SECOND EXPEDITION TO SOUTH AFRICA 89 



stop when I wished to go on, and vice versa, and I sent an 

 answer in this spirit; but, 'thanks be praised,' I repented of my 

 churlishness in an hour after the departure of the messenger, 

 and wrote a second letter, begging Major Vardon to ignore the 

 first, pardon my selfishness, and join me as soon as possible ; 

 and to the end of my life I shall rejoice that I did so, for in 

 three days the finest fellow and best comrade a man ever had 

 made his appearance. 



I had been fortunate in finding elephants early, had shot 

 three fine bulls, and in consequence of having had a very long ride 

 the day before, after a herd we never came up with (we started 

 at 8 A.M. one morning and only reached the waggons again next 

 day at 7 A.M.), I returned to camp about 3 P.M., and introduced 

 myself to my new companion, who had just arrived. I will not 

 attempt to describe him let every man picture for himself the 

 most perfect fellow traveller he can imagine, and that's Frank ; 

 brightest, bravest-hearted of men, with the most unselfish 

 of dispositions, totally ignorant of jealousy, the most trust- 

 worthy of mates ; a better sportsman, and better shot than 

 myself at all kinds of game save elephants, and only a 

 little behindhand in that, because he was a heavy weight and 

 poorly armed with a single-barrelled rifle ; yet he was always 

 rejoicing in my success, and making light of his own dis- 

 appointments and this man I had all but missed ! 



Sometimes we would take a day together after elephant or 

 buffalo, and occasionally we met by accident, our beats cutting 

 one another, and the sound of the guns showing our whereabouts. 

 Once having come together in this way, we saw the finest struggle 

 of brute force I ever witnessed. We were making tracks back 

 to the camp, walking our horses slowly along the bank of the 

 river, when Frank got off to shoot a waterbuck (Aigoceros el- 

 lipsiprymnus). A shout followed the report of his rifle. Dis- 

 mounting, for the bush was thick, I soon joined him. In stalk- 

 ing the waterbuck he had come across buffalo, and had wounded 

 one, which with two others was still in view. I started in pursuit 

 and soon outran Vardon, for he was stout, one Kafir holding with 



