HOTMAN'S STORY. 145 





obliged to manage without drinking. I knew that I should 

 lose my oxen if I did not find water on the morrow. 



" During the night several animals came round the light 

 of our fire, and once I saw a lion : I shouted, and he went 

 away. 



" Early in the morning we were off again, taking a sweep 

 round towards the waggons. I thought that we were certain 

 of finding water this day ; so, although very thirsty, I was 

 not at all alarmed. We walked until long past mid-day, 

 without getting a glimpse of any likely-looking place. The 

 dry salt meat that I had eaten caused me to suffer very 

 much from thirst ; the heat of the day was also very great. 

 I kept a bullet in my mouth and bit it ; but this soon 

 ceased to be of any use, and my tongue was rattling in my 

 mouth like a stone. I felt growing savage, gave up the 

 idea of water for the oxen, and thought only of myself. 



" We had to sleep out another night, as I was so much 

 exhausted I could not walk fast. Karl suffered nearly as 

 much as I did; but I think that a Hottentot is by nature 

 more seasoned than a white man, and endures privations 

 better. 



" On the following morning I could not swallow any- 

 thing, thus took no breakfast. I was looking forward 

 with joy to the prospect of even a mouthful of the brackish 

 water that was at the vlei, which I trusted was not yet 

 all exhausted. We neared the place where the waggon 

 was left just as it was getting light. I fired my gun to let 

 my Kaffirs know that I was coming, but received no 

 answer, nor could I see anything of the white waggon-top. 

 We began to think that we must have mistaken our bear- 



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