178 WE START, BUT ARE ORDERED BACK. [chap, vi- 



the others were to tell his wife, and to bring next day 

 what they required for the journey. I am sure that 

 Bushmen are, generally speaking, hen-pecked. They 

 always consult their wives. The Damaras do not. 



Our new friend became uneasy at nightfall when his 

 companions had left him alone, so we watched him 

 alternately throughout the night to see that he did not 

 run away. I do not think the poor fellow slept a wink. 

 I am sure he did not in my watch, for I constantly 

 caught his bright eye gleaming distrustfully round, 

 whilst he pretended to be asleep. In the morning we 

 went on with him, and stopped at a place which was 

 full of grass, about an hour oif, till his companions 

 should come to us by a short cut over the hills. After 

 a little time three Blacks were seen running from the 

 direction of Otjikongo. As soon as we could make 

 them out clearer, the Bushmen and Damaras all called 

 out " Ovampo," and so it was. 



They were part of the long-expected caravan which 

 had arrived immediately after we had started, and as 

 our spoors and way of camping of course excited the 

 greatest curiosity among them, three men were 

 despatched to bring us back. They were ugly fellows, 

 immensely muscular, and most determined looking ; 

 they insisted that we should go back ; we laughed at 

 them ; they took our Bushman aside, and used aU. kinds 

 of threats to him, till he hardly dared jjroceed. In 

 the mean time I was much struck by the cool fearless 

 bearing of the men and their peremptory, j'et not 

 uncivil manner ; and seeing at once that I had quite a 

 different style of men to deal with from either Bush- 



