earning anything more till I was twenty…seven。 Still I was destined to be called to the English Bar after all； as I hope to tell in due course。
Here I will end my story during the year and a half or so that I was absent from South Africa； and pass on to the sad tale of the Retrocession of the Transvaal。
Chapter 8 OUR LIFE AT NEWCASTLE
H。 R。 H。 and wife sail for Natal — Farm near Transvaal — Maritzburg — Dinner at Government House — Started for Newcastle — Adventures on journey — Hilldrop — Boer revolt — Natal invaded — Majuba and Colley’s death — Work on farm — Royal mission — Sir Hercules Robinson President — Hilldrop let to Sir Hercules and staff — Birth of H。 R。 H。‘s son — President Brand and Sir H。 de Villiers — Retrocession of Transvaal — Popular indignation — Farming — Return home — Mazooku。
My wife and I with two servants； a Norfolk groom of the name of Stephen — I forget his surname — who； a little touched up； appears as Job in my book “She；” and a middle…aged woman named Gibbs who had been my wife’s maid before marriage； three dogs； two parrots； and a “spider” carriage； which was built to my special order in Norwich； left England somewhere towards the end of 1880。 I think that we reached Natal before Christmas； and were greeted with the news of the Bronker’s Spruit massacre； for I can call it by no other name。 In short； we found that the Transvaal was in open rebellion。
It was indeed a pleasant situation。 Newcastle； whither we desired to proceed； lies very near the Transvaal border； and the question was； Did I dare to take my wife thither？ For some weeks we remained in Maritzburg； staying part of the time with Sir Theophilus and Lady Shepstone； and the rest in an hotel。 Literally I was at my wits’ end to know what to do。 T