29O LIFE ON THE HIGHT VELDT. 



ing and fewer impediments. After a time I got my 

 desires, but it was too late ; my willing horse was 

 pumped out, and could go no further. Already he 

 had made several flounders ominous of coming on 

 his head, and my reins were tightening on the bit to 

 pull him up, when, to my surprise, a horseman 

 dashed in after my game over a hundred yards to 

 my front. It only required a glance to tell me that 

 the new comers were Tottie and Poker. Oh ! but 

 it was a gruesome sight, more than any Christian 

 man could stand ; so I jumped out of the saddle and 

 put up my two hundred yards sight, with the hope, 

 you must know, of hitting the horse, but I was out 

 of breath, and made a clean miss ; at three hundred 

 and four hundred yards I did the same, so quit 

 shooting. Then I thought to follow up the chase, 

 and capture the horse thief, but my horse was so 

 blown that I dared not urge him beyond a walk. I 

 was beaten, fairly beaten, and, worse than all, the 

 scoundrel would doubtless secure the meat I had 

 worked so hard for. 



There was nothing for me to do now but return 

 to the waggon. To William, my driver, I narrated 

 what had occurred, and also that I would give ten 

 dollars, so many strings of beads and pounds of 

 brass wire, for the capture of the thief and horse. 

 Immediately afterwards he had a consultation with 

 some Massara Bushmen who were with me, and 

 they, with my factotum, soon departed in pursuit of 



