278 VDVENTURES IN SOUTH \FRICA. 



the ladle til! late in the afternoon, when he began to 

 talk about buying a second gun. Three tusks were 

 brought, and we had nearly concluded a bargain, when 

 ■eome of his counselors told him that he ought to have 

 received powder and bullets along with the first gun. 

 He commenced to pester me on this subject ; but I 

 stoutly resisted, and told him the bargain was conclud- 

 ed. He, however, continued to harp on this string till 

 a late hour, w^hen I told him, as I had done the preced- 

 ing day, that I must now take a walk ; and I remarked 

 that, if he thought he had given too much for my gun, 

 he had better return it, and take away his tusks. Hav- 

 ing consulted a short time with his wise men, he re- 

 turned the gun, and resumed possession of his tusks. 

 I then shouldered my rifle, and held for the wells, to 

 give the dogs water. 



These wells were situated at a great distance from 

 my camp, and yielded a very moderate supply of water. 

 Here I met with large parties of the Bamangwato 

 women drawing water, which they bore in earthen ves- 

 sels balanced on their heads to their elevated retreats 

 in the mountains. The pits where my oxen drank 

 were very distant from the camp, and were reported 

 not to yield a sufficient supply oi" water, the conse- 

 quence of which was that my horses and oxen had al- 

 ready greatly fallen off" in condition. In this state of 

 things, I resolved that my stay at Bamangwato should 

 not exceed another day, and I determined, if possible, 

 to come to terms with Sicomy on the following morn- 

 ing. On returning to the wagons, Carollus came up to 

 me and reported half the oxen missing. This threw 

 me into a state of great alarm. I at once suspected 

 treachery, and I well knew that if Sicomy had taken 

 them they would not easily be recovered. I instantly 



