That was what put me hopelessly wrong. I began 

 to look for particular objects instead of taking one 

 direction and keeping to it. Whenever a flat-topped 

 thorn, a quaint ant-heap, a patch of tambookie grass, 

 or a forked marula came in sight, I would turn off to 

 see if they were the same we had passed coming out. 

 It was hopeless folly, of course ; for in that country 

 there were hundreds and thousands of such things all 

 looking very much alike, and you could walk yourself 

 to death zigzagging about from one to another and 

 never get any nearer home : when it comes to doing 

 that sort of thing your judgment is gone and you 

 have lost your head ; and the worst of it is you do 

 not know it and would not believe it if any one could 

 tell you so. I did not know it ; but it was nevertheless 

 the fact. 



As the sun sank lower I hurried on faster, but 

 never long in one line always turning this way and 

 that to search for the particular marks I had in mind. 

 At last we came to four trees in a line, and my heart 

 gave a great jump, for these we had certainly passed 

 before. In order to make quite sure I hunted for 

 koodoo spoor ; there was none to be seen, but on an 

 old molehill there was the single print of a dog's foot. 

 " Ha, Jock's ! " I exclaimed aloud ; and Jock him- 

 self at the sound of his name stepped up briskly and 

 sniffed at his own spoor. Close beside it there 

 was the clear mark of a heeled boot, and there 

 were others further on. There was no doubt 

 about it, they were Jock's and mine, and I could 

 have given a whoop of delight ; but a chilly feeling 



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