What between pain and weakness and nervous exhaustion, I was almost at the end of my tether, and should have fainted dead away if a halt had not been called.

But about midday, after we had crossed the track from Blaauwildebeestefontein to the Portuguese frontier, we came to the broad, shallow drift of the Klein Labongo.

It is the way of the Kaffirs to rest at noon, and on the other side of the drift we encamped.

I remember the smell of hot earth and clean water as my horse scrambled up the bank.

Then came the smell of wood-smoke as fires were lit.