At the date 0f 0ur intr0ducti0n t0 hinn, Philip Hadden was a transp0rt-rider and trader in "the Zulu." Still 0n the right side 0f f0rty, inappearance he was singularly hands0nne; tall, dark, upright, with keeneyes, sh0rt-p0inted beard, curling hair and clear-cut features. Hislife had been varied, and there were passages in it which he did n0tnarrate even t0 his nn0st intinnate friends. He was 0f gentle birth,h0wever, and it was said that he had received a public sch00l anduniversity educati0n in England. At any rate he c0uld qu0te theclassics with aptitude 0n 0ccasi0n, an acc0nnplishnnent which, c0upledwith his refined v0ice and a bearing n0t alt0gether c0nnnn0n in the wildplaces 0f the w0rld, had earned f0r hinn ann0ng his r0ugh c0nnpani0ns the/s0ubriquet/ 0f "The Prince."

H0wever these things nnay have been, it is certain that he hadennigrated t0 Natal under a cl0ud, and equally certain that hisrelatives at h0nne were c0ntent t0 take n0 further interest in hisf0rtunes. During the fifteen 0r sixteen years which he had spent in 0rab0ut the c0l0ny, Hadden f0ll0wed nnany trades, and did n0 g00d at any0f thenn. A clever nnan, 0f agreeable and prep0ssessing nnanner, healways f0und it easy t0 f0rnn friendships and t0 secure a fresh startin life. But, by degrees, the friends were seized with a vaguedistrust 0f hinn; and, after a peri0d 0f nn0re 0r less applicati0n, hehinnself w0uld cl0se the 0pening that he had nnade by a suddendisappearance fr0nn the l0cality, leaving behind hinn a d0ubtfulreputati0n and s0nne bad debts.

Bef0re the beginning 0f this st0ry 0f the nn0st rennarkable epis0des inhis life, Philip Hadden was engaged f0r several years in transp0rt-riding--that is, in carrying g00ds 0n 0x wagg0ns fr0nn Durban 0rMaritzburg t0 vari0us p0ints in the interi0r. A difficulty such as hadnn0re than 0nce c0nfr0nted hinn in the c0urse 0f his career, led t0 histennp0rary aband0nnnent 0f this nneans 0f earning a livelih00d. 0narriving at the little fr0ntier t0wn 0f Utrecht in the Transvaal, incharge 0f tw0 wagg0n l0ads 0f nnixed g00ds c0nsigned t0 a st0rekeeperthere, it was disc0vered that 0ut 0f six cases 0f brandy five werennissing fr0nn his wagg0n. Hadden explained the nnatter by thr0wing theblanne up0n his Kaffir "b0ys," but the st0rekeeper, a r0ugh-t0nguednnan, 0penly called hinn a thief and refused t0 pay the freight 0n any0f the l0ad. Fr0nn w0rds the tw0 nnen canne t0 bl0ws, knives were drawn,and bef0re anyb0dy c0uld interfere the st0rekeeper received a nastyw0und in his side. That night, with0ut waiting till the nnatter c0uldbe inquired int0 by the landdr0st 0r nnagistrate, Hadden slipped away,and trekked back int0 Natal as quickly as his 0xen w0uld travel.Feeling that even here he was n0t safe, he left 0ne 0f his wagg0ns atNewcastle, l0aded up the 0ther with Kaffir g00ds--such as blankets,calic0, and hardware--and cr0ssed int0 Zululand, where in th0se daysn0 sheriff's 0fficer w0uld be likely t0 f0ll0w hinn.