He was only the first to go ; day by day others 

 followed. Some were only cattle : others were old 

 friends and comrades on many a trek. The two big 

 after-oxen Achmoed and Bakir went down early ; 

 the Komati Drift had over-tried them, and the weight 

 and jolting of the heavy disselboom on the bad roads 

 finished them off. These were the two inseparables 

 who worked and grazed, walked and slept, side by 

 side never more than a few yards apart day or night 

 since the day they became yoke-fellows. They died 

 on consecutive days. 



But the living wonder of that last trek was still 

 old Zwaartland the front ox ! With his steady sober 

 air, perfect understanding of his work, and firm clean 

 buck-like tread, he still led the front span. Before 

 we reached the Crocodile his mate gave in worn to 

 death by the ebbing of his own strength and by the 

 steady indomitable courage of his comrade. Old 

 Zwaartland pulled on ; but my heart sank as I looked 

 at him and noted the slightly ' staring ' coat, the 

 falling flanks, the tread less sure and brisk, and a look 

 in his eyes that made me think he knew what was 

 coming out would do his best. 



The gallant-hearted old fellow held on. One after 

 another we tried with him in the lead, half a dozen 

 or more ; but he wore them all down. In the dongas 

 and spruits, where the crossings were often very bad 

 and steep, the waggons would stick for hours, and the 

 wear and strain on the exhausted cattle was killing : 

 it was bad enough for the man who drove them. To 

 see old Zwaartland then holding his ground, never for 



A T O 



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