205 



THE HUNTER'S ARCADIA. 



notifying me that they had reached their respective 

 posts. At length I heard the preconcerted whistle, 

 and the boy, armed with nothing but the blade of an 

 assegai and a worn-out harass, which he dragged after 

 him, disappeared into the bowels of the earth. This 

 was not effected without many twists and contortions 

 and an abundant use of his nails, with the employment 

 of which he appeared almost as great an adept as an 

 aard-vark ; for although a mature caracal stands almost 

 as high as a well-grown colley, like all the cat family, 

 it possesses wonderful powers of compressing itself 

 into a small space. 



After the boy had been lost sight of, I could not 

 help feeling that if anything happened to him I should 

 have much to blame myself for ; but I consoled myself 

 with the knowledge that I would zealously and truly 

 perform my part, and that nothing living should pass 

 me. I had time now to take close observation of my 

 surroundings. Below me and to the right extended 

 a wild rocky valley, while above and to the west- 

 ward, commanding my position, was an elevated 

 ridge, the surface of which, from its more exposed 

 .situation, was but sparsely covered with vegetation. 



The silence of death reigned around, seldom 



