A CAPRICIOUS DRIVER. 31 



are enough in the twenty -four hours, one in the 

 morning and one in the evening, but in going 

 through the ' thirst ' we have to push on and trek as 

 much by night as possible. 



" I was in advance of Willie when I reached the 

 Shashi, and, as it happened, had then only one man, 

 Hendrik, my black servant, with me ; for my driver 

 and his boy had decamped, though they afterwards 

 returned — as of course they were likely to do — the 

 same evening. They will not have their wages paid 

 till they return to Maritzburg, and then not unless 

 they have behaved properly, and they would have 

 had a miserable time if they had actually deserted me. 

 Hendrik can drive, and knowing, as I did, the hold 

 I had on the others and the folly of giving way, I 

 let them go, telling them the sooner they left me 

 the better, and the result of this treatment proved 

 satisfactory. The difference originated in the driver 

 asking me for tobacco when I told him to inspan, 

 and refusing to comply till I had supplied him, which 

 of course I would not do, as I treat them quite 

 liberally enough, and indeed too well. Hendrik was 

 a little poorly at the time, but behaved very well, 

 and we reached the Shashi, where we dug for water. 



" Being rather tired, we returned to the waggon 

 after watering the oxen, without driving them 

 away from the river first, which I know now we 

 ought to have done on account of lions, but I 

 have never yet thought it necessary to take such 

 precautions except at night, when we tie them up 

 and light fires. Soon after reaching the waggon I 



