286 LIFE ON THE HIGHT VELDT. 



a sand river-bed, the track always so heavy that the 

 lower felloes of the waggon wheels were six or more 

 inches out of sight. However, in due course of time 

 Tchakani and Limooni vleys were passed, and soon 

 after I was outspanned at Palatswe river, where 

 water was found by digging. 



Here I met the son of a Yorkshire horse-dealer 

 who was going up country on a trading expedition, 

 and, as lions had killed his horse two nights pre- 

 viously, he wanted another nag. My newly-acquired 

 black or dark chestnut struck his fancy ; so, if he 

 rode him and liked him, he would pay me ^50 for 

 the animal and take him without a warranty for 

 being salted. 



Short a time as I had possessed the beast, I did 

 not like him, that's a fact, for he had kicked me once 

 pretty near the region of the abdomen, and taken a 

 piece out of my shoulder with his teeth, and all this 

 exuberance of spirits was testified because I had gone, 

 prompted by a Christian spirit, into his vicinity, to 

 see whether his halter rope was secured and his 

 proper allotment of mealies doled out. No, upon 

 the whole, I think I would sooner have been with- 

 out that horse ; his demonstrativeness and playful- 

 ness of character did not suit my usually staid 

 disposition. 



One of the boys saddled and bridled the beast. 

 When led out with his trappings on, a gayer or more 

 corky-looking mount could scarcely be seen, although 



