In fact, however, so many accidents happened of one sort or another, both to the wagon itself, of which the woodwork had shrunk with long standing in the sun, and to the cattle, which, being unused to the yoke, tied themselves in a double knot upon every opportunity, that we only arrived there at the approach of night.
The last mile of that trek was through a narrow gorge cut out by water in the native rock.

Here trees grew sparsely, also great ferns, but the bottom of the gorge, along which game were accustomed to travel, was smooth enough for wagons, save for a few fallen boulders, which it was necessary to avoid.
When at length we reached the outspan I asked the Hottentot, Klaus, who was assisting me to drive the team, where his master was, for I could not see him anywhere.

He answered that he had gone back down the kloof to look for something that had fallen from the wagon, a bolt I think he said.
"Very good," I replied.

"Then tell him, if we do not meet, that I have returned to the camp." As I set out the sun was sinking below the horizon, but this did not trouble me overmuch, as I had a rifle with me, that same light rifle with which I had shot the geese in the great match.

Also I knew that the moon, being full, would be up presently.
The sun sank, and the kloof was plunged in gloom.