IN AN ANT-BEAR HOLE. 67 



Nearly a quarter of a mile was traversed ; my friend 

 had joined me, his face bore a more satisfied expression, 

 when, lo ! as we turned off the velt on to the road 

 for no one is allowed to outspan on it one of the after- 

 oxen chose to be disobedient, and not turn wide enough 

 to avoid an ant-bear hole, into which a forewheel went, 

 up to the hub. 



I took off my hat, wiped the perspiration off my 

 face, and said nothing ; but I felt suck agony. The 

 day was now too far spent to do more labour ; so, un- 

 willingly, I returned to the hotel, to enjoy a well- 

 earned meal, contemplate my misfortunes, and try and 

 devise how a repetition of them was to be avoided on 

 the morrow. 



With the first glimpse of the sun in the east I was 

 up; I and the boys long toiled with pickaxe and 

 shovel ; but the confounded hole was so deep that hours 

 were required to make a cutting of the requisite grade. 

 By eight a.m. the driver had arrived ; ominously he 

 shook his head, and informed me, to my disgust, that 

 our labour was lost, that the screw-jack must be put 

 under the axle of the wagon, the wheel thus gradually 

 raised, and the hole underneath the tire carefully filled 

 in. By noon this was done ; but the day was too 

 hot then to start. At three the cattle were yoked 

 in the same order as in our last effort ; but at the first 

 endeavour to move on, the new earth sank down 

 under the wheel, leaving it buried as if in a deep rut. 

 When in this position the team for some time 

 struggled most manfully, but after a time turned 

 rusty, and refused to make further exertion. 



The expert and even non- driving readers may say, 

 " Why on earth did you not unload ? " Well, for this 

 F 2 



