y across the heaven,
and, as the fierce rays shifted, so Hendrika and her child moved into
the meagre shade given by the great wagon. The sun at this season was
north of the line, and never quite overhead. But it was terribly hot,
and the scant water was all but finished now. Hendrika had but just
moistened her lips, and Andries had had a bare quarter of a pint; all
the rest had been reserved for poor feverish little Barend, who
evidently had had a touch of the sun on the preceding day's trek, and
was very ill.

Sometimes Hendrika's glance turned swiftly towards the other wagon; and
there was debate and anxiety in it, and a compression of the firm red
lips, as if a struggle were waking in her mind. Oosthuysen rose and
shouldered his rifle once during the day, and wandered into the bush,
presumably to look for a chance eland or giraffe; but nothing came of
it, no shot was heard, and before sundown he had returned, and flung
himself into his wagon-chair, in which he sat moodily smoking.

Towards evening Hendrika's eyes and ears were fastened intently upon the
road from Inkouane. Surely her husband must soon arrive! There was
water there, and he would hasten back, knowing the struggle with thirst
his dear ones were fighting through. Yes, undoubtedly he must be here
soon. But hour after hour slipped by; the red sun sank, the night came,
the stars sprang forth in their armies, and presently the moon rose as
fresh and serene and gracious as though she had never seen one hour of
suffering upon the tired earth. All was still upon the veldt. There
was not even the occasional deep breathing of the oxen as they lay by
the trek chain, for the oxen were far away, all but the three dead
beasts which lay near, and had already become offensive.

At eight o'clock, Hendrika, who had been nursing little Barend by the
fire since dark, gave him--for he was now clamourous again--the last
kommetjeful of weak coffee. She had nothing better to give the child;
the water was none too sweet, and was better boiled and made into coffee
than drunk alone. After this Barend was put to bed on the wagon-kartel,
and the sheepskin kaross thrown lightly over him.

Again Hendrika got down from the wagon and stood by the fire. There had
been a bitter struggle agitating her bosom for hours past, and now the
time was come. She must smother her stiff Dutch pride, and go as a
suppliant to Schalk Oosthuysen and beg for a little water for her child