66 A Breath from the Veldt 



the herd, to cut them off before they got into the " Kraal " ground, a place 

 always retained as a sanctuary for these animals. So away we went in different 

 directions, and after an hour's galloping backwards and forwards, with an 

 occasional long shot, by which I got nothing, I returned somewhat hot and 

 disappointed to my two companions, whom I found grallocking an old ewe 

 which De Vet had just killed. When the operation was completed I expected, 

 of course, that De Vet would help me to find my wounded buck ; but not a 

 bit of it. He gave no reason, but simply declined to listen to my proposal. 



Contrary to all my experience of the Dutch, he was sulky and boorish 

 to the last degree. But a wink from Teenie explained it all : it was not 

 intended that we should get the animal. So back we started for the waggon, 

 and returning to De Vet's house, I told the old man what had happened, and 

 how sorry I was to lose a specimen I so much wanted. He assured me in 

 reply that his son should get it for me the following day, and, foolishly enough, 

 I accepted his word, and sent over Teenie's brother, Nelie Landsberg, with 

 a horse and cart the following day ; but the animal was not there, for young 

 De Vet had never taken the trouble to look for it ! Nelie's language on his 

 return empty-handed — his imprecations on the heads of De Vet and his son 

 — I refrain from recording. Enough to say, we were none of us very favour- 

 ably impressed with what we saw and heard of the De Vets, and as to Teenie, 

 his experience in former years was enough to make him hate them for ever. 

 So we decided to trek on at once to Teenie's house, some fifty miles to the 

 eastward, and picking up his brother Piet (a nice well-looking fellow) on 

 the way, we reached there in a couple of days. Mrs. Landsberg welcomed 

 us most cordially, and during the four days spent at her farm, obtaining boys, 

 extra oxen, mealies, etc., she treated me as one of her own sons, doing 

 everything in her power to contribute to my comfort and enjoyment. During 

 these days of indolence — for Teenie and his brother Piet did all the work — 

 I wandered about the edges of a large swamp and the mealie fields adjoining, 

 looking for francolins, with an old pointer of Teenie's that he had picked up 

 in a starving condition one dark night near Johannesburg ; and a better broken 

 or steadier old dog I have seldom seen. He attached himself to me from 

 the first, probably not having seen a man with a gun for some time past. 

 I had many occasions later on for using his excellent nose, his joy in hard 

 work, and his instant obedience to word or signal. His intelligence, too, 

 was quite extraordinary. Without any of that headstrong propensity that 

 is so common a fault in pointers, he constantly looked round to assure himself 



