The Globe-republican., 1890-09-10

gether a fool, like most white men,
Macumazahn. Yes, yes, it is want of
imagination that makes people fools;
they won't believe what they can't
understand. You can't understand my
prophecies any more than the fool at
the kraal could understand that I was
his master with the lightning. Well, it
is time to trek, but if were you, Ma
cumazahn, should take one wagon, not
two
"Why?" I said.
because you will lose your wagons,
and it is better to lose one than two"
''Oh, nonsense!" said
''All right, Macumazahn, live and
learn" And without another word he
walked to the foremost wagon, put his
bundle into it and climbed into the
front seat.
So having bid an affectionate adieu to
my white friends, including the old
Scotchman who got drunk in honor of
the event, and quoted Burns till the
tears ran down his face, at length /
started and travelled slowly rorthward.
For the first three weeks nothing very
particular befell me. Such Kaffirs as
we came in contact with were friendly,
and game literally swarmed. Nobody
living in those parts of South Africa
nowadays can have the remOtest idea of
what the veldt was like even thirty
years ago. Often and often have crept
sbivering on to my wagon-box just as
the sun rose and looked out. At first
one would see nothing but q vast field
of white mist suffused towards the east
by q tremulous golden glow, through
which the tops of stony koppies stood up
like gigantic beacons. Through the
dense mist would come strange sounds
snorts, gruntings, bellows and the thun-
der of countless hOofs. Presently this
great curtain would grow thinner, then
it would melt, as the smoke from pipe
melts into the air, and for miles on
miles the wide, rolling country inter
spersed with bush opened to the view.
But it was not tenantless as it is now.
for as far as the eye could reach it would
be literally black with game. Here to
the right might be a herd of wilder
beeste that could not number less than
five thousand. Some were grazing,
some gamboled, whisking their white
tails into the air, while all around the
old bulls stood upon hilloclss sniff
fing suspiciously at the breeze. There
in front, q thousand yards away, though
to the Impractical eye they looked much
closer because of the dazzling clearness
of the atmosphere, was a great herd of
springbok trekking along in single file.
All! they have come to the wagon track
and do not like the look of it What
will they do? Go back? Not q bit of it.
It is nearly thirty feet wide, but that is
nothing to springbok. See, the first of
them bounds into the air like ball.
How beautifully the sunshine CLEANS
upon his golden hide. He has cleared
it, and the others come after him in
numberless succession, all except the
fawns, who can not jump so far, and
have to scamper over the doubtful path
with a terrified bah. What is that yon-
der, moving over the tops of the mimosa
in the little dell at the foot of the kop-
pie? Giraffes, by George! three Of them;
there viii be marrow-bones for supper
tonight Hank! the ground shakes be-
hind US, and over the brow Of the rise
rush q vast herd Of blesbock. On they
come at full gallop. their long heads
held low they look like SO many
bearded goats. / thought 80. Behind
them f. pack Of Wild dogs their fur
dragged. their tongues lolling. They