been for 

 many years the principal jumping-off place 

 for expeditions to the desert. Andries was a 

 Field Cornet, — an office which empowered him 

 to arrest offenders against the law. He was a 

 typical Boer of the better class. Large-boned 

 and tall, his increased bulk had for several 

 years prevented his doing that which his 

 soud loved above all else, — riding down a herd 

 of oryx. His blue, laughing eyes shone from a 

 ruddy face. His brown beard was streaked 

 with grey. His great fist could have felled 

 an ox ; the tempest of his laughter was like the 

 neighing of war-steeds. 



24 



