Within a quarter of an hour the two chums were ready. Each was mounted on a small, wiry, and thoroughly "salted" horse, and carried a .303 sporting rifle and twenty-five cartridges.
As they rode towards the gate of the compound they encountered Tenpenny Nail and Blue Fly.
"Want me, Massa Demon?" inquired the latter.
"No, thanks, Bluebottle," replied Tiny, laughing.
Sinclair also declined an offer on the part of Tenpenny Nail to accompany him. The two Haussas grinned.
"'Spects they want to push off on their own," observed Tiny. "They both looked mighty pleased with themselves when we told them they weren't required."
As a matter of fact, it was exactly the reverse. Both the Haussas wanted to go, and felt slighted at their respective masters' refusal. But since they were almost invariably grinning, it was not to be wondered at that Desmond had come to the conclusion that the Haussas were anxious to remain.
It was about twelve miles to Kana Kloof, where a "drift" or ford crosses a tributary of the Rubera River. The Kana, almost dry in the hot season and in a foaming torrent in the rainy season, flowed between steep, rocky banks, pierced here and there by gorges that enable people to cross without having to clamber down and climb the cliffs.
All the way there was not a single springbok or wilde-beeste sighted. There was spoor in plenty, but the swift-footed animals were nowhere to be seen, although the chums were going into the wind.
It was disappointing, especially as on a previous occasion, when Colonel Narfield was with them, the lads had sighted several and had succeeded in shooting a fine specimen of a gnu.