Anyone who has driven behind mules knows how absolutely powerless the Jehu is without a long whip; so here we were face to face with a real misfortune: increasing darkness, jibbing leaders, no whip, and fifteen sandy miles to traverse before dinner-time.

With every sort of ejaculation and yell, and a perfect rain of blows with the _shambok_ from the Kaffir still on foot, we lurched forward at a gallop, escaping by a hair's-breadth another gold-prospector's trench.

But the same leader jibbed again after another mile.

I must admit he was a most irritating brute, whose obstinacy had been increased by the cruelty of the driver.

It was now decided to put him in the "wheel," where he would be obliged to do his work.