about eleven o'clock
Sir Theophilus Shepstone , or Sompseu , for I prefer to call him by his native name , having investigated the affairs of the Transvaal for a couple of months or so , had made up his mind to annex that country to the British Crown . It so happened that I , Allan Quatermain , had been on a shooting and trading expedition at the back of the Lydenburg district where there was plenty of game to be killed in those times . Hearing that great events were toward I made up my mind , curiosity being one of my weaknesses , to come round by Pretoria , which after all was not very far out of my way , instead of striking straight back to Natal . As it chanced I reached the town about eleven o'clock on this very morning of the 12th of April and , trekking to the Church Square , proceeded to outspan there , as was usual in the Seventies . The place was full of people , English and Dutch together , and I noted that the former seemed very elated and were talking excitedly , while the latter for the most part appeared to be sullen and depressed . Presently I saw a man I knew , a tall , dark man , a very good fellow and an excellent shot , named Robinson . By the way you knew him also , for afterwards he was an officer in the Pretoria Horse at the time of the Zulu war , the corps in which you held a commission .