130 A Breath from the Veldt 



After a good night's sleep, the hunter arises fresh and happy, resolved to go out 

 and find that same beast again, or perhaps another better. 



Shortly after our return to camp in the evening the De Mervelles, 

 Basadanotes, and Erasmus arrived and outspanned beside us, and from some 

 remarks of theirs, a few of w^hich I now began to understand, I saw pretty 

 well how the wind lay, and that the sooner Oom and I got away and kept 

 clear of such a large party the better it would be for our success. The difficulty 

 was this : the De Mervelles, who, as I afterwards found, were very good 

 fellows, had persuaded Tace, Hert, and Piet to stop where they were and hunt 

 with them, the real reason being that they were themselves afraid of being 

 made to pay the hunting licence at the Middle Drift, or that even greater 

 troubles would overtake them. In addition to this, Jan Van de Mervelle was 

 Hertina's sweetheart, and consequently the female vote (a very strong one in 

 Dutch households) was given against me. Now, that the reader may properly 

 understand the intricacies of the Dutch law of possession amongst the Boers who 

 still lead the wild life, he must be introduced for a moment to some of the 

 curious manners and customs of these good people. When a child is born it 

 is generally presented with a cow ; the cow will in course of time have a 

 calf or calves, and they in turn further progeny whilst the child owner is 

 growing. The consequence is that by the time the girl or boy (as the case 

 may be) has arrived at maturity his or her worldly possessions commonly 

 include eight or ten beasts, five of which may be amongst the span of oxen 

 used for trekking when the family are moving from one country to another, 

 for either agricultural or hunting purposes. This member of the family, 

 therefore, being in part owner of the team, has a voice in the matter of all 

 plans connected with such movements, and may refuse to allow his or her 

 oxen to trek, owing to sickness, lameness, or other causes ; and if the objections 

 are not promptly overruled there may be considerable delay. Here then poor 

 old Oom Roelef, the head of the family, was fairly boycotted by his own 

 people, and I myself put in a considerable fix, as by this time I should have 

 greatly regretted to part with my friend. He and Teenie were the only ones 

 on my side, and desirous of going on ; and though I knew it would be a tough 

 job to get Teenie to move at all, as he was a man easily swayed by others, I 

 had fortunately his contract in black and white, and knew he was afraid of 

 losing his bargain, which was a good one. 



Things having reached a climax, the old man came over to my waggon 

 and disclosed the whole state of aff^airs in a voice of mingled anger and sorrow. 



