CHAPTER IX 



We were right glad to see Teenie again, for the old man and I had had a hard 

 time of it lately, and looked forward to a rest and such few luxuries as my 

 waggon could afford ; but our joy seemed nothing to that of Teenie, who, ever 

 alive to the gloomy side of things, had quite given us up in despair, and 

 tormented himself accordingly. His was not a nature to stand the many small 

 disappointments and worries that fall to the lot of every traveller. He cared 

 nothing for sport, and was never happy unless his oxen were in perfect safety 

 and had abundance of good grass and water ; and being of a highly nervous and 

 excitable temperament, one could never rely upon him when any real difficulty 

 had to be faced. If the fly had not already stung the best of his cattle, the 

 lions would be sure to pick them off. Such was his cheerful creed. And now, 

 having been left practically alone with his younger brother and Tace, with 

 whom he was not on particularly friendly terms, he had daily and nightly been 

 in a state of "jumps" for the past month — a condition of mind which plainly 

 betrayed itself in his face when our first greetings were over. The lions, he 

 told us, had been round the camp almost every night since our departure, and 

 were only kept off by the lighting of big fires and the construction of a huge 

 scherm. But that something more serious than that had happened was evident 

 from the increasing gravity of his manner. Perhaps his brother or Tace had 

 come to an untimely end .? That was my first thought, as I pressed him to tell 

 me the worst without more ado. Then out it came. My favourite horse 

 "Jimmy," to whom I was much attached, and Piet's stallion " Lively " had 

 gone out to feed one afternoon, according to custom, and both animals had 

 returned to camp together at sunset with their heads swollen out of all 

 recognition. They had been bitten by a viper, and with the natural instinct of 

 horses, had returned to camp at once. Piet, who saw his horse (to him an 

 animal of great value) dying slowly before his eyes, was in great distress, and 



