TREACHERY OF ISAAC. 309 



CHAPTER XVI. 



.Elephant Spooring with the Natives — The Mystic Dice — Hunt in a 

 Wait-a-bit Thorn Cover — Eomantic Gorge in the Mountains — Sabie 

 — Ancient Elephant Path — Ludicrous Native Signal — A noble Bull 

 Elephant slain — Isaac, iny Interpreter, dismissed — ^A Libttess bagged 

 at one Shot — Dronkenness smd Disorder in Caiiip — My Manner pf 

 taking the Field after the larger Game — Sicomy's Followers desert 



On the 27th of July I resolved to move my wagons 

 further to the east, and informed the wagon-drivers of my 

 intentions: they, however, raised many objections, and 

 all but gave me a direct refusal. As I was not aware 

 of the position of the waters, and knowing well that 

 Isaac would not assist me in discovering them, I deem- 

 ed it prudent first to make an excursion to the east on 

 horseback. I accordingly stowed some ammunition and 

 a washing-rod in my old game-bag (to the inside of 

 which, by-the-by, adhered a goodly coating of the scales 

 of grilse and salmon, along with sundry speckled and 

 blood-stained feathers of the grouse and partridge), and 

 having made bread and ground coffee sufficient for three 

 days' consumption, I ordered two of my men to be ready 

 to accompany me next morning. My interpreter's 

 countenance never lacked a scowl ; and, instead of for- 

 warding my interests, he actively employed his ener- 

 gies in sowing dissension between me and the natives, 

 and disseminating mutiny among my Hottentots. I 

 discovered that all along he had deceived me, and care- 

 fully concealed the direction where elephants most 

 abounded, and I began to think that, in justice to ray. 



