62 A Breath from the Veldt 



his eyes on mine while I made the accompanying sketch.^ He was known to 

 be over one hundred years of age — the ages of his six wives varying from 

 seventy to ninety years — but not a muscle did the old man move until my 

 sketch was finished, when he put forth his claw-like hand for a solatium in 

 the shape of tobacco. His wives were simply hideous, their funny old yellow 

 faces, all seams and wrinkles, like nothing so much as bits of ancient parch- 

 ment. One of them, at Mr. Bossoph's request, showed me her right arm, 

 all withered below the shoulder-joint, where a bullet had entered some years 

 ago. It was a ghastly spectacle ; but the old lady seemed rather proud of it, 

 and chuckled continuously for several minutes when I handed her some 

 tobacco. I was greatly interested in them all, and very sorry I could not 

 spare time enough for drawings of the wives and some of the grandchildren 

 whom Mr. Bossoph was training as domestic servants. I was surprised to 

 hear from him of the love of these little creatures for our English music, and 

 of their extraordinary delicacy of ear both as to time and tune. His two 

 daughters, he said, were being taught music by a governess, and he frequently 

 heard his two little "bushman" girls humming in the morning the tunes 

 played by the governess for the first time the evening before. 



At mid-day we were all ready to start once more on the main line of our 

 expedition ; and, saying good-bye to our kind host and hostess, we resumed 

 our journey eastwards over the high veldt. The following day (Saturday, 

 April 22) we made two big treks to Slape-Stane Spruit, shooting on the way 

 four blue khoorhans and a female Vaal khoorhan ; and in the evening, while 

 riding in advance of the waggon, I noticed for the first time three Bateleur 

 eagles, also a pair of Lammergeiers. A stray vulture or two also made their 

 appearance high in the heavens. 



Another day's trekking brought us to a fine lake, the property of Mynheer 

 de Vet, who is said to be the richest man in these parts,- — a regular old miser, 

 who enjoys the advantage of being hated by all who know him. His house 

 and farm overlook this fine sheet of water, on which vast numbers of wild 

 ducks, coots, and divers disport themselves, while herds of cattle, horses, and 

 sheep wander along the margin. In my eyes, however, the troops of blessbuck 

 and springbuck, here carefully preserved by the owner, were the chief attraction 

 of the place ; and as strangers are permitted to shoot them on payment of 

 a small fee, I gladly availed myself of the privilege. The shooting is done 

 here under cover of a trained stalking-horse, and as the practice — a novel one 



1 See page 74. 



