68 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



every one who had previously assisted at his capture ; 

 but a black man does not, fortunately, cease action 

 because he must swear, so all were soon again in 

 pursuit of the recusant ox. The chase this time 

 was both longer and more difficult than the previous 

 one had been, but. it .was followed up perseveringly 

 till rewarded with success. 



All being now in readiness, the whips cracked, 

 the drivers shouted "Amaga treck ! " and the ships 

 of the desert were once more in motion. 



Now I had time to compare notes and inquire 

 what our assailant had been, for up to this time I 

 was ignorant on the point, the creature having 

 passed me so suddenly and unexpectedly that I 

 never got a -fair sight of it. Not so with my atten- 

 dants; unanimously they pronounced the animal to 

 be a bosch-vaark, or bush-pig. The voorlooper 

 (leader), who had : been knocked over, I therefore 

 naturally concluded must be cut, for the reason that 

 these swine use their tusks with terrible effect; but 



<* 



such was not the case. The hog had never touched 

 him, his fall being attributable to a dog having 

 attempted to pass between his very bandy and 

 unsymmetrical legs. 



Chummy and I, having seen that nothing was 

 left behind, now lit our pipes at a smouldering coal, 

 and hurried on to overtake the cavalcade, slowly 

 progressing nearly half a mile in our front. The 

 landscape was thoroughly African, and, to me, more 



