228 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. XXIII. 
in hand, declaring that he would shoot one of the 
horses rather than let the cart pass over the bridge 
without us; and he was just the man to do what he 
said. At this moment the Dutchmen’s pluck failed 
them, and the two passengers quietly dismounted and 
gave us the seats. 
On, on, on we went as fast as horses could go ; and 
reached Cape Town that night, at about nine o’clock. 
We went direct to the comfortable old Civil Service Club, 
got rooms, and were indulging in hot baths before 
going to bed (after three nights and four days without 
rest), when we got a message from Mr. Southey to say 
that His Royal Highness wished to see us at once. 
Our loyalty and love for the Prince, whom we had 
known in 1860, impelled us to obey orders without delay; 
so we dressed and went to a great ball given that evening 
to the Royal Prince at Cape Town. His Royal High¬ 
ness expressed himself very pleased to see us, and it 
took Currie and myself back to the wonderful 6 trek ’ we 
had with the Prince in 1860, when he was still a mid¬ 
shipman, and not then sixteen years old. This trek 
was through the interior of South Africa, leaving Her 
Majesty’s Ship 6 Euryalus ’ at Port Elizabeth, and re¬ 
joining her at Natal, His Royal Highness and party 
proceeding overland through G-raham’s Town, King 
William’s Town, and Kaffraria, then inland, via Queen’s 
Town, Burgher’s Dorp, Aliwal North, over the Orange 
