The Conquest of the Desert 



Blank's horse had taken fright and cleared off 

 in the direction of Nakob, keeping to the road 

 through the sand-dunes. The troop horse 

 carried his water supply, and he evidently- 

 decided to follow it, and set out walking along 

 the road ; the horse apparently being out of 

 sight, for on reaching a spot known as JakhaPs 

 Vlei the horse turned off to the right on an old 

 road leading to Omdraai Vlei. When Private 

 Blank reached the junction of the two roads he 

 failed to notice that the horse had tiirned to the 

 right, so he kept on the road to Sand Vlei and 

 Nakob. 



" The horse proceeded for about 1 J miles, 

 then turned out to graze, when the reins fell 

 over his head and he also became entangled 

 eventually, with the reins hitched over the 

 branch of a tree, where the bridle and headstall 

 were subsequently found by a patrol. Private 

 Blank proceeded along the road to a spot about 

 22 miles from here, where he turned off the road 

 to the right. Monday was a day of terrific heat, 

 and his object appears to have been to obtain 

 shade, as he rested under bushes at two places 

 near this spot. The time was now about midday 

 (as he had rested on the southerly side of the 

 tree). In the afternoon he appears to have 



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