244 Among Men and Horses. 



fied with his ways, had renounced him and all his works, 

 and with commendable fortitude had decided that he should 

 never again spend a single penny of their money. I heard no 

 further tidings of him for several years, and concluded that 

 he had had the good taste to die, until I happened one day 

 in South Africa to go into a wayside bar to have a drink. 

 As I laid down the glass my eyes fell on a well-known face, 

 sodden with bad brandy and worse whisky, yet having in it 

 a few traces of those of a soldier and a gentleman. I felt 

 sorry enough for the poor waif, in whom I recognised the 

 once handsome and brilliant Captain Goodwood, to take him 

 into lunch, and give him as much food as he could eat, and 

 as much liquor as I thought good for him to drink. When 

 he had lighted a cigar, and had poured out his second or 

 third glass of Benedictine, I threw off the role of stranger 

 which I had assumed, and addressing him by name, asked 

 him in a cheery way how he had been getting on. In his 

 old light-hearted way he described his adventures, and how 

 he had at last settled down as a simple member of the Cape 

 Mounted Police on the inclusive pay of five shillings a day, 

 out of which he had to keep his horse, and to feed, lodge and 

 clothe himself. I could not help thinking that he was much 

 better thus than at his old games in town, after which his 

 soul hankered day and night. 



Another old acquaintance I met was one of the good- 

 natured fool sort. He had been second in command of a 

 smart Hussar regiment, had left the service, and had drifted 

 out to South Africa, where his too readily made friends had 

 robbed him of all his ready money, and left him in the old, 

 old way, waiting for remittances. Another man whom I 

 knew slightly, and who had commanded a distinguished in- 

 fantry regiment, hawks milk round Johannesburg. I am afraid 

 that soldiering is not a very good training for life in 

 South Africa. 



Literary globe trotters who come out to South Africa and 

 publish their impressions de voyage, have viewed, as a rule, 



