144 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



had picked up at Eland river ; he had all the vices of 

 the white man and none of the virtues of his own race. 

 I and my Day-and-Martin-skinned Ganymede had not 

 gone over a quarter of a mile, when we discovered that 

 the black hitch that I have spoken of before was 

 following us. Oberon tried to coax her to him, but no, 

 she knew too much (she was an Africander dog). Then 

 I tried ; I spoke in the pleasantest tones and used the 

 most endearing terms, but she refused to listen to the 

 voice of the charmer; so she was peremptorily ordered 

 home, and several rocks not stones hurled at her. 

 All was useless, she would go with us, yet she would 

 not be one of us. I crossed a ridge and quietly 

 ascended the slope of another. On hands and knees I 

 carefully crawled to the sky-line; as I approached it 

 I resembled the tortoise in pace and the serpent in 

 stealthiness. At last I reached the summit, and was 

 about to look over. I thought it would be better to 

 take off my cap first, to get more range of vision with 

 less elevation. I did so, and then remembered that my 

 head was bald and very polished, and as the sun was 

 behind me the light might reflect off it ; deeming 

 that would not do, I accordingly plucked a handful of 

 grass, and placing it on the top of my pate, inch 

 by inch I raised myself; very little more would 

 do it, very little ; so half -inch by half- inch I pushed 

 myself upwards. The grass on my head was now above 

 the ridge ; very little more would elevate my eyes suffi- 

 ciently to command the view ; on a rough calculation 

 three-quarters of an inch and one barleycorn. Would 

 you believe it? So cautious was I that it took four 

 minutes and a half to accomplish this. My eyes had 

 attained sufficient altitude, and Well, then, no 



