ry spring.

The heavy-going eland was soon overtaken, and as it trotted to one side,
was passed. It halted, but the quaggas kept on.

Not only the drove kept on, but Hendrik's quagga following close at
their heels; and in less than five minutes they had left the eland a
full mile in their rear, and were still scouring onward over the wide
plain.

What was Hendrik about? Was he going to forsake the eland, and let it
escape? Had he grown so interested in the race? Was he jealous about
his quagga's speed, and determined it should beat all the others?

So it would have appeared to any one witnessing the race from a
distance. But one who could have had a nearer view of it, would have
given a different explanation of Hendrik's conduct.

The fact was, that as soon as the eland halted Hendrik intended to halt
also; and for that purpose pulled strongly upon his bridle. But, to his
astonishment, he found that his quagga did not share his intention.
Instead of obeying the bit, the animal caught the steel in his teeth,
and laying his ears back, galloped straight on!

Hendrik then endeavoured to turn the quagga to one side, and for this
purpose wrenched his right rein; but with such fierceness, that the old
bit-ring gave way--the bit slipped through the animal's jaws--the
head-stall came off with the jerk--and the quagga was completely
unbridled!

Of course the animal was now free to go just as he liked; and it was
plain that he liked to go with his old comrades. His old comrades he
well knew them to be, as his snorting and occasional neigh of
recognition testified.

At first Hendrik was disposed to look upon the breaking of his bit as
only a slight misfortune. For a boy he was one of the best riders in
South Africa, and needed no rein to steady him. He could keep his seat
without one. The quagga would soon stop, and he could then repair the
bit, and re-adjust the bridle which he still held in his hands. Such
were his reflections at first.

But their spirit began to alter, when he found that the quagga, instead
of lessening his pace kept on as hard as ever, and the herd still ran
wildly before him without showing the slightest signs of coming to a
halt.

In fact, the quaggas were running through fear. They saw the mounted
hunter behind them in hot pursuit; and although their old comrade knew
who _they_ were, how were they to tell what _he_ was, with such a tall
hunch upon his back? No quagga he, but some te