back northwards, running all
night, only to find in the morning that they had lost their way in the
bush. This had happened nearly a month before--or, at any rate, Klaus
thought so, for no doubt the days went very slowly--during which time
they had wandered about, trying to shape some sort of course by the
sun with the object of returning to the camp. They met no man, black or
white, and supported themselves upon game, which they shot and ate raw
or sun-dried, till at length all their powder was done and they threw
away their heavy roers, which they could no longer carry.

It was at this juncture that from the top of a tall tree Klaus saw
a certain koppie a long way off, which he recognised as being within
fifteen miles or so of Marais's camp. By now they were starving, only
Klaus was the stronger of the two, for he found and devoured some
carrion, a dead hyena I think it was. Pereira also tried to eat this
horrible food, but, not having the stomach of a Hottentot, the first
mouthful of it made him dreadfully ill. They sought shelter in a cave on
the bank of a stream, where grew water-cresses and other herbs, such as
wild asparagus. Here it was that Pereira told Klaus to try to make his
way back to the camp, and, should he find anyone alive there, to bring
him succour.

So Klaus went, taking the remaining leg of the hyena with him, and on
the afternoon of the second day arrived as has been told.

CHAPTER X. VROUW PRINSLOO SPEAKS HER MIND

Now, when the Hottentot's story was finished a discussion arose. Marais
said that someone must go to see whether his nephew still lived, to
which the other Boers replied "Ja" in an indifferent voice. Then the
Vrouw Prinsloo took up her parable.

She remarked, as she had done before, that in her judgment Hernan
Pereira was "a stinkcat and a sneak," who had tried to desert them in
their trouble, and by the judgment of a just God had got into trouble
himself. Personally, she wished that the lion had taken him instead of
the worthy Hottentot, although it gave her a higher opinion of lions to
conclude that it had not done so, because if it did it thought it would
have been poisoned. Well, her view was that it would be just as well to
let that traitor lie upon the bed which he had made. Moreover, doubtless
by now he was dead, so what was the good of bothering about him?

These sentiments appeared to appeal to the Boers, for they remarked:
"Ja, what is the good?"

"Is it right,