126 WAR: A SCOUTS' PATROL 



some of the boys whom we left in the camp 

 reporting that while we were after the wagon four 

 mounted white men, riding hard, and evidently 

 not noticing our camp, had passed down on the 

 German and opposite side of the river. These, 

 we thought, might probably be a patrol of Botha's 

 troops which had come up by Kuringkuru ; but 

 as this was a matter we had to clear up, Johnson 

 and I, mounted on the two newly acquired beasts, 

 decided to follow them up at once. On the 

 second day we got a good crossing in the Okavango 

 without swimming, and followed the tracks of 

 the four horsemen right down to the Yangana 

 mission station. It was vastly puzzling to make 

 out what the four horsemen were doing, for they 

 seemed to be travelling very fast, as though 

 frightened, neither did they seem to have any 

 supply of provisions nor anything except just what 

 they might have on their horses. When we got 

 to the mission station, we came right into a crowd 

 of German soldiers, who seemed more astonished 

 than even we were, and every nigger around the 

 mission, plainly expecting that things were going 

 to be lively, made an immediate rush for shelter. 

 There was nothing to be done, of course, except 

 tie up our mules ; and then, putting a bold face 

 on it, we asked them what they were doing there, 

 and whether they were not aware that the Colony 

 had surrendered. They got very excited for a 

 few moments, but soon calmed down, and we 

 began to see how the land lay. 



