AN ALTOGETHER UGLY SPOT. 327 



Next morning at daybreak we were both up and 

 ready to start, when my guide pointed out on the road 

 the spoor of an immense lion. The presence of this 

 beast was the cause doubtless why the dogs would not 

 help me to find the wild duck, and the reason of the 

 cattle stampeding. 



We trecked together that day, and outspanned at 

 Palapsey, spent a most restless and uncomfortable night 

 in as ugly a situation as could be chosen, and the boys 

 behaved very badly. One of my new friend's guaranteed 

 saulted horses died a mile before we reached the halting- 

 place of undoubted horse-sickness. I gave him a cer- 

 tificate to that effect, so" that he might recover from the 

 vendor the price he had paid for it. 



Two years ago the tsetse fly was so bad here that 

 the place was generally passed in the night. A Boer 

 trader who neglected to take this precaution lost all his 

 cattle in consequence. 



The in other parts dry river has here two pools ; 

 game, consequently, is abundant in the neighbourhood, 

 and it has the worst character possible, for the audacity 

 of iheferte naturae that have selected it for their home. 

 Next day I hunted in the afternoon, and although I saw 

 plenty of different species of antelopes I did not kill 

 any. 



We trecked all the succeeding night, with the ex- 

 ception of two or three hours, and reached Mahalapsi, a 

 large shallow vley, by noon on the succeeding day. 



The pasture in this neighbourhood was excellent, so 

 we determined to give the oxen a rest ; and as there 

 were abundant indications of game in the vicinity, a 

 hunt was resolved on, to take place next morning. This 

 resulted in my killing a koodoo (/Wo, Bechuana) and a 



