isten to the noise of the
birds, and as for beasts, I suspect we shall not have far to look for
them."

"No, for there is a hippopotamus just risen; and now he's down again--
there's food for a fortnight at one glance," cried the Major.

"How the horses and sheep are enjoying themselves--they are making up
for lost time; but here come the waggons."

"Well, then, I must get up and attend to my department," said the Major.
"I presume that we must expect our friends the lions again now."

"Where there is food for lions, you must expect lions, Major," said
Swinton.

"Very true, and fuel to keep them off: by the bye, turtle soup for
dinner, recollect; tell Mahomed."

"I'll see to it," said Alexander; "but we must have something for
breakfast, as soon as I have had a wash at the river's side. I would
have a bath, only I have such a respect for the hippopotami."

"Yes, you will not forget them in a hurry," said Swinton, laughing.

"Not as long as I have breath in my body, for they took all the breath
out of it. Come, Swinton, will you go with me, and make your toilet at
the river's banks?"

"Yes, and glad to do so; for I am covered with the sand of the desert."

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

Our travellers remained very quiet that day and the next. The horses
had suffered so much, that they required two days of rest, and they
themselves were not sorry to be inactive after their fatiguing journey
over the desert. The cattle enjoyed the luxuriant pasture, and although
the tracks of lions were discovered very near to them, yet, as they had
plenty of fuel and attended themselves to the fires, they had not any
visits from them during the night. The Hottentots had been out to
reconnoitre, and found a profusion of game, in a large plain, about two
miles distant; and it was decided that they would rest where they were
for a day or two, if the game were not frightened away. The river had
been crossed by Swanevelt, who stated that there was a large herd of
elephants on the other side, and the tracks of the rhinoceros were to be
seen on both sides of the river.

On the third morning after their arrival at the Vaal, they set off;
accompanied by the Hottentots, to the plain which they had spoken of;
riding through magnificent groups of acacia or camel-thorn trees, many
of which were covered with the enormous nests of the social grosbeaks.
As they descended to the plain, they perceived large herds of brindled
gnoos, quaggas