rds
Delagoa Bay, and shot with her own hand giraffe and buffalo--ay, and
even the mighty elephant itself? Rumour had it that on more than one
occasion Hendrika Van Staden had hardened her husband's heart at close
quarters with a troop of half-mad elephants; and it was certain that she
herself had, as they said, a "heart of steel," and feared neither lion
nor elephant nor fierce Kaffir.

Hendrika was a busy, active woman; and the oxen were no sooner
outspanned than she got out her poultry from the bed of the wagon,
extricated a table and some wagon-chairs, set one of the native boys to
light the fire and prepare for the evening meal, and then, taking her
six-year-old son, little Barend, set out to call upon one or two
neighbours and inspect the camp. Barend, who inherited his mother's
good looks, her yellow hair, and deep blue eyes and clear complexion,
was a fine, sturdy little fellow, and, clad in his short coat and loose
trousers of soft mouse-coloured moleskin, a flannel shirt, and wide felt
hat, looked a typical little Dutchman, a small counterpart, even to the
clothes he wore, of his sturdy father. The two set off together, Barend
flicking his little hide whip as he walked, and chattering to his mother
with keen excitement as the various camps and outspans came into view.
While his mother was engaged in conversation with some friends from her
own district, the little fellow suddenly caught sight of his father
walking to the next group of wagons, and toddled hastily after him.

In half an hour Hendrika had finished her gossip and extracted as much
news as could be gleaned. She had not yet been down to the water; and,
as the sun was declining and she wished to set eyes on the long-sought
Crocodile before dark, she turned to the left hand, and, following a
cattle-path, quickly found herself on the margin of the great river.
Just at this point there was a bend or hook, and the stream, now at its
low winter level, ran deep and swiftly only near the farther bank,
leaving a broad spit of sand exposed upon the hither shore. A little
higher to the left the stream again broadened into a great reach of
shining water, now painted with a warm and ruddy hue by the glow of
sunset. To the right, down the course of the river, a beautiful island,
laden with trees and a wealth of bush and greenery, and fringed with
tall yellow reeds, met the eye. Everywhere great forest trees abounded.
Yellow-billed hornbills flew hither and