By noon they had proceeded about fifteen miles to the westward, and as they advanced they found that the supply of water in the river was more abundant; they then unyoked the cattle to allow them to feed till the evening, for it was too dangerous to turn them loose at night. As they were in no hurry, they resolved that they would only travel for the future from daylight till noon; the afternoon and evening were to be spent in hunting, and at night they were to halt the caravan and secure everything as before, by enclosing the horses and sheep, and tying up the oxen. By this arrangement the cattle would not be exhausted with their labour, and they would have time to follow the object of their journey--that of hunting the wild animals with which the country abounded, and also of procuring a constant supply of food for themselves and their attendants. Having now travelled as far as they wished, they stopped at the foot of a rising ground, about a quarter of a mile from the river's bank, and which was on the outskirts of a large clump of mimosa and other trees. As soon as the cattle were unyoked and had gone down to the river to drink, our travellers ordered their horses to be saddled, and as the banks of the river on that side were low, they rode up to the rising ground to view the country beyond, and ascertain what game might be in sight. When they arrived at the summit, and were threading their way through the trees, Omrah pointed to a broken branch, and said, "Elephant here not long ago." Bremen said that Omrah was right, and that the animals could not have left more than a week, and that probably they had followed the course of the stream. The print of another foot was observed by Omrah, and he pointed it out; but not knowing the name to give the animal in English or Dutch, he imitated its motions. "Does he mean a gnoo?" said Alexander. Omrah shook his head, and, raising his hands up, motioned that the animal was twice as big. "Come here, Bremen; what print of a hoof is this?" said Swinton. "Buffalo, sir,--fresh print--was here last night." "That's an animal that I am anxious to slay," said the Major. "You must be very careful that he does not slay you," replied Swinton; "for it is a most dangerous beast, almost as much so as a lion." "Well, we must not return without one, at all events," said Alexander; "nor without a lion also, as soon as we can find one alone; but those we have seen in the daytime have always been in threes and fours, and I think the odds too great with our party; but the first single lion we fall in with, I vote we try for his skin." "Agreed," replied the Major; "what do you say, Swinton?"