GOOD OUT OF EVIL. 
319 
I have been rewarded for the great precautions I 
took to get well-seasoned wood for my wagons in 
Natal, for they hold together admirably. The wagons 
built at Natal are not usually considered good, as the 
climate there is so moist that wood never becomes 
thoroughly seasoned, and in the dry air of the interior 
they are very apt to fall to pieces ; even an old sea¬ 
soned gun-stock will shrink, and the fittings become 
too large. A whole troop of Maccalacas, and who are 
now loaded to the ground with meat, intend taking 
themselves back to-morrow, and have been endea¬ 
vouring to persuade the Masaras not to show us any 
more water. The latter are starving with hunger, and 
are only too glad of the chance of going with us, so 
that good comes out of evil. I watched by the fountain 
last night to try and shoot a rhinoceros for them, but 
it was so intensely cold I could not endure it. 
Several hyenas came very close, and looked in at 
me within six or seven yards. I was sorely tempted 
to shoot, and should have done so, but my gun was 
in the holster. A lot of quaggas and zebras came 
from below wind and galloped off, much alarmed; 
the old patriarch, however, was not so easily fright¬ 
ened, and came to make himself sure of the danger, 
when I put a bullet through him at about sixty 
yards, killing him on the spot. I then made for the 
wagons as fast as legs could carry me, fairly starved 
out. The Masaras went down to keep off the wolves, 
jackals, and hyenas, taking plenty of fire with them. 
This morning I had the mortification to hear that two 
white rhinoceros came immediately after I had left. 
