The waggon was drawn just off the road, and the oxen, released from
their yokes, were turned loose for a short graze, preparatory to being
tied to the trek-chain for the night. Then, while the "leader" was
despatched to fill a bucket from the adjacent water-hole, Dawes produced
from a locker some bread and cold meat.

"Dare say you'll be glad of some supper," he said. "It's roughish feed
for you, maybe; but it's rougher still when there's none. Fall to."

They did so, with a will. Even Harry Maitland, who had started with an
inclination to turn up his nose at such dry provender, was astonished to
find how cold salt beef and rather stale bread could taste, when eaten
with an appetite born of four hours' night travel.

"Now, you'd better turn in," said the transport-rider, when they had
finished. "You'll get about four hours' clear snooze. We inspan at
daybreak, and trek on till about ten or eleven. Then we lie-by till
three or four in the afternoon, or maybe longer, and trek the best part
of the night. It depends a good deal on the sort of day it is."

A small portion of the back of the waggon was covered by a tilt; this
constituted the cabin of this ship of the _veldt_. It contained lockers
and bags to hold the larder supplies, and a _kartel_ or framework of
raw-hide thongs, stretched from side to side, supported a mattress and
blankets. This Dawes had given up to his two passengers, he himself
turning in upon the ground.

Hardly had the heads of our two friends touched the pillow than they
were sound asleep, and hardly were they asleep--at least, so it seemed
to them--than they were rudely awakened. Their first confused
impression was that they were aboard the _Amatikulu_ again in a gale of
wind. The heaving and swaying motion which seemed half to fling them
from their bed, with every now and again a sickening jolt, the close,
hot atmosphere, the harsh yells, and the ramble, exactly bore out this
idea. Then Gerard sat upright with a start. It was broad daylight.

"Hallo!" quoth Dawes, putting his head into the waggon-tent. "Had a
good sleep? We've been on trek about half an hour. I didn't see the
use in waking you, but there's a roughish bit of road just here. I
expect the stones shook you awake--eh?"

"Rather. Oh-h!" groaned Harry, whom at that moment a violent jerk
banged against the side of the waggon. "Let's get out of this, though.
It's awful!"

"Hold on a minute. We are just going thr