298 HUNTING FAVOURITES 



dormitory, which is inside one of the waggons, 

 under either of which, or both, my coloured servants 

 and hunters sleep. But there, also, others of my 

 retinue pass the night — viz., the dogs ; and it is 

 wonderful in what a small space they stow them- 

 selves away, and how unobservable they become, 

 for, whether for warmth or protection, they secrete 

 themselves in twos or threes alongside of each black 

 man — an arrangement which ever appears to be 

 alike satisfactory to biped arid quadruped. 



Although the sun is not yet up, my body ser- 

 vant soon produces for me a hot cup of strong soup, 

 made from kooran, pauw, or buck, the savoury mess 

 having been left to simmer over the fire the whole 

 of the previous night ; and rare stuff this is for a 

 pick-me-up at that time of day, especially if thick- 

 ened with some onion, rice, and broken biscuit. 

 But eating and the smell of the viands attract the 

 dogs, about twenty in number. Some, as will be 

 observed, are well bred, others out-and-out curs, 

 but all are useful. The former are six imported 

 greyhounds and a pointer ; the latter are nonde- 

 scripts, with more or less greyhound blood in them, 

 and picked up anywhere, and from anybody, since I 

 made my start from Griqualand West, at an average 

 price of one pound each. The large brindled ani- 

 mal that takes precedence of all the others is a three- 

 quarter bred greyhound, his other parent being of 

 the breed at present so fashionable, and called the 



