Year: 1873

It was on the afternoon of one of tn,
hottest days of an African summer tina
I left my farm to ascend the Draakens
burg mountains, for the purpose Of find
ing, if possible, an Gland, a species o
antelope, TO replenish my larder for til,
coming christmas. was at the tim'
living alone in glen formed by twC
spurs of the mountain, with bat few
neighbors, and no town within ffty
miles but, as my Kaffres had becom,
sufficiently civilized to understand tina
christmas-time meant unlimited eating
I wished, by providing game, to saw,
an OK. had only five or six miles t.
go, and was well mounted so did no
hurry, but, leading my horse up tn,
steep pass, reached the place where
intended to sleep just as the sun wal
setting.


The scene around, though quite diff
ferent from our ideas of what it should
be in December, was very beautiful
There was no snow, no leaaess tree:
with their delicate tracery set off by the
glistening hoar-frost, nor dark-greeI
frs bending under their white load
| but still there was enough to keep me
standing, forgetful of fre-wOod and al
I had to do for my comfort during the
night.


Twas on a narrow ledge of rock, Sc
parated from the network of hills be,
yond by a deep, perpendicular gorge,
at the bottom of which, so far down
that I could hardly distinguish it, raI
a little burn. The setting sun gave
the peaks that rich purple hue seldom
seen away from heather; and on the
other side, as far as the eye could reach
lay the thorn-covered flats and hills OF
Natal.


Under the rock was a large cave
where [ had determined to sleep. Il
had in olden times been a regular re.
sort of the bushmen, but few came neal
it now, indeed, 1 had not known they
came at all, but, on going In, found
some calabashes, and the ashes of &
| newIy-made fire, which could have only
been left by them. There We're Other
marks on the walls, though evidently
ef esrnot antiquity rude sketches and
drawings of hurses, cattle, bows and ar
rows, and even of a bushman riding
1t is most curious that a race so low
down in the scale of humanity thai
their language only contains a few
words made up of unpronounceable
clicks, and who, with the exception OF
the use of fire, in their mode of life
differ but little from the ape, should
have learned to do this 1t may be that
it is a remnant of an old sign-language,
or the last relic of some former civiliza-
ton. It was a full moon, and, after
admiring the wonderful lights and
shadows thrown by it on the broken
ground, turned in and slept till neal
daylight


As soon as I could see, 1 started to
hunt. Much to my annoyance at the
time, though I had afterward cause to
be thankful that my horse was spared
such a gallop as riding down an eland
entails, could find nothing, and could
tell by the spoors that no herd had
been about for some days. 1t was near
ly noon before I became convinced OF
this; and, tempted by the shade of a
line of tree-ferns edging little brook
| whose bubbles sounded refreshingly
amid the great heat, I took my saddle
| off, knee-haItered Prince, and lay
down OF course, I soon dozed off,
but became awake again in about a
couple of hours, I say became awake,
because it is not the natural rousing up
] of a person who has been asleep, but q
sudden return to consciousness, with
out any movement, and with all my
wits about me, and that inward feeling,
which perhaps some of my readers may
have experienced, of something being
| wrong, and tension of all the powers
of hearing to discover what it is. had
not long to wait whiz came tiny ar
row, striking the stone on which my
head had been resting, and where my
cap still was. It did not require mucl
| thinking to know that a Busman's hand
| held the bow it had come from, nor tC
determine that the safest thing to &c
was to roll quietly into the bed of the
little brook below me. Luckily, this
would afford good shelter, and I could
almost reach the edge with my hand.


The tremendous violence with which
these streams come down from the hills
during the heavy thunder-storms wears
= deep passage even in the hardest
ground; and, though there was only
about an inch Of w8ter, and not a yard
| broad, the banks were to the full -four
feet high. Leaving my cap where II
| was, I rolled over as quietly as could
but, just as was disappearing, another
arrow came and struck me in the thigh,
the only part not yet in safety. Ittool
all my self-control to continue my
| movements as before until 1 stood
crouching al the bottom. g Why, the
reader may exclain, the pain of suet
a tiny arrow could not be very great :
No, neither is the bite Of a snake IN it
self vet of the two the latter is the
I least to be dreaded 1t was, OF course
poisoned with that deadly skill fol
which the whole tribe is famous and
as stood below, knew had little
chance Of seeing another sunrise.


However, with that self-help thai
men who lead a solitary life acquire,
instantly drew nay hunting-knife, ripped
up the trousers. and with steady
hand cut the arrowhead, not sparine
mvself. I then took my flask and
poured powder into the wound, and
gently striking match. set fire 10 it
That done, I took of my belt, an(
using my full force, strapped it a little
above, as tight as it would 60.


1 do not think that IN doing all hat