all sorts of grass-hidden obstacles, there were times 

 when consideration for Snowball seemed mighty like 

 pure foolishness, and it would have been no grief to 

 me if he had broken his neck ! 



To the credit of Snowball stand certain things, 

 however, and it is but justice to say that, when once 

 in the ranks, he played his part well ; and it is due to 

 him to say that during one hard season a camp of 

 waggons with their complement of men had to be 

 kept in meat, and it was Snowball who carried for 

 short and long distances, through dry rough country, 

 at all times of day and night, hot, thirsty and tired, 

 and without a breakdown or a day's sickness a bag 

 that totalled many thousands of pounds in weight, 

 and the man who made the bag. 



" That wall-eyed brute of yours " was launched at 

 me in bitterness of spirit on many occasions when 

 Snowball led the normally well-behaved ones astray ; 

 and it is curious to note how strength of character 

 or clear purpose will establish leadership among animals, 

 as among men. Rooiland the restless, when dissatis- 

 fied with the grass or in want of water, would cast 

 about up wind for a few minutes and then with his 

 hot eyeballs staring and nostrils well distended choose 

 his line, going resolutely along and only pausing from 

 time to time to give a low moan for signal and allow 

 the straggling string of unquestioning followers to 

 catch up. When Rooiland had ' trek fever ' there 

 was no rest for herd. boys. So too with old Snowball : 

 he led the well-behaved astray and they followed him 

 blindly. Had Snowball been a schoolboy, a wise 



310 



