A Breath from the Veldt 271 



and descended to the village again. It was very hard work, and I am afraid I 

 was a bit savage all the time. Immediately I arrived I sent Clas (who had 

 stuck to us) to N'Dale to tell him I intended to go back to my people again, 

 and to ask why he had treated me so. He was also to demand the rifle again. 

 Next morning very early came several of his headmen and squatted round the 

 fire, and presently the chief himself turned up, and was greeted by the others 

 with slow clapping of the hands — the usual Shangan salutation. And now began 

 a pretty game of bluff between me and my wily adversary. I knew that the 

 donkeys could not pull the waggons a mile into the desert again, so dead-beaten 

 were they, and we could not hope to reach the Malala fountain unless they had 

 three days' rest ; but I told him straight out that, disgusted with the trick he 

 had played us, I should trek back at once to my people on the Nuanetsi, and 

 he must return the Martini rifle I had given to him. He replied blandly that 

 my request could not possibly be acceded to, as he had sent the rifle as a present 

 to Gungunhlama, the head chief of the Shangans. At this I pretended to be 

 very angry, and ordering Office to inspan the donkeys, I took no further notice 

 of N'Dale. All was presently ready, and I. gave orders to start, though I had 

 not the faintest idea how far we could get or where we were going to. We 

 were moving away when N'Dale suddenly disappeared into a bush, from which 

 he emerged carrying my rifle and cartridges, and with the sweetest smile the 

 scoundrel then came running up and presented it to me. His face was so 

 comic that both Van Staden and I burst out laughing, as we stopped to 

 hear what he had to say. His tone was now altogether changed. He said 

 he did not wish me to depart in anger ; that I was his brother, and welcome 

 to everything he had, etc. ; and in the end he 'begged me to stay a few days 

 with him. 



As there was absolutely no possibility of doing anything else, I graciously 

 consented, and he presently sent me down a goodwill offering in the shape of 

 sweet potatoes and ground-nuts. During the two days we remained there, I 

 wandered about the bush, but found few signs of game, as the natives kill most 

 of it by means of carefully-hidden pits. Van Staden, who was still too weak 

 to walk, went out on Brenke for a short time, and killed a fat koodoo cow, 

 which was a perfect godsend, as we had no meat left. 



Three days after this we found ourselves once more back at the Malala 

 fountain, where we spent other two days hunting for roan antelope and 

 Lichtenstein's hartebeests, but with no success. On the day of our arrival the 

 two Randsbergs, who had been away over in the " fly " beyond Sabi, also came. 



