as food by desert-dwelling people in the days of Scripture. It is,
therefore, but natural to suppose that St. John, when in the desert, was
forced to partake of this food; just as many a traveller of modern times
has eaten of it when crossing the deserts that surround us here in South
Africa.

"I have read a great many books about locusts," continued Hans; "and now
that the Bible has been mentioned, I must say for my part, I know no
account given of these insects so truthful and beautiful as that in the
Bible itself. Shall I read it, papa?"

"By all means, my boy," said the field-cornet, rather pleased at the
request which his son had made, and at the tenor of the conversation.

Little Trueey ran into the inner room and brought out an immense volume
bound in gemsbok skin, with a couple of brass clasps upon it to keep it
closed. This was the family Bible; and here let me observe, that a
similar book may be found in the house of nearly every boer, for these
Dutch colonists are a Protestant and Bible-loving people--so much so,
that they think nothing of going a hundred miles, four times in the
year, to attend the _nacht-maal_, or sacramental supper! What do you
think of that?

Hans opened the volume, and turned at once to the book of the prophet
Joel. From the readiness with which he found the passage, it was
evident he was well acquainted with the book he held in his hands.

He read as follows:

"A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of
thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains; a great
people and a strong: there hath not been ever the like, neither
shall be any more after it, even to the years of many
generations. A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a
flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and
behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape
them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and
as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the
tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of
fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle
array. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall
tremble; the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall
withdraw their shining. How do the beasts groan! the herds of
cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the
flocks of sh