CHAPTER XI7. 



GOOD-BYE. 



Recalled to England — Regrets and farewells — Cape horses la^cking in 

 intelligence — "Old Martin" — A chapter of accidents— A horse 

 "after Velasquez" — The Spy's revenge — Virtues and faults of Cape 

 horses — Horse-sickness — Good-bye to Swaylands — Kaffir crane — 

 The voyage home— Dogs in durance — St. Helena — A visit to 

 Longwood— Home again. 



At last, after several busy and most enjoyable years of 

 ostrich-farming life, the time came when — our presence 

 being required in England — we bade farewell to our colo- 

 nial home, and, leaving the management of affairs in 

 the able hands of a friend from the old country, with 



whom T had recently entered into partnership, 



took our departure from Swaylands, not without many 

 regrets. Although, within the wide circle enclosed 

 by our wire fence, we were not leaving many of our 

 human fellow-creatures, there were plenty of good-byes 

 to be said ; for those who live on these out-of-the-way 

 farms come to be on very intimate and familiar terms 

 with their live stock, and all our creatures — even the 

 fowls, and those tamer members of our large family of 

 ostriches which for years had been daily looking in- 

 quiringly in at our windows, and picking and stealing 



