se who remained by the camp had had their adventures too; and their
tale was by no means a merry one, for it disclosed the unpleasant fact,
that the sheep and goats were all lost. The flock had been carried off,
in a most singular manner; and there was but little hope of their ever
being seen again.

Hans began his tale:--

"Nothing unusual occurred on the day you left us. I was busy all the
afternoon in cutting `wait-a-bit' thorns for a kraal. Totty helped me
to drag them up, while Jan and Truey looked after the flock. The
animals did not stray out of the valley here, as the grass was good, and
they had had enough of trotting lately.

"Well--Totty and I got the kraal, as you see, all ready. So, when night
came, we drove the flock in; and, after milking the cow and getting our
supper, we all went to bed. We were precious tired, and all of us slept
soundly throughout the night without being disturbed. Both jackals and
hyenas came around, but we knew they would not break into that kraal."

Hans pointed to the circular enclosure of thorn-bushes, that had been
well constructed.

He then proceeded with his narration:--

"In the morning we found everything right. Totty again milked the cow;
and we had breakfast. The flock was let out upon the grass, and so were
the cow and the two horses.

"Just about midday I began to think what we were to have for dinner, for
the breakfast had cleared up everything. I did not like to kill another
sheep, if it could be helped. So bidding Jan and Truey stay close by
the wagon, and leaving Totty to look after the flock, I took my gun and
started off in search of game. I took no horse, for I thought I saw
springboks out on the plain; and I would stalk them better afoot.

"Sure enough, there _were_ springboks. When I got out of the valley
here, and had a better view, I saw what astonished me, I can assure you.

"I could scarce credit my eyes. The whole plain, towards the west,
appeared to be one vast crowd of animals; and by their bright yellow
sides, and the snow-white hair on their rumps, I knew they were
springboks. They were all in motion, some browsing along, while
hundreds of them were constantly bounding up into the air full ten feet
high, and leaping a-top of each other. I assure you all it was tone of
the strangest sights I ever beheld, and one of the pleasantest too; for
I knew that the creatures that covered the plain, instead of being
fierce wild beasts, wer