They had been directed to a farm where they would find good people at home, as well as forage for their horses and game for their guns, and were pushing on to reach this place. But on this bare, black plain many roads crossed and recrossed. It was a regular network of roads running from farm to farm. They became confused as to which road they should take and which leave. They soon realised the fact that they had lost their road, and were going at random. The danger now began to get serious. Their horses were dragging wearily along, and could scarcely keep up a semblance of a trot, and would soon give in altogether. The poor brutes had been in harness most of the day, and that on a mouthful of mealies only. But what could they do? They must keep on to reach shelter for themselves and food for the horses. Night is coming on; ’tis only twilight now, and twilight does not last longer than thirty or forty minutes here. Soon they will be unable to see the road, and will be forced to span out on this barren, inhospitable veld. ‘Hurrah! I see a light, and what is more, the dim outline of trees, and I do believe a house,’ cried Steve. ‘But where the dickens is the road?’ cried his cousin. The road seemed suddenly to disappear on the hard, unimpressionable soil. But all jumped down and went in search of a road. Going a little forward, they discovered that they were by no means out of the difficulty yet. A river lay between them and the light, and what is more no _drift_ was visible. The banks were steep, and no cart could pass it, and a deep _zee koe gat_ (wallowing pools of sea-cows) occupied the whole visible stretch of the river. They ran up against the stream and soon came to what appeared to be a sort of _drift_. But what a _drift_. On examination they found it to be an old disused _drift_ or ford. Wash-aways of one foot to a foot and a half crossed the steep road, going down into the river. And in the river itself large round stones three feet high lay piled up one against the other on the only place where a cart might have passed. What were they to do now? No other _drift_ seemed near. Stay there they could not, and darkness was settling down on the land. They stood looking in dismay at this _drift_. The opposite side was not crossed by wash-aways, but seemed to be almost one large precipice in itself. But still, with good horses, once there, they might be able to mount it. But how to get there? ‘Well, I do not see the use of standing talking here; we cannot stay here--cross we must--let us act!’ said Steve. ‘But we cannot cross here,’ cried Harrison. ‘The cart would be smashed! So how can we act?’ ‘I for one won’t drive through here; my life is not insured,’ said Steve’s cousin. ‘And I would not remain on the cart if you did,’ said Keith. ‘Well, undo the leaders and lead them across. I shall drive the cart over, but with the wheelers only. They seem to be steady and reliable, and fairly lively yet,’ said Steve.