THE SPELL OF THE DESERT 83 



distance of fifty to a hundred miles. Oryx 

 spoor, but not very fresh, abounded. 



There were no ostriches visible. Those that 

 on the previous day stampeded eastward had 

 no doubt gone back during the night to the 

 locality in which Hendrick had found them. 

 A few springbuck were occasionally to be 

 seen, but they were exceedingly wild. One 

 would have had to manoeuvre to get within a 

 thousand yards of them. Now and then a 

 paauw flew up, a forerunner of that immense 

 migration which would take place a few weeks 

 later. Then the whole paauw-population of 

 the Kalihari would cross the Orange River 

 and move over the plains by an oblique route 

 towards the coast. They would return over 

 the same course after they had nested and 

 hatched out their young. 



I had brought my rifle, more from force of 

 habit than anything else, for I was not anxious 

 to shoot. I was content to gaze on the enthrall- 

 ing, impassive face with which the world there 

 defied the arrogant sun ; to admire that quality 

 in it which I most lacked, its steadfastness. I 

 wanted to breathe the desert's breath, to drink' 

 of its life, to do it homage and to love it not 

 for any fleeting beauty, but because my un- 

 steadfast soul found it loveable and strong. 



