directly
for the road; we were, however, in reality, only now going parallel to
it, and at nearly twenty miles' distance. We rode on and on, our horses
beginning to show signs of fatigue, we having been in the saddle about
six hours, with only half an hour's rest. They had, however, a longer
journey before them than we imagined. We soon were overtaken by the
darkness, and had to fix on particular stars near the horizon as guides;
these sometimes were lost sight of as we went down a kloof. The riding
was rather rough, as big pointed stones two or three feet high were
pleasantly mixed up with the long grass, about five feet in its growth.
It was too dark to see these and avoid them, and more than once horses
and riders came floundering down in one heap. Once or twice we were in
doubt whether we should camp for the night, or still try to reach the
road. We had a consultation about our position, and where we ought to
ride to reach the road. After some discussion, we discovered the real
cause of our failure, and therefore rode more to the right than we had
before done. At length, we crossed a road, and my companion at once
said we were all right, and proposed cantering on. I was not quite so
certain about being right, but was almost overruled; so I dismounted,
and, kneeling down on the ground, examined for spoor. Knowing that a
gun and waggon horsed, with about half a dozen other waggons with each a
span of oxen, could not pass without leaving sign, I crawled along for
some distance, but could not trace more than two fresh waggon-wheels. I
therefore determined that this was the wrong road, and that we must ride
yet farther to hit the one that our people had followed. I was very
nearly giving in, as G--argued very powerfully; but he at last consented
to go on a mile or two, and if we did not come to any other road, to
return to the present one. We rode about four miles, when another
beaten track, which they here compliment with the title of a road, was
crossed; on dismounting, I found that waggons, oxen, horses, and nailed
boots, had all passed on that day. We followed this road, and in about
two hours reached the Mooi river, on the opposite side of which our camp
for the night had been formed. It was about 1" a.m. when we reached the
waggons, hungry and tired, our horses, however, being wonderfully fresh,
although we had been nearly fourteen hours in the saddle. The road that
we first crossed would have taken u