"We bought them yesterday from a farmer named Duncan, who has brought
them down from his place near Dundee."

"Ah! that accounts for it; he is one of the best-known horse-breeders in
the colony. I had not heard that he had come down."

"He only arrived two days ago, sir. We were fortunate to hear of it, and
some of us rode over early yesterday and were lucky enough to secure
them."

"You were lucky. There are several mounted corps being formed here and
at Durban, and horses will go up in price rapidly. Where is he
staying'?"

"About a mile and a half farther out, sir. If you want horses I should
think that you had better go on at once, for he told me that he had sold
sixty yesterday, but that very few of them were anything like as good
horses as these."

"No. People are subscribing handsomely, but we cannot afford to mount
our troopers on such horses as these. A good many gentlemen have found
their own horses, and of course will be well mounted; but a good, sound,
country horse is all we can afford for the others; they are excellent
for ordinary work, though, of course, not so fast as yours, nor quite so
big. Your horses have all a strain of English thoroughbred blood, and if
you should at any time have to ride for it there would be little chance
of the Boers overtaking you, though some of them are very well mounted,
for the two things a Boer will spend money on, are his horse and his
rifle. And when do you start?"