232 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



shouldering one of my eight-bore double-barrels, I went 

 over to where the cavalcade were already mustering. 



My horse was pointed out ; it was already saddled, 

 and in charge of a Kaffir, and truly was as wretched an 

 antediluvian animal all scored and cut, in fact, there 

 did not appear to be a sound piece of hide on any 

 portion of its body as ever has been seen or ever will 

 be. The thorns might have done much towards this dis- 

 figurement, the jambock more ; but there were several 

 parallel scars across the rump that strongly whispered 

 that master lion at some period or other had made a 

 strong effort to jump this horse. My hosts evidently 

 saw disappointment in my countenance, for they at once 

 commenced to enumerate its wonderful qualities ; and 

 while they enlarged on them I thought if it had new 

 fore legs, new hind ones, and a new barrel, it might not 

 be quite so bad. It was one of the " has beens," and 

 an admirable specimen of that race ; still it was a horse, 

 and without a horse I must defer at present having a 

 shot at the elephants. I got upon its back ; it fairly 

 cringed under my weight. I dismounted and removed 

 the saddle, and, oh, what a sore it had along the 

 vertebrae ! I thought I would decline going, but then 

 there were elephants to be shot, so I sent for one of my 

 own saddles and a numnah, tightened up the girths, 

 and remounted. Poor wretch ! it did not give beneath 

 me as much as before, but I will acknowledge it did yield 

 a little. One thing I did not like, in fact very much 

 disliked, was, that I should not be able to lead the hunt, 

 and show off before the young Boers, in fact, teach 

 them that an Englishman was quite their equal in 

 handling horse and gun. But, dear me, what evil star 

 shone on me, that I should be compelled to figure on 



