during which the hunters had nothing else to interest
them than listening to the snarls, laughter, and growling of the
carrion-eaters assembled around the pool.

"I can't say there's much sport in this," muttered Hendrik,
discontentedly. "I've hard work in keeping awake."

Another hour passed without their seeing any game worthy of their
attention, when Willem, too, became weary of inaction.

They were thinking of vacating the pits and joining Congo by the
camp-fire, when something heavier than hyenas was heard approaching the
spot. With only their eyes above the surface of the ground, they gazed
eagerly in the direction from which proceeded the sound. Two large
animals appeared through the darkness, evidently approaching the vley.

"Quaggas!" whispered Willem, as he strained his eyes to assure himself
of their species.

"Yes," answered Hendrik. "Let us knock them over. They're not much
good, but it will serve to wake us up."

Doubtful whether a shot at anything better might be had that night,
Groot Willem was nothing loath, and was the first to fire. The animal
at which he had aimed fell forward, and they heard a heavy plunging, as
it rolled over into the pool.

Its companion was about turning to make off when Hendrik fired. There
was no apparent interruption to its flight, and Hendrik was under the
impression that his shot had missed. He was soon undeceived, however,
by hearing the animal fall to the earth with a dull heavy sound, at the
same time uttering a groan, which did not seem unfamiliar, and yet was
not the cry of a quagga.

Without saying a word, both leaped out of the pits, and hastened towards
the fallen animals, with a strong presentiment that there was something
amiss.

The animal brought down by Hendrik was first reached.

It was not a quagga, but a horse!

"A horse!" exclaimed Willem as he stooped over the carcass to examine
it. "It is not mine, thank God, nor yours neither."

"That is rather a selfish remark of yours, Willem," said Hendrik. "The
horse belongs to some one. I can see a saddle-mark on its back."

"May be," muttered Willem, who thought nearly as much of his steed as
his great roer. "For all that I'm glad it isn't mine."

They then proceeded to the vley, where the other horse was still
struggling in the shallow water. As it was evidently unable to get to
its feet, and wounded to the death, another shot was fired to release it
from its misery.

Wondering to wh