CHAPTER XXIX

THE BUSH VELD

After half-an-hour’s travel, Kameelpoort was reached, and on emerging on the other side, our friends found stretched out before them hills and valleys covered by trees and bushes. It seemed to them, as they stood high above these valleys and hills, that the earth appeared to sink lower and lower the farther northward they looked. It was really so. They were standing on a range of hills separating the high from the low veld. The high veld is a bare, undulating plain, covered with grass only. The low veld is covered with bush and trees, ranging from low dwarf bushes to the high majestic yellow wood, and other large varieties of trees. The farther north you go, the lower you descend, and the warmer it becomes, so that in mid-winter you have a mild pleasant climate, but in summer only natives and game can exist.

Under the trees and in the open glades a high, sweet grass grows--splendid feeding for cattle and sheep in winter. Thus it is that all farmers do not consider themselves well off before they have a farm or two on the high veld for summer, and a farm in the bush veld for winter pasturage.

After descending into the valley before them, our party reached a stream where were encamped about ten families of farmers, some of whom Steve knew. The usual welcome was accorded them.

We shall describe the winter quarters of one of these families, which are all alike more or less, some better some worse.

If the family has two full tent waggons, so much the better, then they have two bedrooms ready. In each a comfortable _Kartel_ (bedstead without legs) is tied, and a feather bed made on it.

Between the two waggons, one or two tents are stretched, one serving as another bedroom, and the other as a dining-room.

In front of the tents and waggons an enclosure is made of marsh or river reeds. In the enclosure thus formed, a floor of mud and cow dung is laid, which makes a smooth, hard floor. On one side of the enclosure a fireplace is made, being a circle large enough to contain all the pots of the family, enclosed by a ridge of mud three or four inches high, to keep fire and ashes within bounds. This is the kitchen, and also the sitting-room of an evening, when all would gather round the fire, and the events of the day would be talked over. This enclosure is always kept neat and clean.

Steve and his party found a good company of sportsmen in the community here encamped. As it was still early, a party was got up to go shooting. They started about four o’clock.

A good bag was made. We shall relate only one incident of the afternoon. Steve found himself with the boaster of the company; he was named William. His stories of his skill in shooting were marvellous. Steve was considered by him as a greenhorn, and thus a suitable party to be stuffed with yarns of miraculous shots that he--William--had at various times made. Steve listened quietly and thought he should like to see a few of these accurate shots. They arranged to shoot turn by turn. The guns were all shot-guns, as they were only out after partridge, koraan and pheasants.

The first of the two to shoot was William. He got a fine shot at two pheasants, as they hid themselves behind a tuft of grass, or thought they did, for they were still plainly visible. William fired and--missed. Of course it was an accident, something the matter with the gun. Steve’s turn came next; and a good turn he got. They came to a pool of water; walking quietly up, four koraan were seen standing in a line. William whispered to Steve to let him fire, as Steve was sure to miss, and he would guarantee to bring down, at least, two. Without answering, Steve took aim and fired--and killed all four.

William boasted no more after that in the presence of Steve.