held it together. I also saw that a large
jackal's or ant-bear's hole, that was concealed by the long grass, was
the cause of my horse's mistake. There was no remedy but to ride to the
waggons for my second gun: they were not very far distant, and nearly on
the line that the elands had just taken.

I started off without loss of time, and arrived a few minutes after the
herd had passed. They had been viewed from the waggons, and I was told
that many were badly wounded, and that five of the Dutchmen were well
up, and were, as the Kaffirs in delight said, _barnie bulalu_ (much
shooting) the elands: the Kaffirs were anticipating a regular cram that
night. I stayed only sufficiently long to procure my sound gun, and
started in pursuit of the Boers. I was much annoyed at being thus cut
out of so fine a chance, and to make up my distance, I let my game
little nag go his best over the springy turf that, like rolling waves,
lay around. I suddenly noticed some animals nearly a mile distant that
looked extremely like elands, and therefore I turned in their direction,
which was nearly opposite to that which I had first pursued.

As I approached them, I made out a couple of bulls and four cow elands,
with five or six half-grown calves. They went away as soon as they
noticed me, and crossed a little muddy hollow, that seemed soft enough
to hold them fast; they got over, however, but sunk to their bellies in
the attempt, and came out on the other side with black mud-stockings. I
knew that their instinct had shown them the best place for a crossing,
and that if I tried at any other, I might get pounded completely; I
therefore went down to the spot, and tried my horse at it. He would not
stir a step into the bog, but smelt at it in a suspicious manner: spurs
and whip had no effect on him, he would not face it.

An English officer who happened to have joined our party, and who
weighed upwards of sixteen stone, was now approaching at a canter: he
had lost the main body of elands, and was coming after my lot.

I saw that the quiet plan was no good with my nervous brute, so, turning
him round, I gave him a little canter, and brought him down again to the
muddy crossing with a rush. When he found what I purposed, he tried to
refuse; but I let drop both spurs into his flank with a vigorous dig,
and at the same time plied the _sjambok_ behind with such good effect,
that he floundered into the bog, sinking to the girths. He struggl