Should he go out alone, it might cost him a long time to find grass and water--for both would be necessary--and, meantime, his stock would be suffering.
These and other considerations decided him at once to "inspann" and "trek" away, with his wagon, his horses, his cattle, his sheep, his "household gods," and his whole family circle.
"Inspann and trek!" was the command: and Swartboy, who was proud of the reputation he had earned as a wagon-driver, was now seen waving his bamboo whip like a great fishing-rod.
"Inspann and trek!" echoed Swartboy, tying upon his twenty-feet lash a new cracker, which he had twisted out of the skin of the hartebeest antelope.
"Inspann and trek!" he repeated, making his vast whip crack like a pistol; "yes, baas, I'll inspann;" and, having satisfied himself that his "voorslag" was properly adjusted, Swartboy rested the bamboo handle against the side of the house, and proceeded to the kraal to collect the yoke-oxen.
A large wagon, of a sort that is the pride and property of every Cape farmer, stood to one side of the house.

It was a vehicle of the first class,--a regular "cap-tent" wagon,--that had been made for the field-cornet in his better days, and in which he had been used to drive his wife and children to the "nacht-maal" and upon _vrolykheids_ (parties of pleasure.) In those days a team of eight fine horses used to draw it along at a rattling rate.

Alas! oxen had now to take their place; for Von Bloom had but five horses in his whole stud, and these were required for the saddle.
But the wagon was almost as good as ever it had been,--almost as good as when it used to be the envy of the field-cornet's neighbours, the boors of Graaf Reinet.

Nothing was broken.

Everything was in its place,--"voor-kist," and "achter-kist," and side-chests.