s twenty-five miles before we could
have seen a house, and we should have reached the river fifteen miles
from our camp.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

THE BIVOUAC--HOTMAN'S STORY--TERRIBLE MISFORTUNE--BOTH SIDES OF THE
STORY--HOW TO FIND WATER--KEMP'S STORY--DEATH OF MABILI--SINGLE
ELEPHANTS TO BE AVOIDED--HENDRICK AND THE LEOPARD--A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE--
A WEARY NIGHT--A POISONOUS COMPANION--THE RESCUE--SAVAGE HERMITS--THE
"TREK-BOKEN."

One evening the Boers wished me to tell them something about England,
but by a little tact I changed the subject to their own adventures, and
at length persuaded one of these men to relate what had happened to
himself. I listened to his words with great interest, for the locality
was good for a tale of thrilling adventure. The only noises that
disturbed the stillness of the silvery moonlight night, were the
language of the Kaffirs, with its low harmonious expressions, the
crackling of the bivouac-fire as fresh fuel was added, and the distant
shriek of the jackal, and laugh of the hyaena, which seemed in this
demon-like language to hold communion with the restless spirits who
dwelt in the wild regions around us.

"Water is a fine thing, and none know its value who have not suffered
for want of it," said Hotman, one of our party.

"Tell us your story about the elephants," asked another.

"I was shooting," said Hotman, "some years back near the Pongola, and
had had very good sport; the season was very dry, and we had been for
two days with very little water, and that was rather brackish. The vlei
being nearly exhausted, and the oxen having sore feet, I determined to
go out and have a look for some water, and if I found any, to lead the
waggons to it at once. I climbed up a tree near the outspan, and
thought that I saw a line of bushes some distance off that showed like
the presence of water. Taking with me Karl, a Hottentot,--who was worth
his weight in gold, spoored and rode well, a steady hand with elephants,
and seldom got drunk or told lies, all great recommendations for a
Totty,--we started away to the bushy place which I had seen, leaving my
other Hottentot and three Kaffirs with the waggons.

"All my horses had died of the sickness, and several of the oxen were
very bad with the same disease. I gave directions that my Kaffirs were
not to leave the waggons until I returned, as elephants were near them,
and I wished them to keep a fire burning night and day, as a protection.
Enou