“Only been looking round the kraals, and, I’m afraid, ‘mooning’ a little,” answered Renshaw, with a laugh. But there were times when his friend’s inexhaustible easiness of spirits jarred upon him.
The next day was spent in making preparations for the trip. Crowbars and long coils of raw-hide rope for climbing purposes—provisions and other necessaries to be loaded up were carefully sorted and packed—nor were firearms and a plentiful supply of cartridges overlooked. By nightfall everything was in thorough readiness for an early start.
Only, the missing Dirk did not appear, a fact which had the effect of strangely annoying, not to say angering, Dirk’s normally philosophical and easy-going master.
Chapter Twenty One.
The First Camp.
“Any alligators in this river, Fanning?”
“Plenty. They won’t interfere with us, though.”
Splash! splash! The horses plunged on, deeper and deeper into the wide drift. Soon the water was up to the saddle-girths.