"So I suppose, by all they say," Yorke replied.
They thought it as well to wait for an hour to feed the horses and take a meal. Leaving Peter to look after the horses, and see that nobody touched the guns and other articles in the cart, they went into a small inn. While they were eating their meal one of the Boers they had spoken to sauntered in.
"Was there any news at Johannesburg?"
"No, not particular. Things are very quiet there."
"You did not hear, did you, of any escaped prisoners being caught?"
"We did hear that one of the English officers had got away from the jail."
"Yes, that is what I mean. They telegraphed to us here from Pretoria; but of course he would never come down this way. Still, we had to obey orders and keep a sharp look-out. If he had come this way he would have been caught. I expect, however, he went east; but he could not get far. They say he was quite a young chap, with close-cropped hair."
"Well, their young officers cannot have learned to talk Dutch, so there ought to be no difficulty in catching him," Yorke said.
"But he has got a Dutchman with him, and I suppose he himself won't open his lips, but the Dutchman will do his talking for him."
"Hans, you had better say something," Yorke laughed, "or possibly you may be taken for this British officer."