Chap. II. RAKE'S REBELLION". 35 



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- 

 bours 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 

 deliver up their weapons and become slaves, I proceeded to the 

 commandant, 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 gam another, winch was, 

 that I should act as a spy over the Bakwains. 



I explained the impossibility of my complying with Ins wish, 

 even though my principles as an Englisliman had not stood hi the 

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

 Ins whole force to punish an under-chief without my knowledge. 

 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 remahied faithful 

 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 tins happened, and Sechele consulted me. I 

 advised 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 offence 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 any inquiries that would convey the opinion that I 

 distrusted 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 

 carrying 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 attacked and driven away the rebel. 



D 2 



