DECEPTION OF THE GUIDES. 247 



fng them I at first pretended not to have discovered 

 water ; and I said to the guides, " There is nothing 

 but dense wood in this country ; can you not show me 

 water ? my oxen will die." They replied that they 

 knew the country from infancy, and that if I wanted 

 water I must travel till sunset, steering south of east. 

 I then surprised them by saying, " Now I see that you 

 wish to lead me astray ; for I have seen abundance of 

 water, and I will find my way to Bamangwato, though 

 you do all in your power to prevent me." Having in- 

 spanned, we held for the water, which I succeeded in 

 reaching at a late hour. I still felt very anxious and 

 full of care ; but this first bold and successful step 

 seemed to have made a strong impression on the guides, 

 who still followed in our wake. It appeared to me that 

 the orders they had received from their chief were to 

 endeavor to lead me astray, and bring me to Sichely ; 

 but that, in the event of my finding the way myself, 

 they were to accompany me to Sicomy, to insure his 

 friendship, and to convince him of their chief's sincer- 

 ity. On the morning of the 18th, shortly after the day 

 dawned, I was lying awake, thinking whether I should 

 hunt or explore the country in advance, my men hav- 

 ing, as usual, wa.sted their food and already consumed 

 the bull wildebeest which I had shot for them two days 

 previously, when suddenly I heard the voices of men a 

 little distance down the glade. Fortune seemed de- 

 termined to favor me. The guides, who sat by our fire, 

 had not heard the voices ; if they had been aware of men 

 being near us, they would have run to meet them, and 

 warned them to lead me astray. Springing from my 

 bed, I hastily donned my attire, and, proceeding in tho 

 direction of the voices, I discovered a party of ten Be- 

 chuanas squatted round a fire which they had just kin- 



