ficant
a sum to be of any use in restocking the farm, rebuilding the house, and
beginning life afresh as a sheep farmer, on ever so modest a scale: and
I also possessed my horse Prince, who had carried me through many a wild
and stirring adventure, and, like myself, had emerged unscathed,
together with a saddle and bridle, my trusty rifle, and the
double-barrelled sporting gun which I had purchased in Port Elizabeth
for my father, little dreaming, at the time of the purchase, that he
would not live to use it.

I have said that I was without a relative in the world, which was the
literal truth; but it was impossible that I should participate in such a
campaign as the one I had just passed through without making many stanch
friends, both Boers and English: and some of these, middle-aged men who
knew perfectly well what they were talking about, strongly advised me to
raise money, either by selling a portion of my farm, or by means of a
mortgage upon it. But my father had instilled into me a perfect horror
of anything that savoured of getting into debt, while the mere idea of
selling any portion of the property which he had accumulated, almost
acre by acre, was absolutely abhorrent to me; therefore, although I had
the greatest respect for the judgment of my friends, and fully believed
in the financial soundness of their advice, I determined that only in
the last resort would I avail myself of it.

In this resolution I was fully supported by Major Henderson, who was as
well qualified to advise in such a matter as anyone, having been in the
country for over thirty years, and knowing it a good deal better than
most. He had a farm up under the southern slopes of the Tandjes Berg,
and upon the dissolution of the corps he was good enough to invite me to
take up my quarters at his place while thinking over my affairs and
deciding what to do.

It was while we were sitting out on the stoep of his house, one night
after dinner, that the conversation occurred that decided my course of
action and ultimately launched me upon the great adventure which, while
leading me into many strange and terrible perils, was so profoundly to
influence the whole of my after life. I remember that I was in a very
pessimistic, downcast mood that night, and expressed the opinion that
there appeared to be nothing for it but for me to erect a sort of
glorified Kafir hut on my land, invest my money in a small flock of
sheep, shepherd them myself, and so