them with food for their
journey back; and our travellers approved of the suggestion, as it would
save their sheep.

Alexander and the Major set off with Bremen, Swanevelt, and Omrah on
horseback, while the Caffres on foot kept well up with them. The other
Hottentots were ordered to remain with Swinton at the encampment, as
they had to repair the damages done to the waggons in crossing the
mountains.

Omrah had shown himself so useful, that he had been permitted to
practise with a fowling-piece carrying ball, and had proved himself very
expert. He now was mounted on the Major's spare horse; that, in case
the Major's was knocked up, he might change it, for Omrah's weight was a
mere nothing.

The plan of the chase was, that the Caffres should spread in a
half-circle, and conceal themselves as much as possible, while those on
horseback should turn the animals and drive them in their direction. As
they advanced on the plain, they discovered what the haze had prevented
their seeing at early dawn, that the plain was covered with a variety of
beautiful flowers, of the amaryllis and other tribes, and with the hills
of ants and the ant-eaters' holes, which latter were very dangerous to
the horses.

The sun was now up in the heavens, and blazed fiercely; the heat was
intense, although still early in the day. When they turned their heads
towards the mountains which they had passed, they were struck with
astonishment at the grandeur of the scene: rocks and cliffs in wild
chaos, barren ridges and towering peaks, worn by time into castellated
fortresses and other strange shapes, calling to their fancy the ruins of
a former world.

With the exception of a pool of water, near to which the caravan had
halted, not a vestige of that element was to be seen in any direction;
all was one plain, ending only in the horizon, without a tree, the line
only broken by the groups of animals and the long necks of the packs of
ostriches in the distance.

If, however, the vegetable kingdom was deficient, the animal was
proportionably abundant, and Alexander and the Major were soon at their
speed after a troop of quaggas and zebras, which they succeeded in
turning towards the Caffres. As soon as the animals had entered the
radius of the half-circle, and were within distance, they checked their
horses and opened their fire upon them; at the same time the Caffres
showed themselves, and the animals were for a time confounded by finding
themse