436 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



" Petsi," he answered, and pointed to the west, thus 

 indicating that zebras were close at hand. 



Again I said " Kiloe," and he answered " Petsi," and 

 showed not the slightest inclination to give way to me. 

 Knowing that these fellows consider an extra ten miles 

 nothing if there is a prospect of getting a good feed, I 

 doubted much the propriety of following him ; but 

 when I commenced to look about, and became convinced 

 that without his aid I should never find my way home, 

 I made a virtue of necessity, and followed him. How- 

 ever, I was agreeably surprised in twenty minutes he 

 brought me within shot of the game, and I bowled over 

 a fine fat mare. My attendant at once set to work, and 

 cut off the carcase as many of the choice morsels as he 

 could carry; so with a load of quite one hundred and 

 twenty pounds of reeking flesh on his back, we retraced 

 our steps homewards. 



During our hunt we had at first travelled west, then 

 east, so we had not such a distance to traverse as might 

 have been imagined ; and my attendant went as direct 

 for the wagon as a bird would fly to it. Thus about 

 an hour before sunset we were in sight of my cattle. 

 Signalling to the bushman to go home with the meat, I 

 left him, and turned to the right, to have a look at 

 them. As usual, the little ox was almost a quarter of 

 a mile from the others. A " herd " might possibly have 

 rectified this, but as there were no habitations near, and 

 consequently no mealy fields, and the only water to be 

 found for miles was in the vicinity, there was no fear 

 of the oxen straying or doing mischief, so I had per- 

 mitted the foreloper to remain in camp. Well, I had a 

 look at and a talk with Swartland, Ackerman, Buffle, 

 and, in fact, with all, when I turned my steps towards 



