at first feared might be miles in extent, proved
to be but a mere strip of timber, through which he soon passed,
discovering an open plain on the other side. Nothing could be seen of
the camelopard, though its tracks were found leading out upon the plain.

Willem's wishes were very difficult to meet. At first he was afraid the
giraffe would be lost in a dense forest, where he would be unable to
gallop after it on horseback. Now, when contemplating the vast plain
before him, he feared that the flight of the escaped captive might be
continued for many miles, and he regretted that it had gone out of the
timber.

The trees would have given it food and shelter, where it might have
stayed until overtaken; but it was not likely to make halt on an open
plain.

It must now be many miles off, since they could see nothing of it.

The tracks could be followed but very slowly,--not half so fast as the
animal itself had made them, while going in search of the kindred from
which it had been so rudely separated several days before. The longer
they continued to take up the spoor, the farther they would be from the
animal that had left it.

All this was fully understood by our adventurers.

"It's no use going farther," remarked Hendrik. "We have lost the
creature beyond all hope of recovery. We may as well turn back to
camp."

"Not a bit of it," answered Willem. "The giraffe is mine, and I sha'n't
part with it so cheaply. I'll follow it as long as I have strength left
me sufficient to sit upon my horse. It must stop sometime and
somewhere; and, whenever that time comes, I shall be there not long
after to have another look at it."

Thinking that an hour or two more of what he considered a hopeless
chase, would satisfy even Willem, Hendrik made no further objections,
but continued on after Congo, who was leading along the spoor.

The sun had by this crossed the meridian, and commenced descending
towards the western horizon.

They had started from camp without eating breakfast; and their sudden
departure had prevented them from bringing any food along with them.
Thirsty and feeble from the long fast, and the fatigue of tracking under
a hot sun, they continued their course in anything but a lively fashion.

"Willem!" at length exclaimed Hendrik, suddenly pulling up his horse, "I
am willing to do anything in reason, but I think we have already gone on
this worse than wild-goose chase, a good many miles too far. We can