KAKE'S REBELLION. 41 



others, interested in the object as much as he, to suffer or accept 

 the sacrifice, if they can prevent it. 



English traders sold those articles which the Boers most dread, 

 namely, arms and ammunition ; and when the number of guns 

 amounted to five, so much alarm was excited among our neigh- 

 bors that an expedition of several hundred Boers was seriously 

 planned to deprive the Bakwains of their guns. Knowing that 

 the latter would rather have fled to the Kalahari Desert than de- 

 liver up their weapons and become slaves, I proceeded to the com- 

 mandant, Mr. Gert Krieger, and, representing the evils of any such 

 expedition, prevailed upon him to defer it ; but that point being 

 granted, the Boer wished to gain another, which was that I should 

 act as a spy over the Bakwains. 



I explained the impossibility of my complying with his wish, 

 even though my principles as an Englishman had not stood in 

 the way, by referring to an instance in which Sechele had gone 

 with his whole force to punish an under-chief without my knowl- 

 edge. This man, whose name was Kake, rebelled, and was led 

 on in his rebellion by his father-in-law, who had been regicide in 

 the case of Sechele's father. Several of those who remained faith- 

 ful to that chief were maltreated by Kake while passing to the 

 Desert in search of skins. We had just come to live with the 

 Bakwains when this happened, and Sechele consulted me. I ad- 

 vised mild measures, but the messengers he sent to Kake were 

 taunted with the words, "He only pretends to wish to follow the 

 advice of the teacher : Sechele is a coward ; let him come and 

 fight if he dare." The next time the offense was repeated, 

 Sechele told me he was going to hunt elephants ; and as I knew 

 the system of espionage which prevails among all the tribes, I 

 never made inquiries that would convey the opinion that I dis- 

 trusted them. I gave credit to his statement. He asked the 

 loan of a black-metal pot to cook with, as theirs of pottery are 

 brittle. I gave it and a handful of salt, and desired him to send 

 back two tit-bits, the proboscis and fore-foot of the elephant. He 

 set off, and I heard nothing more until we saw the Bakwains car- 

 rying home their wounded, and heard some of the women uttering 

 the loud wail of sorrow for the dead, and others pealing forth the 

 clear scream of victory. It was then clear that Sechele had at- 

 tacked and driven away the rebel. 



