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Updated: June 11, 2025
"Don't know, Baas Willem," answered Congo. "I been long time here." "But when did you see him last?" inquired Hendrik. Congo was unable to tell, for he seemed under the impression that he had been several days in the bosom of the earth. From Swartboy they learnt that soon after their own departure Arend had started in pursuit of one of the horses seen straying over the plain.
Arend and Hendrik knew this, though still uncertain about being on the traces of Groot Willem. The night was so dark they could not distinguish footmarks, and they had not the slightest evidence of their own for believing that they were on the tracks of Willem's horse. "How do you know that we are going right, Cong?" asked Hendrik. "We follow Spoor'em; he know it," answered the Kaffir.
Not long after the departure of Groot Willem and his companions, Arend, looking towards a thicket about half a mile from the river, perceived a small herd of antelopes quietly browsing upon the plain. Mounting his horse, he rode off, with the intention of bagging one or more of them for the day's dinner.
The prolonged absence of Willem now began to cause them a serious apprehension. It was time something should be done towards finding him; but what were they to do? Where should they seek? They knew not; still, they should go somewhere. As night approached, leaving Hans to take care of the young giraffe, Arend and Hendrik started off in the direction in which Willem had last been seen.
Before they had gone very far, Arend made the observation that the tracks they were now following appeared too large to have been made by the young giraffes. "That's all a fancy of yours," rejoined Willem, as he hurried on. "There appears to have been only one that went this way," said Hendrik, after they had gone a little farther.
The excitement of the chase, which on former occasions he had so much enjoyed, now no longer attracts him half so much as the smiles of Wilhelmina Van Wyk, the only sister of his friends Groot Willem and Arend. The latter young gentleman would not have travelled far from the daily society of little Truey Von Bloom, had he been left to his own inclinations.
"What has become of Arend?" "I don't know," answered Hendrik. "It is strange Swart and Cong are not here to tell us." Something unusual had certainly happened; yet, as each glanced anxiously around the place, there appeared nothing to explain the mystery. "What shall we do?" asked Willem, in a tone that expressed much concern. "Wait," answered Hans; "we can do nothing more."
Nothing more could be done for that day, and Willem now declared his willingness to return to Graaf Reinet and die. Hope had departed from his heart, and he no longer felt a desire to live. Hendrik and Arend, although sympathising with him in their common misfortune, exchanged looks of congratulation. They would now be permitted to go home.
But this was not the only reason why their exertions were prolonged with some reluctance. They had been told of the manner in which Hendrik had left his companions; and, guided by reason, instead of a strong feeling of friendship, unlike Hans, Willem, and Arend, they had no hope of seeing him again.
"One of the elephants has gone down into a pit." "On, on! let us kill the other," shouted Groot Willem, as he urged his gigantic horse into a gallop. Hendrik and Arend galloped after. The retreating elephant was apparently in no haste to get out of their way, but moved leisurely along.
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