THE LEGEND OF JAN PRINSLOO'S KLOOF. 365 



out of this place ; I hate it ! I want again to get 

 on to the Transvaal high veldt, where I trekked 

 through two years ago, and where you can shoot as 

 many blauuw wildebeest (brindled gnu), blessbok, 

 quagga, springbok, and hartebeest, as you want in 

 a day's ride. Ja ! that is the land for me ; these 

 gloomy poorts and kloofs are only fit for leopards 

 and 'spooks' (ghosts). Then, you know. Mynheer, 

 the Transvaal is free ; we never loved your 

 Government, which is always wanting from us this,, 

 that, and the other, and I shall be glad to trek out. 

 Up in Zoutpansberg we shall be able to hunt the 

 kameel (giraffe), and the zwart wit pens (sable 

 antelope), and elephant, as much as we like, and for 

 our winter pasture we shall not have to pay a single 

 rix-dollar. Ja ! I have had enough of Prinsloo's 

 Kloof, and never wish to see it again." This long 

 speech delivered, the Boer relapsed into silence. 

 There was a curious look on the young man's face, 

 as he had spoken, which Goodrick and his wife 

 could not quite define or understand. 



An hour afterwards Van der Meulen had slung 

 his rifle on his back, packed some biltong (sun-dried 

 meat) in his pockets, saddled up his horse, and 

 bidden farewell to the tenants of the kloof. The 

 Englishman and his young wife watched his 

 retreating form as it slowly proceeded down the 

 valley, and presently disappeared amidst a grove 

 of acacia trees that margined the river ; then they 

 turned to the house. " I don't quite understand 

 that fellow," said Stephen, "do you, Mary? 

 I can't help thinking there was something behind 

 what he said. Why were his people so eager to 

 leave this farm ? However, darling, the farm is a 



