e boer's country would change his
opinion of the "roer." His own weapon--the small-bore rifle, with a
bullet less than a pea--would be almost useless among the large game
that inhabits the country of the boer. Upon the "karoos" of Africa there
are crack shots and sterling hunters, as well as in the backwoods or on
the prairies of America.

Curving round under the field-cornet's left arm, and resting against his
side, was an immense powder-horn--of such size as could only be produced
upon the head of an African ox. It was from the country of the
Bechuanas, though nearly all Cape oxen grow horns of vast dimensions. Of
course it was used to carry the field-cornet's powder, and, if full, it
must have contained half-a-dozen pounds at least! A leopard-skin pouch
hanging under his right arm, a hunting-knife stuck in his waist-belt,
and a large meerschaum pipe through the band of his hat, completed the
equipments of the trek-boer, Von Bloom.

Hans and Hendrik were very similarly attired, armed, and equipped. Of
course their trousers were of dressed sheep-skin, wide--like the
trousers of all young boers--and they also wore jackets and
"feldt-schoenen," and broad-brimmed white hats. Hans carried a light
fowling-piece, while Hendrik's gun was a stout rifle of the kind known
as a "yaeger" an excellent gun for large game. In this piece Hendrik had
great pride, and had learnt to drive a nail with it at nearly a hundred
paces. Hendrik was _par excellence_ the marksman of the party. Each of
the boys also carried a large crescent-shaped powder-horn, with a pouch
for bullets; and over the saddle of each was strapped the robe or
kaross, differing only from their father's in that his was of the rarer
leopard-skin, while theirs were a commoner sort, one of antelope, and
the other of jackal-skin.

Little Jan also wore wide trousers, jacket, "feldt-schoenen," and
broad-brimmed beaver,--in fact, Jan, although scarce a yard high, was,
in point of costume, a type of his father,--a diminutive type of the
boer. Trueey was habited in a skirt of blue woollen stuff, with a neat
bodice elaborately stitched and embroidered after the Dutch fashion, and
over her fair locks she wore a light sun-hat of straw with a ribbon and
strings. Totty was very plainly attired in strong homespun, without any
head-dress. As for Swartboy, a pair of old leathern "crackers" and a
striped shirt were all the clothing he carried, beside his sheep-skin
kaross. Such were th