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When he was short of provisions for the Hottentots and other slaves, of whom he bad a good many, he would go out with the other farmers who lived near him, and shoot quaggas for them to eat. Nobody but a Hottentot could live upon such flesh." "What is quagga?" "A wild ass, partly covered with stripes, but not so much as the zebra; a pretty animal to look at, but the flesh is very bad.
The horse family of the present day is divided, like most other families, into two factions, which may be described for variety's sake as those of the true horses and the donkeys, these latter including also the zebras, quaggas, and various other unfamiliar creatures whose names, in very choice Latin, are only known to the more diligent visitors at the Sunday Zoo.
But why this new-born admiration for the despised quaggas? for despised they are by the Cape farmer, who shoots them only to feed his Hottentot servants. Why had they so suddenly become such favourites with the field-cornet? That you will understand by knowing the reflections that were just then passing through his mind. They were as follows:
"I knew he would come a mucker one of these days!" "Wait," said I, and I read " poor Prescott's wife. I don't think you ever knew Prescott, but he was a good sort. He died of typhoid. Only quaggas and yaks and other iron-gutted creatures like myself can stand Albania. I'm escorting her to England, so look out for us. How's everybody? Do you ever hear of Adrian? If so, collar him.
All this appeared so feasible that not another suggestion was offered the plan of the pit-fall was at once, and unanimously adopted. It remained only to dig the pit, cover it properly, and then wait the result. During all the time their capture was being planned, the herd of quaggas had remained in sight, disporting themselves upon the open plain.
As they descended to the plain they perceived large herds of brindled gnoos, quaggas, and antelopes, covering the whole face of the country as far as the eye could reach, moving about in masses to and fro, joining each other and separating, so that the whole plain seemed alive with them. "Is not this splendid?" cried the Major.
It was the pit-fall. That was the way by which Bushmen most generally caught large animals, and Swartboy perfectly understood how to construct a pit for quaggas. Hendrik saw objections to this, very similar to those he had urged against the snare.
The reason why this has not been done, is simply because the farmers of South Africa have horses in plenty, and do not stand in need of the quagga, either for saddle or harness. But though Von Bloom the farmer had never thought of "breaking in" a quagga, Von Bloom the hunter now did. Up to this time the field-cornet had scarce deigned to notice the quaggas.
Their quaggas were neither so manageable nor so quick in their movements as horses would have been, and this rendered the hazard still greater. Some of them might one day fall a victim. So feared Von Bloom; and he would gladly have given for a number of dogs an elephant's tusk a-piece even though they were the most worthless of curs. Indeed, their quality is but of slight importance.
But why this new-born admiration for the despised quaggas? for despised they are by the Cape farmer, who shoots them only to feed his Hottentot servants. Why had they so suddenly become such favourites with the field-cornet? That you will understand by knowing the reflections that were just then passing through his mind. They were as follows:
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