246 LODGES IN THE WILDERNESS 



shoulders from the wet. Then I sat on the 

 ground among the carcases and piled them 

 around me; only my head emerged from the 

 mass. The whole lot, numbering eighteen, 

 were requisitioned for this unusual service. 

 The water trickled in but the dead bucks still 

 retained some heat and for a time I was fairly 

 comfortable. 



But as the hours passed the carcases grew 

 cold and colder; my misery became acute. 

 The night was pitch black. I had enough 

 candle-bush to make a flare for about half-an- 

 hour, but prudence prompted me to delay this 

 operation so as to give Andries time to get 

 round the extremity of the dune wherever 

 that might be. I fired my rifle occasionally, 

 but the wind was blowing steadily and An- 

 dries' course was down to windward. 



At length, after a seemingly interminable 

 period of wretchedness, I lit my candle-bush 

 flares one by one. They blazed brightly and 

 gave out a certain amount of grateful heat, but 

 soon they came to an end, and I stole back to 

 my sepulchre among the now stone-cold car- 

 cases. 



The steady rain trickled down; I was by 

 this time wet through. I wondered as to 

 whether I would be able to endure the misery 



