ioo THE HUNTER'S ARCADi 



disabling himself by an accidental explosion ; but 

 he was unquestionably a bad horseman, and spills upoa 

 the African veldt are of every-day occurrence ; and, 

 although rarely serious injury results from them, a 

 man might have his arm or collar-bone broken. 

 To this latter possibility, therefore, I was about to 

 attribute his lengthened absence, when a fresh 

 reason for his failure to return rose in my mind, viz., 

 it was just possible nay, more than that, probable 

 that he had lost his way. 



Of all the hunting companions I have ever had 

 and they have been numerous enough I never 

 was associated with one who had a worse idea of 

 direction. It has puzzled me times beyond count 

 how any man could be so stupid in this respect ; 

 in fact, it has not unfrequently almost made me 

 lose my temper to see with what persistency he 

 would adopt the wrong course, and, worse still, 

 stick to it, in spite of all argument or persuasion. 



Now, my friend was an educated man even 

 more, a gentleman who had distinguished himself 

 at his university ; so better things might have been 

 expected from him. But I have invariably re- 

 marked that, the higher the type of a man ia 



