1 84 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



is already conversant with my kennel's appearance, 

 not so with the brutes that composed the Kaffirs. 



As a native never feeds a dog, it can well be 

 imagined that these were thin ; more, they looked 

 like moving skeletons, and in form much more 

 resembled wild animals of the jackal type than 

 anything else. 



Cover was very sparse it may almost be said 

 that there was none ; so we stretched out into an 

 extended line, and in this formation advanced for 

 nearly a mile. 



Every few hundred yards that we advanced a 

 'steinbok or duikerbok jumped up within a few 

 paces of the beaters, and went off, with the whole 

 pack of curs in close attendance. Knobkerries were 

 hurled ad libitum by my associates, and several of 

 these interesting animals were placed to our credit. 

 As these animals stand as high as a goat, it is 

 perfectly surprising how they can secrete them- 

 selves upon such bare ground, The only explana- 

 tion I can offer is that the colour of their coats 

 approximates closely with that of the soil. After 

 more than a mile and a half of tramp we reached 

 a dip in the veldt, which was, if possible, more 

 sterile than the ground we had lately passed over ; 

 so, with one accord, all agreed that the object of 

 our search had not sought it for a sanctuary. The 

 question now arose, where can the brute have gone ? 

 One of the Bushmen surmised to an adjoining hill ; 



