276 MOUNTED BUSHMEN. 



tion you frequently get. I knew which way to steer, so 

 pushed straight on in the hope of seeing some sign of a 

 house. After riding about an hour, I saw two horsemen 

 going up a hill opposite to me, about half a mile distant; 

 they were going on slowly, but I could not make them out 

 well, as they were over the ridge so soon. I galloped on 

 after them, thinking that they must be some one from my 

 friends, sent out in search of me, but upon getting on the 

 hill, the horsemen had passed over. I saw them a few 

 hundred yards in advance, they were looking away from 

 me, and one was pointing out something to the other. 

 Before I could see well who they were, my Kaffir came to 

 my side, and exclaimed, Ma me, ma me ! bululu bulala ! 

 chingana Bushman. (" Ma me," is a term of surprise, 

 " shoot, shoot, rascally Bushman !") . To explain this appa- 

 rently cruel proposition, I must state that the Bushmen 

 about here were looked upon with the most deadly hatred, 

 " every man's hand was against them, and theirs against 

 every man." They were the farmer's greatest enemies 

 wandering from place to place ; they had strongholds in 

 the most inaccessible mountains active as baboons they 

 retreated to these when no other place was secure. For 

 days and nights they would watch from some secret look- 

 out, the cattle or horses of a Boer or Kaffir. Then having 

 made themselves acquainted with the customs and precau- 

 tions of their purposed victims, they at length crept 

 down to the kraal containing the cattle or horses, took 

 them quietly out early in the night, and made a rapid 

 retreat before the morning light would enable the robbed 

 to discover their loss; the Bushmen then being some 



