PLANS FOR OUR BOYS 
227 
Later in tlie day our sixteen boys, evidently influenced by 
the fear of journeying so far from home, came in, pretending 
to give credence to the tales they heard of hostile natives ahead, 
and said that they were afraid to go any further; but I managed 
to quiet them by reminding them that, whatever happened, I 
had promised to see them safely home again, and this, they must 
take my word for it, should be done. In justice to ourselves, 
I must here relate the plan we had resolved on with regard to 
their future welfare. Should we reach the west coast in safety, 
they were to accompany us by sea to Natal, and then, under a 
good escort I intended to provide, they should be sent to Kharna 
at Shoshong, with a message from me to allow them to proceed 
to their own homes, only three hundred miles distant from 
Shoshong, and with plenty of food and presents to gladden their 
hearts on returning home. In fact, Hammar volunteered to see 
them to Khama’s personally, failing a good opportunity to send 
them up, while I was to proceed to Europe on other business. 
The boys had a most touching faith in us, brought about, no 
doubt, by the constant association with us, and the forethought 
we always exhibited for their welfare, sparing no pains to shoot 
meat for them, and always sharing fairly every bite we had in 
hard times. After our talk they said, ‘ Go your way, “ Kolwani,” 
(my native name), you know best, we follow,’ and there the 
matter ended. 
The Mambarri offered to barter a pack-ox to us, which we 
were very anxious to have; but his price was so high, and he 
valued our goods at such an extraordinarily low rate, even if 
priced for the inferior class of goods he was accustomed to 
traffic in at coast prices, that we could not deal. 
Our boys had been much interested in watching a strange- 
looking, white animal, too large for a donkey, and yet having no 
horns, grazing on the extreme far end of the island. On asking 
us what beast it could be, my telescope soon settled the question, 
it was a veritable horse. How came this beast here? The 
significant tale told later gave the explanation. 
There was a certain Boer, the son of old Van Zyl, who lived 
