222 LODGES IN THE WILDERNESS 



out. We made a start and, after walking for 

 about an hour, reached a camp. It comprised 

 an ancient wagon of the wooden-axle type, a 

 mat-house and a small goat-kraal full of stock. 

 The establishment belonged to the most well- 

 to-do man in the Richtersveld. He was 

 pointed out to me as such sitting among the 

 members of the Raad. I then noticed that he 

 wore a good pair of breeches and an air of 

 prosperity. This man was the local repre- 

 sentative of Capital. He was the possessor of 

 a pony — a creature hardly as big as a 

 middling-sized donkey. 



I enquired about game. Yes, there were 

 springbuck in the vicinity — not more than two 

 or three miles from the camp, and not far from 

 out of our course to Arris. They were said to 

 be comparatively tame. Probably they had 

 acquired a contempt for the Richtersveld guns, 

 which, I fancied, were of an antiquated type. 



I hired the pony for the day. My principal 

 reason for doing this was to save my boots, 

 which were rapidly wearing out. Flora, 

 Fauna and Flora's husband w T ere loaded up 

 with the baggage and sent on to Arris. Hen- 

 drick, the three remaining guides, the Capita- 

 list owner of the pony and I went to look for 

 the springbuck. 



