THE TRANSPORT RIDER 



harness was the pronged yoke that fitted just for- 

 ward of the hump. Over rough country the wheelers 

 were banged and jerked about savagely by the 

 tongue; they did not seem to mind it, but exhibited 

 a certain amount of intelligence in manipulation. 



To drive these oxen we had one white man, named 

 Brown, and two small Kikuyu savages. One of 

 these worked the brake crank in the rear; while the 

 other preceded the lead cattle. Brown exercised 

 general supervision, a long lashed whip, and Boer- 

 Dutch expletives and admonitions. 



In transport riding, as this game is called, there 

 is required a great amount of especial skill, though 

 not necessarily a high degree of intelligence. Along 

 the flats all goes well enough; but once in the un- 

 believable rough country of a hill trek the situation 

 alters. A man must know cattle and their symp- 

 toms. It is no light feat to wake up eighteen 

 sluggish bovine minds to the necessity for effort, and 

 then to throw so much dynamic energy into the 

 situation that the whole eighteen will begin to pull 

 at once. That is the secret; unanimity. An ox is 

 the most easily discouraged working animal on earth. 

 If the first three couples begin to haul before the 

 others have aroused to their effort, they will not 

 succeed in budging the wagon an inch, but after a 

 moment's struggle will give up completely. By that 



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