THE COMING OF NIGHT 29 



parts of South Africa. A spring had existed at 

 Kanxas within the memory of living Trek 

 Boers. Of this no vestige then remained. 

 Herein lies an additional item of evidence 

 pointing to the ominous conclusion that South 

 Africa is slowly but surely drying up. 



Night fell ; the primrose-yellow of the " toa ,J 

 faded to ghostly white; not a breath of wind 

 stirred. Excepting the creak, creak, of the 

 straining yokes not a sound was audible. Day 

 faded from the sky and the cupola of stars 

 seemed to descend around us like a curtain. 

 We walked apart and communed with our in- 

 dividual selves. When by night one enters 

 the door of the desert speech seems banal and 



incongruous. 



At about midnight we outspanned. The 

 oxen were, however, kept tied to the yokes; 

 we meant to take but an hour's rest. The 

 patient cattle laid themselves down at once; 

 an occasional long-drawn sigh being the only 

 evidence of their existence. Anon the flame of 

 our candle-bush fire ascended into the windless 

 air, — straight as a column. Coffee was soon 

 ready and biscuits distributed. After we had 

 eaten and drunk, pipes were lit. Then we threw 

 ourselves prone on the sand and gazed, wrapt, 

 into the glittering folds of the star-curtain. 



