THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 103 



of water for the use of himself and his people for 

 some days, but as he would not listen to Luck, 

 who wished to turn back, a mutiny broke out, and 



Luck and the " boys " determined to kill D , 



take his properties, inclusive of 200 in hard cash, 

 and endeavour to get back to Kange. Fortunately, 

 however, one of the " boys " could not make up his 

 mind to carry out the murderous plan, and gave 



D such detailed information that he decided 



if Luck's actions corresponded with those arranged 



to be acted on, that he, D , would shoot 



Luck. About midnight D saw him creeping 



stealthily, gun in hand, towards his sleeping 



quarters. Then D , who had taken a shot 



gun to bed with him, hesitated no longer, and 

 Luck was killed on the spot. The " boys," with 



the exception of the one to whom D no doubt 



owed his life, at once fled, taking with them the 

 horse, and as nothing more was ever heard of 

 them, most likely they perished of thirst in the 

 desert By this time the oxen were outrageously 



thirsty, and when D and the " boy " tried to 



yoke them, they broke away and disappeared. 

 No chance of saving life was now left, except the 

 very faint one of leaving the waggon with such 



