un such
as is seldom seen out of an arsenal; it was an old flint lock, but had
been altered to a percussion; its owner was very proud of it, not so
much for its intrinsic beauty, though it once had been a costly and
splendid weapon and was elaborately inlaid with mother-of-pearl, but
because it had belonged to a former Duke of Devonshire. In spite of its
claims to consideration on this head as well as its own beauty, we all
eyed it with extreme disfavour on account of a peculiarity it possessed
of not going off when it was intended to do so, but about five minutes
afterwards.

It was suggested to me very politely that I might possibly prefer to
remain behind and spend the day in this picturesque spot, but this offer
I declined steadily; I think the bushmen objected to my presence more
than any one else, as they really meant work, and dreaded having to turn
back for a tired "female" (they never spoke of me by any other term). At
last all the information was collected about the probable whereabouts
of the wild cattle--it was so contradictory, that it must have been
difficult to arrange any plan by it,--and we started. A few hundred
yards took us past the clearings and into the very heart of the forest.
We had left the sun shining brightly overhead; here it was all a "great
green gloom." I must describe to you the order in which we marched.
First came two of the most experienced "bush-hands," who carried a
tomahawk or light axe with which to clear the most cruel of the brambles
away, and to notch the trees as a guide to us on our return; and also a
compass, for we had to steer for a certain point, the bearings of which
we knew--of course the procession was in Indian file: next to these
pioneers walked, very cautiously, almost on tiptoe, four of our
sportsmen; then I came; and four or five others, less keen or less well
armed, brought up the rear. I may here confess that I endured in silence
agonies of apprehension for my personal safety all day. It was so
dreadful to see a bramble or wild creeper catch in the lock of the rifle
before me, and to reflect that, unless its owner was very careful, it
might "go off of its own accord," and to know that I was exposed to a
similar danger from those behind.

We soon got on the fresh tracks of some cows, and proceeded most
cautiously and silently; but it could hardly be called walking, it was
alternately pushing through dense undergrowth, crawling beneath, or
climbing over, high ba