from the west; but Von Bloom fancied that
they had first come down from the north, and that the sudden veering
round of the wind had caused them to change direction. He thought that
by trekking westward he would soon get beyond the ground they had laid
bare.

He knew something of the plains to the west--not much indeed, but he
knew that at about forty miles distance there was a spring with good
pasturage around it, upon whose water he could depend. He had once
visited it, while on a search for some of his cattle, that had wandered
thus far. Indeed, it then appeared to him a better situation for cattle
than the one he held, and he had often thought of moving to it. Its
great distance from any civilized settlement was the reason why he had
not done so. Although he was already far beyond the frontier, he still
kept up a sort of communication with the settlements, whereas at the
more distant point such a communication would be extremely difficult.

Now that other considerations weighed with him, his thoughts once more
returned to this spring; and after spending a few minutes more in
earnest deliberation, he decided upon "trekking" westward.

Swartboy was ordered to head round, and strike to the west. The Bushman
promptly leaped to his seat upon the voor-kist, cracked his mighty whip,
straightened out his long team, and moved off over the plain.

Hans and Hendrik were already in their saddles; and having cleared the
kraals of all their live stock, with the assistance of the dogs, drove
the lowing and bleating animals before them.

Trueey and little Jan sat beside Swartboy on the fore-chest of the wagon;
and the round full eyes of the pretty springbok could be seen peeping
curiously out from under the cap-tent.

Casting a last look upon his desolate kraal, the field-cornet turned his
horse's head, and rode after the wagon.

CHAPTER VII.

WATER! WATER!

On moved the little caravan, but not in silence. Swartboy's voice and
whip made an almost continual noise. The latter could be plainly heard
more than a mile over the plain, like repeated discharges of a musket.
Hendrik, too, did a good deal in the way of shouting; and even the
usually quiet Hans was under the necessity of using his voice to urge
the flock forward in the right direction.

Occasionally both the boys were called upon to give Swartboy a help with
the leading oxen when those became obstinate or restive, and would turn
out of the track. At such t