WILLIAM THE DRIVER, 51 



fortune or other would occur. Again and again 

 filled my pipe, and almost as often took my guns 

 >m their racks, to assure myself that their breeches 

 rere not under the drip that came from many a 

 :nt in the tilt. I tried to read, but, although I had 

 lat wonderfully fascinating work, " The Woman in 

 r hite," I could not concentrate my mind upon it. 

 \vice I had gone forth and added fuel to the far 

 >m brilliant watchfires, and while doing so did not 

 til to observe that none of the bullocks had lain 

 >wn, but erect, with anxious, distended eyes, gazed 

 irnestly up to windward. Treck oxen are, without 

 :ception, obstinate, perverse creatures, sometimes 

 iking alarm where nought is to be dreaded, at 

 :her times not taking the slightest precaution to 

 avoid danger where it must have been obvious to 

 them. So, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, I 

 betook myself to my shelter. I had about finished 

 another pipe, when a sudden prolonged pull upon 

 the treck-tow so violently shook my domicile, that 

 if proper precautions had not been taken, it doubt- 

 lessly would have been overturned. At this 

 moment my driver placed his head under the 

 curtain of the tilt, and in smothered words told 

 me that he knew there were lions round us. Not 

 doubting the truth of his statement, I professed to 

 disbelieve it, for, said I, " Why don't the dogs 

 challenge them ? Where are the lazy curs ? " 



William, for that was my driver's name, promptly 



