the rivers were low and everywhere fordable, and
the young spring grass was at its best and richest. On the other hand,
the dry season had set in, water would every day be growing more scarce,
the grass more parched, and the ground harder; in a word, there was not
a moment to lose if I desired to avail myself to the fullest possible
extent of all the advantages of the season.

Having agreed upon this, we passed on to the consideration of ways and
means, and Henderson proceeded to jot down rapidly a list of the various
items which he deemed absolutely indispensable, supplementing it with
another and much shorter list of further items which, although not
positively necessary, would be highly desirable if the available funds
would permit. Then the estimated cost of the several items, both
indispensable and desirable, was jotted down, and the conclusion was
finally arrived at that, if the various purchases were carefully made,
the available money ought just about to suffice for the indispensables,
with the possibility that, if luck attended me, one or two desirables
might also be included. It is due to my friend the major to say that
when the total of his original estimate was ascertained, and found to
exceed the amount of my capital, he at once offered to advance me such
further funds as might be needed to complete my equipment; but I
gratefully yet steadfastly refused to avail myself of his generous
offer, feeling that I had no right to risk the property of another.
Then we sallied forth and proceeded to make our purchases, beginning
with the wagon and team of oxen, and then proceeding with the remainder
of the items until the resources of Somerset East were exhausted. The
ammunition was the most important item of all, and I had early foreseen
that it would be necessary to send down to Port Elizabeth for that. I
did so, therefore, instructing the dealer to wrap the one-pound flasks
of powder separately in waterproof paper, pack them in half-dozens in
soldered-up tins, and enclose the whole in a stout wooden case, by which
means I hoped to preserve effectually my entire stock of powder from the
ordinary accidents of travel in a country subject at certain seasons to
torrential downpours of rain, and intersected at pretty frequent
intervals by rivers deep enough to flood a wagon during its passage
across. The case of powder, which also contained the necessary
complement of wads and percussion caps, arrived at Somerset