A SECRET OF THE ORANGE RIVER. 205 



and stupefied. I took him in my arms, and carried 

 him to 'Ariseep's kraal, whence the old man was just 

 emerging. At sight of his grandfather, Klaas rallied, 

 and rapidly told him what had happened, and the 

 old man at once plunged into his hut for something. 

 Then Klaas's eyelids drooped, and he became 

 drowsy — almost senseless. In vain I roused him, 

 and tried to make him walk, and so stay the baleful 

 effects of the poison, now running riot in his blood ; 

 he was too far gone. 'Ariseep now re-appeared 

 with a small skin bag, out of which he took some 

 dirty-looking powder. With an old knife he scored 

 the skin and flesh around Klaas's wound, and 

 then rubbed in the powder. I had no brandy 

 or ammonia to administer, and therefore let the 

 old Bushman pursue his remedy, though I felt, 

 somehow, it would be useless. So it proved ; either 

 the antidote, with which I believe Bushmen often do 

 effect wonderful cures, was stale and inefficacious, 

 or the poison had obtained too strong a hold. My 

 poor Klaas never became conscious again, though I 

 fancied eagerly that he recognised me before he died, 

 for his lips moved as he turned 'to me once. His 

 pulse sank and sank, his face became dull and ashen, 

 his eyelids quivered a little, his breath came hard 

 and laboured, and at last, within an hour-and-a 

 half from the time he was bitten, he lay dead. 



" So perished my faithful and devoted henchman; 

 the stoutest, truest, bravest soul that ever African 

 sun shone upon. I cannot express to you the 

 true and unutterable grief I felt, as with old 

 'Ariseep, I buried poor Klaas when the moon 

 rose that night. We placed him gently in a deep 

 sandy spruit, and over the sand piled heavy stones to 



