6 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



he knew every road and every hamlet for hundreds 

 of miles to the north, spoke every dialect of the 

 Bechuana tribe, understood horses and rode well, 

 and was without his equal in the country as a hunter 

 of both large and small game. 



At the hour of my departure, the chief attended 

 to bid us " God speed," when I took the oppor- 

 tunity to tell my new attendant, in his presence, what 

 I had heard of his former career ; adding that, as he 

 carried my rifle, he would have abundant chances to 

 shoot me, but if he missed, I should most assuredly 

 kill him with my revolver. 



At this threat the Hottentot only grinned ; but 

 his chief, E'Calapin, then addressed him and told 

 him, that should harm befall me, his life should pay 

 the penalty, wherever he should secrete himself on 

 the south side of the Zambesi. 



Although I had spoken thus explicitly, possibly 

 harshly, I did not dislike this man's appearance, and 

 certainly did not fear him. Thus, before we had been 

 a couple of hours in the saddle, we were riding side 

 by side, chatting as familiarly as if we had been 

 acquaintances of years instead of a few hours. 



Let me describe ' Cigar, for this was his English 

 name. He was about five feet six inches in height, 

 sparely built, and of a dark coffee-colour complexion. 

 His head was as round as a bullet, its spherical 

 perfection only being interfered with by the height 

 of his cheek bones. The adornment on the top of 



