THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 87 



You see, before leaving a home such as ours, it is always 

 necessary to know just where we intend to go, and whether 

 our proposed new home is suitable. The scouts returned 

 after an absence of a day and a half, and reported that many 

 miles distant there was a great gorge, with a small bush- 

 surrounded spruit running through it. They said that there 

 was a thick belt of bush near by, as well as miles of bush- 

 veld, and scattered clumps of prickly pears. 



Helping along our wounded comrades, and carrying the 

 small children and other little ones who were wounded, 

 we crept forth, and keeping under cover as much as possible, 

 we followed the scouts, one of whom kept well in advance, 

 so as to warn us if danger threatened. 



We reached our new home in safety, weary, heartsore, 

 and unhappy. Creeping into the thickest clumps of bushes, 

 those of us who were most exhausted lay down and rested. 

 Those who were not wounded volunteered to go forth 

 and explore the cliffs. Our chief picked out six, and 

 instructed them to search the whole locahty for the best 

 spot for our home. He rallied the other strong men round 

 him, and instructing them to keep a keen watch below, 

 clambered up to the top of the highest tree, and did sentry 

 duty himself. 



After three or four hours the scouts returned. Two of 

 them reported that, higher up the gorge, there was an ideal 

 spot for a home. They explained that at the foot of the 

 krantz the hill sloped steeply, and it was covered with dense 

 thorny bush. The krantz itself was partly covered with 

 stunted bush. They had discovered a great crack which 

 ran horizontally along the face of the krantz, in which there 

 was ample shelter for a clan ten times our number. Here 

 and there thick patches of bush grew out of the rents in the 

 rock, behind which we should be able to find cosy shelters, 

 in which to sleep or to hide from our enemies. There were 

 in addition three or four lines of retreat in case we were 



