was a very tall and
muscular man, of some five and forty years of age; the left side of his
face, his shoulder, and side were deeply seamed with scars, the relics
of a fight with a wounded lioness. He had a very long and difficult
name, which had been Anglicised and shortened by Mr Harvey into "Jack."

The second of the trio was a man so short as to be almost deformed, a
very unusual circumstance among the natives. His head was set low
between his shoulders, and his long sinewy arms reached almost to his
ankles. Mr Harvey told the lads he was immensely strong, and the
expression of his face was quick and intelligent. He was about
twenty-four years of age; he had been found by Mr Harvey's father, who
had also been a trader, deserted and apparently dying, a baby of only a
few months old. Among savage people infants who are in any way deformed
are generally deserted and left to perish, and this was the fate
evidently intended for the child when the mother became convinced he
would not grow up tall and straight, like other men. Mr Harvey had
picked it up, fed and cared for it, and it grew up full of a passionate
attachment for him, following him everywhere, and ready at any moment to
give his life for him. He was called Tony, and spoke English as
fluently as the native language.

The third of the hunters was a tall, slight figure, a man of about five
and thirty, with muscles like whipcord, who could, if it were needed, go
for 100 miles without a halt, and tire out the swiftest horse. In
addition to these were ten natives, who assisted with the cattle,
pitched the tent, cooked and skinned the game, and did other odd jobs.

The road was fairly good, and two days after leaving Newcastle they
arrived at Standerton, a rising place, inhabited principally by English
traders and shopkeepers. Here three roads branched: the one led to
Utrecht on the east; another to Pretoria, the capital, to the
north-west; while the third, a track much less used than the others, led
due north. This was the one followed by the caravan.

As they proceeded, the Dutch farmhouses became more sparsely sprinkled
over the country, and several large native kraals were passed. Over the
wide plains large herds of deer roamed almost, unmolested, and the lads
had no difficulty in keeping the caravan well supplied with provisions.
One or two of the Kaffirs generally accompanied them, to carry in the
game; but Mr Harvey and the three hunters, accusto