I will find
you and you will never run again. Do you understand?"

He vowed that he did and went to get some water, while I
explained everything to Anscombe and Heda, pointing out that all
the information we could gather seemed to show that no attack was
to be made upon the house before nightfall, and that therefore we
had the day before us. As this was so I proposed to go to look
for the horses myself, since otherwise I was sure we should never
find them. Meanwhile Heda must pack and make ready the cart with
the help of Footsack, Anscombe superintending everything, as he
could very well do since he was now able to walk leaning on a
stick.

Of course neither of them liked my leaving them, but in view of
our necessities they raised no objection. So off I went, taking
the boy with me. He did not want to go, being, as I have said,
half dazed with grief or fear, or both, but when I had pointed
out to him clearly that I was quite prepared to shoot him if he
played tricks, he changed his mind. Having saddled my mare that
was now fresh and fat, we started, the boy guiding me to a
certain kloof at the foot of which there was a small plain of
good grass where he said the horses were accustomed to graze.

Here sure enough we found two of them, and as they had been
turned out with their headstalls on, were able to tie them to
trees with the riems which were attached to the headstalls. But
the others were not there, and as two horses could not drag a
heavy Cape cart, I was obliged to continue the search. Oh! what
a hunt those beasts gave me. Finding themselves free, for as
Rodd's object was that they should stray, he had ordered the
stable-boy not to kneel-halter them, after filling themselves
with grass they had started off for the farm where they were
bred, which, it seemed, was about fifty miles away, grazing as
they went. Of course I did not know this at the time, so for
several hours I rode up and down the neighbouring kloofs, as the
ground was too hard for me to hope to follow them by their spoor.

It occurred to me to ask the boy where the horses came from, a
question that he happened to be able to answer, as he had brought
them home when they were bought the year before. Having learned
in what direction the place lay I rode for it at an angle, or
rather for the path that led to it, making the boy run alongside,
holding to my stirrup leather. About three o'clock in the
afternoon I struck this path, or rat