“Like all other domestic animals, Kees was addicted to stealing.  He understood admirably well how to loose the strings of a basket, in order to take victuals out of it, especially milk, of which he was very fond.  My people chastised him for these thefts; but that did not make him amend his conduct.  I myself sometimes whipped him; but then he ran away, and did not return again to the tent, until it grew dark.  Once as I was about to dine, and had put the beans which I had boiled for myself upon a plate, I heard the voice of a bird, with which I was not acquainted.  I left my dinner standing, seized my gun, and run out of my tent.  After the space of about a quarter of an hour, I returned, with the bird in my hand; but to my astonishment, found not a single bean upon the plate.  Kees had stolen them all, and taken himself out of the way.  When he had committed any trespass of this kind, he used always, about the time when I drank tea, to return quietly, and seat himself in his usual place, with every appearance of innocence, as if nothing had happened; but this evening he did not let himself be seen; and on the following day, also, he was not seen by any of us; and in consequence, I began to grow seriously uneasy about him, and apprehensive that he might be lost for ever, but on the third day, one of my people, who had been to fetch water, informed me that he had seen Kees in the neighbourhood; but that as soon as the animal espied him, he had concealed himself again.  I immediately went out and beat the whole neighbourhood with my dogs.  All at once, I heard a cry, like that which Kees used to make when I returned from my shooting, and had not taken him with me.  I looked about and at length espied him, endeavouring to hide himself behind the large branches of a tree.  I now called to him in a friendly tone of voice, and made motions to him to come down to me.  But he would not trust me, and I was obliged to climb up the tree to fetch him.  He did not attempt to fly, and we returned together to my quarters; here he expected to receive his punishment; but I did nothing, as it would have been of no use.

“When exhausted with the heat of the sun, and the fatigues of the day, with my throat and mouth covered with dust and perspiration, I was ready to sink gasping to the ground, in tracts destitute of shade, and longed even for the dirtiest ditch-water; but after seeking long in vain, lost all hopes of finding any in the parched soil.  In such distressing moments, my faithful Kees never moved from my side.  We sometimes got out of our carriage, and then his sure instinct led him to a plant.  Frequently the stalk was fallen off, and then all his endeavours to pull it out were in vain.  In such cases, he began to scratch in the earth with his paws; but as that would also have proved ineffectual, I came to his assistance with my dagger, or my knife, and we honestly divided the refreshing root with each other.