Rumours of Danger.

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CHAPTER XXVII.

Rumours of Danger - Precautions

Sarsapi Vultures-The Camp-pot-Delagoa Bay Boys-Boers' churlishness-A Battue-A Novel Hunt-Stalking Oxen-Pig-New Boys-Our Party breaks up-A Melancholy Sunday.

WHILE we had all been hunting the previous day, a party of boys returning to Delagoa Bay from the Pilgrims' Rest Gold Fields had passed our camp, and from them our own boys had obtained news of grave importance to the safety of our small party, namely, that the strangers had come across a large armed party of Moreeps Kaffirs, not far off, on the other side of Pretorius Kop. They also said that all were well armed, and evidently out upon some marauding expedition. As near as they could judge the numbers, there were about 500 in all.

If this statement was absolutely true, there was a great chance that an attack would be made on us; but as our only authority for such a belief was a second-hand report from a very unreliable source, we determined to stay on where we were until we received more authentic intelligence. As a precautionary measure, we resolved that for the remainder of our stay we would never all be absent from our waggons at the same time. This step answered purposes. First, and most important, was the

several

fact that if any attack was made the presence of one of ourselves would encourage and greatly assist the boys to make a resistance which would, at all events, serve to keep off even a large body of Kaffirs until the firing would bring up the absent ones to the rescue. Secondly, in case of any fresh news being brought by passing boys, there would be more chance of hearing a true and less exaggerated account, and so we should be better able to judge of its importance and veracity. Lastly, the work of the camp, such as cooking our meals, curing the skins, drying the meat, cleaning the guns, &c., would be far more efficiently carried on, and there would be less risk run of either cattle or horses straying into the regions of the tsetse fly, or too far away to be readily brought back when wanted.

The first expedition under our new arrangement consisted of Mr. White, A., and myself. We took the direction of the kop, known to us by the name of Stony, as a broad belt round the base, as well as its sides, was covered closely with pieces of rock and stones, which made riding a slow process, besides being difficult and dangerous.

Soon after leaving the camp a fine sarsapi crossed an open space in front of us, but went on apparently unhurt by the volley with which we saluted it without dismounting from our horses. The thorns and reeds were here too thick to enable us to proceed faster than at a walk, so we could not follow up the bok, and it disappeared. Half-an-hour's up-hill ride brought us to the top of an open ridge, running for a considerable distance from the side of the mountain,

Vultures assist us.

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and dividing one side of the plain from the other. From this elevation we took a careful survey of the surrounding country, but were unable to sight gaine

of

any kind. As we were preparing to descend the other side, a flock of vultures circling in the air, and quickly being reinforced from every quarter of the heavens, attracted our attention. Lower and lower they swooped down, and the bolder spirits settled. upon the topmost branches of a decayed tree, not a quarter of a mile from where we stood. We turned our horses' heads, and galloped up to the spot. While we were approaching, one by one the vultures took wing, and circled round and round our heads, casting great shadows on the ground.

Our curiosity was rewarded, for close to the tree from which we had disturbed the loathsome birds, lay a dying sarsapi. As we rode up it made one desperate effort to rise, but fell back dead in the attempt. On examination it proved to be the one we had fired at, for one of our bullets had entered its ribs and passed through the hind leg on the other side. The poor beast had just strength to escape us in the dense bush, but would soon have furnished a meal for the vultures. We were not long in skinning the body and cutting off the best meat, which we wrapped up in the skin, and "planted" in a crevice of the rocks until our return.

Before we had moved a hundred yards away, the vultures, who had been watching our every movement, had set to work devouring the remains; and by the time we regained the top of the ridge, long lines of them, departing in every direction, showed us that

every scrap of the feast had been picked up, and not a sign of meat left on a bone.

At the foot of the hill we came upon a pool with a little water still left in; but it was too putrid and fetid for ourselves, although the horses drank it eagerly. On its edges we found the spoor of lion, quagga, blue wildebeeste, giraffe, sarsapi, and many other kinds of bôk. One lion had only just left, for the moisture was still damp in the prints of his paws by the water's edge. This fellow must have had a night of severe dissipation, as no ordinary thirst would tempt him out of his lair in the broiling sun and glaring light.

Following down the dry bed of the stream for some distance, we came to a broad tract of lately burnt grass, on which the green shoots were springing up. On the far side of this, underneath the shade of some unusually large trees, we sighted a fine lot of blue wildebeeste and quagga. As the country was open on all sides we were in doubt as to what means we should use to get within shot. Our deliberations, however, were soon put to an end. From almost under our feet out started a reed-bôk, with a dash and crash through the brittle thorns and twigs, which instantly attracted the attention of the herd of wildebeeste.

Off they started in two long lines at their clumsy awkward sort of trot, which looks slow but will try the metal of even a good horse to keep up with. I stopped an instant to take a vindictive but unsuccessful shot at the reed-bok which had betrayed our presence, but the other two lost no time in pursuing

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the nearest line of the flying bôk. Seeing that they were making for the end of the valley, where some boggy ground would force them to turn to the left, I made my way as fast as the nature of the ground would allow me straight across the opposite ridge, and then down its length, so as to cut them off. When I had reached the spot I calculated they would have to pass, I dismounted, tied my horse behind a clump of bush, and, concealing myself, waited their approach. Several shots from the others told me that the herd were coming in my direction, and presently the leader came, trotting quite leisurely over the open space in front of me, and closely followed by a long line. I picked out the fellow with the best horns, for they were not more than fifty yards from me, got a fine sight, and fired. I did not wait to see if I had killed, but loaded again at once. The smoke, however, hung so long that all the bôk had disappeared before I could get another shot. Within twenty yards of where I had fired at him lay my bôk, quite dead.

The other two, I concluded, must have followed another part of the herd, for I could see no traces of them when I remounted, with my spoils behind the saddle.

As the sun was getting low, and I was not very certain of my way back, I made for the top of the nearest eminence, and from there was able to pick out my return road to Stony Kop. Once at the foot of that, I could make our camp to within a few hundred yards by several prominent, and now, to us all, well-known landmarks. The other two had already