, now that they had lost the caravan.

As they were seated on a rising ground which they had chosen for their
night's rest, and occasionally firing off their rifles to drive away the
lions which were heard prowling about; all of a sudden Omrah cried out,
and pointed to the northward; our travelers turned and perceived a
rocket ascending the firmament, and at last breaking out into a group of
brilliant stars.

"It is the caravan," exclaimed the Major; "Swinton has remembered that I
put some rockets into my wagon."

"We must have passed it," said Alexander, springing on his feet. "God be
praised for all his mercies."

"Amen," replied the Major devoutly.

Omrah ran after the horses, which were feeding close to them, for their
instinctive fear of the lions made them keep as close as possible to
their masters. They were soon mounted, with Omrah behind the Major, and
set off at all the speed that they could obtain from the animals. After
an interval another rocket was seen, and by its light they discovered
that they were not a mile from the wagons. The horses appeared to be
sensible of this, and went off at a quicker pace; and in a few minutes
they had rushed in among the cattle, and Alexander and the Major were
received into the arms of Swinton, and surrounded by the Hottentots, who
were loud in their congratulations at their return.

As soon as Alexander and the Major had made known their perils and
sufferings to Swinton, the latter informed them that about three hours
after they had left the caravan in pursuit of the cattle, the animals
had returned, that of course, he had fully expected them to follow.

Finding that they did not arrive, he had decided upon remaining where
he was, at all events, for another day; but that the cattle were by that
time so exhausted, that it was with difficulty they were moved, and he
could not proceed with them more than ten miles, when they lay down in
their yokes. Thirteen had died, and the others must have shared their
fate, if it had not been for the providential rain, which had restored
them.

Swinton stated that he had been in a great state of alarm for them, and
that he had almost satisfied himself that they had perished, although he
had used every means that he could think of. When he fired the rockets
off, he had scarcely a hope of thus bringing them back to the caravan.

"However," observed Swinton, "it shows that we should never despair, and
never leave a chance untried,