rkness, but every now and then it would flit
like a shadow across their track, and they could hear an occasional
sniff as it lifted the scent from the ground.

They had not proceeded more than half a mile in this manner when
Spoor'em expressed a more decided opinion of something that interested
him, by giving utterance to a short, sharp bark.

"He's found the spoor," exclaimed Congo, hastening forward. "I told um
do that, and I knowed he would."

They were all soon up with the dog, which kept moving forward at a slow
trot, occasionally lowering its snout to the grass, as though to make
sure against going astray. Unlike most other hounds, Spoor'em would
follow a track without rushing forward on the scent, and leaving the
hunters behind.

Arend and Hendrik knew this, though still uncertain about being on the
traces of Groot Willem.

The night was so dark they could not distinguish footmarks, and they had
not the slightest evidence of their own for believing that they were on
the tracks of Willem's horse.

"How do you know that we are going right, Cong?" asked Hendrik.

"We follow Spoor'em; he know it," answered the Kaffir. "He find
anything that go over the grass."

"But can you be sure that he is following the spoor of Willem's horse?"

"Yaas, Master Hendrik, very sure of it. Spoor'em is no fool. He knows
well what we want."

With blind confidence in the sagacity both of the Kaffir and his dog,
the two hunters rode on at a gentle trot, taking more than an hour to
travel the same distance that Willem had gone over in a few minutes.

There was a prospect that the trail they were following might conduct
them back to the camp, and that there would be found the man they were
in search of. Willem would be certain not to return over the same
ground where he had pursued the giraffes, and they might be spending the
night upon his tracks, while he was waiting for them at the camp.

This thought suggested a return.

Another consideration might have counselled them to it. A thunder-storm
was threatening, and the difficulties of their search would be greatly
increased.

But all inclinations to go back were subdued by the reflection that
possibly Willem might be in danger, and in need of their assistance, and
with this thought they determined to go on.

The dog was now urged forward at a greater speed. The storm was rapidly
approaching; and they knew that, after the ground had been saturated by
a fall of rai