y had encountered a rock, however small, there must have
been a crash. But as it happened, they came on very level ground,
sloping gently towards the north.

Klipmann, the foremost ox, a great black fellow with long horns, had
proclaimed the find, and communicated the fact with a deep-mouthed
bellow; and the next minute all was excitement and shouting, as the
great waggon thundered and groaned along.

The first thing to be done was to detach the horses, which was no sooner
done than they seemed to take fright, and went off at a gallop into the
gloom ahead; then, amidst the yells and shoutings of Peter and Dirk, who
danced about as if mad, efforts were made to check the oxen; but the
poor beasts were frantic with thirst, and any serious attempt to stop
them would have meant goring, trampling down, or being crushed by the
wheels of the ponderous waggon.

The wild race lasted for a mile, during which every moment threatened to
be the waggon's last. The oxen lowed and trotted on, the waggon
creaked, and the loose articles rattled and banged together. Mr Rogers
and his sons panted on at the sides, momentarily expecting to see it go
over, and Coffee and Chicory, who had been very slow and silent for
hours, whooped and yelled and added to the excitement.

"It's all over with our trip, Jack," panted Dick. "We shall have to
pick up the pieces to-morrow and go back."

"Wait a bit, and let's see. Why, what's the General going to do?"

For all at once the Zulu had darted on ahead after snatching a kiri from
Chicory's hand, seized the foremost bullock, old Klipmann, by the horn,
and, at the risk of being impaled or trampled down, he beat the stubborn
bullock over the head with the club, and treating the other, its
yoke-fellow, the same, he forced them into taking a different course,
almost at right angles to that which they were pursuing.

"Stop, stop!" roared Mr Rogers. "You will upset the waggon."

But he was too late. The course of the leading oxen being changed, the
others swerved round, giving such a tug at the dissel-boom that the
waggon's wreck seemed certain. The whole team taking, as it did, a
different course, the waggon was dragged side-wise, and for a few
seconds tottered on its two nearside, or left-hand, wheels.

It seemed as if it must go over crash--that nothing could save it; and
Jack uttered a cry of dismay, and warning to his brother to get out of
the way. Then, as if by a miracle, it fell back w