d in the kraal seen not far away; and the hunters were
invited to pay him a visit.

This invitation was immediately accepted by Willem, who seemed to have
lost all desire to return to Graaf Reinet again.

This attempt on the part of Willem to delay their homeward journey was
easily defeated by Hendrik.

"Why should we go to their kraal?" asked he. "We shouldn't be allowed
to leave it for two or three days, and we want to go on in search of
giraffes. There are none here."

With this argument Willem was well pleased; and they prepared to
continue their journey.

Before making a move, they saw most of the elephant's flesh taken away
by the Bechuanas. Three oxen were laden with it, and several of the
natives staggered under heavy loads,--covered from head to foot with
long strips cut from the animal's sides. Some of the blacks carried
large square flakes of the flesh with their heads thrust through a hole
cut in the centre,--the broad disk descending over the shoulders like
the skirts of a Mexican's _serape_.

The sight of these people apparently clothed with bleeding flesh, and
staggering under its weight towards their homes, was, as Hendrik
observed, an "antidote against hunger, effectual for at least a month."

After taking leave of the tribe, our travellers continued on towards the
south. It was quite dark before they arrived at a suitable
camping-place. They had met with no water since leaving the pools
passed in the morning, and the cattle were sadly in want of it.

Unable to make much progress in the darkness that came thickly over
them, the animals--both oxen and horses--were unladen and a halt was
made, with the intention of resuming the march at the first dawn of day.
By early morning they were on the move, anxious to reach water as soon
as possible.

For several miles they journeyed over a tract of ground, the surface of
which resembled that of the ocean lashed by a storm. It was a
constantly recurring series of abrupt undulations, like huge billows and
the troughs between them.

Now for the first time they noticed the great difference that thirst
produces between horses and cow cattle. The latter seemed to think that
they could obtain relief by quietly yielding to the enervating effect of
thirst, and travelling as slowly as their drivers would permit them.
They were urged forward with much difficulty, and the Makololo were
constantly wielding their huge _jamboks_ to induce them to go quicker.