feel the effects of his long whip on its hide.

Travelling in Africa needs the exercise of a large amount of patience.
Even when the ground is level, the huge machine moves leisurely along;
but when rough hills have to be surmounted, the progress is still
slower.

The "trek," as the day's journey is called, had been far from a pleasant
one. A dry scorching wind blew in the faces of the travellers, while
the country presented a vast stony plain, burned and arid, with here and
there a few small round hills breaking the line of the horizon. Harry
Crawford and Percy looked about them with dismay.

"I hope the country ahead is not all to be like this," said the former.

"No fear of that," answered Denis. "We shall have, to be sure, a few
stony mountains to climb over, and now and then, in parts, it's hard to
find a tree, but that's only here and there; for there are forests, and
grassy meadows, and streams, and beautiful valleys, such as are to be
found in no other part of the world, or, at all events, none superior to
them, in my opinion. Look out there ahead, you'll see, just rising
above the plain, what I daresay you took to be a cloud, but it is a
range of mountains; when we get over them, we shall have fine scenery
enough to satisfy you. We shall then meet also with what you fellows
from the old country call adventures, but which we out here are so
accustomed to that we do not think much about them."

Dreary as was the scenery in other respects, it was enlivened by
numberless gorgeous flowers, the beauty of which Harry Crawford was well
able to appreciate, although ignorant of the names of most of them.

"We should value these in our hot-houses at home," he said.

"For my part I'd sooner have plenty of green grass," observed Denis,
"and so would the cattle, I've a notion. To say the truth, I've seen so
many of these things that I no longer pay any attention to them,
although they are mighty fine, I'll acknowledge, now that I come to
examine them more particularly."

Percy, who admired the flowers as much as his friend did, every now and
then got off his horse to pick some of them, until he had collected a
large bouquet, greatly to the amusement of Denis.

"Take care, my boy, not to catch hold of the tail of a puff adder," he
exclaimed, as Percy again dismounted. "They are pretty numerous
hereabouts, and you may chance to put your hand close to one of their
holes while you are picking those flowers."

P