y said,
'and let us live there, else we shall die, forgotten of
God, in this inhospitable wilderness.' But Piet Naude
wrought with them, saying, 'Let us keep good hearts and
hold on. In time we shall surely come to the best place of
all, where we shall gain cattle and sheep and prosper all
our lives.' And after he had talked with them for a long
time, and shamed them with their weakness, they were
persuaded, and once again they faced the great unknown
country and trekked on.

"But one hot day one of the Burghers who had ridden away to
look for meat came galloping back. 'Over yonder,' he said,
pointing with his hand, 'there is a wide kloof, with a
stream in it. There is grass there as long and thick as the
best pasture of our farms, with trees and wild fruit, and
everything plentiful and beautiful. Without doubt it will
lead us to such a place as we have been seeking.'

"So the wagons were turned aside, and they went forward to
the kloof, all the Burghers uplifted with hope, and the
very oxen pulling their best. But Piet Naude said nothing,
for he had a strange doubt in his heart, and he rode on
anxiously. And when they came to the kloof they saw that
all the Burgher had said was even less than true. The veld
underfoot was soft and tender as satin, and the grass was
fresh and green. On each side the tall hills cast back the
sun, so that the beautiful cool shade fell like a blessing
on their scorched faces. There was wild hemp {dagga} for
the Kafirs to smoke; and wild apricots running over the
stones; water splashing, clear and fresh, beside the way;
mimosa-trees to give wood for the fires; and everywhere
they saw the spoor of every kind of buck. The Burghers were
overwhelmed with gladness, and pushed on gaily.

"On the next day the kloof widened out, and they came forth
into a most wonderful plain girt round with steep cliffs,
and all overgrown with grass and trees. At a little
distance they saw cattle grazing wild, and big herds of
buck roaming in the open. Birds started without fear from
under their feet, and in the streams fish swam plain to
see.

"Then Piet Naude said, 'Brothers, let us go away from this
place. I am afraid of all I see. God did not send all this
wealth easy to our hands at no cost of labor. Let us go
away lest we be entrapped into some devilishness.' But the
others laughed him down and would not listen to him, saying
his brain was rotten in his head with the long trek and the
sun.

"So