erced through his body were so strong as
to hold the enormous animal where he lay. He could not disengage
himself; and they pointed out to me the skeleton on the boughs of the
tree, as a corroboration of the truth of the story."

"It does really approach to the marvelous," observed the Major; "but, as
you say, seeing is believing. I trust that we shall be more fortunate
to-morrow."

"I have gained a piece of information from Swanevelt," said Swinton,
"which makes me very anxious that we should leave this as soon as
possible; which is, that the Matabili king had no idea that we had
Griquas in our company, and still less that we were to come into his
country with only the Griquas as attendants. You are not perhaps aware
that Moselekatsee is the deadly enemy of the Griquas, with whom he has
had several severe conflicts, and that we are not very safe on that
account?"

"Why did not the Griquas say so?" replied Alexander.

"Because they do not care for the Matabili, and I presume are glad to
come into the country, that they may know something of it, in case of
their making an attack upon it. Depend upon it, as soon as the king
hears of it, we shall be looked upon as spies, and he may send a party
to cut us off."

"Have you said any thing to the Griquas?"

"Yes, and they laughed, and said that they should not care if we went
right up to the principal town, where Moselekatsee resides."

"Well, they are bold enough, and so far are good traveling companions;
but we certainly did not come here to fight," observed the Major. "But
does the Matabili with us know that they are Griquas?"

"He did not; he supposed that they were Cape people whom we had brought
with us; but he has found it out by the Hottentots, I suppose. Swanevelt
says, that the very first body of Matabili that we fell in with, he sent
a runner off immediately, I presume to give the information. I think,
therefore, that the sooner we can get away the better."

"Well, I agree with you, Swinton," replied Alexander.

"We will try for the giraffe to-morrow, and when the Major has had the
satisfaction of killing one, we will retrace our steps, for should we be
attacked, it will be impossible to defend ourselves long against
numbers. So now to bed."

They rose early the next morning, and, leaving the wagon where it was,
again proceeded on horseback in search of giraffes. They rode at a slow
pace for four or five miles, before they could discover any. At last a