outh Africa. But
those of the field-cornet had been accustomed to draw the wagon without
one, ever since the Hottentot servants fan away; and Swartboy had driven
many miles with no other help than his long whip. But the strange look
of everything, since the locusts passed, had made the oxen shy and wild;
besides the insects had obliterated every track or path which oxen would
have followed. The whole surface was alike,--there was neither trace
nor mark. Even Von Bloom himself could with difficulty recognise the
features of the country, and had to guide himself by the sun in the sky.

Hendrik stayed mostly by the head of the leading oxen. Hans had no
difficulty in driving the flock when once fairly started. A sense of
fear kept all together, and as there was no herbage upon any side to
tempt them to stray, they moved regularly on.

Von Bloom rode in front to guide the caravan. Neither he nor any of
them had made any change in their costume, but travelled in their
everyday dress. The field-cornet himself was habited after the manner
of most boors,--in wide leathern trousers, termed in that country
"crackers;" a large roomy jacket of green cloth, with ample outside
pockets; a fawn-skin waistcoat; a huge white felt hat, with the broadest
of brims; and upon his feet a pair of brogans of African unstained
leather, known among the boors as "feldt-schoenen" (country shoes).
Over his saddle lay a "kaross," or robe of leopard-skins, and upon his
shoulder he carried his "roer"--a large smoothbore gun, about six feet
in length, with an old-fashioned flint-lock,--quite a load of itself.
This is the gun in which the boor puts all his trust; and although an
American backwoodsman would at first sight be disposed to laugh at such
a weapon, a little knowledge of the boor's country would change his
opinion of the "roer." His own weapon--the small-bore rifle, with a
bullet less than a pea--would be almost useless among the large game
that inhabits the country of the boor. Upon the "karoos" of Africa
there are crack shots and sterling hunters, as well as in the backwoods
or on the prairies of America.

Curving round under the field-cornet's left arm, and resting against his
side, was an immense powder-horn--of such size as could only be produced
upon the head of an African ox. It was from the country of the
Bechuanas, though nearly all Cape oxen grow horns of vast dimensions.
Of course it was used to carry the field-cornet's po