"A Time of Desolation." lyg 



guinea-fowl for a couple of hours or so. I crossed 

 the ri^ er and walked towards a small ko^^jie. In 

 about an hour I thought it time to return for 

 breakfast ; but, somehow or other, missed my wa\' 

 in some long o-rass. I tliought it didn't matte i- 

 ^'ery much, as I knew the general direction of the 

 road, so steered north-west so as to cut it at right 

 angles. But I A^'alked on and on through the 

 Avilderness, and no road appeared. After more 

 than a couple of hours' hard walking in the hot 

 sun with three dead guinea-fowl dragging on my 

 waist-belt, and a heavy gun, which felt heavier 

 every moment, on my shoulder, I came to the con- 

 clusion this wasn't good enough, and determined to 

 break a rule which I have often had instilled into 

 me in this country, namely, that when once you 

 strike out in a certain direction you shouldn't go 

 l)ack. However, I am glad I did go back, for I 

 know now that the road at this particular point goes 

 south-east, or nearly so, whereas all the way up to 

 now it has, of course, been north-east. The long- 

 grass was very trying, and I never was as thirstv 

 in my life. A Yankee can boast about a ten-dollar 

 thirst, Init I'd have given mine away for nothing, and 

 1 ne\er want another one like it. Suddenly I 

 heard a rustle, and, looking up quickly, saw a head 

 of splendid hartebeest, which animal I liad not seen 

 before, and which I recognized bv their horns. 

 There were nine of them, and thev came along at 

 a soi't of canter trying to head me to windward. 

 They stopped all of a sudden at a little over 100 

 yards, offering a splendid shot broadside. Alas ! 



