s all knelt in prayer.

When Von Bloom again stood upon his feet, and looked around him, the
desert seemed once more to "rejoice and blossom as the rose."

Upon the human heart such is the magic influence of resignation and
humility.

CHAPTER SIX.

"INSPANN AND TREK!"

With all his confidence in the protection of a Supreme Being, Von Bloom
knew that he was not to leave everything to the Divine hand. That was
not the religion he had been taught; and he at once set about taking
measures to extricate himself from the unpleasant position in which he
was placed.

_Unpleasant_ position! Ha! It was more than unpleasant, as the
field-cornet began to perceive. It was a position of _peril_!

The more Von Bloom reflected, the more was he convinced of this. There
they were, in the middle of a black naked plain, that without a green
spot extended beyond the limits of vision. How much farther he could
not guess; but he knew that the devastations of the migratory locust
sometimes cover an area of thousands of miles! It was certain that the
one that had just swept past was on a very extensive scale.

It was evident he could no longer remain by his kraal. His horses, and
cattle, and sheep, could not live without food; and should these perish,
upon what were he and his family to subsist? He must leave the kraal.
He must go in search of pasture, without loss of time,--at once.
Already the animals, shut up beyond their usual hour, were uttering
their varied cries, impatient to be let out. They would soon hunger;
and it was hard to say when food could be procured for them.

There was no time to be lost. Every hour was of great importance,--even
minutes must not be wasted in dubious hesitation.

The field-cornet spent but a few minutes in consideration. Whether
should he mount one of his best horses, and ride off alone in search of
pasture? or whether would it not be better to "inspann" his wagon, and
take everything along with him at once?

He soon decided in favour of the latter course. In any case he would
have been compelled to move from his present location,--to leave the
kraal altogether.

He might as well take everything at once. Should he go out alone, it
might cost him a long time to find grass and water--for both would be
necessary--and, meantime, his stock would be suffering.

These and other considerations decided him at once to "inspann" and
"trek" away, with his wagon, his horses, his cattle, h