CONGRATULATIKG THE SHEPHERD. 
43 
had it not been for a forewarning of Peter’s in regard to 
the quality of his “lekkcr,” we would most certainly 
have been inveigled, by his polite invitation and bland 
smiles, into entering his bar-room and paying him a shil- 
lino- sterlins each. As it was, hoAvever, we contented 
ourselves with congratulating him upon the non-existence 
of fleas in his beds, (as per signboard,) wished him a 
polite good-morning, and drove out of hearii»g before he 
could command words to express himself pleased or an- 
noyed by our remarks. AVe inferred the latter to be the 
case, however, from the fact of his looking very red in 
the face and shaking his fist at our retreating conveyance, 
as well as from a comment indulged in by Peter upon his 
appearance; — “Veil now, old man’s mad, I tell you.” 
“Never mind the old shepherd, Peter; you take 
another drink of this good brandy, and then crack your 
whip: we’re getting late,” said the doctor. 
So Peter smilingly complied, and then once more 
“got off” the “undetermined sound.” 
It is twenty-one miles from Simon’s Town to Cape Town, 
and the first seven miles that we had driven over was 
the best of roads at one time and the worst of roads at 
another. It was what is understood by a “ beach-road,” 
so that the hauling was over hard sand at low-water and 
through hub-deep sand at high-water : the latter happened 
unfortunately to fall to our lot. The last fourteen miles, 
howevei’, we travelled over the most beautiful road I ever 
sav)^ and I do not think that I ever rode over a beautiful 
road before with such true pleasure. This was owing to 
the fact of our “chariot” (Peter even called it “the cha- 
riot” sometimes) being minus springs; for I could not 
