and calves ; and it was that morning's spoor : even 

 in the soft moist ground at the stream's edge the water 

 had not yet oozed into most of the prints. Fortu- 

 nately there was a light breeze from the hills, and 

 as it seemed probable that in any case they would make 

 that way for the hot part of the day we decided to 

 follow for some distance on the track and then make 

 for the likeliest poort in the hills. 



The buffalo had come up from the low country 

 in the night on a course striking the creek diagonally 

 in the drinking place ; their departing spoor went off 

 at a slight tangent from the stream the two trails 

 making a very wide angle at the drinking place and 

 confirming the idea that after their night's feed in the 

 rich grass lower down they were making for the hills 

 again in the morning and had touched at the stream 

 to drink. 



Jock seemed to gather from our whispered conversa- 

 tion and silent movements that there was work to 

 hand, and his eyes moved from one face to the other as 

 we talked, much as a child watches the faces in a con- 

 versation it cannot quite follow. When we got up 

 and began to move along the trail, he gave one of his 

 little sideways bounds, as if he half thought of throw- 

 ing a somersault and restrained himself ; and then 

 with several approving waggings of his tail settled 

 down at once to business. 



Jock went in front : it was best so, and quite safe, 

 for, whilst certain to spot anything long before we 

 could, there was not the least risk of his rushing it or 

 making any noise. The slightest whisper of a " Hst " 



278 



