FRIENDS IN NEED ARE FRIENDS INDEED. 447 



unmitigated evils of hunger and thirst which are, of 

 all the pangs to man, and child, and beast, the worst. 

 The good missionary, who distinctly told me that he 

 never expected to see me return, was the essence of 

 hospitality ; but I was anxious to get to Zeerust, for 

 there I knew were letters awaiting me, so I trecked 

 with the wagon till about half the distance was 

 traversed, when to my disgust I discovered that the tire 

 of one of my hind wheels was all but off. Thus I had 

 again to turn wagon-wright, remove the wheel and 

 have it there and then pegged, which operation is 

 accomplished by driving wedges of wood between the 

 tire and felloe. When again ready for the road I 

 visited an adjoining farm-house, hired a horse, and 

 galloped into Zeerust, very much to the surprise of the 

 inhabitants, who were under the impression that I had 

 died some time back, a report to that effect having been 

 spread through the community about two months 

 before. 



Again I visited the little church, again I dined 

 with Mr. Eeed, and as I trecked south I stopped at 

 Jacobsdal. Here that dear, kind-hearted gentleman, 

 Mr. George Wisbeach, met me. He had left Baman- 

 watto the day after I did ; but although he had the 

 longer route to traverse that, namely, by Crocodile 

 river he had beaten me in the treck by two days. 



"Well, it is no harm telling it, but I was very hard 

 up, and could not get money till I got to Klerksdorp. 

 Accordingly I had been prevented from laying in a 

 stock of beef for myself and boys. Wisbeach somehow 

 or other found this out, so he took me on the velt 

 where his oxen pastured, and shot the fattest for my 

 use. Nearly the whole world knows me now; and 



