122 THE SLOUGH OF DESPOND. 



I tried at any other, I might get pounded completely ; I 

 therefore went down to the spot, and tried my horse at it. 

 He would not stir a step into the bog, but smelt at it in 

 a suspicious manner : spurs and whip had no effect on 

 him, he would not face it. 



An English officer who happened to have joined our 

 party, and who weighed upwards of sixteen stone, was 

 now approaching at a canter : he had lost the main body 

 of elands, and was coming after my lot. 



I saw that the quiet plan was no good with my nervous 

 brute, so, turning him round, I gave him a little canter, 

 and brought him down again to the muddy crossing with a 

 rush. When he found what I purposed, he tried to refuse ; 

 but I let drop both spurs into his flank with a vigorous 

 dig, and at the same time plied the sjambok behind with 

 such good effect, that he floundered into the bog, sinking 

 to the girths. He struggled desperately, and could 

 scarcely move. There were little round hard tufts of 

 grass in places, that afforded him a slight footing ; I there- 

 fore dismounted, and, by shouting and lifting with the 

 bridle, managed to get him across the score of yards, the 

 breadth of this horrid place. This struggle took a good 

 deal out of him, and he was none of the freshest when I 

 remounted and followed the elands, which I saw steadily 

 trotting along a mile in advance. My horse seemed to 

 gather strength at every stride, and by keeping him well 

 together I hoped soon to be able to make a push and 

 overhaul them. Two or three graceful ourebis jumped up, 

 and flew across the plain in front of me ; their beautiful 

 movements, and frequent springs of several feet in the air, 





