324 
THE NEW AFRICA 
of meat free, offered his wagon, to be allowed to accompany us. 
Stremboom also joined, providing his wagon and a horse for 
himself to ride, while Hammar, whose foot was not yet sufficiently 
healed to allow much exertion, rode along in Umkook’s wagon, 
to pass the time. Right merrily away we trekked along the Zouga 
river some fifty miles, to a spot famed as the haunt of giraffes, 
and from whence reports had lately arrived that a wandering 
troop of elephants had been drinking. The king had given me 
a powerful young stallion, somewhat wild, which had been foaled 
at the lake, and which although in no way ■ salted ’ by horse sick¬ 
ness, seemed to be proof against the disease. We had packed our 
paraphernalia on Umkook’s wagon, intending to make this our 
headquarters during the hunt, as it had a tent extending the 
whole length of its body, while Stremboom’s wagon only 
possessed a small tent fixed on the back end, which he 
wished to occupy himself. Trekking along, sitting in con¬ 
versation with Stremboom, we never noticed that the other 
wagon, with Hammar, remained behind, and towards evening 
only, when outspanned after a fifteen mile trek, were we informed 
by a native Hammar sent after us, that Umkook’s wagon had 
come to grief. Arranging with Stremboom to await my return, 
I walked back, in the night, nearly six miles, to the other camp, 
and found that the front wheel of Umkook’s waggon had parted 
company with its spokes, through having dried out during the 
long, hot season, and consequently he could proceed no further. 
Hammar and Franz elected to stay with Umkook and hunt 
about a little in the neighbourhood where they were situated, 
until our return, while I started off, accompanied by two boys 
carrying my bedding, etc., to overtake Stremboom, in the early 
morning moonlight. I soon outstripped the boys, and was 
walking merrily along the wagon track about 4.30 A.M., 
when from some round bushes with open ground between, 
the unmistakable rough growl of a lion disturbed the air 
about me. For the life of me I could not localise the sound 
to any particular bush, and, although I could see well enough 
to walk in the open, the moonlight was too weak to afford 
