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The African spoke in a language which only the Kaffir understood. He stated that he had lost two horses, both of which had been killed at a vley where they had gone to drink. Although grieved at the loss of his horses, both which he had received as presents, he was quite happy in having discovered the party whom he believed to have wilfully destroyed his property.
Hans was not there he had gone away hours ago they knew not where, they feared something had happened to him, they feared he was lost! "But what took him away from the camp?" asked Von Bloom, surprised and troubled at the news. That, and only that, could they answer. A number of odd-looking animals very odd-looking, the children said, had come to the vley to drink.
As I rode out of the peninsula, they showed themselves on the banks of the river, and, guessing that their first move would be a disgraceful retreat, I determined to ride so as to make them think that I had not observed them, until I should be able to cut off their retreat from the river, across the open vley, to the endless forest beyond.
They might get one in that way the foremost of the drove; but all the others, seeing the leader caught, would gallop off and return no more to the vley; and where would they set their snare for a second? It might be a long time before they should find another watering-place of these animals; whereas they might stalk and crease them upon the plains at any time. Swartboy now put in his plan.
The fresh tracks of many varieties of animals could be seen in the mud; and Willem proposed that they should stay over night and lie in wait by the vley. To this Hendrik agreed; and the horses were tethered out to graze.
"Ah! my boy, there's no lion in the vley if the Bowkers have been here; and see, it's all plain as a pikestaff. They shot it here and skinned it there, and have dragged the carcass towards that bush; yes, here it is a lioness. They're back to camp by this time. Come, let's follow them." As they rode along, Hans, who had been glancing at the newspaper, turned suddenly to his companion.
Close by the spring, but a little farther in the direction of the plain, was a vley, or pool in fact, it might have been termed a small lake and upon the quiet bosom of its water the sky-blue corollas lay sleeping in all their gorgeous beauty. Truey, leading her little pet in a string, had gone down on the bank to look at them. She thought she could never cease gazing at such pretty things.
All this was evidence of the great number of ravenous creatures that must have their home in that quarter, evidence, too, that game animals abounded, for where these are not numerous the beasts of prey cannot exist. Indeed, from the quantity of tracks that were seen upon the shores of the vley, it was evident that animals of various kinds had drunk there during the night.
In due time our first outspan was reached a wide vley with a small spruit meandering lazily through it, and plenty of rich grass for the oxen and here a halt was called for a couple of hours during the hottest part of the day; then on again to the next outspan, which was reached about an hour before sunset.
I had been told it was the prettiest town in the colony, and it IS very pretty, with oak-trees all along the street, like those at Paarl and Wagenmakkers Vley; but I was disappointed. It was less beautiful than what I had seen. Besides, the evening was dull and cold. The south-easter greeted us here, and I could not go out all the afternoon.
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