nce I
thought that I caught sight of a party of Indians moving rapidly over
the ground, but what I saw proved to be a herd of antelopes. We
observed also several buffaloes, which made us wish that we had time to
go and hunt them, for a fat cow would have been welcome. The idea
however of going in chase of them was not to be thought of, considering
the risk we should run of falling in with Indians who might be on the
watch for us. Still tolerably satisfied that no enemies were within a
distance of several miles, we descended the hill and pushed on to that
part of the river which appeared likely to afford us a passage. On
reaching it, Dio exclaimed--

"Me tink me get 'cross, me go in an' try; if too deep, me swim like one
fish!"

Without waiting for permission, he dashed forward. We watched him
anxiously: at first the water reached scarcely above his horse's knees,
but as he advanced it grew deeper and deeper, and presently, to our
disappointment, we saw the animal swimming, while Dio, who threw himself
from its back, struck out with one hand, while he guided it across with
the other. The horse quickly regained its feet, and after wading for
forty or fifty yards, stepped again on dry ground. Dio immediately
mounted, and pointing down the stream, made signs to us that he would
recross in that direction; we rode along the bank, very doubtful,
however, whether a fordable spot could be found. Once more Dio rode
into the stream, and we watched him anxiously as the water rose higher
and higher up his horse's legs. Still the animal walked on, though in
the centre the water reached nearly to the girths, soon after however
gradually diminishing in depth. There could be no doubt, if the ground
was hard, that the waggons could be got over. On this point Dio gave a
favourable report, and we, both riding in, crossed at some distance from
each other over even ground. Mr Tidey sent Dio back to report our
discovery to my father, while we rode backwards and forwards several
times to assure ourselves that the ford was of ample width to allow not
only one waggon but two or three to cross abreast if necessary; by the
time the leading waggon arrived we had thoroughly surveyed the ford, and
it at once began to descend the slope to the water's edge. Scarcely had
the oxens' feet entered the stream, when Tim Casey came riding up, sent
by Uncle Denis from the rear, to say that he made out some horsemen in
the far distance, who, he m