6 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
to Kert’s call. It was lie tliat was standing beside me 
a moment ago, and now lie lias gone to tell him lie lias 
found me. He barks furiously as quick footsteps 
approach, and then I hear Kert exclaim, “ Maak goe ; 
dieSieur is dooed” (Be quick ; master is dead !). Will 
they think I am really dead ? Shall I be buried alive, 
instead of being torn to pieces ? 
“ He is cold. He has died of thirst.” 
“ No ; he cannot be dead. This gems-bok is not 
cold ; he must have shot it, and those were the three 
shots we heard about an hour ago.” 
“ Yes ; perhaps he wounded the gems-bok, and, 
getting too near, has been killed by its horns. Let us 
lift him up and see. Ah ! here is blood on the sand ; 
and here is his water-can — empty. He would not 
believe me when I told him a man could not live a day 
hunting on these sands without water. But now he 
knows it. Pour Sieur ! ” 
Then I heard Kert talking in Bushman language ; 
evidently he was giving the Bushmen orders what to 
do. But where was Lulu ? Perhaps searching for me 
in another direction. They were now quite certain 
I was dead, and perhaps they were going to bury me 
before they went back to look for him. Then in good 
Hutch I heard Kert say, “ Oons moet horn bring nahe 
de vaar ” (We must carry him to the waggon). I did 
not feel them touch me ; but I soon heard the tramp 
of their feet, and could tell from their talk that they 
were carrying me to the waggon. Now all would 
depend on Lulu’s judgment. But perhaps I should 
not reach the waggon alive. It seemed an age before 
I heard Lulu’s voice shouting in the distance, “ Have 
you found him ? ” 
A solemn “ Yah ” was all the answer. 
“ Is he hurt ? Put him down easy. What is the 
matter with him ? Speak, Kert ! ” Lulu called out 
passionately. “ Speak ! ” 
No reply came. 
“ My God ! is he dead ? ” 
“ Ek wit nie ; Ek denk so ” (I don’t know; I think so). 
