412 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



had not been seen since the days of Cannoby Lea ; and 

 when the hour for departure came, the happy creatures 

 seemed very indisposed to give up their sport. How- 

 ever, one after another was secured, and ultimately all 

 but Euby, and catch her we could not, although a dozen 

 persons were engaged in her pursuit ; yet she would not 

 go alone a hundred yards from the wagons, but coursed 

 round and round them, persistently refusing to be cornered 

 or surrounded. For over half an hour she practised this 

 game, and we almost despaired of success, when, doubt- 

 less thinking she had given enough trouble, and had 

 a sufficient lease of liberty, she surrendered at discre- 

 tion. 



While we laughed at the fun, certainly the 

 Bechuanas did not, for the thorns were abundant, and 

 the afternoon fearfully hot ; in fact, such violent exercise 

 under the circumstances was much to be deprecated, and 

 their sour looks and angry expressions showed that they 

 thought so. 



At length all the oxen were in the yoke ; each 

 driver, whip in hand, stood waiting for his master's 

 orders, while the foreloper, reim over his shoulder, after 

 the manner of his craft, sat upon the ground, almost 

 under the noses of the leading cattle. With a " God 

 bless you!" a firm shake of the hand, and many ex- 

 pressions of regard, we three Britons parted in this 

 distant and little -known part of the earth. Shall we 

 ever meet again? Possibly, but not probably; still, 

 the secretary of the book of futurity may have made 

 an entry in its pages that such is to be. 



The whip again cracks, the driver shouts " Treck ! " 

 the treck-tow is made taut ; then " Amaga ! " is yelled, 

 and the ships of the desert are moving off in their 



