July.] 
PURSUIT OF THE BUSHMEN. 
163 
Mountain. The instant however they discovered 
that their pursuers w^ere on horseback, and armed 
with guns, they wounded the remaining oxen, and 
drove them back a little way, as if they had 
said, there are all your cattle, let us escape. 
After this they fled, and concealed themselves 
among bushes and holes. Our men did not pur- 
sue them, aware of the risque they ran from their 
poisoned arrows shot from behind the bushes. Be- 
sides, had the robbers been secured, they would 
have been immediately butchered by the Mat- 
chappees, who were also in the pursuit; they 
were contented, therefore, to drive back the 
wounded cattle. An hour *and a half elapsed 
before they met the foremost of the Matchappees, 
who were delighted to find the expedition ter- 
minated by the recovery of the cattle. Our 
people then left them and returned home. On 
the way they passed Mateebe, sitting by a fire 
which he had kindled; and at a little distance 
they passed Munameets, employed in the same 
way; so that these chiefs had not intended to 
proceed farther till the next morning, when it 
was not probable they could have overtaken the 
Bushmen. Perhaps they were disappointed at 
finding none of the cattle dead of their wounds. 
In that case they would have abandoned the 
pursuit, and prepared to feast themselves; 
whereas now they were obliged to go to sleei^ 
fasting, for in such expeditions they carry no 
M 2 
