Warrior

Eerste River to see a saddle horse. If you would spare me the time, Hervey, I should esteem your advice – a second eye and such like. And there are certain matters touching on what the lieutenant-governor spoke of last night. I would likewise have your opinion.'

Hervey scarcely needed to consider it: the diversion would be welcome. 'I shall be glad to. But I will join you there, if I may. I must first see Edward Fairbrother on a pressing matter.'

The pressing matter was the extension of Fairbrother's commission, his accompanying them to Shaka's country. It was concluded with more despatch than Hervey had expected, however, for Fairbrother said at once that he wished to remain with the Rifles until his 'good friend' returned finally to England. Hervey was much touched by the gesture. Indeed, he was touched and surprised. They had spoken only a little of his serving on during the voyage south. He had supposed that Fairbrother's attachment to soldiery would not long survive their return to Cape Town, for he knew there was much-neglected business of his father's to attend to. He had asked him, just the once, if he would consider coming to Canada with him, but his friend had all but scoffed at the notion. But now (and this much Hervey found characteristic of his contrariness) Fairbrother expressed himself surprised that his friend had doubted he would want to ride east with him.

And so Hervey was able thence to ride to Eerste River, fifteen miles or so east of Cape Town, by the mid- morning, and in good spirits, arriving at the stud farm not long after Colonel Smith himself.

The farm was well set up. There were some handsome buildings, all of one storey, whitewashed, with the distinctive Cape Dutch gables. The fences were solid, straight, pleasing as well as serviceable. And beyond was pasture as green as he would find in his own corner of Wiltshire. Here was a place to foal remounts.

Colonel Smith was admiring a good-looking blood.

'A handsome fellow,' said Hervey, coming up on them unseen.

'Indeed, Hervey, but we would say in the Rifle Brigade that handsome is as handsome does.'

'A phrase I have myself used. A blood might be needless fire, and an entire altogether too . . .'

'I thought the same.'

The breeder became anxious. 'I have another, three-quarter bred,' he tried, his English thick with the accent of Cape Dutch. 'A gelding. I will have him brung, sir. And I have any number of Cape horses.'

Colonel Smith said he was obliged. 'You know these Capers, Hervey?'

Hervey told him how they had lost so many troopers to the perdesiekt when they arrived that they had been forced to buy Capers, though not from this breeder. 'There's much to be said for them, since they're salted.'

'How so?'

'In truth I can't say. They haven't all had the sickness. Our veterinarian, an excellent, scientific man, believes it to be some sort of . . . immunity, so to speak, passed from dam to foal. In the blood.'

Colonel Smith looked at him cautiously. 'Very well, Hervey, since you are a colonel of mounted rifles and I merely of the pedestrian variety, perhaps you will tell me what it is that you look for in a horse.'

Hervey checked himself for a moment. Colonel Smith bantered with him, but a man did not lightly admit himself the inferior judge of horseflesh. 'You will know as I that a chain is but as strong as its weakest link, and it is that link which I always endeavour to discover. Mind, if a chain is not tested to the utmost, that link may not fail. Do you intend working the horse hard?'

'I do not see my duties especially requiring it.'

Hervey nodded. 'It's as well to determine these things first.'

One of the breeder's men trotted up the three-quarter bred, a second man behind it with a whip.

'A handsome gelding, Kuyper,' agreed Colonel Smith. 'And he moves well.'

Hervey recollected himself again, for if it were the old trick (and he felt sure it was) it would not do to suggest that his companion fell for it too easily. 'I think we might see how he goes at the walk.'

The breeder bid his men do so, sounding a little piqued.

'I thought it was the trot which revealed the most in a faulty action,' said Colonel Smith, but quietly.

'I don't dispute it,' replied Hervey, likewise lowering his voice (the breeder stood closer than he ought). 'But I doubt the action is true. There'll be a severe bit in his mouth, and the whip cracking behind makes him go forward, and the leader then checks him sharply, so the animal's knees go up because his progress is arrested and the impulse is all from behind.'

The leader walked the gelding up to them, and then away again.

'He looks to me straight and level, Hervey,' said Colonel Smith, doubtful.

'I've seen many worse. Yet to me the action is not free enough. He raises his knee too much. And see how he winds his foot. A horse with such an action tires early, and is prone to stumbling. And – here's the thing – I'm certain it's not his natural action.'

Colonel Smith frowned. 'How so? There's no whip behind him now.'

'I'll warrant that if we see inside yonder stable there'll be a set of heavy shoes taken off this morning, and a couple of shot-bags which have been fastened round his fetlocks.'

'Ah.'

'And quite probably for no good cause, for the horse to me does not look as if he should be otherwise excessively flat.'

'Then we ought to leave at once; find another dealer,' said Colonel Smith decidedly.

Hervey shook his head. 'It doesn't follow that his horses are unsound. He'll have learned the English like a showy action, and that's what he's producing. Neither may he know exactly – strange to say – that it's not how high