Page 16 - Adventures in Africa

I had “gone on a short distance ahead, when to my
delight I saw in front a large lake, in the centre of

which the waves were dancing and sparkling in the
sunlight, the shadows of the trees being vividly re­
flected on the mirror-like surface near the shores^

while beyond I saw what I took to be a herd of
elephants flapping their ears and intertwining their
trunks.

w Water, w a te r!” I shouted; f£we shall soon
quench our thirst. W e must take care to avoid those

elephants, however,” I added, pointing them out to
my uncle. “ It would be a fearful thing to be charged
by them.”

The horses and ox lifted uptlieir heads and pressed
forward* Jan to my surprise said nothing, though I
knew he was suffering as well as my uncle and I were.

I was rushing eagerly forward, when suddenly a haze
which hung over the spot, broke and dispelled the illu­
sion. A vast salt-pan lay before us. It was covered with

an effervescence of lime, which had produced the de­
ceptive appearance. Our spirits sank lower than ever.

To avoid the salt-pan, we turned to the right, so as to
skirt its eastern side. The seeming elephants proved
to be zebras, which scampered off out of reach. W e
now began to fear that our horses would give in, and

that we should have to push forward with our ox
alone, abandoning everything it could not carry.

Still my uncle cried “ Forward ! ” Jan had evidently
mistaken the roEid, and passed the spot where he had
expected to find water. Still he observed that we

need have no fear of pursuing our course. Evening
was approaching and we must again camp : without