56 TALES OF A NOMAD. 



face in order to daze it, while at the same moment he 

 seizes it by the head. I am bound to say, though, that 

 an instance of this never came under my personal obser- 

 vation. Mataffayen never deceived me, and I am not 

 unphilosophical enough to deny the possibility of an 

 occurrence on the ground that I did not see it myself. 



Mataffayen had seen plenty of spoor, but had not come 

 across any sea-cows. 



The next morning I sent off Caffres at dawn of day 

 both up and down stream to gather information, remain- 

 ing in camp myself to await news. 



About ten o'clock two Caffres returned from up stream, 

 reporting that about six miles higher up, the river 

 narrowed considerably, and that they had marked down 

 two sea-cows (a cow and large calf) in a pool not more 

 than forty yards in width. 



I set off at once, taking the dogs with me, as on my 

 return journey I intended to make a small detour and 

 hunt back to camp. 



We reached the spot, but no sea-cows were visible in the 

 pool. The river could be crossed here with safety both 

 above and below the pool, so I sent Caffres across with 

 instructions to proddle under the banks with poles, 

 and thus drive out the sea-cows if they were skulking. 

 The sea-cows were soon afoot. There were two of them. 

 A cow and a young bull nearly as big as herself. He 

 was evidently her son. The water was very clear, and I 

 could see them swimming along under the surface. 

 They would not show heads, but kept swimming about 

 up and down the pool, and we raced along the banks 

 beside them to prevent their getting under the banks for 

 shelter and air. I think they must have swum for fully 

 five minutes before they were compelled to rise for 



