Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-10-24
CHAPTER /.

III uSdl
All around there rose, fold upon fold,
an interminable and maddening sue
cession of low, rounded rises, clothed
to their stony SUBMITS with short,
coarse grass and purple karroo bushes.
the reddish soil baked hard by the
drought of the dry season.
Scarcely a sound broke the stiffness
Of the wilderness; not wing whirred;
not an insect buzzed. There was no
spoor or sign of game, large or small
most of it had been killed of long ago.
The grass bent languidly to the faint
draugbt that came out Of the north
as from a furnace mouth.
All nature dropped and painted for
nightfall; the desolation was profound;
the silence was oppressive.
Out of the west, following the wind
ings of little kloof, there crept lum-
bering, dusty, and dirty white-topped
wagon, of the kind used by traders or
hunters, innumerable creadngs and
groanings and shudderings testifying
to many days journeying with a
plentiful lack" of aXle-grease.
Four poorly-conditioned oxen drew
the cumbersome eQuipage. The loll-
Eng tongues of the beasts, their lam
guild, dragging steps, and their lean
condition told eloquently of hard travel
and scanty forage.
BY the side of the cattle shambled
two Kaffir boys" each armed with
long goad In front of the team strobe
q white man, his naturally, white face
tanned to q dusky red, his clothing
soiled and travel-stained from many
nights sleeping out, his veldt-schoon
in the last stages of dilapidation. Rest
ing in the hollow of his left arm lay
shining Winchester, the beSt-kept and
smartest thing in the whole of his
shabby outfit. For upon the rifle the
little band of Adventures depended
mainly for their subsistence from day
to day. Game was scarce and shy; the
wagon was none too plentifully stocked
with the bare necessaries of flour, SUI
gar, and coffee; a poor shot might
mean supperless bed.
He was a giant in stature-fully six
feet two, with the build and Drawn of
the pioneer. In age he was on the
better side of 80. A great brown beard
swept his chest, and there was a taw-
ny mustache to match, while from
under the front peak of his fore-and-
aft pith helmet there cleaned a clean
cut profile and pair of keen, Saxon
blue eyes Of the kind that are apt to
be undimmed by fatigue or undaunted
by disaster.
Slowly the little caravan plodded on,
the Kaftirs continually urging the
wearied beasts with throaty, clicking
sounds, the white "baas" striding stur-
Oily along, consulting a pocket-com-
pass from time TO time as the wind
ings of the kloof brought the sun now
upon one hand, and anon upon the
other.
Evening was approaching; not more
than couple of hours daylight re-
manned; IL was time to be thinking of
camp for the night
After a more than usually heavy as
cent, the oxen of their own accord
stopped to breathe, the Kaffirs squat
ting listlessly under the wagon out of
the sun. The white man, glancing
back for a moment, strobe without
hating to the summit of the nearest
kopje. and there stood shading his eyes
and Loo ing steadfastly northeast.
Suddenly he was reused by loud cry:
Water, baasi smell water!"
shouted one Of the boys" pointing
in the same direction.
simultaneously the dropping oxen
picked up their heads, and of their
own accord started onward at a
smarter pace. The "baas" descended
and fell in at the rear of the wagon.
for the Katfir instinct is infallible. and
meant not only renewed life for the
cattle, camping place, and probably
some game for the pot, but also the
goal of their journey.
Likewise success or another dismal
failurel
Half a mile was covered in this
fashion, the man in the helmet consult
ing rude map as he stumbled through
the slippery veldt grass, after which,
with an exclamation of satisfaction. he
called out:
I'VE must be nearly there, Joey!"
Scarcely had the words left his lips
than the heavy wagon commenced to
move more speedily down an easy
decline, and the weary beasts broke
into shambling trot.
sudden turn round the shoul-
der of a hill revealed the wider ex-
panse Of little valley, perhaps a half
mile broad, through which meandered
a thin riboon OF shallow water, border
ed by narrow expanse of pebbly
beach that in time of food would be
entirely covered with yellow, swirl
ing torrent
In a trice the wagon stopped, the
oxen were unhitched and galloping
towards the water, into the center of
which they waded knee-deep, drinking
greedily Of the precious fluid. This
done. they proceeded to wallow in the
stream, after which they turned their
attention to the more succulent grass
growing near by.
Although the nearby kopjes were
casting long shadows eastward, there
was yet more than an hour of daylight.
Method cally and silently the younger
native proceeded to unpack the scanty
camp utensils and build a fire. while