A SUPREME MONARCH 25 



Andries sent his ox-wagon to fetch my guns 

 and baggage. Next day I followed in a cart 

 drawn by four strong horses, for heavy 

 stretches of sand had to be crossed before 

 reaching Silverfontein. 



On arrival there I met with a hearty wel- 

 come. The wagon stood, fully packed, before 

 the farm-house door. The heaviest and most 

 important item of the load was three casks of 

 water, for we were about to enter and encamp 

 in the deadly dune-veld where Thirst is a king 

 who has reigned supreme since the world was 

 young. We meant to storm his strong city and 

 occupy it for a season, — well knowing, how- 

 ever, that we should soon have to retire, leaving 

 his ancient realm unconquered and unspoiled. 

 As we did not mean to be luxurious, our com- 

 missariat list only included coffee, sugar, salt 

 and " Boer-biscuits " (a kind of coarse but ex- 

 ceedingly palatable rusk). Of these Mrs. 

 Esterhuizen had manufactured enough to fill 

 three immense linen sacks. For meat we 

 should have to depend upon our guns. 



The country surrounding Silverfontein was 

 wild and rugged. Long, dyked ridges, foam- 

 tipped with snow-white quartzite rocks, 

 stretched away to infinity, north and south; 

 here and there a naked granite finger pointed 



