CHAPTER XY 
More about the Mosaros—Bushman paintings—Sleep in the forest without fires— 
Keep the natives off by shooting—Excitement of our party at a wild 
stampede of phenomenal quantities of game in an open valley—Camp in 
mabula forest—Half expect native attack—Startled by strange appear¬ 
ance of round light in the forest—The mabula tree and fruit—Welcome 
sound of the grey khoran’s cry—Game—Paul digs for water. 
When a young Mosarwa feels prompted by the sharp sting 
of Cupid’s arrow to make advances to the father of the girl 
who has enthralled him, he brings such presents as the cir¬ 
cumstances permit him to acquire to the stern parent, and 
lays them at his feet. He then sits for a couple of hours 
without remark, and if the desires of the father’s heart are 
satisfied with the 'sacrifice,’ he also remains perfectly still. 
Convinced now that he can win the girl, he still has a tremen¬ 
dous duty to perform, no less a feat than running down a giraffe, 
and killing it single-handed with a spear. Without a word he 
starts up, and disappears like a yellow apparition in the bush, 
to fulfil this arduous task, which is intended to demonstrate 
to the parents that he is man enough to provide food for their 
child, and also to supply meat for the ensuing jollification. 
When he finds the track of his quarry, he follows it until he 
reaches the game, and then starts off at a good trot in the 
wake of the swaying troop, keeping on hour after hour, until 
the game tires and slacks off its speed a little. Then with 
rapid strides he rushes alongside, and jabs his spear deep into 
the side of the fattest giraffe, dealing it a wound that soon 
causes it to lag behind its companions. Now he runs alongside 
and drives the faltering brute in the desired direction home¬ 
wards, until he notices, from the lessening motion of the 
tail, that the beast is about done, and that to drive it further 
