CHAP, v.] FOUK OXEN STOLEN. 143 



them back. I am sure that he was very much touched 

 by my giving him credit for sincerity, for of late he 

 had been hearing of nothing else but distrust and 

 desertion on every side. He sent instantly after the 

 cattle, and half a dozen of my own Damaras went also. 

 My men returned after a day's absence, as they were 

 afraid of going further, but Kahikene's men had kept 

 to the spoor. Intelligence at length came that thi'ee 

 of the four oxen were recovered, and one front ox had 

 been kLUed ; six thieves were taken and were detained 

 a little distance off till further orders. Kahikene 

 regretted extremely the loss of the front ox ; he said he 

 knew that it was as disastrous an accident to om^ team 

 as cutting off a leg is to a man, but that any oxen of his 

 that I chose to take were quite at my service. Then 

 as to what should be done with the thieves ; he looked 

 about him till a stout horizontal bough of one of the 

 large camelthorn trees caught his eye, and he proposed 

 to hang them in a row upon it. Against this scheme 

 I used all my eloquence, as I did not like such strong 

 measures ; at length Kaliikene stated the case fairly 

 enough ; he said the thieves had been guilty both to 

 me and to him — to me for the theft, to him for their 

 audacity in taking oxen when I was under his pro- 

 tection ; that the punishment due to them for the first 

 part of the matter was my affair, and that I could 

 remit it or not as I pleased, but that for his part he 

 must vindicate his own rights. I could of course make 

 no answer to this, so he sent men who clubbed or 

 assegaied four of the culprits, but two escaped. I 

 never could learn the full particulars of the matter: 



