70 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



that the peace of the Sunday rested on everything: the 

 cattle lay on the velt across the road in pasture a foot 

 high, while several horses stood under the shelter of 

 neighbouring trees, solely occupied with switching the 

 flies off their flanks. The only noisy things possessed 

 of animal life that I observed, were the white -collared 

 ravens. At home I have noted a like behaviour of our 

 crows on the day of rest. 



The "gudeman" was in his Sunday best, and regretted 

 to me that he had not been able to go to preaching 

 from the number of strangers at his house. He was a 

 countryman (Scotch), and an old mounted police corps 

 man : here were two bonds of sympathy ; surely he 

 would aid me, who came from his native land, and had 

 been a member of the same profession. I felt reassured 

 and confident that my perseverance was about to meet 

 with its reward. 



Saddling my own nag for who could expect a groom 

 to be found on this day ? I returned to the wagon. On 

 reaching it, I saw the boys had made everything snug, 

 while the bright fires at which they were cooking 

 their meal gave an air of home and comfort to the 

 surroundings. 



However, Imp was absent. He had retraced our 

 march of yesterday to endeavour to find one of the dogs 

 which had been missed shortly after we had left. The 

 animal had followed us ; but it looked like zeal, so I 

 commended the boy's conduct. At two we started, and, 

 without mishap, reached Currie's. As I followed that 

 road, the one we had ridden during the darkness of the 

 blackest night imaginable, the more and more I wondered 

 that any of our party escaped being dashed to pieces. 



As the day was young, and light would last till 



