A SECRET OF THE ORANGE RIVER. 187 



his elders took up the warmest positions, and the 

 leopard had crept cat-like in upon him, and got him 

 by the throat before he knew where he was. Then 

 came the awful shriek I had heard, and then began 

 the tussle for life, alas ! an altogether one-sided one. 

 My men in the scramble — and scared too, no doubt 

 ■ — forgot the guns which were in the waggon, and only 

 Klaas had thought of his assegai. So blood-thirsty 

 was the brute, that nothing, except my rifle, could 

 make it relax its hold, even although it was manifestly 

 unable to get away with its victim. After these 

 horrors, sleep was banished, and as the grey light 

 came up, we prepared for day. 



"The morning broke at length in ruddiest 

 splendour, and as the terrain was slowly unfolded 

 before my gaze, I realised the desolate magnificence 

 of the country. Mountains, mountains, mountains, 

 of grim sublimity rolled everywhere around. Far 

 away below, as I looked westward, a thin silvery 

 line, only visible for a little space, told of the great 

 river flowing to the sea, inexorably shut in by 

 precipitous mountain walls that guaranteed for ever 

 its awful solitude. 



" Klaas stood near, and as I gazed, he whispered, 

 for my men were not far away : ' Sieur, yonder, 

 straight in front of you, five miles away, lie the 

 diamonds. If we start directly after breakfast, we 

 shall have four hours hard climbing and walking 

 to reach the valley.' 'AH right, Klaas,' said I, 

 'breakfast is nearly ready, and we'll start as soon 

 as we have fed.' A good fire was going, the pot 

 was already steaming, the oxen had been watered, 

 and I myself, stripping off" my clothes on the brink 

 of that delicious pool, dived deeply into its unknown 



