382 
THE NEW AFRICA 
resounding cracks from the thong of his long whip at the 
miserable creatures, who, as before mentioned, were lake cattle, 
unaccustomed to live, even when not working, for many hours 
together without water. We kept on, hoping to reach a pan 
reported to hold water some miles this side of Thlaballa, for 
which place we were making; but at last the oxen lay down 
in the yokes quite done up and impervious to all attempts to 
make them rise. We unyoked them, and let them lie to rest 
a little, and then, taking a gun, I seized a thick sjambok, and, 
whacking them all up, drove them before me along the road 
towards Thlaballa. All of the others except Paul, whom I took 
with me, lay down to sleep. It was only a few miles to a green¬ 
looking valley ahead. Franz had told me to search for water 
on the left, quite close to the road, but as we approached the 
place, the cattle, led astray by the scent of moisture from the 
green valley below, started off' at a run, mad with thirst, in 
search of water. We managed to keep six together, but two 
got clear away and careered down the valley as if possessed, 
while we had our work cut out to prevent the others from 
following them. We were in hopes that these two would return 
to rejoin the others when they found themselves alone, but this 
they showed no inclination to do. At last we spied the pan 
glittering amongst some trees close by, and the cattle at the 
same moment became aware of the fact. It was now a race 
who should get there first; for the pan being small, I wished 
to fill the casks and canvas bags we had brought before the 
cattle stirred up the mud. Pell-mell ahead we went, reaching 
the pan simultaneously, in a cloud of dust thrown up by the 
rushing cattle, who ran knee-deep into the water, and shoved 
their noses down almost to the bottom in their eagerness, 
drinking the cool water in long sweeping draughts that did 
one good to see. We also rushed in and succeeded in filling 
our water-vessels before the mud was stirred up, and then set 
off after the truants, who by this had gone over a mile, and were 
standing lowing in great perplexity and doubt which way to 
turn for water. We drove them up the valley, where they soon 
