xix THE STRICKEN CARAVAN 209 



ing one slides and slips about in the slush in a most 

 uncomfortable manner. Innocent-looking dongas. 



o o 



where half an hour previously not one drop of 

 water was to be seen, become roaring torrents from 

 bank to bank in an incredibly short time ; while for 

 many hours or even a few days the rivers become 

 absolutely impassable in this land of no bridges. 

 On this account it is the custom of the wise traveller 

 in these parts always to cross a river before camping, 

 for otherwise a flood may come down and detain 

 him and his caravan on the wrong side of the 

 stream for perhaps a week. Of course when the 

 rain ceases, the floods as quickly subside, the 

 rivers and dongas dry up, and the country once 

 more resumes its normal sun-cracked appearance. 



On leaving my tent one morning when work was 

 at a standstill owing to the rain, I noticed a great 

 herd of zebra about a couple of miles away on the 

 north side of the railway. Now, it had long been 

 my ambition to capture one of these animals alive ; 

 so I said to myself, " Here is my chance ! " The 

 men could do nothing owing to the rain, and the 

 ground was very boggy, so I thought that if we 

 could surround the herd judiciously and chase the 

 zebra up and down from point to point through the 

 heavy ground, some of them would soon get ex- 

 hausted and we should then be able to catch them. I 

 selected for the hunt a dozen fleet-footed Indians who 



p 



