chwayo and his warriors,
instead of taking a circuitous route, as he had at first intended,
through a fertile and thickly inhabited district, proceeded on a direct
line across a wild and barren region with which he was but little
acquainted. It abounded, however, he knew, in game, and he hoped that
water, sufficient for the wants of the oxen and horses, would be found.
Scarcely half an hour passed, that a herd of grotesque gnus, with the
heads of bisons and horns of oxen, or of graceful quaggas, swift
blesbocs, or light and elegant springbocs, did not pass in sight, in
hundreds, or rather in thousands, across the plain. Although it was no
easy matter to get up with them, still Hendricks was too experienced a
hunter to be baffled, and he never failed, when he went out for the
purpose, to bring back an ample supply of meat for the party. Water,
however, was becoming scarce. The supply which had been brought for the
use of the men was well-nigh exhausted, while the holes in which it was
expected there would be enough for the animals, were found to be dry.
The country they were traversing was level, thinly scattered over with
trees and small bushes, and there was abundance of grass; so that cattle
and horses were able to obtain food, and such moisture as the grass
afforded, but had had for two days not a drop of water; still, as the
only hope of obtaining any was to push forward, they moved on as fast as
the animals could drag the waggon. Hendricks, the Kaffirs and
Hottentots, accustomed to privations of all sorts, uttered no
complaints, but the younger members of the party began to suffer greatly
from thirst.

"I'd give a guinea, if I had it, for a thimbleful of water," exclaimed
Denis, "for I feel as if I could drink the Liffy dry."

Night came on, and they were compelled at length to outspan, when the
poor oxen lay down overcome with fatigue. To move during the night was
impossible, and the whole party sat round their fires in no happy mood.
They attempted to take supper, but few could swallow a particle of food.
The fires had been lit to keep off the lions heard roaring in the
distance, but some time passed before any came near enough to cause
disquietude to the oxen, which invariably show their dread of the savage
brutes. A vigilant watch was kept, but the night became very dark, and
the fires, which for want of fuel had sunk low, scarcely shed their
light far enough to show the oxen lying down a short distance