Progress was necessarily slow, for boulders of rock, and little gullies are not conducive to rapid locomotion.
Onward the three tramped for a distance of half a mile, when Pete halted at a part of the donga where its side rose almost perpendicularly to a height of ten or twelve feet.
The rock was composed of gneiss, along which bands of bluish-coloured clay ran in horizontal layers.
"Dis was de place where I found de glass pebble, Baas Jack," said the Kaffir, pointing to a ledge of rock through which a small stream of water trickled.
Morton by this time had pulled out a large clasp knife and was engaged in chipping off portions of the blue clay, which yielded readily to the impact of the knife.
The weapon struck something hard, and withdrawing the knife, Morton cut away the clay surrounding it. After all, the object might only be a fragment of rock, but the New Zealander's heart began to beat faster than was its wont.
"By heavens," he muttered, "if this turns out to be a klip (diamond)!"
Presently the stone was in his hand, and he anxiously pared off the fragments of blue clay adhering to it.
"A crystallised stone, at any rate," he ejaculated, placing the find in the breast pocket of his tunic. He again proceeded to excavate more clay, when he was arrested by a cry from the Kaffir. "Look, Baas Jack," exclaimed Pete. "De Boers! de Boers!"
Morton's knife dropped out of his hand, and hastily picking up his rifle, he queried, "Where are they, Pete?"