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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/20355.txt b/20355.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..84fcfec --- /dev/null +++ b/20355.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7130 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Vrouw Grobelaar and Her Leading Cases, by Perceval Gibbon + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Vrouw Grobelaar and Her Leading Cases + Seventeen Short Stories + +Author: Perceval Gibbon + +Release Date: January 14, 2007 [EBook #20355] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VROUW GROBELAAR *** + + + + +Produced by Charles Klingman + + + + + +VROUW GROBELAAR + +AND HER LEADING CASES + +SEVENTEEN SHORT STORIES + +BY + +PERCEVAL GIBBON + +AUTHOR OF SOULS IN BONDAGE + +NEW YORK +McCLURE, PHILLIPS & CO. +MCMVI + +Copyright, 1906, by +McCLURE, PHILLIPS & CO. + +Published, January, 1906 + +TO MY WIFE + +CONTENTS + +UNTO THE THIRD GENERATION + +THE DREAM-FACE + +THE AVENGER OF BLOOD + +THE HANDS OF THE PITIFUL WOMAN + +PIET NAUDE'S TREK + +LIKE UNTO LIKE + +COUNTING THE COLORS + +THE KING OF THE BABOONS + +MORDER DRIFT + +A GOOD END + +VASCO'S SWEETHEART + +THE PERUVIAN + +TAGALASH + +THE HOME KRAAL + +THE SACRIFICE + +THE COWARD + +HER OWN STORY + + + +UNTO THE THIRD GENERATION + +The Vrouw Grobelaar, you must know, is a lady of excellent +standing, as much by reason of family connections (for she +was a Viljoen of the older stock herself, and buried in her +time three husbands of estimable parentage) as of her +wealth. Her farms extended from the Ringkop on the one side +to the Holgaatspruit on the other, which is more than a +day's ride; and her stock appears to be of that ideal +species which does not take rinderpest. Her Kafirs were +born on the place, and will surely die there, for though +the old lady is firmly convinced that she rules them with a +rod of iron, the truth is she spoils them atrociously; and +were it not that there is an excellent headman to her +kraals, the niggers would soon grow pot-bellied in +idleness. + +The Vrouw Grobelaar is a lady who commands respect. Her +face is a portentous mask of solemnity, and her figure is +spacious beyond the average of Dutch ladies, so that +certain chairs are tacitly conceded her as a monopoly. The +good Vrouw does not read or write, and having never found a +need in herself for these arts, is the least thing +impatient of those who practice them. The Psalms, however, +she appears to know by heart; also other portions of the +Bible; and is capable of spitting Scripture at you on the +smallest provocation. Indeed she bubbles with morality, and +a mention of "the accursed thing" (which would appear to be +a genus and not a species, so many articles of human +commerce does it embrace) will set her effervescing with +mingled blame and exhortation. But if punishment should +come in question, as when a Kafir waylaid and slew a +chicken of hers, she displays so prolific an invention in +excuses, so generous a partiality for mercy, that not the +most irate induna that ever laid down a law of his own +could find a pretext for using the stick. + +She lives in her homestead with some half-dozen of nieces, +a nephew or two, and a litter of grandchildren, who know +the old lady to the core, cozen and blarney her as they +please, and love her with a perfect unanimity. I think she +sometimes blames herself for her tyrannical usage of these +innocents, who nevertheless thrive remarkably on it. You +can hardly get on your horse at the door without maiming an +infant, and you can't throw a stone in any direction +without killing a marriageable damsel. They pervade the old +place like an atmosphere; the kraals ring with their +voices, and the Kafirs spend lives of mingled misery and +delight at their irresponsible hands. + +I do not think I need particularize in the matter of these +youngsters, save as regards Katje. Katje refuses to be +ignored, and she was no more to be overlooked than a tin- +tack in the sole of your foot. She was the only child of +Vrouw Grobelaar's youngest brother, Barend Viljoen, who +died while lion-hunting in the Fever Country. At the time I +am thinking of Katje might have been eighteen. She was like +a poppy among the stubble, so delicate in her bodily +fabric, and yet so opulent in shape and coloring. She was +the nicest child that ever gave a kiss for the asking (you +could kiss her as soon as look at her), but she was also +the very devil to deal with if she saw fit to take a +distaste of you. I saw her once smack a fathom of able- +bodied youth on both sides of the head with a lusty vigor +that constrained the sufferer to howl. And I have seen her +come to meet a man--well, me, with the readiest lips and the +friendliest hand in the world. Oh, Katje was like a blotch +of color in one's life; something vivid, to throw the days +into relief. + +A stranger to the household might have put down Katje's +behavior towards the Vrouw Grobelaar as damnable, no less; +and in the early days of my acquaintance with the family I +was somewhat tempted to this opinion myself. For she not +only flouted the old lady to her face, but would upon +occasion disregard her utterly, and do it all with what I +can only call a swagger that seemed to demand a local +application of drastic measures. But Katje knew her victim, +if such a word can be applied to the Vrouw Grobelaar, and +never prodded her save on her armor. For instance, to say +the Kafirs were overdriven and starved was nothing if not +flattery--to say they were spoiled and coddled would have +been mere brutality. + +With it all, the Vrouw Grobelaar went her placid way, like +an elephant over egg-shells. Her household did her one +service, at least, in return for their maintenance, and +that was to provide the old lady with an audience. It was +in no sense an unwilling service, for her imagination ran +to the gruesome, and she never planted a precept but she +drove it home with a case in point. As a result night was +often shattered by a yell from some sleeper whose dreams +had trespassed on devilish domains. The Vrouw Grobelaar +believed most entirely in Kafir magic, in witchcraft and +second sight, in ghosts and infernal possession, in +destiny, and in a very personal arch-fiend who presided +over a material hell when not abroad in the world on the +war-path. Besides, she had stores of tales from the lives +of neighbors and acquaintances: often horrible enough, for +the Boers are a lonely folk and God's finger writes large +in their lives. + +I almost think I can see it now--the low Dutch kitchen with +its plank ceiling, the old lady in her chair, with an +illustrative forefinger uplifted to punctuate the periods +of her tale, the embers, white and red, glowing on the +hearth, and the intent shadow-pitted faces of the hearers, +agape for horrors. + +There was a tale I heard her tell to Katje, when that +damsel had seen fit to observe, apropos of disobedience in +general, that her grandfather's character had nothing to do +with hers. The tale was in plaintive Dutch, the language +that makes or breaks a story-teller, for you must hang your +point on the gutturals or you miss it altogether. + +"Look at my husband's uncle," said the old lady. "A sinful +man, forever swearing and cursing, and drinking. His farm +was the worst in the district; the very Kafirs were ashamed +of it when they went to visit the kraals. But Voss (that +was the name of my husband's uncle) cared nothing so long +as there was a horse to ride into the dorp on and some +money to buy whiskey with. And he drank so much and carried +on so wickedly that his wife died and his girls married +poor men and never went to stay with their father. So at +last he lived in the house, with only his son to help him +from being all alone. + +"This son was Barend Voss, a great hulking fellow, with the +strength of a trek-ox, and never a word of good or bad to +throw away on any one. But his face was the face of a +violent man. He had blue eyes with no pleasantness about +them, but a sort of glitter, as though there were live +coals in his brain. He did not drink like his father; and +these two would sit together in the evenings, the one +bleared and stupid with liquor, and the other watching him +in silence across the table. + +"They spoke seldom to one another; and it would often +happen that the father would speak to the son and get not a +word of answer--only that lowering ugly stare that had grown +to be a way with the boy. + +"I think those two men must have grown to hate each other +in the evenings as they sat together; the younger one +despising and loathing his father, and the father hating +his son for so doing. I have often wondered how they never +came to blows--before they did, that is. + +"One morning old Voss rode off to the dorp, and Barend +watched him from the door till he went out of sight in the +kloof. All the day he was away, and when he came back again +it was late in the night. Barend was sitting in his usual +place at the table scowling over his folded arms. + +"Old Voss had not ridden off his liquor; and he staggered +into the house singing a dirty English song. He had a +bottle in his hands, and banged it down on the table in +front of his son. + +"'Now, old sheep's head,' he shouted, 'have a drink and +drop those airs of yours.' + +"Barend sat where he was, and said not a word--just watched +the other. + +"'Come on,' shouted old Voss; 'I'm not going to drink +alone. If you won't take it pleasantly I'll make you take +it, and be damned to you!' + +"Barend sat still, scowling always. I dare say a sober man +would have seen something in his eyes and let be. But old +Voss was blind to his danger, and shouted on. + +"The younger man kept his horrid silence, and never moved, +till the father was goaded to a drunken rage. + +"'If you won't drink,' he screamed, 'take that,' and he +flung a full cupful of the spirit right in the young man's +face. + +"Then everything was in the fire. The two men fought in the +room like beasts, oversetting table and lamp, and stamping +into the fire on the hearth. Barend was mad with a passion +of long nursing, and hewed with his great fists till the +old man fell heavily to the ground, and lay moaning. + +"Barend stood over him, glowering. 'Swine!' he said to his +father; 'swine and brute! get you out of this house to the +veld. You are no father of mine.' + +"But the old man was much hurt, and lay where he had +fallen, groaning as though he had not heard. + +"'I will have you out of this,' said the son. 'If you are +come to die, die on the road. I had wished you dead for +years.' + +"So he wound his hand, with the knuckles all over blood, in +the old man's white hair, and threw open the door with his +other hand. + +"'Out with you!' he shouted, and dragged him down the step +and into the yard. Yes, he dragged him across the yard to +the gate; and when he unfastened the gate the old man +opened his eyes and spoke. + +"'Leave me here,' he said, speaking slowly and painfully. +'Leave me here, my son. Thus far I dragged my father.'" + +The Vrouw Grobelaar, to point a weighty moral, turned her +face upon Katje. But that young lady was sleeping soundly +with her mouth open. + + THE DREAM-FACE + +"I wish," said Katje, looking up from her book--"I wish a +man would come and make me marry him." + +The Vrouw Grobelaar wobbled where she sat with +stupefaction. + +"Yes," continued Katje, musingly casting her eyes to the +rafters, "I wish a man would just take me by the hand--so-- +and not listen to anything I said, nor let me go however I +should struggle, and carry me off on the peak of his saddle +and marry me. I think I would be willing to die for a man +who could do that." + +The Vrouw Grobelaar found her voice at last. "Katje," she +said with deep-toned emphasis, "you are talking wickedness, +just wickedness. Do you think I would let a man--any man, or +perhaps an Englishman--carry you off like a strayed ewe?" + +"The sort of man I'm thinking of," replied the maiden, +"wouldn't ask you for permission. He'd simply pick me up, +and away he'd go." + +At times, and in certain matters, Vrouw Grobelaar would +display a ready acumen. + +"Tell me, Katje," she said now, "who is this man?" + +Then Katje dropped her book and, sitting upright with an +unimpeachable surprise, stared at the old lady. + +"I'm not thinking of any man," she remarked calmly. "I was +just wishing there was a man who would have the pluck to do +it." + +The Vrouw Grobelaar shook her head. "Good Burghers don't +carry girls away," she said. "They come and drink coffee, +and sit with them, and talk about the sheep." + +"And behave as if they had never worn boots before, and +didn't know what to do with their hands," added the maiden. +"Aunt, am I a girl to marry a man who upsets three cups of +coffee in half an hour and borrows a handkerchief to wipe +his knees?" + +Now there could be no shadow of doubt that this was an +open-breasted cut at young Fanie van Tromp, whose affection +for Katje was a matter of talk on the farms, and whose +overtures that young lady had consistently sterilized with +ridicule. + +The Vrouw Grobelaar was void of delicacy. "Fanie is a good +lad," she said, "and when his father dies he will have a +very large property." + +"It'll console him for not adding me to his live stock," +retorted Katje. + +"He is handsome, too," continued the old lady. "His beard +is as black as--" + +"A carrion-crow," added Katje promptly. + +"Quite," agreed the Vrouw Grobelaar, with a perfect +unconsciousness of the unsavoriness of the suggestion. + +"And he walks like a duck with sore feet," went on Katje. +"He is as graceful as a trek-ox, and his conversational +talents are those of a donkey in long grass." + +"All that is a young girl's nonsense," observed the old +lady. "I was like that once myself. But when one grows a +little older and fatter, and there is less about one to +take a man's eye,--a fickle thing, Katje, a fickle thing,-- +one looks for more in a husband than a light foot and a +smart figure." + +Katje was a trifle abashed, for all the daughters of her +house, were they never so slender, grew tubby in their +twenties. + +"Besides," continued the worthy Vrouw, "your talk is chaff +from a mill. It must come out to leave the meal clean. +Perhaps, after all, Fanie is the man to carry you off. I +think you would not take so much trouble to worry him if +you thought nothing of him." + +The Vrouw Grobelaar had never heard of Beatrice and her +Benedick, but she had a notion of the principle. + +"I hate him," cried Katje with singular violence. + +"I think not," replied the old lady. "Sometimes the thing +we want is at our elbows, and we cannot grasp it because we +reach too far. Did I ever tell you how Stoffel Struben +nearly went mad for love of his wife?" + +"No," said Katje, unwillingly interested. "He was something +of a fool to begin with," commenced the Vrouw Grobelaar. +"He chose his wife for a certain quality of gentleness she +had, and though I will not deny she made him a good wife +and a patient, still gentleness will not boil a pot. He was +a fine fellow to look at; big and upstanding, with plenty +of blood in him, and a grand mat of black hair on top. He +moved like a buck; so ready on his feet and so lively in +all his movements. He might have carried you off, Katje, +and done you no good in the end. + +"He was happy with his pretty wife for a while, and might +have been happy all his life and died blessedly had he but +been able to keep from conjuring up faces in his mind and +falling in love with them. Greta, his wife, had hair like +golden wheat, so smooth and rippled with light; and no +sooner had he stroked his fill of it than he conceived nut- +brown to be the most lovely color of woman's hair. Her eyes +were blue, and for half a year he loved them; then hazel +seemed to him a better sort. I said he was a fool, didn't +I? + +"So his marriage to Greta became a chain instead of a +union, while the poor lass fretted her heart out over his +dark looks and short answers. He was shallow, Katje, +shallow; he had the mere capacity for love, but it was a +short way to the bottom of it. You will see by and by that +the men who deserve least always want most. Stoffel had no +right to a woman at all; when he had one, and she a good +girl, he let his eyes rove for others. + +"So he went about his farm with his mind straying and his +heart abroad. If you spoke to him, he paused awhile, and +then looked at you with a start as though freshly waked. He +saw nothing as he went, neither his wife with the questions +in her eyes that she shamed to say with her lips, nor the +child that crowed at him from her arms. He was deaf and +blind to the healthy world, to all save the silly dreams +his poisoned soul fed on. + +"Well, wicked or not, it is at least unsafe not to look +where one is going. This was a thing Stoffel never did: +since he overlooked his wife, it was not to be expected he +would see a strand of fencing-wire on the ground. So he +rode on to it, and down came his horse. Down came Stoffel +too, and there was a stone handy on the place where his +head lit to let some of the moonshine out of him. He saw a +heavenful of stars for a moment, and then saw nothing for a +long time. Save--one strange thing! + +"When life came back to him he was in his bed very sore and +empty, and very mightily surprised to see himself alive, +after all. He was exceedingly weak and somewhat misty as to +how it all had happened. But one thing he seemed to +remember--more than seemed, so strong, so plain, so deep was +his memory of it. He thought he recalled pain and +blindness, and a sudden light, in which he saw a face close +to his, a girl's face, pitiful, tender, loving, and charged +with more than all the sweetness of beauty that his sick +heart could long for. The thing was like one of those +dreams from which one wakes sad and thoughtful, as when one +has overstepped the boundary mark of life and cast an eye +on heaven. + +"It was no face that he knew, and he turned on his pillow +to think of it. He could not believe it was a dream. 'It +was a soul,' he said to himself. 'I knew, I was sure, that +somewhere there was such a face, but it only came to my +eyes when I was on the borderland of death. If ever God +gave a thing to a mortal man, he should have given me that +woman.' + +"So with such blasphemous thoughts he idled through the +days of his sickness, very quiet, very weak, and kind to +his wife beyond the ordinary. Of course she, poor woman, +knew nothing of the silly tale, and when her husband gave +her those little caresses one would not withhold from an +affectionate dog, she blessed God that he was come to +himself again. You see, Katje dear, that as a man demands +more than he can claim with right, a woman must often make +shift with less. It is well to learn this early. + +"Stoffel grew well in time, and got about again. But the +stone had made less of a dent in his skull than the face in +his heart, and he was changed altogether. He served a false +god, but served it faithfully. He was very gentle and +patient with every one, almost like a saint, and he took +infinite pains with the work of his farm. He would hurt no +living thing--not even so much as lash a team of lazy oxen. +You would have thought Kafirs would have done as they +pleased with him, but they obeyed his least word, and hung +on his eyes for orders as though they worshipped him. +Kafirs and dogs will sometimes see farther than a +Christian. + +"Meanwhile Greta came to die. It was a chill, perhaps, with +a trifle of fever on top of that, and it carried her off +like a candle-flame when it is blown out. She died well-- +very well indeed. None of your whimpering and moaning and +slinking out of the back-door of life when nobody is +looking; nor that unconscious death that shuts out a chance +of a few last words. No; Greta saw with her eyes and spoke +with her mouth to the last, then folded her hands and died +as handsomely as one would wish to see. She prayed a +trifle, as she should; forgave her brother's wife for +speaking ill of her, and hoped her tongue would not lure +her to destruction. I have heard her brother's wife never +forgave her for it. + +"On the last day she sent everybody out of the room save +only Stoffel, and him she held by the hand as he sat beside +the bed. She knew she was drawing to her end (the dying +always know it) and feared nothing. But there was a matter +she wanted to know. + +"'Stoffel,' she said when they were alone, won't you tell +me now who that woman is?' + +"'What woman?' said Stoffel amazed, for of his dream in his +sickness he had spoken to no living soul. + +"She stroked his hand and shook her head at him. Ah, +Stoffel,' she said, 'it is long since I first made place +for that woman, and if I grudged her you, I never grudged +you her. I was content with what you gave me, Stoffel; I +thought you right, whatever you did, and I go to God still +thinking so. All our life, Stoffel, she prevailed against +me, and I submitted; but now, at this last moment, I want +to have the better of it. Tell me, who was it?' + +"And Stoffel, looking on the floor, answered, 'I swear to +you there was no woman.' + +"She replied, 'And ere the cock crows thou shall deny me +thrice.' She turned her head and looked at him with a +pitiful drawn smile that would have dragged tears from a +demon. 'Was she dark, Stoffel? I am fair, you know; but my +hair--look at it, Stoffel,--my hair is golden. Did you never +notice it before? She was tall, I suppose? Well, I am +something short, but, Stoffel, I am slender, too. Will you +not so much as tell me her name, Stoffel? It is not as if I +blamed you.' + +"A truth, hardly won, is always set on a pile of lies. 'How +do you know there was a woman?' asked Stoffel. + +"'How?' she repeated. 'How I know! Stoffel, you never had a +thought I did not know; never a hope but I hoped it for +you, nor a fear but I thought how to safeguard you. I never +lived but in you, Stoffel. + +"'Let us speak nothing but the truth now,' she went on. +'You and I have always been beyond the need for lies to one +another, and as I wait here for you to tell me, I have one +hand in yours and the other in Christ's. Let me not think +hardly of her as I go.' + +"'You would not curse her?' he said quickly. "'Not even +that' she answered, smiling a little. 'And if you will not +tell me, I will die even content with that, since it is +your wish.' + +"'Listen,' said Stoffel then. And forthwith, looking +backwards and forwards in shame and sorrow, he told the +tale. He told how he saw a face, which laid hold on his +life ever after, how it governed and compelled him with the +mere memory, and hung in his mind like a deed done. And he +also told how he hoped after death to see that face with +the eyes of his soul, and dwell with it in heaven. + +"When he had finished he cast a glance at his wife. She was +lying on her back, holding his hand still, and smiling up +to the ceiling with a pleasant face of contentment. + +"'Can you forgive me?' he cried, and would have gone on to +protest and explain, but she pressed his hand and he was +silent. + +"'Forgive you!' she said at last. 'Forgive you! No; but I +will bless you for all of it. So it seems I have won after +all, but now I wish I had let be. It was no spirit you saw, +Stoffel. There was a woman there, and while you lay white +and lifeless she held you in her arms, and bent over you. +And just for one moment you opened your eyes and saw her, +while her face was close to yours. Then you died again, and +remained so for a day and a night Was there love in her +eyes, Stoffel?' + +"'Love!' cried Stoffel, and fell silent. + +"In a minute he spoke again. 'I am helpless,' he said, 'and +you are strong. But, curse and hate me as you will, you +must tell me who this woman was.' + +"'A little time since it was I that asked,' she said, 'and +you would not tell me.' + +"'I beseech you,' he said. + +"'You shall never ask twice,' she answered gently. 'I will +tell you, but not this moment.' + +"So for a while they sat together, and the sun began to go +down, and blazed on the window-panes and on the golden hair +of the dying woman. She lay as if in a mist of glory, and +smiled at Stoffel. He, looking at her, could not lack of +being startled by the beauty that had come over her face +and the joy that weighed her eyelids. + +"She stirred a little, and sighed. Stoffel cast an arm +round her to hold her up, and his heart bounded woefully +when he felt how light she was. Her head came to his +shoulder, as to a place where it belonged, and their lips +met. + +"'Shall I tell you now?' she said in a whisper. + +"Stoffel did not answer, so she asked again. 'Will you +know, Stoffel?' + +"'No,' he answered. 'I'm cured.' + +"'I will tell you, then,' she cried. 'No,' he repeated. +'Let it be.' + +"So together they sat for a further while, and the time +grew on for going. She was to die with the sun; she had +said it. And as they sat both could see through the window +the sun floating lower, with an edge in its grave already, +and the rim of the earth black against it. The noises of +the veld and the farm came in to them, and they drew closer +together. + +"Neither wept; they were too newly met for that. But +Stoffel felt a dull pain of sorrow overmastering him, and +soon he groaned aloud. + +"'My wife, my wife,' he cried. + +"She rested wholly on his arm, and shivered a little. + +"'Stoffel,' she said in a voice that henceforth was to +whisper forever, 'Stoffel, you love me?' + +"'As God sees me,' he answered. "'Listen,' she said, and +fought with the tide that was fast drowning her words. +'That face--you--saw . . . was . . . mine!' + +"She smiled as his arm tightened on her, and died so +smiling." + +There was silence in the shadowy room as the tale finished, +until it was broken by the Vrouw Grobelaar. + +"You see?" she said. + +"Yes," replied Katje, very quietly. + + THE AVENGER OF BLOOD + +The Vrouw Grobelaar entered in haste, closed the door, and +sat down panting. + +"If my last husband were alive," she said--"if any of them +were alive, that creature would be shot for looking at an +honest woman with such eyes," and she cast an anxious +glance over her shoulder. + +"What is it?" demanded Katje. + +"That old Hottentot hag." responded the old lady. "She +looks like a witch, and I am sure she is a witch. I would +make the Kafirs throw her on to the veld, but you can't be +too careful with witches. Why, as I came in just now, she +was squatting by the door like a big toad, and her eyes +made me go cold all through." + +Katje made a remark. + +"What! You say nonsense!" The old lady pricked herself into +an ominous majesty. "Nonsense, indeed! Katje, beware of +pride. Beware of puffing yourself up. Aren't there witches +in the Bible, and weren't they horrible and wicked? Didn't +King David see the dead corpses come up out of the ground +when the witch crooked her finger, like dogs running to +heel? Well, then! + +"Oh, I know," continued the old lady, as Katje tossed a +mutinous head. "They've taught you a lot in that school, +but they didn't teach you belief. Nor manners. You're going +to say there are no witches nowadays." + +"I'm not," said Katje. + +"Yes, you are," pursued the Vrouw Grobelaar. "I know you. +But you're wrong. You don't know anything. Young girls in +these days are like young pigs, all squeak and fight, but +no bacon. Didn't the brother of my half-brother's wife die +of a witch's devilry?" + +"I'm sure I don't know," returned hapless Katje. + +"Well, he did. I'll tell you." The old lady settled herself +comfortably and lapsed into history. + +"His name was Fanie, and he was a Van der Merwe on his +father's side, but his mother was only a Prinsloo, though +her mother was a Coetzee, for the matter of that. He wasn't +what I should call good--at least, not always; but he was +very big and strong, and made a lot of noise, and folk +liked him. The women used to make black white to prove that +the things he did and said were proper things, although +they'd have screamed all night if their own men-folk had +done the same. They say, you know," said the Vrouw +Grobelaar, quoting a very old and seldom-heard Dutch +proverb, "that when women pray they think of God as a +handsome man. + +"What I didn't like about him was his way with the Kafirs. +A Kafir is more useful than a dog after all, and one +shouldn't be always beating and kicking even a dog. And +Fanie could never pass a Kafir without kicking him or +flicking his whip at him. I have seen all the Kafirs run to +their kraals when they saw him riding up the road. + +"There was one old Kafir we had,--very old and weak, and no +use at all. He used to sit by the gate all day, and mumble +to himself, and seem to look at things that weren't there. +His head was quite white with age, which is not a common +thing with Kafirs, as you know; and he was so foolish and +helpless that his people used to feed him with a spiked +stick, like a motherless chicken. And in case the fowls +should go and sit on his back while he crouched in the sun, +as I have seen them do, there was a little Kafir picaninny, +as black as a crow, that was sent to play about near him +every day. Dear Lord! I have seen those two sitting there, +looking at each other for an hour on end, without a word, +as though both had been children or both old men. Nobody +minded them: we used to throw sugar to the picaninny, and +watch him fighting with the fowls for it, rolling about on +his little black belly like a new-hatched duckling himself. + +"Well, Fanie, ... it was horrible. . . . + +"I don't like to think of it to this day. He came over one +day in a great hurry to tell us that August de Villiers, +the father of the Predikant at Dopfontein, was choked with +a peach-stone. He was riding very fast, and as he came near +the house he rode off the road and jumped his horse at the +wall. And as he came over, up rose the little picaninny +right under his horse's hoofs. 'Twas a quick way to die, +and without much pain, no doubt; but a most awful thing to +see. The horse stumbled on to him, and I can remember now +how his knee, the near knee, crushed the little Kafirs +chest in. The little black legs and arms fought for a +moment, and then the horse struggled up, and he was dead. + +"Fanie seemed sorry. He couldn't help killing the +picaninny, of course, and perhaps we had grown rather +foolish about him, having watched him and laughed at him so +long. So Fanie got off his horse and came in to tell us the +news. + +"When we went out the horse was standing at the door where +Fanie had left it. But the old Kafir was kneeling by the +steps fingering its hoofs, which were all bloody, and as +Fanie came forward he put out his hands and left a little +spot of blood on Fanie's shoes. + +"Fanie stood for a moment, and his face went white as paper +over his black beard. He knew, you see. But in a flash he +went red as fire, and lashed the old man across the face +with his whip. The old man did not move at all; but my +brothers held Fanie and called to the Kafirs to come and +fetch the old man away. Oh, but I promise you Fanie was +angry, as men will be when they are obliged to be good by +force. + +"Well, that was all that happened that day. Fanie went +away, and we all saw that he galloped the horse as fast as +it could go. But down by the kraals the Kafirs who were +carrying the old man stopped and watched him as he went. + +"Well, in a few days most of us forgot the ugly business, +though the little picaninny used to walk through my dreams +for a time. Still, blood-kin are blood-kin, and Kafirs are +Kafirs, and one day Fanie came over to see us again and we +gave him coffee. He told us a story about a rooinek that +bought a sheep, and the man gave him a dog in a sack, and +he paid for it and went away, and we all laughed at it. He +was very funny that day, and said that when he married he +would choose an old woman who would die quickly and leave +him all her farms. So it was late and dark before he up- +saddled to go away. + +"Well, he was gone a quarter of an hour when we heard +hoofs, galloping, galloping, hard and furious, coming up +the road. And as we opened the door a horse came over the +wall and Fanie tumbled off it and came rushing in. + +"We all screamed. He was white like ashes, and wet with +sweat, and trembling so that he could not stand. + +"'Fanie,' cried my sister, 'what is it?' and he groaned and +put his face in his hands. + +"By and by he spoke, and kept glancing about him and +turning to look behind him, and would not let one of us +move away. + +"'There was something behind me,' he said. + +"'Something?' we all asked. + +"'Yes,' he said. 'Something . . . dead I It followed me up +here, and I could not get away from it, spur as hard as I +would. I think it is a death-call.' + +"Then we were all frightened, but we could not help wanting +to hear more. + +"'No,' said Fanie, 'I did not see it, nor hear it even, but +I knew it was there.' + +"'It was a sign,' said my mother, a very wise old woman. +'Let us all thank God.' + +"So we thanked God on our knees, but I'm sure I don't know +what for. + +"Then Fanie told us all he knew, and that was just nothing. +As he came to the kloof he was afraid of something in front +of him. He said he felt like a man in grave-clothes. So he +turned, and then the ... whatever it was . . . seemed to +come after him; so he galloped and galloped as hard as the +horse could lay hoof to the earth, and prayed till his +heart nearly burst. And then, not knowing where he was +going, he jumped the wall and came among us. We were all +silent when he had told us. + +"Then Oom Jan spoke. He was very old, and seldom said +anything. + +"'You have done murder!' he said. + +"'If I talk till my mouth is stopped with dust I shall +never be able to tell how cold I felt about the heart when +I heard that. For the little picaninny came plain before my +eyes, and oh! I was all full of pity for Fanie. I liked him +well enough in those days. + +"He stopped with us that night. He would not go away nor be +alone, so he slept with my brothers, and held their hands +and prayed half the night. In the morning they took him +home on one of our horses, for his own was fit to die from +the night's work. + +"That was the last I ever saw of Fanie. It was as though he +went from us to God. He kissed me on both cheeks when he +went away; he kissed us all, but me first of all, and held +both my hands. I think he must have liked me too,--don't you +think so, Katje?" "'Yes," said Katje softly. + +"He went down the road between my brothers with his head +bent like an old man's, and I watched him out of sight, and +I was very, very sorry for him. I don't think I cried, but +I may have. He was a fine tall man. + +"One night my brothers came in just as I was going to bed, +and one stood in the door while the other whispered to my +mother. She looked up and saw me standing there. + +"'Go to bed,' she said. + +"'What is it?' I asked. + +"'Go to bed,' said my brother. + +"'No.' I said. 'Tell me, is it Fanie?' + +"My brother looked at me and threw up his hand like a man +who can do no more. 'Yes,' he said. + +"Then I knew, as though he had shouted it out, that Fanie +was dead. I cannot say how, but I knew it. + +"'He is dead,' I said. 'Bring him in here.' + +"So they went out and carried Fanie in with his clothes all +draggled and his beard full of mud. They laid him on the +table, and I saw his face. . . . Dear God! . . There was +terror on that face, carven and set in dead flesh, that set +my blood screaming in my body. Sometimes even now I wake in +the night all shrinking with fear of the very memory of it. + +"But there is one thing more. We went about to put +everything in order and lay the poor corpse in decency, and +when we started to pull off his veldschoen, as I hope to +die in my bed, there was a little drop of blood still wet +on the toe. + +"I think God's right hand was on my head that night that I +did not go mad. + +"I heard the tale next morning. My brothers, coming home, +found him ... it . . . in a spruit, already quite dead. +There was no horse by, but his spoor led back a mile to +where the horse lay dead and stiff. When it fell he must +have run on, ... screaming, perhaps, . . . till he fell in +the spruit. I would like to think peace came to him at the +last; but there was no peace in the dead face." + +The Vrouw Grobelaar dropped her face on to her hands, and +Katje came and passed an arm of sympathy and protection +around her. + + +THE HANDS OF THE PITIFUL WOMAN + +The Vrouw Grobelaar had no opinion of Kafirs, and was +forever ready to justify herself in this particular. + +"Kafirs,' she said, 'are not men, whatever the German +missionaries may say. I do not deny we have a duty to them, +as to the beasts of the field; but as for being men, well, +a baboon is as much a man as a Kafir is. + +"Kafirs are made to work, and ought to work. Katje, what +are you laughing about? Did not the dear God make +everything for a purpose, and what is the use of a Kafir if +he is not made to work? Work for themselves? Katje, you are +learning nothing but rubbish at that school, and I will not +have you say such things. How could the Burghers work the +farms if they had not the Kafirs? Well, be silent, then. + +"Oh, I know the Kafirs. I have seen hundreds of them--yes, +and for the matter of that, thousands. Just beasts, they +are,--nothing--else. Did you hear how the Vrouw Coetzee came +to die? Well, I will tell you, and you will see that we +must hold the Kafirs with a hand of iron or they will +destroy us. + +"It was a time when Piet Coetzee was away making laws in +Pretoria, and the Vrouw Coetzee, who was only married one +year, was alone on the farm with her little baby. There +were plenty of Kafirs to do the work; but, you see, there +was no man to have an eye to them, and take a sjambok to +them when they needed it. So one day the Kafirs came in +from the lands and would not work any more. + +"Why wouldn't they work? How should I know? Who can tell +why a Kafir does anything? Perhaps a witch-doctor had come +among them. Perhaps the German missionaries had been +talking foolishness to them. Perhaps it began at a beer- +drink with some boasting by the young men before the girls. +Who can say? But however it was, they came in and sat down +before the house, and just waited there. + +"Vrouw Coetzee came out with her baby on her arm and spoke +to them; but not one moved a finger or answered a word. +They sat still where they were and watched her, and others +came from the huts and sat down too, until there were close +on a hundred Kafirs before the house. Vrouw Coetzee watched +them come, and as she stood in the door the two Kafir girls +who worked about the house pushed her aside and went and +sat down too. + +"Then Vrouw Coetzee, looking at the dumb black faces and +white eyes, got frightened and went backwards into the +house and closed the door. She put down the baby and drew +the iron bar across the door inside. From there she went to +the door at the back, and to all the windows, and closed +and secured them as far as possible. Then she took down the +old elephant-gun from the wall, and finding Piet's pouch +and the bullets, she loaded it and laid it on the table. +All the time the Kafirs made no sign, and from the keyhole +she saw them still sitting in silence, watching the house. + +"When midday came she made some food ready to eat, and then +came a bang at the door. + +"'What is it you want?' she cried, without opening. + +"'Liquor!' cried one of the Kafirs. 'You have some brandy +in the house. Give it to us, or we will come and take it +and kill you at the same time.' + +"'I have no brandy,' she cried, 'and when my husband comes +back I will tell him to shoot you all.' + +"The Kafirs laughed, and one of the house-girls called out, +'There is brandy; we have seen it.' + +"Then the Kafirs all began to shout together, and banged +the door with their knobkerries. 'Give us the brandy!' they +shouted, and she heard a stone smash through a window +against the shutters. + +"The Vrouw Coetzee was a brave woman, and she hated Kafirs; +but, looking at the baby, she thought it best to give them +the brandy. + +"'Stand away from the window,' she cried, 'and I will put +the brandy outside; but if one of you comes near me I will +shoot.' + +"So she placed the brandy on the sill outside the window. +The Kafirs were standing about in groups, looking very +fierce, but they saw the elephant-gun and did nothing. But +as she barred the shutter again, she heard them rush up and +snatch the bottles. + +"Watching through the keyhole of the door, she saw them +troop off to the huts, shouting and capering and waving the +bottles in the air. They came to the door no more that day, +but she heard them howling in the kraal as the brandy began +to inflame them. + +"When it got dark she sat down with her face to the door, +her child in her arms. The howling of the Kafirs was wilder +than ever, and shrieks of women mingled with the uproar. +The Vrouw Coetzee trembled there in the dark as she +remembered stories of the Kafir wars, and how the Kafirs +had treated the white women and children they caught on the +farms. + +"Late in the night the Kafirs came back and commenced to +hammer on the door again. + +"'Give us more brandy,' they shouted. + +"'I have no more,' she said. 'I have given you all.' + +"'You lie!' they screamed. 'If you do not give us more we +will come and kill you and tear your baby to pieces.' + +"Then the Vrouw Coetzee began to tremble, and, putting down +the child, took the big gun in her hands. + +"'That is you, Kleinbooi,' she cried out, recognizing the +voice of one of the Kafirs. 'Why do you behave like this? +What will the baas say when he comes back?' + +"'We do not care for the baas,' they replied. 'If you do +not give us the brandy we will break in your door.' + +"'I have no more,' she said again, and straightway the +Kafirs commenced to hammer at the door. + +"The Vrouw Coetzee raised the gun to her shoulder and +pointed it at the door. Her arms were trembling so that she +could not keep it steady; so, going close up to the door, +she rested the muzzle on the iron bar. Then she pulled the +trigger. + +"The gun went off with a roar and filled the room with a +stifling smoke. The baby began to cry, but she paid it no +attention till the gun was loaded again. Then, as she +snatched up her child and soothed it, she heard wailing and +screaming from outside, where the heavy bullet had done its +work. + +"The Kafirs left her at peace for about an hour, and the +noise of the wounded sank to a sobbing. At last a voice +hailed her again. + +"'We will kill you now,' it said. 'You have shot two men,' +and she was assailed with a string of horrid names such as +only a Kafir can think of. + +"'Where are you?' she called, terrified. + +"'Here,' came the reply, and a little stone fell down the +chimney. + +"'I will shoot!' she screamed, taking up the gun; but the +Kafir on the roof answered with only a laugh. + +"'It will do no good,' he replied. 'We shall kill you, burn +you in a fire slowly, scald you with boiling water, cut you +in little pieces,' and he went on to threaten the lone +woman with the most fiendish and ghastly outrages, such as +I dare not even give a name to. + +"The low devilish voice on the roof went on. 'And your +baby, vile thing! You shall see it writhe in the flames, +and hear it cry to you, and watch the blood spout from its +skin. You shall see the dogs tearing it, while you lie in +anguish, powerless to aid it. Yes, we will kill the child +first, and slowly--slowly! It shall cry a long time before +it shall die at last.' + +"Then the Vrouw Coetzee, calling aloud on God, pointed the +gun and fired through the roof. There was a laugh again, +and before the smoke cleared a big Kafir dropped down the +wide chimney and rushed at her. + +"Her gun was empty, but the Vrouw Coetzee was the worthy +wife of a good Boer, and she raised the heavy weapon and +struck him down. He rolled, face upward, on the floor, and +as he lay she struck him again. He kicked once or twice +with his legs and clutched with his hands; and then he lay +still and died. + +"It was their plan, you see, that she should fire off her +gun and then be taken before she had time to recharge it. + +"'Have you got the woman, Martinus?' called a Kafir from +outside. + +"'No,' cried the Vrouw Coetzee; Martinus has not got the +woman, for I have killed him. Who comes next?' + +"There was a while of silence then, till she heard them +moving about again and talking among themselves. Not daring +to think what they would do next, she stood hearkening, +with the great gun on her arm. At length came a sound that +froze the blood in her body. She heard the sheet-iron on +the roof grate as it was dragged off. Then she dropped the +gun at her feet and knew that her time was come. + +"I cannot tell you in so many words what she did in the +next minutes, for my tongue refuses the tale. But the +Kafirs did not get into the house. By this time the news of +their doings was gone abroad, and as the roof was being +taken off the house, some Burghers arrived with guns, and +with them my husband. Of course they shot most of the +Kafirs that they could find, and then, being unable to get +any answer to their shouts, they broke in the door of the +house and entered. + +"My husband used to weep as he told of what they found. The +Vrouw Coetzee was sitting in a chair, smiling with her eyes +closed, and her baby was lying in the crutch of her left +arm. Her right hand was on his little soft throat--his face +blue and swollen, and his little arms stretched out with +tight closed fists. He was quite dead, but warm yet, for he +had missed life by but a few minutes. + +"No, the Vrouw Coetzee was not dead. She died a year after; +but all that while she went witless, always smiling and +seeming to look for something. + +"So you see that, after all, a Kafir is--Katje, what are you +crying about?" + + PIET NAUDE'S TREK + +On Sunday afternoons the Vrouw Grobelaar's household gave +itself up, unwillingly enough, to religious exercises. The +girls retired to their rooms in company with the works of +certain well-meaning but inexpressibly dreary authors, and +it is to be inferred they read them with profit. The +children sat around the big room with Bibles, their task +being to learn by heart one of the eight-verse +articulations of the 119th Psalm, while the old lady +meditated in her armchair and maintained discipline. Those +were stern times for the young students: to fidget in one's +seat was to court calamity; even to scratch oneself was a +risky experiment. David got little credit as a bard in that +assembly. + +But the work once done, the stumbling recitation dared and +achieved, there were compensations, for the Vrouw Grobelaar +was then approachable for a story. To be sure, the Sunday +afternoon stories were known to all the children almost by +heart, but what good tale will not bear repetition? The +history of Piet Naude's Trek was an evergreen favorite, and +bore a weighty moral. + +The old lady began this story in the only possible way. +"Once upon a time, long before the Boers came to the +Transvaal, there lived a man named Piet Naude. He was a +tall, strong Burgher, with a long beard that swept down to +his waist, and a moustache like bright gold that drooped +lower than his chin. His eye was so clear that he could see +the legs of a galloping buck a mile away; his hand was so +sure that he never wasted a bullet; and his heart was so +good and true that all the Burghers loved him and followed +him in whatever he did. + +"Well, when the English came to the Burghers and wanted +them to pay taxes for their farms that they had won in +battle from the Kafirs, all the men in Piet Naude's country +were very angry and said, 'Let us take our guns and shoot +the English into the sea, so that the land will be clear of +them.' Everybody was willing, and but for Piet Naude there +would have been a great and bloody war, and all the English +would have been killed. + +"But Piet Naude said, 'Brothers, have patience. When we +fought the Kafirs we beat them, but many of us were killed +also. If we fight the English, many more will be killed, +and we are not too many now. But I will tell you what we +will do. We will not pay this tax. We will inspan our oxen +and load up our wagons, and we will take our sheep and our +cattle and our horses, and trek to the north until we find +a place where we can live in peace; and thus we shall have +a country of our own and pay no taxes to anybody.' + +"As soon as the Burghers heard this they were agreed, and +chose out Piet Naude to lead them to the new country. So +when the English came to collect the tax they found nobody +to pay, but only an empty country, with trampled cornlands +and burned homesteads, and wild Kafirs living in the +kraals. + +"But Piet Naude and his Burghers trekked steadily on with +the wagons and the cattle,--sometimes through a fine level +country full of water and game, and sometimes through a +savage wilderness of rocks and dangerous beasts. The sun +scorched them by day and the mists froze them by night; +some died by the way, and some were killed by lions, and +some bitten by snakes. But month after month they held on, +crawling slowly over the desolate face of that great new +country, till at length the ragged weary men cried out and +said they would go no farther. + +"'Let us go back to the grass-lands and water,' they said, +'and let us live there, else we shall die, forgotten of +God, in this inhospitable wilderness.' But Piet Naude +wrought with them, saying, 'Let us keep good hearts and +hold on. In time we shall surely come to the best place of +all, where we shall gain cattle and sheep and prosper all +our lives.' And after he had talked with them for a long +time, and shamed them with their weakness, they were +persuaded, and once again they faced the great unknown +country and trekked on. + +"But one hot day one of the Burghers who had ridden away to +look for meat came galloping back. 'Over yonder,' he said, +pointing with his hand, 'there is a wide kloof, with a +stream in it. There is grass there as long and thick as the +best pasture of our farms, with trees and wild fruit, and +everything plentiful and beautiful. Without doubt it will +lead us to such a place as we have been seeking.' + +"So the wagons were turned aside, and they went forward to +the kloof, all the Burghers uplifted with hope, and the +very oxen pulling their best. But Piet Naude said nothing, +for he had a strange doubt in his heart, and he rode on +anxiously. And when they came to the kloof they saw that +all the Burgher had said was even less than true. The veld +underfoot was soft and tender as satin, and the grass was +fresh and green. On each side the tall hills cast back the +sun, so that the beautiful cool shade fell like a blessing +on their scorched faces. There was wild hemp {dagga} for +the Kafirs to smoke; and wild apricots running over the +stones; water splashing, clear and fresh, beside the way; +mimosa-trees to give wood for the fires; and everywhere +they saw the spoor of every kind of buck. The Burghers were +overwhelmed with gladness, and pushed on gaily. + +"On the next day the kloof widened out, and they came forth +into a most wonderful plain girt round with steep cliffs, +and all overgrown with grass and trees. At a little +distance they saw cattle grazing wild, and big herds of +buck roaming in the open. Birds started without fear from +under their feet, and in the streams fish swam plain to +see. + +"Then Piet Naude said, 'Brothers, let us go away from this +place. I am afraid of all I see. God did not send all this +wealth easy to our hands at no cost of labor. Let us go +away lest we be entrapped into some devilishness.' But the +others laughed him down and would not listen to him, saying +his brain was rotten in his head with the long trek and the +sun. + +"So there they stayed and built themselves houses and +kraals, and set about gathering the hay and catching +cattle. But everything fell out so easily and all they +needed came so plentifully that there grew over them a sort +of sloth, and they slept without shame in the hours of +work, and gave no attention to the future. + +"Then by degrees it began to be noticed that they were +growing fat. Soon they had bellies like sows, and their +necks and their limbs became so great that they were +obliged to go about without clothes, like the wild Kafirs +and the brutes that perish. And when one of them would lie +down, his fatness so burdened him that without help he +could scarcely rise to his feet. None were spared: even the +godly Piet Naude was as great as an ox; but the difference +was, he felt shame for it all, whereas the others felt +none. + +"Many a time he implored them to inspan and leave the +place; but each time they cried him down. And when he said +he would go himself, they reminded him that it was he who +had urged them to trek, and asked him if he would now +desert them. So for a while he stayed. + +"But at length he resolved he would no longer be bound, and +he called to know who would go with him. But as he spoke a +storm came up, and the wind screamed and the rain threshed, +and the poor fat creatures waddled off to their houses, and +of all that people only one stayed to go with Piet Naude. +It was a young Burgher whose name was Hendrik Van der +Merwe, a decent lad; and the two set off together. + +"But when they came to the beautiful kloof they were amazed +at the work of the storm. The wind had torn great boulders +from the hills and rolled them down; and the rain had +churned the earth into mud, and washed the roots of the +trees loose; so that where everything had once been so fair +and orderly there was now a crazy wilderness of rocks and +thorns and mud. + +"But they breasted the obstacles gallantly, those two +alone; and at hazard of their lives they climbed over and +under great rocking crags, cutting their hands and tearing +their feet with the sharp stones and the thorns of the +mimosas. But as they went they saw with delight that their +fatness dwindled from them, and their limbs fell back to +their old shapeliness, while the blubber on their cheeks +retreated from their eyes and left them free as before. + +"So after three days of climbing and slipping and +scrambling, the rain and the wind ceased, and they came +forth into the country beyond, tall and slender as they +were before." + +This, in reality, is the end of the story, but the children +are wont to ask in chorus what the two heroes did next. + +"They went back," says Vrouw Grobelaar, omitting all +details of how the return was accomplished; "and when the +Burghers went forth on the Great Trek, they went with them, +and lived long, had many children, and then died happy and +were buried." + +"And what is the moral?" asked little Koos, who supplies +the part of the Greek chorus. + +"The moral," replies the old lady in her most impressive +manner, "is that you should obey your elders, learn your +psalms, get up early, shut the door after you, tell the +truth, and blow your nose." + +It will thus be seen that for a truly comprehensive parable +the above would be hard to beat. + + LIKE UNTO LIKE + +For the most part the Vrouw Grobelaar's nephews and nieces +were punctually obedient. Doubtless this was policy; for +the old lady founded her authority on a generous complement +of this world's goods. However, man is as the grass of the +field (as she would constantly aver); and it fell that +Frikkie Viljoen, otherwise a lad of promise, became +enamored of a girl of lower caste than the Grobelaars and +Viljoens, and this, mark you, with a serious eye to +marriage. Even this, after a proper and orthodox reluctance +on the part of his elders and betters, might have been +condoned; for the Viljoens had multiplied exceedingly in +the land, and the older sons were not yet married. But, as +though to aggravate the business, Frikkie took a sort of +glory in it, and openly belauded his lowly sweetheart. + +"Mark you," said the Vrouw Grobelaar with tremendous +solemnity, "this choice is your own. Take care you do not +find a Leah in your Rachel." + +Frikkie replied openly that he was sure enough about the +girl. + +The Vrouw Grobelaar shook a doubtful head. "Her grandfather +was a bijwohner," she said. "Pas op! or she will one day go +back to her own people and shame you." + +The misguided Frikkie saw fit to laugh at this. + +"Oh, you may laugh! You may laugh, and laugh, until your +time comes for weeping. I tell you, she will one day return +to her own people, bijwohners and rascals all of them, as +Stoffel Mostert's wife did." + +The old lady paused, and Frikkie defiantly demanded further +particulars. + +"Yes," continued the Vrouw Grobelaar, "I remember all the +disgrace and shame of it to this day, and how poor Stoffel +went about with his head bowed and looked no one in the +face. He had a farm under the Hangklip, and a very nice +farm it was, with two wells and a big dam right up above +the lands, so that he had no need for a windmill to carry +his water. If he had stuck to the farm Stoffel might have +been a rich man; and perhaps, when he was old enough to be +listened to, the Burghers might have made him a feldkornet. + +"But no! He must needs cast his eyes about him till they +fell on one Katrina Ruiter, the daughter, so please you, of +a dirty takhaar bijwohner on his own farm. He went mad +about the girl, and thought her quite different from all +other girls, though she had a troop of untidy sisters like +herself galloping wild about the place. I will own she was +a well-grown slip of a lass, tall and straight, and all +that; but she had a winding, bending way with her that +struck me like something shameless. For the rest, she had a +lot of coal-black hair that bunched round her face like the +frame round a picture; but there was something in the color +of her skin and the shaping of her lips and nostrils, that +made me say to myself, 'Ah, somewhere and somewhen your +people have been meddling with the Kafirs.' + +"Black? No, of course she wasn't black. Nor yet yellow; but +I tell you, the black blood showed through her white skin +so clearly that I wonder Stoffel Mostert did not see it and +drive her from his door with a sjambok. + +"But the man was clean mad, and, spite of all we could do,-- +spite of his uncle, the Predikant; spite of the ugly dirty +family of the girl herself,--he rode her to the dorp and +married her there; for the Predikant, godly man, would not +turn a hand in the business. + +"Now, just how they lived together I cannot tell you for +sure; for you may be very certain I drank no coffee in the +house of the bijwohner's daughter. But, by all hearings, +they bore with one another very well; and I have even been +told that Stoffel was much given to caressing the woman, +and she would make out to love him very much indeed. + +"Perhaps she really did? What nonsense! How can a +bijwohner's baggage love a well-to-do Burgher? You are +talking foolishness. But anyhow, if there was any trouble +between them, they kept it to themselves for close upon a +year. + +"Then (this is how it has been told to me) one night +Stoffel woke up in the dark, and his wife was not beside +him. + +"'Is it morning already?' he said, and looked through the +window. But the stars were high and bright, and he saw it +was scarcely midnight. + +"He lay for a while, and then got up and drew on his +clothes--doing everything slowly, hoping she would return. +But when he was done she was not yet come, and he went out +in the dark to the kitchen, and there he found the outer +door unlocked and heard the dog whining in the yard. + +"He took his gun from the beam where it hung and went +forth. The dog barked and sprang to him, and together they +went out to the veld, seeking Katrina Ruiter. + +"The dog seemed to know what was wanted, and led Stoffel +straight out towards the Kafir stad by the Blesbok Spruit. +They did not go fast, and on the way Stoffel knelt down and +prayed to God, and drew the cartridges from the gun. Then +they went on. + +"When they got to the spruit they could see there was a big +fire in the stad and hear the Kafirs crying out and beating +the drums. The dog ran straight to the edge of the water, +and then turned and whined, for there was no more scent. +But Stoffel walked straight in, over his knees and up to +his waist, and climbed the bank to the wall of the stad. + +"Inside the Kafirs were dancing. Some were tricked out with +ornaments and skins and feathers; some were mother-naked +and painted all over their bodies. And there was one, a +gaunt figure of horror, with his face streaked to the +likeness of a skull, and bones hanging clattering all about +him. They capered and danced round the fire like devils in +hell, and behind them the men with the drums kept up their +noise and seemed to drive the dancers to madness. + +"And suddenly the figures round the fire gave way, save the +one with the painted face and the bones; for from the +shadow of a hut at the back of the fire came another, who +rushed into the light and swayed wildly to the barbarous +music. The newcomer was naked as a babe new born; wild as a +beast of the field; lithe as a serpent; and crazy to +savageness with the fire and the drums. + +"Madly she danced, bending forwards and backwards, casting +her bare arms above her, while the horror who danced with +her writhed and screamed like a soul in pain. + +"Stoffel, behind the wall, stood stunned and bound--for here +he saw his wife. He thought nothing, said nothing; but +without an effort his hand ran a cartridge into the gun, +and leveled it across the wall. He fired, and the lissome +body dropped limp across the fire." + +Frikkie Viljoen rose in great wrath. + +"This is how you talk of my sweetheart, is it?" he cried. +"Well, I will hear no more of your lies." And he forthwith +walked out of the house. + +"Look at that!" said the Vrouw Grobelaar. "I never said a +word about his sweetheart." + + COUNTING THE COLORS + +THE horizon to the west was keen as the blade of a knife, +and over it all the colors swam and blended in an ecstasy +of sunset. + +"There is more blood than peace in a sky like that," +observed the Vrouw Grobelaar from her armchair on the +stoop. "When I was a child, I never saw a mess of fire in +the west but I thought it betokened the end of the world. +Ah, well, one grows wiser!" + +"Green is for love," said Katje. "Do you see any green in +the sunset?" I saw a mile of it edging on a sea of orange +and a mountain of azure. + +"Where?" demanded the old lady. "Oh, that--that's almost +blue, which means sin in marriage. But naming the colors in +the sky is a wasteful foolishness, and the folk that are +guided by them always tumble in the end. When Jan Uys was +on his death-bed, he said Dia had always been counting the +colors with the Irishman, and that's what caused all the +trouble." + +Katje sighed. + +"He was a man of sixty," the unconscious Vrouw continued, +"and a Boer of the best, with a farm below the Hangklip, +where my cousin Barend's aunt is now. He was a rich and +righteous man, too, and as upstanding and strong as any man +of his age that I ever saw. He had buried four good wives, +so nobody can say he wasn't a good husband, but he had a +way with him--something heavy and ugly, like a beast or a +Kafir--which many girls didn't like. His fifth wife was Dia, +who came from Lord knows where, somewhere down south, and +she was only sixteen. + +"I believe in fitting a girl with a husband when she is +ripe, and sixteen is old enough with any well-grown maid. +But in the case of Dia, it is a pity somebody did not stop +to think. She was more than half a child; just a slender, +laughing, running thing that liked sweets and peaches +better than coffee and meat, and used to throw stones. She +threw one at my cart, with her arm low like a boy, and hit +my Kafir on the neck, and then squeaked and ran to hide +among the kraals. Yes, somebody should have stopped to +think before they coupled her to big Jan Uys, with his +scowl and his red eyes and white beard, and his sixty hard +years behind him." + +"I should think so, indeed," was Katje's comment. + +"What you think is of no importance," retorted the old lady +sharply. "I think so, and that settles it. Well, it did not +take long for Dia to lose all the froth and foolishness +that were in her. The child that was more than half of her +nature was simply trampled to death, for Jan Uys had a +short way of shaping his women-folk. She used to cry, they +say, but never dared to rebel, which I can understand, +knowing the man and the way he had of giving an order as +though it were impossible for any one to disobey him. In +particular, she could not learn to make cheese, and spoilt +enough milk to feed a dorp on. + +"'Very well,' he said, 'if you cannot make the cheese the +Kafir woman shall do it. And you shall do her work at the +churn-handle. I want no idlers in my house.' + +"And there he had her at the churn, grinding like a Kafir, +for three days in every week, a white woman and his wife. +Once she came to him and held out her hands. + +"'Look,' she said. That was all: 'look!' + +"Her fingers and her palms were flayed and raw and oozed +blood, but he simply glanced at them. + +"'You should have learned to work before,' was all his +answer. 'Every one pays for learning, and you pay late. Go +back to the churn.' + +"The next thing', of course, was that she was missing, but +Jan Uys was not troubled. He mounted his horse and rode out +along the Drifts Road, going quietly, with his pipe alight. +It was the road by which he had brought her from her home, +and he knew the girl would try to go to her mother. In a +few miles he picked up her spoor, and found some of the +sole of one of her shoes. A mimosa carried a shred of her +dress, and in another place she had sat down. As he went +farther, he found she had sat down in many places. + +"'Good,' he said. 'She is tired, and soon I shall catch +her.' + +"He came up with her twenty miles along the road, sitting +down again. Her hair was all about her shoulders, and her +face was white, with the great eyes burning in it like +those of a woman in a fever. + +"'You are ready to come back?' he asked, sitting on his +horse, smoking and scowling down on her. + +"'What are you going to do with me?' she asked in a +trembling voice. + +"He laughed that short ugly laugh of his. 'You are a +child,' he answered. 'I shall whip you.' + +"Then she commenced to plead with him to let her go, to +return without her, to spare her, to kill her. In the +middle of it he leaned from the saddle, and caught hold of +her arms and lifted her before him. + +"'All this may stop,' he said, turning the horse. 'You have +brought disgrace on me; you shall be punished.' And he +carried her back. + +"He did whip her--not brutally or terribly, I believe, as a +man might do from wounded pride and revenge, but as a child +is whipped, to warn it against future foolishness. And from +the time of that beating the course of their life changed. +She was no longer a child, but a very grave and silent +woman, not prayerful at all, as might have been hoped, but +just still and solemn. Dreadful, I call it. Then the young +man Moore entered their lives. + +"Jan Uys was making a dam right below the Hangklip. You +know the dam: half of it is cut from the rock, and the +water all comes into it from the end. It was not a matter +of half a dozen Kafirs with spades, like most dams, but a +business for dynamite and all kinds of ticklish and awkward +work. So Jan wisely did not put his own fingers to it, but +sent to the Rand for an Uitlander to come out and burst the +rocks; and they sent him this young fellow, the Irishman +Moore. He was a tall youth, with hair like some of the red +in that sunset over yonder, and a most astonishing way of +making you laugh only by talking about ordinary things. And +when he joked anybody would laugh, even the Predikant, who +was always preaching about the crackling of thorns under a +pot. With him, in a black box like a little coffin, he had +a machine he called a banjo, upon which he would play lewd +and idolatrous music which was most pleasing to the ear; +and he would sing songs while he played, which all ended +with a yell. He was good at bursting the rocks, too. He +would load holes full of dynamite in three or four places +at once, and fetch tons of stone and earth out with each +explosion. Jan Uys was pleased with him, for the young man +cared nothing at all for his savage looks and ugly ways, +and called him the Old Obadiah, who was a writer of the +Bible. + +"'My wife,' he told him, 'is a young woman, and sad. You +must talk to her in the evenings and make her laugh.' + +"The Irishman looked at him with a strange face. 'The poor +creature needs a laugh,' he said. + +"So he used to talk to her on the stoop in the evenings, +while Jan sat within at his Bible, and heard the murmur of +their talk without. More than once, too, he heard a sound +that was no longer familiar to him--the sound of Dia's +pleasant childish laughter, and he scowled at his book and +told himself he was satisfied. I think, perhaps, he had +sometimes seen himself as he was, an old hard man crushing +the soul of a child. Vaguely, perhaps, and unwillingly, but +still he saw it sometimes. + +"This went on. The Irishman blew up his dynamite and talked +with Dia and played with her. Jan, watching, saw the color +had returned to her cheeks and the life to her eyes. He +came into the kitchen once and she was singing. She stopped +suddenly. + +"'Why do you not go on?' he asked, with his little red eyes +staring at her. + +"She had nothing to say, and he went away, to go down to +the dam. The Irishman was sitting on an ant-heap away in +the sun, and Jan passed him without speaking, and walked +down to the place of explosions. He was looking at the +marks of fire on the rocks, when it seemed to him he heard +a shout, and he saw, as he turned his head, that the +Irishman was standing up. But he made no beck, and Jan +walked along. When he looked again the young man had both +hands to his head. Jan shaded his eyes to watch him. + +"Moore walked a few paces to and fro, stood still, and +then, with a start, commenced to run furiously down to +where Jan was standing. He ran with long strides and very +fast, and was soon beside the old man, and seized him by +the arm. + +"'Out of this!' he cried. 'Out of this! The holes are +loaded, and ye've sixty seconds to save yer life.' + +"Jan stood still. 'Why did you not tell me before?' he +asked; but the other did not answer, but only dragged at +his arm. + +"Jan shook his hand off. 'I have a mind to stay,' he said +in a calm voice. 'If Dia is made a widow, you will know how +to look after her.' + +"'And that's true!' cried the Irishman. 'But you shan't +make a murderer of me.' + +"And he drew back his fist and knocked the old man down. +Catching him by the collar, he dragged him to the shelter +of a big boulder, flung him close to it, and lay down on +top of his body. In the next moment the blast went off, and +the gust of fire and rocks and earth roared and whistled +through the air above them. The sound struck them like a +bludgeon, and they lay for a while, stunned and deafened, +while pieces of stone slid and tinkled on the boulder that +had sheltered them. At last they rose. + +"'I made a mistake and I am glad,' said Jan. + +"'Will you shake hands with me?' + +"'I will not,' was the answer. + +"'So be it. But there can be no need to tell Dia of this.' + +"The Irishman nodded, and that afternoon, again, he and Dia +were in the garden, throwing stones at a sardine-tin on a +stick to see who could hit it first. Dia knocked it down +easily, and Jan, sitting indoors with his coat off, heard +them laughing. + +"At supper that night he looked up to Dia. + +"'This coffee has a sour taste,' he said. + +"'Mine hasn't,' said the Irishman. + +"'Try mine, then,' said Jan, and passed Dia his cup to hand +to him. She fumbled in taking it and dropped it on the +floor. The new cup that she poured out for him had no sour +taste. + +"For several days after that there was a sour taste in many +things that he ate and drank, and he complained of it each +time. + +"'You must be getting ill,' Dia said. + +"'It is possible,' he answered, watching her. 'I have felt +very strange of late days.' + +"He saw the color leave her cheeks, and a light come into +her eyes. + +"'What can it be?' he said. 'Should I have a doctor, do you +think?' + +"'I am afraid of doctors,' she answered. 'Let me give you +some of my herb medicine.' + +"He drank what she brought him and put the cup down. + +"'I was hard to you once. Dia,' he said, 'I have been sorry +since.' + +"That night he sent a mounted Kafir for his brother, and +when, at noon next day, that brother came, Dia and her +Irishman were already gone. But Jan would not have them +hunted. + +"'I whipped her once,' he said, 'and I am paid for it.' + +"His brother, a great simple soul, was dumbfounded. + +"'Do you mean that she has poisoned you?' he demanded. + +"The dying man shook his head. + +"'They used to count the colors,' he said. 'There was much +of love in the colors, but there was nothing of me. Let +them go!' + +"And so," concluded the Vrouw Grobelaar impressively, "he +died, and it all came of counting the colors in the sunset, +which is a warning to you, Katje--" + +"To count colors," interrupted that maiden hotly. "I think +the old wretch got just what he deserved." + + THE KING OF THE BABOONS + +The old yellow-fanged dog-baboon that was chained to a post +in the yard had a dangerous trick of throwing stones. He +would seize a piece of rock in two hands, stand erect and +whirl round on his heels till momentum was obtained, and +then--let go. The missile would fly like a bullet, and woe +betide any one who stood in its way. The performance +precluded any kind of aim; the stone was hurled off at any +chance tangent: and it was bad luck rather than any kind of +malice that guided one three-pound boulder through the +window, across the kitchen, and into a portrait of Judas de +Beer which hung on the wall not half a dozen feet from the +slumbering Vrouw Grobelaar. + +She bounced from her chair and ballooned to the door with a +silent swift agility most surprising to see in a lady of +her generous build, and not a sound did she utter. She was +of good veld-bred fighting stock, which never cried out +till it was hurt, and there was even something of +compassion in her face as Frikkie jumped from the stoop +with a twelve-foot thong in his hand. It was, after all, +the baboon that suffered most, if his yells were any index +to his feelings. Frikkie could smudge a fly ten feet off +with just a flick of his whip, and all the tender parts of +the accomplished animal came in for ruthless attention. + +"He ought to be shot," was Frikkie's remark as he curled up +the thong at the end of the discipline. "A baboon is past +teaching if he has bad habits. He is more like a man than a +beast." + +The Vrouw Grobelaar seated herself in the stoop chair which +by common consent was reserved for her use, and shook her +head. + +"Baboons are uncanny things," she answered slowly. "When +you shoot them, you can never be quite sure how much murder +there is in it. The old story is that some of them have +souls and some not: and it is quite certain that they can +talk when they will. You have heard them crying in the +night sometimes. Well, you ask a Kafir what that means. Ask +an old wise Kafir, not a young one that has forgotten the +wisdom of the black people and learned the foolishness only +of the white." + +"What does it mean, tante?" It was I that put the question. +Katje, too, seemed curious. + +The old lady eyed me gloomily. + +"If you were a landed Boer, instead of a kind of +schoolmaster," she replied, witheringly, "you would not +need to ask such a question. But I will tell you. A baboon +may be wicked--look at that one showing his teeth and +cursing--but he is not blind nor a fool. He runs about on +the hills, and steals and fights and scratches, and all the +time he has all the knowledge and twice the strength of a +man, if it were not for the tail behind him and the hair on +his body. So it is natural that sometimes he should be +grieved to be such a mean thing as a baboon when he could +be a useful kind of man if the men would let him. And at +nights, particularly, when their troop is in laager and the +young ones are on watch among the high rocks, it comes home +to the best of them, and they sob and weep like young +widows, pretending that they have pains inside so that the +others shall not feel offended and turn on them. Any one +may hear them in the kloofs on a windless night, and, I can +tell you, the sound of their sorrow is pitiful." + +Katje threw out a suggestion to console them with buckshot, +and the Vrouw Grobelaar nodded with meaning. + +"To hate baboons is well enough in the wife of a Burgher," +she said sweetly. "I am glad to see there is so much +fitness and wifeliness about you, since you will naturally +spend all your life on farms." + +Katje's flush was a distress signal. First blood to the +Vrouw. + +"Baboons," continued the old lady, "are among a farmer's +worst enemies. They steal and destroy and menace all the +year round, but for all that there are many farmers who +will not shoot or trap them. And these, you will notice, +are always farmers of a ripe age and sense shaped by +experience. They know, you may be sure. My stepsister's +first husband, Shadrach van Guelder, shot at baboons once, +and was so frightened afterwards that he was afraid to be +alone in the dark." + +There was a story toward, and no one moved. + +"There were many Kafirs on his farm, which you have not +seen," pursued the Vrouw Grobelaar, adjusting her voice to +narrative pitch. "It was on the fringe of the Drakensberg, +and many spurs of hill, divided by deep kloofs like gashes, +descended on to it. So plenty of water came down, and the +cattle were held from straying by the rocks, on one side at +any rate. The Kafirs had their kraals dotted all about the +land; and as they were of the kind that works, my +stepsister's husband suffered them to remain and grow their +little patches of mealies, while they worked for him in +between. He was, of course, a cattle Boer, as all of our +family have always been, but here were so many Kafirs to be +had for nothing, that he soon commenced to plough great +spaces of land and sow valuable crops. There was every +prospect that he would make very much money out of that +farm; for corn always sells, even when cattle are going for +only seven pounds apiece, and Shadrach van Guelder was very +cheerful about it. + +"But when a farmer weighs an ungrown crop, you will always +find that there is something or other he does not take into +account. He tells of the weather and the land and the +Kafirs and the water on his fingers, and forgets to bend +down his thumb to represent God--or something. Shadrach van +Guelder lifted up his eyes to the hills from whence came +the water, but it was not until the green corn was six +inches high that he saw that there came with it baboons. +Armies and republics of them; more baboons than he had +thought to exist,--they swooped down on his sprouting lands +and rioted, ate and rooted, trampled and wantoned, with +that kind of bouncing devilishness that not even a Kafir +can correctly imitate. In one night they undid all his work +on five sown morgen of fat land, and with the first wink of +the sun in the east they were back again in their kopjes, +leaving devastation and foulness wherever they passed. + +"It was my stepsister's husband that stood on one leg and +cursed like a Jew. He was wrathful as a Hollander that has +been drinking water, and what did not help to make him +content was the fact that hardly anything would avail to +protect his lands. Once the baboons had tasted the +sweetness of the young corn, they would come again and +again, camping in the kloofs overhead as long as anything +remained for them, like a deaf guest. But for all that, he +had no notion of leaving them to plunder at their ease. The +least one can do with an unwelcome visitor is to make him +uncomfortable; and he sent to certain kraals on the farm +for two old Kafirs he had remarked who had the appearance +of cunning old men. + +"They came and squatted before him, squirming and +shuffling, as Kafirs do when a white man talks to them. One +was quite a common kind of Kafir, gone a little gray with +age, a tuft of white wool on his chin, and little patches +of it here and there on his head. But the other was a small +twisted yellow man, with no hair at all, and eyes like +little blots of fire on a charred stick; and his arms were +so long and gnarled and lean that he had a bestial look, +like a laborious animal. + +"'The baboons have killed the crop on the lower lands,' +said Shadrach, smacking his leg with his sjambok. 'If they +are not checked, they will destroy all the corn on this +farm. What is the way to go about it?' + +"The little yellow man was biting his lips and turning a +straw in his hands, and gave no answer, but the other +spoke. + +"'I am from Shangaanland,' he said, 'and there, when the +baboons plague us, we have a way with them, a good way.' + +"He sneered sideways at his yellow companion as he spoke, +and the look which the latter returned to him was a thing +to shrink from. + +"'What is this way?' demanded Shadrach. + +"'You must trap a baboon,' explained the old Kafir. 'A +leading baboon, for choice, who has a lot to say in the +government of the troop. And then you must skin him, and +let him go again. The others will travel miles and miles as +soon as they see him, and never come back again.' + +"'It makes me sick to think of it,' said Shadrach. 'Surely +you know some other way of scaring them?' + +"The old Kafir shook his head slowly, but the yellow man +ceased to smile and play with the straw and spoke. + +"'I do not believe in that way, baas. A Shangaan baboon'--he +grinned at his companion--'is more easily frightened than +those of the Drakensberg. I am of the bushmen, and I know. +If you flay one of those up yonder, the others will make +war, and where one came before, ten will come every night. +A baboon is not a fat lazy Kafir; one must be careful with +him.' + +"'How would you drive them away, then?' asked Shadrach. + +"The yellow man shuffled his hands in the dust, squatting +on his heels. There! There! See, the baboon in the yard is +doing the very same thing. + +"'If I were the baas,' said the yellow man, 'I would turn +out the young men to walk round the fields at night, with +buckets to hit with sticks, and make a noise. And I--well, I +am of the bushmen--' he scratched himself and smiled +emptily. + +"'Yes, yes?' demanded Shadrach. He knew the wonderful ways +of the bushmen with some animals. + +"'I do not know if anything can be done,' said the yellow +man, 'but if the baas is willing I can go up to the rocks +and try.' + +"'How?' + +"But he could tell nothing. None of these wizards that have +charms to subdue the beasts can tell you anything about it. +A Hottentot will smell the air and say what cattle are +near, but if you bid him tell you how he does it, he +giggles like a fool and is ashamed. + +"'I do not know if anything can be done,' the yellow man +repeated. 'I cannot promise the baas, but I can try.' + +"'Well, try then,' ordered Shadrach, and went away to make +the necessary arrangements to have the young Kafirs in the +fields that night. + +"They did as he bade, and the noise was loathsome,--enough +to frighten anything with an ear in its head. The Kafirs +did not relish the watch in the dark at first, but when +they found that their work was only to thump buckets and +howl, they came to do it with zest, and roared and banged +till you would have thought a judgment must descend on +them. The baboons heard it, sure enough, and came down +after a while to see what was going on. They sat on their +rumps outside the circle of Kafirs, as quiet as people in a +church, and watched the niggers drumming and capering as +though it were a show for their amusement. Then they went +back, leaving the crops untouched, but pulling all the huts +in one kraal to pieces as they passed. It was the kraal of +the old white-tufted Shangaan, as Shadrach learned +afterwards. + +"Shadrach was pleased that the row had saved his corn, and +next day he gave the twisted yellow man a lump of tobacco. +The man tucked it into his cheek and smiled, wrinkling his +nose and looking at the ground. + +"'Did you get speech of the baboons last night among the +rocks?' Shadrach asked. + +"The other shook his head, grinning. 'I am old,' he said. +'They pay no attention to me, but I will try again. +Perhaps, before long, they will listen.' + +"'When they do that,' said Shadrach, 'you shall have five +pounds of tobacco and five bottles of dop.' + +"The man was squatting on his heels all this time at +Shadrach's feet, and his hard fingers, like claws, were +picking at the ground. Now he put out a hand, and began +fingering the laces of the farmer's shoes with a quick +fluttering movement that Shadrach saw with a spasm of +terror. It was so exactly the trick of a baboon, so +entirely a thing animal and unhuman. + +"'You are more than half a baboon yourself,' he said. 'Let +go of my leg! Let go, I say! Curse you, get away--get away +from me!' + +"The creature had caught his ankle with both hands, the +fingers, hard and shovel-ended, pressing into his flesh. + +"'Let go!' he cried, and struck at the man with his +sjambok. + +"The man bounded on all fours to evade the blow, but it +took him in the flank, and he was human--or Kafir--again in a +moment, and rubbed himself and whimpered quite naturally. + +"'Let me see no more of your baboon tricks,' stormed +Shadrach, the more angry because he had been frightened. +'Keep them for your friends among the rocks. And now be off +to your kraal.' + +"That night again the Kafirs drummed all about the green +corn, and sang in chorus the song which the mountain-Kafirs +sing when the new moon shows like a paring from a +fingernail of gold. It is a long and very loud song, with +stamping of feet every minute, and again the baboons came +down to see and listen. The Kafirs saw them, many hundreds +of humped black shapes, and sang the louder, while the +crowd of beasts grew ever denser as fresh parties came down +and joined it. It was opposite the rocks on which they sat +that the singing men collected, roaring their long verses +and clattering on the buckets, doubtless not without some +intention to jeer at and flout the baffled baboons, who +watched them in such a silence. It was drooping now to the +pit of night, and things were barely seen as shapes, when +from higher up the line, where the guardians of the crops +were sparser, there came a discord of shrieks. + +"'The baboons are through the line,' they cried, and it was +on that instant that the great watching army of apes came +leaping in a charge on the main force of the Kafirs. Oh, +but that was a wild, a haunting thing! Great bull-headed +dog-baboons, with naked fangs and clutching hands alert for +murder; bounding mothers of squealing litters that led +their young in a dash to the fight; terrible lean old +bitches that made for the men when others went for the +corn,--they swooped like a flood of horror on the aghast +Kafirs, biting, tearing, bounding through the air like +uncouth birds, and in one second the throng of the Kafirs +melted before them, and they were among the corn. + +"Eight men they killed by rending, and of the others, some +sixty, there was not one but had his wound--some bite to the +bone, some gash, where iron fingers had clutched and torn +their way through skin and flesh. When they came to +Shadrach, and woke him wearily with the breathless timidity +of beaten men, it was already too late to go with a gun to +the corn-lands. The baboons had contented themselves with +small plunder after their victory, and withdrew orderly to +the hills; and even as Shadrach came to the door of the +homestead, he saw the last of their marshaled line, black +against the sky, moving swiftly towards the kloofs. + +"He flung out his hands like a man in despair, with never a +word to ease his heart, and then the old Shangaan Kafir +stood up before him. He had the upper part of his right arm +bitten to the bone and worried, and now he cast back the +blanket from his shoulder and held out the quivering wound +to his master. + +"'It was the chief of the baboons that gave me this,' he +said, 'and he is a baboon only in the night. He came +through the ranks of them bounding like a boulder on a +steep hillside, and it was for me that his teeth were +bared. So when he hung by his teeth to my arm and tore and +snarled, I drew my nails across his back, that the baas +should know the truth.' + +"'What is this madness?' cried Shadrach. + +"'No madness, but simple devilry,' answered the Shangaan, +and there came a murmur of support from the Kafirs about +him. 'The leader of the baboons is Naqua, and it was he +who taught them the trick they played us tonight.' + +"'Naqua?' repeated Shadrach, feeling cold and weak. + +"'The bushman,' explained the old man. 'The yellow man with +the long lean arms who gave false counsel to the baas.' + +"'It is true,' came the chorus of the Kafirs. 'It is true; +we saw it.' + +"Shadrach pulled himself together and raised a hand to the +lintel of the door to steady himself. + +"'Fetch me Naqua!' he ordered, and a pair of them went upon +that errand. But they came back empty; Naqua was not at his +hut, and none had news of him. + +"Shadrach dismissed the Kafirs to patch their wounds, and +at sun-up he went down to the lands where the eight dead +Kafirs still lay among the corn, to see what traces +remained of the night's work. He had hoped to find a clue +in the tracks, but the feet of the Kafirs and the baboons +were so mingled that the ground was dumb, and on the grass +of the baboons' return there remained, of course, no sign. +He was no fool, my stepsister's first husband, and since a +wild and belly-quaking tale was the only one that offered, +he was not ready to cast it aside till a better one were +found. At any rate it was against Naqua that his +preparations were directed. + +"He had seven guns in his house for which ammunition could +be found, and from among all the Kafirs on the land he +chose a half dozen Zulus, who, as you know, will always +rather fight than eat. These were only too ready to face +the baboons again, since they were to have guns in their +hands; and a kind of ambush was devised. They were to lie +among the corn so as to command the flank of the beasts, +and Shadrach was to lie in the middle of them, and would +give the signal when to commence firing by a shot from his +own rifle. There was built, too, a pile of brushwood lying +on straw soaked in oil, and this one of them was to put a +light to as soon as the shooting began. + +"It was dark when they took their places, and then +commenced a long and anxious watch among the corn, when +every bush that creaked was an alarm and every small beast +of the veld that squealed set hearts to thumping. From +where he lay on his stomach, with his rifle before him, +Shadrach could see the line of ridge of rocks over which +the baboons must come, dark against a sky only just less +dark; and with his eyes fixed on this he waited. Afterwards +he said that it was not the baboons he waited for, but the +yellow man, Naqua, and he had in his head an idea that all +the evil and pain that ever was, and all the sin to be, had +a home in that bushman. So a man hates an enemy. + +"They came at last. Five of them were suddenly seen on the +top of the rocks, standing erect and peering round for a +trap; but Shadrach and his men lay very still, and soon one +of these scouts gave a call, and then was heard the pat! +pat! of hard feet as the body of them came up. There was +not light enough to tell one from another, except by size, +and as they trooped down among the corn Shadrach lay with +his finger throbbing on his trigger, peering among them. +But he could see nothing except the mass of their bodies, +and waiting till the main part of them was past him, so +that he could have a shot at them as they came back, should +it happen that they retired at once, he thrust forward his +rifle, aimed into the brown, and fired. + +"Almost in the same instant the rifles of the Zulus spoke, +and a crackle of shots ran up and down their line. Then +there was a flare of light as the bonfire was lit, and they +could see the army of baboons in a fuss of panic dashing to +and fro. They fired again and again into the tangle of +them, and the beasts commenced to scatter and flee, and +Shadrach and his men rose to their full height and shot +faster, and the hairy army vanished into the darkness, +defeated. + +"There was a guffaw of laughter from the Zulus, but ere it +was finished a shout from Shadrach brought their rifles +leaping up again, The baboons were coming back,--a line of +them was breaking from the darkness beyond the range of the +fire, racing in great leaps towards the men. As they came +into the light they were a sight to terrify a host, all big +tuskers, and charging without a sound. Shadrach, aiming by +instinct only, dropped two as they came, and the next +instant they were upon him. He heard the grunt of the Zulu +next him as a huge beast leaped against his chest and bore +him down, and there were screams from another. Then +something heavy and swift drove at him like a bullet and he +clubbed his rifle. As the beast flew, with hands and feet +drawn in for the grapple, he hewed at it with the butt and +smashed it to the ground. The stock struck on bone, and he +felt it crush and fail, and there was the thing at his +feet. + +"How they broke the charge, with what a frenzy of battle +they drove the baboons from them, none of the four who +spoke again could ever tell. But it must have been very +soon after Shadrach clubbed his rifle that the beasts +wavered, were beaten, and fled screaming, and the farmer +found himself leaning on his weapon and a great Zulu, +shining with sweat, talking to him. + +"'Never have I had such a fight,' the Zulu was saying, 'and +never may I hope for such another. The baas is a great +chief. I watched him.' + +"Something was picking at Shadrach's boots, and he drew +back with a shudder from the form that lay at his feet. + +"'Bring a stick from the fire,' he ordered. 'I want to see +this--this baboon.' + +"As the man went, he ran a cartridge into the breach of his +rifle, and when the burning stick was brought, he turned +over the body with his foot. + +"A yellow face mowed up at him, and pale yellow eyes +sparkled dully. + +"'Tck!' clicked the Zulu in surprise. 'It is the bushman, +Naqua. No, baas,' as Shadrach cocked his rifle, 'do not +shoot him. Keep him and chain him to a post. He will like +that less.' + +"'I shoot,' answered Shadrach, and shattered the evil grin +that gleamed in the face on the ground with a quick shot. + +"And, as I told you, my stepsister's first husband, +Shadrach van Guelder, was afraid to be alone in the dark +after that night," concluded the Vrouw Grobelaar. "It is +ill shooting baboons, Frikkie." + +"I'm not afraid," retorted Frikkie, and the baboon in the +yard rattled his chain and cursed shrilly. + + MORDER DRIFT + +The business was something before my time, but I can +remember several versions of it, which were commonly +current when I first came into the Dopfontein district. It +was not much of a tale as a general thing, except that, if +you happened to have a strain of hot blood in you, it +discovered a quality of very picturesque pathos. However, +as you shall see, only the tail end of the story was +generally known, and it was the Vrouw Grobelaar, the +transmitter of chronicles, who divulged it to Katje and +myself one evening in its proper proportions. + +As I first heard it the tale was about thus. The drift +across the Dolf Spruit, below the Zwaartkop, was a ragged +gash in the earth, hidden from all approaches by dense +bushes of wacht een beetje thorn. The spruit was here +throttled between banks of worn stone, and the water roared +over the drift at a depth that made it impassible to foot- +farers. Its name Morder Drift (Murder Ford), was secured to +it no less by its savage aspect than by the incident +associated with it. + +One morning a Kafir brought news to a farm of a strange +thing at the drift, a tale of violent death at criminal +hands. Straightway four men got to horse and rode over. +Arriving, they found their information justified in a +strange fashion. Seated in the deep southern approach to +the water was a Boer woman, a young one, pillowing on her +lap the head of a murdered man, whose body oozed blood from +a dozen wounds. The woman paid no heed to the approach of +the Burghers, and they, on nearing the body, observed that +her eyes were fixed across the spruit, and that a smile, a +dreadful twisted smile of contempt, ruled her face as +though frozen there. + +The woman was recognized as a girl of good Boer family who +had recently married in opposition to the strong objections +of her family; the dead man at her feet was soon +identified as all that was left of her husband. + +That was the tale: it ended there like a broken string, for +while the matter was under investigation at the hands of +the feldkornet, a Kafir chief in the Magaliesberg commenced +to assert himself and the commando of the district was +called out to wait on him. And there the matter dropped, +for during the two years that elapsed before she died the +woman never uttered a word. But (and here, for me, at any +rate, the wonder of the story commenced) every day and all +day, come fine or rain, sun or storm, there she would sit +in the drift, damning the traitor's road of escape with +that smile the Burghers had shuddered at. The scene, and +the unspeakable sadness of it, used to govern my dreams. + +I was telling Katje the story, for she said she had never +heard it, but this I since learned to have been untrue. At +first the conversation had been varied even to the point of +inanity, but in time it turned--as such conversations will, +you know--to the wonder and beauty of the character of women +in general. I think it must have been at this stage that +the Vrouw Grobelaar, who had been dozing like a dog, with +one ear awake, commenced to listen; and I have always +thought the better of the good lady for not annihilating +the situation with some ponderously arch comment, as was a +habit of hers. + +When my tale was finished, though, the contempt of the +artist for the mere artisan moved her to complete the +record. + +"You are wrong when you say the truth never came to light," +she said. "I know the whole story." + +"But," I answered in surprise, "nothing was ever done in +the matter." + +"Certainly not," she said with spirit. "It was not a Kafir +murder. It was a killing by Burghers, and, though God knows +I utterly condemn all such doings, it cannot be denied that +there was as much on the one side as on the other." + +The due request was proffered. + +"It is not a tale to carry abroad," observed the old lady. +"It concerns some of my family. The woman was Christina van +der Poel, a half sister of my second husband, and what I am +now telling you is the confession of Koos van der Poel, her +brother, on the day he died. I remember he was troubled +with an idea that he would be buried near her, and that she +would cry out on him from her grave to his." + +The suggestion, as you must agree, quite justified Katje's +moving closer to me. + +"It was like this," resumed the Vrouw Grobelaar, after an +expressionless glance at the two of us. "Christina was a +wild fanciful girl, with an eye to every stranger that off- +saddled at the farm, Katje; and she had barely a civil word +to waste on a bashful Burgher. I can't say I ever saw much +in her myself. She was a tall young woman, with a face that +drew the eye, as it were; but she was restless and unquiet +in her motions, and, to my mind, too thin and leggy. But +men have no taste in these things; and if Christina had +been of a decent turn, she might have had her pick of all +the unmarried men within a day's ride, and there used to be +some very good men about here. + +"But, as I said, she kept them all on the far side of the +fence, and for a long time their only comfort was in seeing +no one else take her. Till one day a surprising thing +happened. + +"A tall smart man rode into the farm one afternoon and hung +up his horse on the rail. He swaggered with his great +clumping feet right into the house, and went from one room +to another till he found the old father. + +"'Are you Mynheer van der Poel?' he asked him in a loud +voice, standing in the middle of the chamber with his hat +on his head and his sjambok in his hand. + +"'I am,' answered the other. + +"'I am John Dunn,' said the stranger. 'I have a store at +Bothaskraal, and I am come to ask for your daughter to +wife.' + +"'An Englishman?' asked the old man. + +"'To be sure,' said the stranger. + +"'But where have you seen the girl?' asked Mynheer van der +Poel. + +"'Oh, in many places,' replied the Englishman, laughing. +'We are very good friends, she and I, and have been meeting +every evening for a long time. Indeed, you have to thank me +for giving you a chance to consent to the wedding.' + +"Now the Heer van der Poel was always a quiet man, but +there was nothing weak in him. + +"'I do thank you,' he said, 'for playing the part of an +honest man, and no doubt the girl has been foolish. A girl +is, you know; and you are big enough to have taken her eye. +But there will be no marriage; Christina is to marry a +Boer.' + +"'So you object to an Englishman?' sneered the other. + +"'Yes,' said the old man. + +"'What have you against the English?' + +"'In general, nothing at all. I have found them brave men +and good fighters; at Potchefstroom I killed three. But,' +and the old man held up his forefinger, 'I will not have +one in my family.' + +"'I see,' said the other. 'So you refuse me your daughter?' + +"'Yes,' answered the father. + +"'So be it,' returned the stranger, turning to the door. +'In that case I shall take her without your leave.' And off +he went at a canter, never looking back. + +"Next day Mynheer van der Poel took Christina into a kraal, +and when she had confessed her meetings with the +Englishman, he gave her a sound beating with a stirrup- +leather, and told her that for the future she must not go +alone outside of the house. + +"'And either I or one of your brothers will always be at +home,' concluded the old man, 'so that if this Mynheer Dunn +comes, he will be shot.' + +"So Christina for upwards of a month never saw her +Englishman. Of course the matter was a great scandal, and +her people said as little as they could about it; but, +nevertheless, it got about, and the number of visitors to +the farm for the next week or two was astonishing. But call +as often as they pleased, the Englishman stayed away and +they saw nothing of him. + +"But one morning when daylight came Christina was missing. +They looked about, and there was no trace of her, but in +the road outside there was the spoor of a cart that had +halted in passing during the night. + +"'It is plain enough,' said the old man 'She is with her +Englishman at Bothaskraal. Sons, get your rifles, and we +will ride over.' + +"But on the way they had to pass Morder Drift, and thinking +only of the shame to their house, they rode altogether into +the water, none looking ahead. There had been rains, and +each man was compelled to give all his care to guiding his +horse through the torrent, while holding his rifle aloft in +one hand. + +"When they were thus all in the water together they heard a +shout, and the Englishman on a big horse rode down to the +water's edge. He had a gun at his shoulder covering them +all, and they headed their horses up-stream and halted to +hear him speak. + +"He was prideful and contemptuous. 'Six of you,' he cried, +'no less than six, who have come out to kill one man, and +the whole lot bottled up in the middle of a ditch and +waiting to be shot. The first one that moves his rifle till +I give permission dies.' + +"Not one of them answered, but all kept their eyes on him. +Old Mynheer van der Poel had a cartridge in his rifle, and +he touched his horse with the spur under water that it +might fidget round towards the Englishman. + +"'Well,' said the man on the bank, 'if I shot each one of +you as you sit, I should be in my right, and not one could +blame me. But where I come from one does not shoot even a +duck sitting, and I am going to let you go. You shall have +a chance to do the thing decently, so come back and fight +me openly. Or,' and he laughed as he spoke, 'you can do it +another way. I am leaving this cursed country shortly with +Christina. See if you can get at me and kill me before +then. It's a fair offer; but I warn you you'll find it a +dangerous game, and there'll be blood-letting on the one +side or the other.' + +"He drew back his horse a little, still covering them with +the rifle. 'Now,' he cried, 'drop your guns into the water, +and you can go. Drop them, I say!' + +"One by one the young men let their rifles fall into the +stream; but the old father fumbled with his finger. +Suddenly there was a shot, and the Englishman's big horse +shied at the spurt of mud at his feet. Of course the old +man could not shoot without aiming. + +"Then the Englishman brought round his gun, and the old +man, sitting on his horse, with the water streaming over +his saddle, knew that a tremble of the finger would send +him to God. + +"'But that you are Christina's father,' said the +Englishman, in a voice as clear as falling pebbles, 'I +would put a bullet through your white head this minute. +This time, though, you shall go alive, but by--! you shall +have your ducking.' + +"And dropping his muzzle, he suddenly shot the straining +horse through the head, so that it fell immediately, and +the old man was plunged out of sight in the rushing water. + +"When he got to the bank, fifty yards down the stream, the +Englishman was gone. + +"They went home soberly, all busy with thoughts of their +own. When they neared the home kraals the father spoke. + +"'This is a business to be wiped out,' he said. 'This shame +cannot rest with us. For my part, I could not pray with a +clear mind and that Englishman alive.' + +"They all agreed with him, though, as Koos admitted, with +the death-rattle shaking him, they were all dreadfully +afraid of that big swaggering man. The old man had done a +fair share of fighting before, and at Potchefstroom, as he +said, he had killed three rooineks, so he was ready enough +for the business. + +"But the young men had only been out against the Kafirs, +and there is not very much in that. + +"Now old Mynheer van der Poel was not such a fool as to +risk his life or the lives of his sons in fighting the +Englishman. The war against the rooineks had made him slim; +for it is chiefly by wits and knowledge that the Boers have +beaten the English. So instead of going out to be shot like +a fool, he made a plan. + +"You know how Bothaskraal lies. At the back of it there is +nothing but the Kafir country and the thorn bush; and if +you would get to the dorp, or to the road, or to the +railway, you must cross the Dolf Spruit, and for miles the +only crossing place is Morder Drift. So at Morder Drift +they set a watch, four in the day time and three in the +night, never losing sight of the drift. + +"In this manner they waited a month till the evil night +came. It was a night sent by the devil's own design, a +gruesome, cloud-heavy, sulphurous night, and at the drift +were the old man, Koos, and the lad Hendrik. Koos was on +watch among the bushes; the other two crouched below the +bank out of the wind. A little rain dribbled down, and of a +sudden Koos whistled like a korhaan. + +"The two got their rifles and went down into the water on +foot, the old man up stream, the lad down, stepping +carefully, for the stream was very strong and pulled at +their waists dangerously. Koos walked into the road, above +the water and in the shadow, and waited. + +"Three horses came down the other side of the drift, and +three persons on them. The one was the Englishman, the +other was Christina, the third a Kafir. In the darkness of +the drift they could not see the watchers, and in the swirl +of the water they could not hear the click of the rifles. + +"Into the water they rode, and then Koos, who had a +magazine rifle, suddenly stood up and shot the Kafir. He +screamed and fell into the water, and his horse turned and +galloped on. + +"'Keep still, Mynheer Dunn,' cried Koos. 'A movement and +you are dead. Better raise your hands, I think. That is +right. Now, Christina, ride out of the water on this side.' + +"'Stay where you are, Christina,' said the Englishman. +'Sir,' he called to Koos, 'you have trapped me sure enough, +and I ask and expect nothing. But what are you going to do +to Christina?' + +"'Are you Christina's husband?' asked Koos. 'Are you +married to her?' + +"'I am,' answered the other. + +"'That is well for Christina. Otherwise she would be shot. +We have little patience with wrongdoers, I can tell you.' + +"'But what are you going to do with her?' + +"'I? Nothing at all,' answered Koos. 'She is no longer my +business. It will be for Christina's father to decide what +shall be done to her.' + +"'Will you promise--' began the Englishman; but Koos +laughed. + +"'I promise nothing,' he replied. 'In a few moments you +will be dead, and past bargaining. Christina, ride on.' + +"'Stay a moment,' called the Englishman again. 'I will ask +you a favor, anyhow. It is not well to refuse a dying man, +and perhaps in a few moments I shall have more power over +you. So I beg you, spare Christina.' + +"'I promise nothing at all,' answered Koos. 'I am not +afraid of ghosts.' + +"'I wasn't thinking of that,' said the other. 'So I have +nothing to gain whether by talking or holding my tongue?' + +"'Nothing at all!' + +"'Very well; if that be the case, take that!' and very +suddenly he snatched a pistol--one of those things which +hold six bullets--from his pocket and shot Koos in the leg. + +Christina screamed as her horse bounded and carried her +forward out of the water. Koos did not fall, but caught it +by the rein and dragged her from the saddle. He held her +close, with his left arm about her and his rifle in his +right hand, pistol-fashion. + +"'Shoot again, rooinek,' he cried mockingly. 'You will be +sure to hit one of us.' And then he fired. + +"At the same moment Mynheer van der Poel, in the water up- +stream, fired, and the Englishman fell on to the bow of his +saddle. The horse dashed down the water, and Koos, gripping +the screaming girl, heard young Hendrik shoot again. + +"There was silence for a minute then, and Mynheer van der +Poel climbed out of the water and called to Hendrik. + +"'Have you got him?' he cried. + +"'Yes,' answered the boy; 'I am holding him up, but he is +still alive.' + +"'Can he stand?' cried the old man. + +"'No,' came the answer from the water. + +"'Then drown him,' commanded the father. 'I will come down +and help.' + +"When he had climbed down into the water again Koos laid +the girl down. She was still white; her senses had fled. +Presently as he was binding his leg he heard the father +say-- + +"'Now raise him a little, and I will shoot again to make +sure'; and immediately the sound of shot burst out. At this +the girl opened her eyes, and Koos, looking at her, saw +with astonishment that she smiled. + +"'Have you killed him, Koos?' she asked very gently. + +"'Be quiet,' answered Koos. + +"'But tell me,' she persisted. + +"'Yes.' he replied at length. + +"She closed her eyes and sighed. 'That was cruel,' she +said; 'I loved him so.' + +"But she sat up again as the old father and the lad dragged +the body out of the water. + +"'Four wounds,' panted the old man. 'Not one of us missed. +That was very good, considering the darkness.' And as he +flung the bleeding corpse down he turned upon Christina. + +"'Here,' he cried, calling her by a dreadful word of shame. +'Here is your husband.' + +"'Father,' said young Hendrik, 'there is money in his +pockets. If I take it people will say this was done by +Kafirs.' + +"'Take it then,' said the old man, and when the boy had +emptied the pockets he bade him throw the money into the +stream. + +"Then they mounted and rode away, but not homewards. They +rode across the stream to cross it twenty miles down, that +their spoor should not betray them. + +"And as Koos told me, while his eyes glazed, he turned and +looked back, and there he saw Christina with the +Englishman's head on her lap, looking after them with a +face that set him trembling." + +As the old lady concluded I passed an arm round Katje. + + A GOOD END + +One of the most awe-inspiring traits of the Vrouw Grobelaar +was her familiarity with the subject of death. She had a +discriminating taste in corpses, and remembered of several +old friends only the figure they cut when the life was gone +from them. She was as opinionative in this regard as in all +others; she had her likes and dislikes, and it is my firm +belief to this day that she never rose to such heights of +conversational greatness as when attending a death-bed. It +is on record that more than one invalid was relieved of all +desire to live after being prepared for dissolution by the +Vrouw Grobelaar. + +On the evening following the burial of Katrina Potgieter's +baby, which died of drinking water after a surfeit of dried +peaches, the old lady was in great feather. Never were her +reminiscences so ghoulish and terrifying, and never did she +hurl her weighty moralities over so wide a scope. +Eventually she lapsed into criticism, and announced that +the art of dying effectively was little practiced nowadays. + +"I hate to see a person slink out of life," she said. "Give +me a man or a woman that knows all clearly to the last, and +gives other people an opportunity to see some little way +into eternity. After all, there's nothing more in dying +than changing the style of one's clothes, and even the most +paltry folk have some consideration as corpses. I can't see +what there is to be afraid of." + +"I don't think that," observed Katje. "Even if it wasn't +that I was soon to be dead and buried, the whole business +seems horrible. Fancy all the people crowding round to look +at you and cry, while they talked as if you were already +dead. When Polly Honiball was dying, old Vrouw Meyers asked +her if she could see anything yet. Ugh!" + +The old lady shook her head. "That's not the way to look at +it," she replied. "A good death is the sign of a good life; +or anyhow, that's how people judge it. It's as well to give +no room for talk afterwards, Katje. And as for the mere +death, no good Christian fears that. Why, I have known a +man seek death!" + +"Did he kill himself?" inquired Katje. + +"Kill himself! Indeed he didn't. That would be a crime, and +a dreadful scandal. No, he took death by the hand in a most +seemly and respectable way, and his family were always +thought the better of for it. + +"Yes, I'll tell you about it. It will be a lesson to you, +Katje, and I hope you will think about it and take it to +heart. + +"The man I am talking about was Mynheer Andries van der +Linden, a most godly and prosperous Burgher, whose farm was +on the High Veld. All the days of his life he walked +uprightly, and married twice. His sons and daughters were +many, and all good, save for one sidelong skellum, Piet, +his second son, who afterwards went to live among the +English. He had cattle and sheep at pasture for miles, and +a kerk on his land, where his nephew, the Predikant, used +to preach. And by reason of his sanctity and cleverness +Andries grew richer and richer till the Burghers respected +him so much that they made him a commandant and a member of +the Church Council. + +"All prospered with him, as I was telling you, until one +day it seemed as if God's hand had fallen from him. He was +smitten with a disease of which not the oldest woman in the +district had ever seen the like, and his own flesh became a +curse to him. The very marrow in his bones bred fire to +feed on his body, and he lay on his bed in the torments of +hell. For weeks he writhed and screamed like a madman, +tossing on his blankets and tearing at his body, or +struggling and howling as his sons held him down for fear +he should injure himself in his frenzy. The whole thing was +very terrible and mysterious; and it was said among the +farms that Andries van der Linden could not have been so +good after all, or God would not thus visit him with such a +scourge. + +"For myself, I never believed this, and what he afterwards +did will show that I had the right of it. Still, good or +bad, the affliction was undeniable, for I myself heard him +screaming like a beast as I drove to Nachtmaal. + +"The malady lasted for months, and all herbs and pills that +were given him did not an atom of good. Even the Kafirs +could do nothing, though Klein Andries, the old man's +eldest son and a good lad, caught a witch-doctor and +sjamboked him to pieces to make him help. In short, the +illness was plainly beyond mortal cure, and the old man at +last came to see this. + +"I should have told you that he had times of peace, when +the agony forsook him, and left him limp like a wet clout. +Then he would sweat and quake with terror of the pains that +would return; and so pitiful was his condition that he +could not even listen with a proper patience to the reading +of Scripture or the singing of David's psalms. You will see +from this what a terrible visitation to a God-fearing man +this illness was. + +"So he made up his mind. One morning early, while quietness +was with him, he called for Klein Andries and bade him shut +the door of the room. + +"'Andries,' he said, 'I have been thinking the matter to a +finish, and I am determined to have an end to this +torment.' + +"'Have you found any means?' began Klein Andries. + +"'Listen,' said the old man. 'It is plain to me, that I +shall gain no cure on earth, and I have decided to die. So +I shall die at the end of a week about two hours after +sunrise.' + +"Andries was of course very much taken aback. 'I do not +understand,' he said. 'You cannot mean to kill yourself?' + +"'Of course not,' answered the old man. 'That will be your +part.' + +"'How do you mean?' cried Andries. + +"'I shall lie here in my bed, with clean pillows and fresh +sheets, and the best coverlet. Our people will all be +here,--you will see to that,--and when I have spoken to them +and shaken their hands, you shall bring in your rifle--' + +"'That will do,' said Klein Andries. 'You need tell me no +more. I will not do it.' + +"'But you are my first-born,' said the father. + +"'It is all the same; I will not do it.' + +"'Then you can get out of my house, with your wife and your +children, and go look for a stone on which to lay your +heads.' + +"'That is very easy,' answered Klein Andries, quite calmly. +'No doubt we shall find that stone you speak of.' + +"'And I will get Piet to do it,' said the old man. + +"'No,' replied Klein Andries. 'Piet shall not do it. +Nobody shall do it. I will not have it done.' + +"'Andries,' said the old man, 'you and I must not talk +thus. I am your father, and I tell you to do me this +service. Say rather, I ask it of you. It is no more than an +act of kindness to a stricken man; your hand on the gun +will be the hand of mercy.' + +"'But I cannot do it,' cried out Klein Andries in a sort of +pain. + +"'You will do it,' said the old man. 'Remember you are the +eldest of my sons. You will do it, Andries?' + +"'No,' said Andries. + +"'You will do it?' + +"'No!' + +"'Then, Andries,' said the old man, half raising himself as +he lay, and pointing a finger at his son--'then, Andries, +eldest son and dearest and all, I will curse you.' + +"For a full minute the two looked each other in the eyes, +and then Klein Andries let his hand fall on his knee like a +man beaten and broken. + +"'It shall be as you say,' he answered at last. 'I will do +what you ask, but--it will spoil my life for me.' + +"'Thank you, my son,' said the old man, sinking back. + +"'Oh, I will do it,' said Andries. 'But I hold it a sin, a +black and bloody sin, that I commit with open eyes and a +full knowledge. But I will do it.' + +"So the thing happened, and all that week before his death +the old man suffered little. As he said himself, his last +taste of life was sweet in his mouth. He thought much upon +his grave and the manner of his burying, and would often +talk with Klein Andries and Piet, and give them directions. + +"'I will not be buried in the kraal,' he said one day. 'My +sister Greta never had any love for me, and I had just as +lief not disturb her. Put me on top of the hill there; I +was always one for an open view.' + +"From where he lay he could see through the window the +place where he desired to be buried, and the grave of his +cousin Cornel, dead twenty years before.. + +"'Put me, then, on top of the hill,' he said, 'and I shall +be able to overlook Cornel. He has a head-board with a +round top, so you will give me two boards, one at my head +and one at my feet, both with round tops. You would not +have that carrion triumph over me?' + +"'It shall be done,' said Andries. + +"'And you might carve a verse on my headboard,' the old man +went on. 'Cornel has only his name and dates, and no doubt +he counts on my having no more. His board is only painted; +see that you carve mine.' + +"'I do not carve letters very well,' began Andries, 'but--' + +"'Oh, you carve well enough,' said the old man. 'Very well +indeed, considering. You won't have to do very much. There +are plenty of short verses in the Psalms, and some--very +good ones, too--in Proverbs. The Predikant will soon choose +a verse of the right sort. Say a verse, Andries; it is not +much.' + +"'I will see to it,' said Andries. + +"Then Piet, whose mind was a dunghill, had a horrible +thought. 'But what about the water?' he cried, for the +stream from which they took their drinking-water ran past +the foot of the hill. + +"'You must draw your water higher up, answered the old man. +'If I were not about to die, Piet, and therefore under a +need to judge not, lest I be judged, I would cut down your +oxen and sheep for that. Go out; I will say what I have to +say to Andries.' + +"When Piet was gone he went on. 'Remember, Andries, a bare +four foot, no more. I would not wish to be late when the +dead arise. Just four foot of cool earth, and a black +coffin with plenty of room in it.' + +"'I will take care,' replied Klein Andries. + +"'Very well, do as I have told you, and I shall be very +well off. I shall sleep without pain till the last day, and +perhaps dream in peace about the verse on my head-board and +the round tops.' + +"Although I like a man to take it bravely, I can very well +understand that that week must have been a terrible one for +Klein Andries, who, though a good lad, and a wealthy man at +this day, never was particularly quick at taking up an +idea. He went about with a bowed head and empty eyes, like +a man in mortal shame; and I believe that never since has +he quite cast off the load his father laid on him. Not that +I see any harm in the affair myself. + +"Well, in proper course the day came, and Andries van der +Linden lay in his bed between the fresh sheets, propped up +with fine clean pillows. His people had come from near and +far, for the curious story was well known, and they were +proud of their kinsman. They crowded the room in which he +lay, all in their best clothes, a little uneasy, as most +folks are on great occasions, and all very quiet. + +"Old Andries van der Linden was free from pain, and spoke +to them all in very cheerful and impressing words. As he +lay among his pillows with his white hair thrown back and +his beard on his breast, he was a fine man to see--a picture +of a good and a brave man. He read aloud from the Bible, +and then prayed awhile, giving out his words grandly and +without a quaver. Then he shook them all by the hand and +bade each one good-bye. + +"'Now, Andries,' he said, and lay back smiling. + +"Klein Andries stood at the foot of the bed with his rifle +resting across the rail, but he dropped his head with a +sob. + +"'I cannot,' he said, 'I cannot.' + +"'Come, Andries,' said the old man again. 'Come, my son.' + +"Then Klein Andries caught his breath in his throat and +steadied the rifle. The old man lay calmly, still smiling, +with fearless eyes. + +"'Close your eyes,' said Andries hoarsely, and as the old +man did so he fired. + +"The windows of the room were blown outwards and broken, +but the shot was a true one, and the work was well and +workmanlike done." + +"It must have spoiled the sheets," observed Katje. + + VASCO'S SWEETHEART + +"As to that," said the Vrouw Grobelaar, answering a point +that no one had raised, "it has been seen over and over +again that sin leaves its mark. Do you not trust or avoid a +man because there is honor or wickedness in his face? Ah, +men's faces are the writing on the wall, and only the +Belshazzars cannot read them. + +"But the marks go deeper than a lowering brow or a cruel +mouth. Men may die and leave behind them no monuments save +their sin. Of such a case I remember one instance. + +"Before my second husband was married to his first wife he +lived out yonder, on the Portuguese border, and in the +thick of the fever country. I have not seen the place, but +it is badly spoken of for a desolate, unchancy land, bad +for cattle, and only good to hunters. My second husband was +a great hunter, and died, as you know, through having his +body crushed by a lion. The people out there are not good +Boer stock, but a wild and savage folk, with dark blood in +them. + +"I only know this story from my second husband, but it took +hold of me, as he used to tell it. There was a family in +those parts of the name of Preez. No relation to the Du +Preez you know, who are well enough in their way, but Preez +simply,--a short name and a bad one. They were big holders +of land, with every reason to be rich, but bad farmers, +lazy hunters, and deep drinkers. The Kafirs down there make +a drink out of fruit which is very fiery and conquers a man +quickly, and these people were always to be seen half +drunk, or else stupid from the stuff. Old Preez, the +father, in particular, was a terrible man, by all tellings; +full threescore and ten years of age, but strong, fiery, +and full of oaths. My second husband used to say there was +something in the look of him that daunted one; for his hair +and his beard were white, his face was savagely red, and +his eyes were like hot coals. And with it all he had a way +of looking on you that made you run from him. When he was +down with drink and fever he would cry out in a terrible +voice that his mother was a queen's daughter and he was a +prince." + +"I have heard of the people you speak of," I said. "They +are half-Portuguese, and perhaps the old man was not wholly +lying." + +"Um! Well, prince or not, he married in his youth a woman +of the half-blood, and begot of her a troop of devils. Five +sons he had, all great men, knowing not God and fearing +none of God's works. And after them came a daughter, a +puling slip of a thing, never meant to live, whom they did +to death among them with their drinking and blaspheming and +fighting. + +"My second husband told me tales of that family that set my +blood freezing. He had his own way of telling stories, and +made you see pictures, as it were. Once, he used to say, +for a trifle spoken concerning them and their ways, they +visited a missionary by night, dragged him from his bed, +and crucified him against his door, while his wife clung to +the old man's knees and besought the mercy they never gave +and never got. Even the wild folk of the countryside were +stricken with the horror and impiety of the deed; and it +says much for the fear in which the Preez family were held +that none molested them or called them to account. + +"In the end the eldest of the five sons took a mind to +marry and to leave some of his accursed stock to plague the +world when it should be delivered from him and his +brothers. They cast about for a wife for him, and were not +content with the first that offered. They had their pride, +the Preez, and in their place a fair measure of respect, +for among the wicked, you know, the devil is king. From one +farmhouse to another they rode, dragging forth women and +girls to be looked at like cattle. Many a tall, black- +browed hussy would have been content to go away with Vasco +Preez (such was his unchristian name), but he was not +willing to do right by any of them. + +"They were returning home from one of these expeditions +when they passed a lowly house beside the road with no +fence around it. But before the house a girl stood on the +grass, with her kapje in her hand, to see the six big men +ride by. She was little and slim, and, unlike the maidens +of the country, whitish, with a bunch of yellow hair on the +top of her head and hanging over her ears. The others would +have passed her by, judging her unworthy even an insult, +but Vasco reined in his horse and shouted a great oath. + +"'The woman for me!' he cried. 'The woman I was looking +for! I never knew what I wanted before.' + +"The others halted to look, and the girl, frightened, ran +into the house. Vasco got down from his horse. + +"'Fetch the filly out,' shouted the old man. 'Fetch her out +and let us see her paces.' + +"Vasco walked straight into the little house, while the +others waited, laughing. They heard no screams and no +fighting, and presently out comes Vasco alone. + +"He went over to his horse and mounted. 'There is nothing +to wait for,' he said. 'Let us be getting on.' + +"'But the girl?' cried one of his brothers. 'Is she dead, +or what?' + +"'No,' said Vasco, 'but she would not come.' + +"'Would not come!' bellowed the old father, while the +others laughed. 'Did you say she would not come?' + +"'That is what I said,' answered Vasco, sitting his horse +very straight, and scowling at the lot of them. + +"'He has a fever,' cried the old man, looking from one to +another. 'He is light in the head. My faith! I believe the +girl has been beating him with a stick. Here, one of you,' +he roared, turning on them, 'get down and kick the girl out +of the door. We'll have a look at the witch!' + +"Koos, the youngest, sprang from his saddle and made +towards the house; but he was not gone five paces before +Vasco spurred his horse on to him and knocked him down. + +"'Keep off,' he said then, turning to face them all, as +Koos rose slowly. 'If I cannot bring the girl out none of +you can, and you had better not try. Whoever does will be +hurt, for I shall stand in front of the door.' + +"And he went straight to the house, and, dismounting, stood +in the doorway, with his hands resting on the beam above +his head. He was a big man, and he filled the door. + +"'Hear him,' foamed the old father. 'God, if I were as +young as any of you, I would drag the girl across his body. +Sons, he has defied us, and the girl has bewitched him. Run +at him, lads, and bring them both out!' + +"'They all came towards the house in a body, but stopped +when Vasco raised his hand. + +"'I warn you,' he told them--'I warn you to let the matter +be. This will not be an affair of fighting, with only +broken bones to mend when it is over. If I take hold of any +one after this warning, that man will be cold before the +sun sets. And to show you how useless this quarrel is, I +will ask the girl once more if she will come out. You all +saw her?' + +"'Yes,' they answered; 'but what is this foolery about +asking her?' + +"'You saw her--very well.' He raised his voice and called +into the house, 'Meisje, will you not come out? I ask you +to.' + +"There was silence for a moment, and then they heard the +answer. 'No,' it said; 'I will stay where I am. And you are +to go away.' + +"'As soon as may be, my girl,' called Vasco in answer. +'Now,' he said to the men, 'you see she will not come.' + +"'But, man, in the name of God, cast her over your shoulder +and carry her out,' cried the father. + +"'Vasco looked at him. 'Not this one,' he said. 'She shall +do as she pleases.' + +"Then they rushed on him, but he stepped out from the door, +and caught young Koos round the middle. With one giant's +heave he raised him aloft and dashed him at the gang, +scattering them right and left, and knocking one to the +ground, where he remained motionless. But Koos lay like a +broken tool or a smashed vessel, as dead men lie. And all +the while Vasco talked to them. + +"'Come on,' he was saying. 'Come all of you. We shall never +do anything but fight now. I see plainly we ought to have +fought long ago. Bring her out, indeed!' + +"They paused after that, aghast at the fury of the man they +were contending against. But the old man gave them no rest. + +"'Get sticks,' he cried to them--get sticks and kill him.' + +"They dragged beams from a hut roof, and one of them took a +heavy stone. Vasco stood back and watched them till they +came forward again. + +"The one with the stone came first, but it was too big to +throw from a distance, and he dared not go near. The others +approached with caution, and Vasco stood still, with his +hands resting as before at the top of the door. They were +bewildered at his manner, and very cautious, but at length +they drew near and rushed at him. + +"Then a most astonishing thing happened. With one wrench +Vasco tore the thick architrave from the wall, a beam as +thick as a man's thigh, and smote into the middle of them. +Where he hit the bone gave and the flesh fell away, and as +they ran from before him the wall fell in. + +"Down came the wall, and with it the heavy beams on the +roof. The old father, cursing over a broken arm, heard the +girl scream, and saw the wreck come crashing about Vasco's +shoulders till he disappeared below it. And then, where the +house had been stood a ruin, with two souls buried in the +midst of it. + +"It steadied them like a dash of cold water. However they +might fight among themselves, they were loyal to one +another. Besides the old father, with his broken arm, there +was only one other that could put a hand to the work, and +together they started to drag away the beams and bricks and +stones that covered Vasco and the girl. + +"I know they were wicked men who are in hell long since, +but I cannot contain a sort of admiration for the spirit +that fastened them to their toil all that long night,--the +old man with his broken arm, the young one with a dozen +horrid wounds. As the sky paled towards morning, they +discovered the girl dead, and leaving her where she lay +they wrought on to uncover Vasco. + +"When they found him he was crushed and broken, and pierced +in many places with splinters and jagged broken ends of +wood. But he had his senses still, and smiled as they +cleared the thatch from above his face. + +"The old man looked at him carefully. 'You are dying, my +son,' he said. + +"'Of course,' answered Vasco. 'Is that Renault?' He smiled +again at his brother. 'So there are two of you alive, +anyhow. How about the others?' + +"'Two dead,' answered his father. 'And the other will not +walk again all his days. You are a terrible fighter, my +son.' + +"'Yes,' answered Vasco, in a faint voice. 'It was the girl, +you see.' + +"'She was a witch, then?' asked the old man. + +"'No,' said Vasco smiling. 'Or perhaps, yes. I do not know. +But I will fight for her again if you like.' + +"'Oho! so that is it,' and the old man knelt down beside +him. 'Now, I see,' he said. 'I never guessed before--did not +know it was in you. My son, I ask you to forgive us.' + +"'I forgive, but where is she?' + +"'Dead. No, it was none of our doing. You did it,--the roof +fell on her. We will lay you together.' + +"'Do so,' replied Vasco. 'I think I am dying now.' + +"'Yes,' answered the father. Your face is becoming gray. +Your throat will rattle in a minute. Look here; this is +what my mother used to do.' + +"'And he did thus," said the Vrouw Grobelaar, giving a very +good imitation of the sign of the cross. + +"But that was not a bad ending," cried Katje. "I think it +was beautiful. I hope Vasco and the girl went straight to +God." + +The Vrouw Grobelaar sighed. + + THE PERUVIAN + +FROM her pocket Katje produced stealthily a clean-scoured +wish-bone. The Vrouw Grobelaar was sleeping in her chair +with tight-shut eyes. So I took one end of the bone, and we +broke it, and the wish remained with Katje. + +"Wish quick," I said. + +She puckered her pretty brows with a charming childish +thoughtfulness. + +"I can't think of anything to wish for," she answered. + +"Wish to be delivered from the sin of playing with +witchcraft and dirty old bones!" The suggestion echoed +roundly in the old lady's deep tones, and we, startled and +abashed, looked up to find her wide awake, and in her +didactic mood. The Vrouw Grobelaar never slept to any real +purpose. One might have remembered that. + +"Yes, witchcraft," she pursued. "For if bones are not +witchcraft, tell me what is? When a Hottentot wants to find +a strayed ox, he makes magic with bones, doesn't he? And +the bones of a dead baboon are dangerous things too. Katje, +throw that bone away." + +Katje, who hated to be found out, threw it over the rail of +the stoop into the kraal. When the good Vrouw had kept her +steady eye on me for a few seconds, I threw my half after +Katje's. + +"I thought so," said the Vrouw Grobelaar, with a twitch of +the lips like a smile stillborn. + +"It's only a game," said Katje plaintively. "There's no +harm in it." + +The old lady shook her head. + +"There's harm in things you don't understand," she +pronounced. "There's harm in failing in love, for +instance, if you don't know what you are doing. But +witchcraft is worse than anything. You've seen how hard it +is to make a Kafir doctor show his tricks. That's because +he's never certain which is master, he or the devil. I knew +a man once, a Peruvian, who burned his fingers badly." + +A Peruvian, for the Vrouw Grobelaar, was any one for whose +nationality she had no name. In Johannesburg it means a +Polish Jew; in this instance I believe the man was a Greek. + +"He was a smouser" (pedlar), she went on, "a little +cowering man, with a black beard and a white face, who +spoke Kafir better than he spoke the Taal. He sold thimbles +and pills and hymn-books to the wives and daughters of +Burghers, and grand watches and cheap diamonds to the +Kafirs. It was a dirty little trade, and there was nothing +about the man that streaked it with nobility. I remember a +Scotch smouser, who was called Peter Piper, who sold pills +like a chemist, and everybody liked him and respected him, +till he had his great dispute with the Predikant at +Dopfontein. But this little man was like a slimy thing made +to crawl on its belly; and many is the time he would have +been sjamboked from a door, were it not for--well, I don't +know. But he was such a mean helpless thing, that, when he +shrank away and looked up, with his white eyes staring and +his lips parted, not the most wrathful Burgher could lift a +whip. + +"And even as he seemed to fear everything, the Kafirs +certainly feared him. Kafirs, you know, go naked to all the +little winds, and the breezes that will not hurt a thatch +carry death to them. They are deaf to God. but the devil +has but to whisper, and they hear. They bought shameful +watches and sleepy diamonds from the Peruvian, as they kill +a goat at the flowering of the crops--to appease something +that might else visit them in the night. It was a thing +much spoken of, and since even among the Burghers there are +folks who dirty their fingers with magic and wish-bones--ay, +you may well pout!--perhaps this had something to do with +the fact that he was never flogged to the beacons and +kicked across. + +"In fact, there grew up about him a something of mystery, +uncanny and not respectable. The little plodding man who +went so meekly past our gates had a shadow one feared to +tread on. + +"You won't remember, but you will have heard of, the +terrible to-do there was when Freda van der Byl +disappeared. She was a most ordinary girl, perhaps eighteen +years old, with a fine appetite, and nothing whatsoever +about her that was strange or extraordinary: and yet one +night she was missing, and it has never been set past doubt +who saw her last. She was on the stoop in the afternoon, +ate well at supper, went out then in the usual way to the +hut where the tobacco-sacks were, and never came in again. +She disappeared like a flame blown out, with never a spoor +to give direction to those that sought her, without a shred +of clothing on a thorn-bush to hint at a tale. She seemed +to have fled clean out of the world--a big ten--stone girl +with red hair melted like a bubble. + +"And how they hunted for her! Old Johannes van der Byl and +his sons went through the country like locusts, and with +them were a mob of relations and friends, and some +prospectors from the Hangklip who betted about it. Every +kloof was scoured, every Kafir stad and kraal turned inside +out, and the half of them burned. Their ponies streaked the +long grass of the veld for miles; the men, their loaded +rifles in hand, were abroad late and early; and yet they +never found even a shoe-sole or a shred of hair to give +them a clue. The witch-doctors would have been glad enough +to find her, for they were flogged from morning to night, +and Barend van der Byl beat the life out of one who did not +seem to be doing his best. If Freda had been anywhere in +the veld she would have been found, so fervently did the +Kafirs hunt her in order to get a little peace and +security. + +"But nothing availed; no trace of her came to light, and +even the women of her family grew tired of weeping. But one +hot dusty afternoon, when her brothers Jacobus and Piet +were riding home from the fruitless search, they came upon +the Peruvian sitting under a bush smoking his yellow +cigarettes. He glanced up at them as they went past, +slavish as ever, yet still with that subtle significance of +mien that made him noteworthy, and suddenly Jacobus reined +up. + +"'Piet,' he called, pointing with his sjambok. Look--our +last chance!' + +"Piet did not understand. + +"'We have been cutting the Kafir doctors into ribbons,' +explained Jacobus, 'and they were no good. But here is a +wizard, and a white one, who won't wait to be flogged. If +he can do nothing, then there is nothing to do. Let us +bring him along, Piet.' + +"Piet was a fat youth, deadly strong, who never spoke while +there was work to do. He merely dropped from his saddle and +caught the Peruvian deftly by the back of the neck. The +smouser, of course, whined and squirmed, but Piet was the +man who broke the bullock's neck at Bothaskraal, and he +made no difficulty of tying the little man's wrists to his +off stirrup. All his trinkets and fallals they left behind, +and riding at a walk, talking calmly between themselves of +the buck with wide horns that the Predikant's cousin +missed, they dragged the little smouser to the homestead. + +"'Several of the men had already come back, and when they +heard Jacobus's plan, some were openly afraid and wished to +have the Peruvian set loose. But Oom Johannes cursed at +them and smacked Jacobus on the back. + +"'My daughter is lost, and evil tongues are active about +her,' he roared. 'I want her back, and I don't care how she +comes. Come to supper, Jacobus; and afterwards you shall +take your smouser into a hut and persuade him.' + +"It was not an easy thing to make the Peruvian understand +what was wanted of him. But by and by, when he had been +argued with in Dutch and Kafir, and shown a skull that was +found in a kloof, and the dol oss, and a picture in the +Bible of the Witch of Endor, he suddenly grasped the idea, +and grinned. Piet spat on the ground as the white teeth +gleamed through the greasy black beard. + +"'Yes, perhaps I can do that,' said the Peruvian, in the +Taal. 'Perhaps, but one cannot be sure. You will pay, eh?' + +"Jacobus wanted to threaten, but Oom Johannes would not +have it. + +"'Find my girl,' he said, 'and you shall be paid. Fifty +pounds for any news of her, more if she is alive and well.' + +"But the smouser explained that he could only find her if +she were dead. + +"'I can get her to speak, perhaps,' he said. 'More? No!' + +"At last Jacobus and Piet took him into one of the big huts +and gave him the little lamp that he demanded. He set it in +the middle of the floor, and when they pulled to the door +behind them the big domed hut was still almost dark, save +for the ring of quiet light in the centre that flickered a +little. + +"'I wish he could do this kind of thing when I'm not +there,' grumbled Jacobus, who hated creepy things. + +"'Hush! be quiet!' commanded the Peruvian, and the two +young men sat down, very close together, with their backs +to the door. + +"'The first thing that the Peruvian did was to take off all +his clothes, and then he came into the dim circle of light +mother-naked. He was a little man at best, but Piet said +afterwards the muscles stood out under his swarthy skin in +knots and ridges. And there he stood, facing them across +the lamp, with his arms stretched forwards and his hands +just fluttering loosely. Nothing more. His eyes were +upturned and his face lifted, so that a streak of shadow +rose across it, and the black beard against his neck rose +and fell with his breathing. But for the gentle flutter of +his hands and the heave of his chest he was still as stone-- +so still that for those who watched him all relation to +human kind seemed to leave him, and he was a being alone in +a twilight world of his own, a creature as remote and as +little to be understood as the spirits of the dead. + +"Have you ever, when wakeful in a hot night, with darkness +all about you, called yourself by name again and again? It +was a trick we dared sometimes when I was a girl. After a +while it is something else that is calling, something of +you but not in you, to which your soul answers at last; and +if you go on till the will to call is no longer your own, +the soul goes forth in response to it, and you are dead. +And even so, gaunt in the beam of the lamp, the Peruvian +seemed to insist upon himself, till the eyes of the +watchers were for him only, till that which they saw was +less the mean body of the smouser than the vehicle of the +potent soul within. + +"Piet was a youth as solid in mind as in body, and ere the +scene grasped him against his will he says he saw with an +angry impatience the flicker of a leer on the darkened face +of the Peruvian. But it did not last. In a few minutes the +two young Burghers were not the only ones whom the spell +had subdued--the wizard was netted too. And then, as he +stood, his hands still fluttering, they heard him drone a +string of words, a dull chant, level like an incantation, +inevitably apt to the hour and the event. + +"They did not know how long they crouched, watching +unwinkingly till their eyes grew sore; but at last it +seemed that the posturing and the words had made something +due. Jacobus started as though from sleep, and Piet, who +was not till then frightened, looked up quickly. He caught +sight of something--a shadow, a hint, a presence in the +darkness behind the naked man, and knew, somehow, with a +coldness of alarm, that IT had arrived. He barely realized +this knowledge when the power of the quietness and the +jugglery were rudely sundered, and the Peruvian, shrieking +and clucking in his throat, dived towards them and tried to +hide. He plunged frantically against the door, which gave +and let him fall through, and in a moment, with the cold +sweat of horror upon them, Piet and Jacobus struggled +through after him and ran with still hearts for the house. + +"But in that moment that he was jammed in the narrow +doorway with his brother, Piet saw into the hut, and there +was something there. There was another with them. + +"They came fast to the lighted room upon the heels of the +naked Peruvian, who fell on his face and writhed, weeping +in sheer terror. There was alarm, and chairs overturned, +and screaming of women, and it was long before they could +get the smouser to his feet and bring him to speech. And +then he would not go a foot away from them. + +"'It came; it came!' he babbled, quivering under the table- +cloth they had cast over his nakedness. 'It came--behind +me!' and forthwith he began to stammer in his own strange +tongue. + +"'What was it?' demanded Oom Johannes, who was beginning to +feel nervous. + +"'There was a ghost!' was all that Piet could tell him. 'It +frightened the smouser. It frightened all of us.' + +"And by this time the smouser was babbling again, turning +from one to the other, like one who excuses himself. + +"'I did not bring it,' he wailed. 'I did nothing--only +tricks. Just tricks to get money--and it came behind me. +Mother of God! It came behind me!' + +"Not one of them ventured beyond the door that night. They +had not even the heart to turn the smouser out, though he +expected nothing less, and clung howling to Piet's knees +when the lad rose to bolt the door. But in the morning he +was gone, and"--here the Vrouw Grobelaar became truly +impressive--"he had not even fetched his clothes from the +hut. + +"So you see, Katje, what comes of messing your fingers with +wish-bones." + +"Pooh!" sneered Katje, "I'm not afraid of the ghost of the +fowl." + + + +TAGALASH + +When we came to the farmhouse, Katje and I, the Vrouw +Grobelaar asked if we had been down by the spruit. We had-- +all the afternoon. There are cool and lonely places in the +long grass beside the spruit, where its midsummer trickle +of water sojourns peacefully in wide pools of depth and +quiet. + +"You can't mind that, anyhow," said Katje patiently. + +"Why can't I?" demanded the Vrouw Grobelaar. "Why can't I +mind that as well as anything else? I tell you, my girl, +that things are not quite so simple as you take them to be. +Even a herd of swine can house a devil, mark you. A bit of +stick in the path can be a puff adder, and there are spells +tucked away in the words of the Psalms even. And the +spruit! Why, you crazy child, a spruit is just the place +for things to lurk in wait. Yes, slippery things that have +no name in man's speech. Even the Kafirs know of a spirit +that lives in a pool." + +Katje laughed, "Oh, Tagalash!" she said. + +Tagalash is the little god who abducts girls who go down to +fetch water in the evening, and carries them away to the +dim world under the floor of the pools to be his brides. He +lives in the water, and sings in the reeds, sometimes, of +an evening and at other times works mischief among the +crops and the cattle with spells that baffle the +husbandman. + +So Katje laughed as she mentioned him, and the Vrouw +Grobelaar bridled ominously. + +"You laugh," she said scathingly--"you laugh in the face of +wisdom and counsel as they laughed in Sodom and Gomorrah. +Yes; Tagalash, Katje! What have you to say against +Tagalash? You think, I suppose, that he doesn't exist. I +tell you, my girl, there's many a god of the heathen who is +a devil of the Christians. That's what Christianity is for-- +to make devils of the gods of the heathen. And besides, +this Tagalash is not like the others. He has been seen." + +She paused. "Who by, Tante?" I asked, while Katje affected +to whistle carelessly. + +"Ah," she said, "you want to know? Well, Tagalash was seen +and felt and had speech of by one who told it afterwards +with white lips and fevered eyes that compelled belief. A +Boer woman, mind you, and no liar; the young wife of an +upright and well-seen Burgher, who had his farm an easy +four hours from here. + +"It is Folly Joubert I mean, who married when she was +eighteen one Johannes Olivier, a youth with hair like an +Irishman--all red. I had known her somewhat, and she was +just that kind of girl in whom one feels the thrust of a +fate. She was thin, for one thing, and without any of the +comfortable comeliness that makes young men doubtful and +old men sure. She had a face that was always rapt, lips +that parted of themselves as if in wonder at great things +newly seen, and big troubled eyes that spoke, despite her +leanness and long legs, of a spring of hot blood crouching +within her. Yes, she seemed doomed to something far and +tragic, and outside the lives of decent stupid men. + +"There was much bother, I believe, to persuade her to a +marriage with Johannes, though he was rich enough. + +"Perhaps it was hard on her, but then it must have been +hard on him too. For he was another kind than she; just a +big youth that ate four times a day with desperation, and +lived the rest of the time as a tree lives. There is no +harm in such men, though; it is they that people this world +and have the right to guide it, for they put most into it +and hew most from it; but for those who are born with a +streak of heaven or hell in their fabric, they are heavy +companions at the best. But these two married at last, and +faced life like oxen that pull different ways in the same +yoke. And within a month Johannes walked about with a face +like one who tries to guess a riddle-troubled and puzzled; +and Polly was walking elsewhere, carving herself a new +religion from the stones of the bitterness of life. + +"I have the rest from her own lips, as she told it when she +came back. Yes, she went away--I will make that plain +enough. It was after a quarrel with Johannes over some +little grossness of no consequence that she walked forth +from the house and down towards the spruit. It was between +afternoon and evening, and she sought a quiet place to sit +and prey on her heart. There was a pool that summer, deep +and very black, lying between steep banks on which grew +bushes and tall grass, and to this she came and sat by the +edge of the water, and dabbled her long thin fingers in its +coolness and let her thoughts surge in her. + +"'I thought of death,' she said, as she sat in her chair +and told of it--'of death, and peace, and hatred glutted, +and dead enemies, and love, and sin. A wild storm of +dreams, was it not? A grim tempest to lay waste a sore +heart. And she only eighteen, with eyes like lakes on a +mountainside!' As she told it, she cast back on her memory-- +you could see she was aching to strip her fault naked and +scourge it before us all--'And the thoughts were like a +sleeping draught to my anger,' she went on pitifully. 'I +drowned my wrath in dreams of vengeance and sinful hopes of +a joy to find in the future.' + +"'I conjured up faces of eager, bold men who should court +me, and one that I had thought on before--a small man, lean +at the waist, who moved like a spark among burning wood, +and laughed ere he struck.' Her finger traveled in the air, +and he was plain to see. + +"She went on: 'I was looking in the water between my hands, +creating my lover by the spell of desire, and I could see +his face in the vortex my fingers made as I moved them to +and fro. I gazed and gazed and gazed, and then, suddenly, +some fear gripped me, for the face became a face of a man, +with the idle water swilling across it. But it was a face: +my mind battled against the realization till the fact +governed it. It was a face, brown and keen and smiling with +a gleam of white teeth, and then a hand met my hand in the +water and drew me forward. I did not drag back. I think I +fell on my face, but here I have no memory.' + +"When again she came to a sense of things, she was lying in +a dim place where all that moved seemed shadows only. At +first it was her thought that she was yet on the bank by +the pool, but as her mind renewed its hold she knew this +was not so. She breathed an air alien to her living +nostrils, and knew that here she had no part in a world of +human creatures, and the thought rose in her that she was +dead, drowned in the pool, and had reached the next world. +'Can this be hell?' she wondered, as she rose to a sitting +posture and strove to see about her. + +"It was a grassed mound she sat on, in a kind of plain, and +she heard the creaking of bushes about her where no wind +breathed on her cheek. The dimness was not the part +darkness of a summer night, but a shadow where no sun had +ever shone, a barren gloom that was lugubrious and uneasy. +A dozen feet from her all was blurred and not to be +distinguished, but it seemed to her that many people moved +round about her, and now and again there was a rustle of +hushed voices, as of folk who met stealthily and spoke with +checked breath. In the dimness shapes moved, faintly +suggested to her eyes, and presently, though she had no +thrill of fear, a loneliness oppressed her that nearly made +her weep. She was not as one that has no comrade in the +world, for such a one is at least kin by blood and flesh to +all others. She was alone, as a living man in a tomb is +alone. + +"With a little fervor of troubled recollection, like a +child reciting a psalm, she told us how she rose to her +feet and gazed about her, pondering which way to take. And +while she was yet doubtful a hand touched her elbow, and +she started to face a man that had come from behind her. +Staring at his face with wits clenched like a fist, the +contours of the face in the water returned to her mind, the +sharp brown face that had grown up in the middle of the +countenance she dreamed upon, and she knew in a moment that +here was the face again and the rest of the man with it. + +"'I knew it at once when his teeth shone through his +smile,' she said. 'He was not so tall as I, and very brown +in that sorrowful light, but not black. There was a robe he +wore from his neck to his ankles that left one arm bare and +the little feet below its hem, and his head was bare with +straight black hair upon it. His hand was on my arm, and he +stood before me and looked in my face and smiled a little +at me, very gently and timidly.' + +"It seems he found her scarcely less strange than she found +him. In his bearing was something of awe and wonder, while +she stared with a mere surprise. + +"'Are you a man?' she asked at length, stupidly. + +"He smiled yet. 'No,' he answered gently. 'But oh, you are +beautiful!' + +"She replied nothing at first, and he went on with a soft +voice like the voice of a tender child. 'I saw you in the +water long ago, I looking up to you, you looking down to +where I was hidden. I smiled to you and reached my hand, +but there was no smile on your face, and I did not dare +take you till--till this time. Then your hands were +stretched forward, and as I clasped them you sank to me,--my +beloved! my beloved!' + +"His brown face glowed upon his words with a fire of +worship. She started back from him with a quick terror, +hands clasped and lips parted. + +"'Tell me,' she cried, 'tell me, where am I? What is this +place? Am I dead at last?' + +"He soothed her. 'You are in my country,' he said very +gently. 'Now it is your country, as I am yours. You are not +dead but living, and brimming with the love I languish for; +and here you will stay with me, and we will love one +another very tenderly in the heart of my gloom, and you +will be my bride. + +"'Oh, listen to me!' he cried, when she would have +answered. 'Many slim and delicate girls have come to me +through the mirror of the pool, but none such as you, with +a warm soul floating on your face and a bosom aching for +love. When first I saw you I yearned for you, I coveted +you. The thought of you was my food and drink, and stayed +my eyes from sleep; I set my spell on the waters that they +should slumber and hold your image unbroken, and now I have +you; you are here with me. You are mine.' + +"He was glowing with a kind of eagerness it hurts one to +rebuff, and she watched him, her fears under control, with +a growing wonder. + +"'Yes,' she said slowly. 'It must be true, then--that old +tale. You are Tagalash!' + +"He smiled. I am Tagalash,' he answered. + +"'But,' she said, 'I am white!' For no one had ever heard +of any but Kafir brides for Tagalash. + +"He shrank a little, but smiled yet beseechingly, as he +would have her cease that part of the tale. + +"'You are so beautiful,' he urged, come with me to my +house, will you not?' + +"But that she would not do, and moved not from her place on +the grassed knoll throughout her stay in the shadows-- +something like a week. + +"'I am the wife of Johannes Olivier,' she said, and her +words sounded foolish in her own ears. 'I am a wife,' she +persisted, there in that dead land of the black gods. 'I +want to go back,' she cried like a strayed child. 'I want +to go back. I am afraid. Take me back to the light.' + +"'He tried to comfort her with gentle words and talk of his +passion and her beauty, but to no effect. She shrank from +the unnatural flesh of him; she panted as though the dust +of tombs were in her nostrils; and at last he stood off, +looking at her with a mild trouble, and then he went away, +and she was sitting once more alone amid the traffic of +hushed voices and moving shadows. + +"'There came no night,' she told us, in a voice that +quavered uncertainly, 'always that unlovely twilight only; +and I sat on the grass and wept. She had no sensation of +hunger or sleep in that world, the whole of her stay. She +stayed in the same place, dreary and waiting, with no +active hope and little fear--only a longing for the +sunlight; and at last a dull pain of yearning for the rough +red head and beefy texture of her human husband. A week, +mind you--a week she stayed there thus, save when Tagalash +would come up unheard to court her again. + +"After that first time he was a more cautious lover, and +sat at her feet with lowered eyes pleading with her. One +answer always stilled him, and that was her cry of 'Take me +back; I am afraid.' + +"'You were not fashioned for a rude love,' he said to her +once. + +"'Ah,' she answered then, 'but there is that in me that +welcomes a heavy hand and a strong arm.' + +"'The others are like that,' he answered, as though +speaking to himself. 'But they have no such hungry beauty +as you.' + +"'My beauty,' she told him, 'is a chance vessel for a mere +woman's soul.' + +"At last he became wistful, and seemed afraid to ask: for +what he desired. 'But I can yet give to you,' he told her. +'Say what you would have. I can bring it you.' + +"'Then give me back to my world,' she cried. 'Do that, and +I will thank you on my knees.' + +"He sighed. 'Is that all you desire?' he said. 'Supposing I +granted you that, is there nothing you would take back with +you?' + +"'No,' she answered. + +"'No charm?' he asked again. 'Not a charm to compel love? I +can give you even that.' + +"'Take me back,' she begged, 'and teach me how to win my +husband to forgive me.' + +"He smiled very sadly, and she could almost have pitied +him, so poor he seemed, bereaved of his desire. + +"'You are greater than Tagalash,' he said slowly, 'since +you make a slave of him. You shall have what you will. Go +back to your world, my beloved, my love that shall +henceforth dread the still pools.' + +"'So I came back,' she said, looking-round on us as though +all were explained. + +"'How?' we asked. + +"'Why, I came,' she answered plaintively, and had no more +to tell. She had been found sleeping on the grass near the +spruit, after a week of absence during which the men of the +district had combed the very bushes for a trace of her. + +"'But the charm?' asked one of us. 'The charm to win +forgiveness? What was that?' + +"She looked timidly at the tall Johannes who stood by her +chair in silence. + +"'I have forgotten what it was,' she answered with wet +eyes. + +"'No,' he cried, bending to her lips. 'No! It is a true +charm that, my kleintje.'" + +"Good old Tagalash!" remarked Katje cheerfully. + + THE HOME KRAAL + +After sunset on a summer's day, when evening has overcome +the oppression of the still heat and breezes grow up like +thoughts, the world of veld becomes odorous, and every air +has its burden of unforgettable scents. + +As we sat in the stoop, steeped in a flood of shadow, +looking down over the kraals to where the grasses are ever +green about the spruit, the Vrouw Grobelaar spoke gently. + +"I should remember this," she said, "after a hundred years +of heaven. The winds of Mooimeisjes would call me even +then." + +Katje's hand moved in mine. + +"It is home," said Katje. "It--it makes me want to cry." + +The Vrouw Grobelaar smiled. "As for me," she answered, "it +makes me think of nothing so much as that hollow beside +Cornel's grave, where, in my time, I shall go to my long +dreaming. This place has peace written large on its face; +and ah! it is at home that one would like to lie at last. +Yes, none of your damp churchyards for me! The home kraal, +like a Boer vrouw; for the grave and the home are never +quite two things to us Boers. How some have striven for the +home kraal, that feared to lie with strangers. Allemachtag, +yes!" + +She moved a little in her armchair, and we waited in +silence for the tale to come. Katje came closer to me, in +that way she has, like a dear child or a little dog. + +"The Vrouw van der Westhuizen," said the old lady, "had but +one child, a son. Emmanuel, she called him, for a dozen +poor reasons; and for him and in him she had her whole +life. The poor, they say, are rich in poor things, and this +lad grew to manhood with a multitude of mean little vices +and dirty ways which showed like a sign on his pale weak +face, and summed up the trivial soul within for you at the +first glance. Most of us have cause to thank God that He +has not written on our faces; but Emmanuel could have +carried no writing large enough for his mother to read. +Because he was weak and idle, two of her nephews lived on +the farm, Barend and Peter van Trump, great slow true men, +with hearts like children; yet she esteemed Emmanuel as +much above them as they in truth, in all points of worth +and virtue, were over him. Ah, but a mother is a traitor to +the whole world. + +"I remember this Emmanuel well. A bony small man of the +color of straw, with eyes that moved too quickly and a cold +hand, a body like a wisp of linen-cloth-so flimsy and +slight--and some slenderness at the knee that made him +shamble like a thief! Peter stood with a great brown hand +on his shoulder, smiling at me with a frank open mouth and +cheeks creased with pleasantry. When he laughed, his body +shook mightily, and the motion of his hand made the other +stagger. And the Vrouw van der Westhuizen stood there +looking, with eyes like pools of pride for her son. + +"There was nothing in the farm to hold Emmanuel, no charm +in the veld nor interest in the work. He was barely a man +when he would ride on to the dorp and its saloons, and in +time he was there oftener and oftener, drinking and soiling +his hands with all the strange foulness of life the English +bring with them. We, the neighbors round about, marked it +of course; but none thought much of Emmanuel and his +doings; and the thing was little talked of till it became +known that at last he was gone for good, and had betaken +himself to live in a great town, among devilries that have +no name in our clean Taal. + +"It was a grievous blow for the Vrouw van der Westhuizen. +From the time he departed, she became old; as she went +about her affairs, the woe at her heart was plain to see. +She was a stricken woman, the world had been cut from under +her; and about her, now that her child was gone, she felt +nothing familiar, but lived, dumb and bewildered, in a maze +of strangers. Barend and Peter had no wits to console her. +How, indeed, should they have hoped to console a mother +thus bereft? The days lounged by inexorably, bringing no +word of Emmanuel with them, and no mercy. Their footprints +were the wounds upon the Vrouw van der Westhuizen's heart; +and, in the end she sickened wearily and lay listless, due +to death. + +"Then only did the silence break and let through a word of +news. Some one--I cannot remember now who it was--had been to +the town to a law-case to be cheated of some land, and he +brought back news of Emmanuel--news that he was deadly ill +in a mean place, and lacking money. He told it shortly to +the Vrouw van der Westhuizen, and she sent at once for +Barend and Peter. + +"'Get to your horses,' she told them, 'and bring my +kleintje back to me. Be quick to bring him--why do you stand +gaping like sick cows while he is dying? And take money. +Take all the money that is in my box under the bed, in case +he should need something. Get the box out quickly, now!' + +"They obeyed her. In the box was the money of the house, as +the Boers need to keep it, a great deal of money in +sovereigns, very heavy to carry. But she would not even +suffer them to count it, so they filled a bag with it, and +Barend tied it to his belt, and then they caught the horses +and started on the long trek to the town. + +"It is a journey of fifteen days by wagon, yet those two, +by killing horses--they who used all beasts so gently--did it +in three, and on the fourth, much troubled by the great +throng of people all about them, came to a narrow street, +smelling of poor food, and found the house in which +Emmanuel lay. A woman with a cruel face and naked breasts +opened to them, staring at their great size and their +beards, and showed them up a long stair to a room with a +bed, from which Emmanuel looked up at them. + +"It was a small room, tucked close under the roof, and held +but the tumbled frowsy bed, an uneasy table and a chair. On +the floor, clothes and boots lay heaped with old +newspapers, and the place was hot with stale air. From the +pillows, the face of Emmanuel met them with something of +expectancy; and the two big men, fresh from the wind of the +veld, saw with a quick dismay how his pale skin stood tight +over the bones of him, and a clear pink burned like a +danger lamp high up on each cheek. + +"'I thought you would come,' said the sick man in a weak +voice, 'I knew it. I was sure I should not die alone in +this hole, while my mother's horses were sound. It is bad +enough to die at all, but no man deserves to die away from +home.' + +"Peter kneeled down beside the bed and would have passed an +arm under his shoulder. But he would not have it. + +"'No need to slobber,' he said, with a note of contempt in +the voice that rang so faintly. The woman, who was leaning +in the door, laughed harshly, and a passing smile flickered +over Emmanuel's face. + +"'I couldn't live, could I, Flo?' he said to her. 'But I +can die. You watch--it'll be worth seeing. What's that you +have at your belt, Barend? Not money?' + +"Barend nodded. 'Yes, it is money,' he said. 'The ou ma +sent it, if you should need it.' + +"'Need it!' Emmanuel laughed harshly. + +"'God, but I do need it. When didn't I? How much is it, +man?' + +"'She would not have us stay to count it,' answered Barend. +'But it is a very great sum.' He loosened the bag from his +belt. 'All gold,' he added, and poured the sovereigns in a +heap on the tumbled bed. + +"'God! said Emmanuel again, striving to sit up. The woman +at the door uttered a short oath and came forward with +parted lips and bent over the gold. + +"'Laddie, it's a pile,' she said hoarsely. 'A jugfull!' Her +twitching hands ploughed through the heap, and the coins +tinkled among her fingers. She was glancing from one to +another of the men, and drew forth her hand clenched on a +full fist of sovereigns. Peter, still kneeling beside the +bed, made a noise in his throat. + +"She bent her look on him, a look of narrow warlike eyes +and bared teeth, the first stare of a savage animal +disturbed on its kill; but the big Boer met her with a face +of calm. + +"'The ou ma sent it for Emmanuel,' he said slowly, and rose +to his feet. + +"She snarled at him, but Barend, with his teeth clenched on +his beard, moved to the door and stood there with his legs +apart and his great hands on his hips, filling up the way. +Emmanuel lay on his back, breathing a little hard, the +color pulsing in and out on his cheeks and a twisted smile +on his lips. She turned a second to him, as though to +appeal, but saw him as he lay and said nothing. + +"'Put that money, Emmanuel's money, back on the bed!' said +Peter. + +"She lifted it to her bosom as though to pouch it, but +Peter moved his arm and she flung the coins suddenly on the +floor, and laughed gratingly at him. + +"'D'you see that, laddie?' she called to Emmanuel. 'Oh, you +sneering devil, gasping there, ain't you got a word to say +to me? Say, can't I have some of this cash? There's enough +here to spare me a fistfull.' + +"'Lift me up, Peter,' said Emmanuel. Peter raised him till +he sat upright, and held him with a long arm about his +shoulders. Emmanuel reached forward hands thin as films of +milk, and shuffled the gold to and fro. + +"'Can you have some?' he said, looking up at the woman. +'You! Yes, you man-wrecking pirate, go down on your knees +and whine for it, beg for it, pray with clasped hands for +it, and you shall take as much as you can grasp. Do that, +d'you hear? I want to see you on your knees for once and +groveling for a handful of sovereigns. Go on; get down with +you!' + +"Barend gave a short laugh. It was amusing of Emmanuel, he +thought, to promise this on a condition so impossible. The +woman spun on her heel and faced him sharply with bent +brows and a heaving bosom. + +"'Kneel, my beauty,' said Emmanuel again mockingly, but +watching the woman as she stared at Barend. There was a +kind of wonder on her dark cruel face as she studied the +big Boer's serene countenance and masterful poise of head, +and noted there the mild amusement which is the scorn of a +good man. + +"'Kneel now, and plead for it,' said Emmanuel again; and of +a sudden a doubt came over Barend. There was a distress +plain to see, something remorseful and newly born surging +in this harlot; there was an appeal, fiercely shameful, in +the hard eyes bent on his. + +"Of a sudden she wheeled round and spat an awful curse at +the sick man. 'Keep your damned money!' she went on, while +the thick veins in her neck grew to dark ridges. 'D'you +think you can buy everything? You've sold your life and +your innocence for filth--d'you suppose it's all to buy? You +an' me's in the same box, my boy--bad 'ems both, but you +don't make a dog of me.' + +"She turned to Barend. 'Let me pass, you big hulking--' +she hesitated, looking at him. + +"'Oh, you poor innocent,' she cried, with a laugh, and ran +past him and out at the door. + +"Emmanuel called after her, and bade her come back and take +what she would, but her heels rattled on the stairway and +she was gone. + +"'Is that the strange woman?' asked Peter, quoting from the +Proverbs. + +"Emmanuel laughed. 'Strange as the devil,' he said, with +his voice running weak. 'You see souls in this town, +cousins--not bodies only, as on the farm. Souls that blush +and bleed, I tell you. But go to the head of the stairway, +Barend, and shout as loud as you can for Jim. Just shout +"Jim"!' + +"Barend went and roared the name half a dozen times. There +came at last a man with a dirty coat buttoned to the neck, +grimy, ill-shod and white-eyed, and to him Emmanuel, +speaking from behind the heap of sovereigns, to which the +man's evil pale eyes strayed every moment, gave orders. + +"'Tell the boys,' he said, 'that there's a spree here +tonight. Get the whole gang, Jim, and particularly Walters. +And take what money you want, and send what is necessary up +here. Steal what you must, you hound, but leave us short of +nothing, or my big cousins here will cut you to ribbons. Is +that not so, Barend?' + +"'Whenever you please, Emmanuel,' said Barend. + +"The man Jim took the money and went, and + +Emmanuel lay in Peter's arm, picking at the gold. + +"'Shall I count it for you?' said Peter at last. + +"'God, no!' said Emmanuel. 'Leave it, man. It's luxury not +to know how much it is.' A dribble of coins tinkled from +the blanket to the floor. 'Don't pick them up,' he cried, +as Barend stooped. 'This is like water in a long trek to +me.' He picked up a handful of money and strewed it abroad. +'I can die,' he said, 'now I've money to throw away, and +tonight there'll be the end.' + +"It was an orgy that evening. There came men and women to +that high room, where the evil man Jim had already disposed +of bottles of spirits and of wine. The big Boers stood +there like trees among poppies. 'Tis an evil, leering +flower, the poppy, with its color of blood and love mounted +on its throat of death. Barend and Peter, upright and +still, stood at the head of the bed watching them as they +entered, lean, cruel-mouthed dogs of the city, whose eyes +went to the gold on the blanket ere they greeted the man +that had bidden them thither. Emmanuel, propped in his +pillows, his face a mask of hard mastery, his eyes like +blurs of fire on a burned stick, looked at them as they +came in, yet ever his eyes returned to the door, as though +he sought some one who should yet come. + +"Women spoke to him--handsome bold women with free lips, and +eyes that commanded eyes of men, and these he barely +answered. But a crisp step on the stairs brought the death +spot hot and quick to his fevered cheeks, and there entered +a man. + +"A small man, a dark man! Barend, talking afterwards, with +a pucker of wonder between his brows, said he was smooth. +He had a face that was keen and alert without being hard; +eyes that were quiet and yet judged; lips upon which there +dwelt an armed peace and also a humorous curve. He seemed +to have his own world, to blot from his consciousness that +which displeased him; yet he himself was for those who +looked upon him a man blocking the horizon of life. A great +man, I judge--that is, a man great in the qualities which +need but an aim to move mountains. God gives few such men +an aim, or there would be more gods. + +"Emmanuel spoke very quietly to him, but with no wheeze of +weakness in his voice. + +"'Good-evening, Walters,' he said. + +"The newcomer but cast a glance over his shoulder. 'Ah!' he +said, and his eye lighted on the gold, and his pleasant lip +curled further. + +"'Has your mother died?' he asked. 'I suppose that's why +you're so gay. What a funny little beast you are, Van der +Westhuizen!' + +"'These are my cousins,' said Emmanuel. + +"'They ought to suit you. They are as stupid as honest men, +and as honest as stupid ones, This is Barend--that is +Peter!' + +"Walters looked up at them, and Peter held out a hand to +him. He took it, and smiled, and when Barend saw the grace +and friendship of that smile, he too gave his hand. + +"'You have come to take Emmanuel home?' said Walters. +'Well, use him tenderly. If he is worth handling at all he +is to be tenderly handled. But I am sure you will be +gentle. You are too big to be rough.' + +"He turned from them to a woman that was prattling near by, +and at once entered her life, it seemed. She turned to him +as one who worships. + +"'Come, drink!' Emmanuel called to them. 'This is my +farewell, you people. I've come to the jump-off place. +Reach me a glass, somebody, and put something in it. What +will you have, Walters? Help yourselves, all of you.' + +"With chattering and laughter the bottles passed about, and +a woman at the foot of the bed raised her glass with a +flourish and drank to the sick man. 'You're game, boy,' she +cried; 'you finish like a ferret!' + +"Barend stood for three hours watching them, Peter by his +side. 'It was like reading in Chronicles and Kings,' he +said, when he related it later. 'There was a boil of +business all about, and drinking and gabbling, and I saw +faces, flushed and working, that I am sick to remember. The +wine they drank came soon to possess them as Legion +possessed the swine; in an hour they were lost to all +reason and decency, and women were cursing in the voices of +men and men weeping loosely like women. They cast off their +outer garments when the room grew hot, and lounged half- +naked; and of all of them, only two seemed to live aloof, +like men among beasts--Emmanuel and the young man Walters. + +"'This young man passed in and out like an eel in water. +Nothing clung to him of all the filth in which he trod. He +drank, but was not less the master of himself; he jested, +but his laughter was the mirth of the pure in heart, +without harshness in it, and they made him way and listened +when he spoke; and even the gross, hot-eyed women dulled +their terrible speech when he stood before them. The eyes +of Emmanuel, propped in his bed, his blankets wet with the +wine he spilled from his glass, were ever upon him. I think +the boy admired him. Whenever he stirred, sovereigns +dribbled to the floor, but he looked not once after them; +he was all for watching Walters, who barely turned towards +him. Ah, but he was very sick, our Emmanuel! His breath +rasped as he drew it; there was a fire in his great eyes +that made one tremble--that fire that makes you think of +hell-fire and naked souls writhing in it. A look of savage +hunger, but far off, as though desiring things not of +earth!' + +"A strange scene, was it not, for a chamber overshadowed by +the wings of death. Towards midnight, Emmanuel sighed, and +slipped down a little. Peter moved to lift him and started +at the pinch of death on his face. His exclamation drew +most of the others to look, but as they crowded near +Emmanuel opened his eyes. + +"'Walters,' he said faintly. + +"'Well, my boy,' said Walters. + +"'What-do-you-think-of-this?' Emmanuel asked, his weakness +watering his speech. + +"Walters laughed quietly. 'I'll tell you in the morning,' +he said. 'But you're a good actor, my friend.' + +"You'll see,' whispered Emmanuel, and closed his eyes +again. + +"Then Barend bade them all go forth, and after awhile, when +he had taken one lewd man in his hands and cast him on the +stair, they went, and the noise of their voices, raw and +ungentle, filtered away. The two Boers were left at the +bedside, among the bottles and the gold and the strewn +clothes; and Emmanuel lay rigid, with a buzz in his throat +and a spot of blood on his lips. Peter kneeled and prayed. + +"But in a couple of hours, when his face had grown thin and +his nose sharp, and his hands cold as clods, they saw he +was dead, and spoke together of what they must do. They +knew nothing of that treacherous web of law and custom +which is the life of a city; they knew only that their feet +were among pitfalls, and that they must move quickly if +they would take Emmanuel away to the farm and the kraal. So +while Peter went forth to bring three horses, Barend sought +among the garments scattered about the room and dressed the +thin body in them, and put his own broad-brimmed hat on the +fair head that should henceforth need no shelter from the +sun. When he had done, Peter returned, and came up the +stairs quietly. + +"They took the body of Emmanuel under the armpits, one on +each side of him, and thus carried him down the stairs. A +man met them on the way, his face bland and foolish in the +glow of a candle he carried. + +"'Drunk, eh?' he said, without particular curiosity. +'Almost dead, by the looks of him.' + +"'Quite dead,' answered Barend, and they passed him and +came down to the horses, hitched at the sidewalk. + +"They put the body in the saddle, and rode on either side, +close in, and Peter held it upright with a hand on its +shoulder, as a man might conceivably ride by a comrade. +There was yet no light of day, only a grayness that +streaked the night sky, and a bitterness in the air like a +note of mourning. Slowly, walking their sleepy horses, they +passed along the streets, dark save where a lamp at a +corner shed a yellow and dismal light about it. Creatures +of the night, slouching here and there, looked at them; +policemen, screening from the wind in dark corners, thrust +forth heads; but they rode on, and none stopped them, and +thus they came forth of the city and faced the veld again. + +"They raised their faces to its freshness, familiar and +friendly as the voice of one's kin, and pushed the horses +to a trot, while behind them the blur of light that was the +city paled and died down as the miles multiplied under +their hoofs. Peter had the leading rein of the middle horse +while Barend steadied its burden, and thus they traveled +towards the east and home. + +"When the sun was high, they no longer dared follow the +road. Out of those they must meet and exchange words with, +there would surely be some whom they could not deceive-some +who had seen death before and knew the signs of it. So they +pulled aside, and made for the high land of Baviaan's Nek, +riding across the gray grass and among the yellow ant-hills +till close on noon. Then, dipping to a hollow, where some +willows cast a shade upon a pool of a spruit, they +dismounted and laid the dead man in the cool, while they +off-saddled the horses and rested themselves. There were +biltong and bread in their saddle-bags, and tobacco they +did not lack, and the need for food drove them to make a +big meal. They were concerned with this so deeply that they +did not notice that a Kafir, carrying the bundles which +Kafirs always carry on the trek, had come up to them. + +"He was an old Kafir, his wool gray and his skin rough with +age, but his eyes were bright with the full of strength and +peaceful with wisdom. He lay down at the pool's brink and +drank, and then gave them good day. + +"'Will the baas permit me to sit in the shade of the +trees?' he asked. 'It is hot traveling.' + +"He looked from them to the stretched body of Emmanuel as +he spoke. + +"'Sit over there, then,' said Barend, 'and see you keep +quiet.' + +"'Oh, I shall not wake that baas, at all events,' said the +old Kafir, pointing to the body. + +"Both the Boers were startled at this, but the man walked +calmly to the farthest tree, and piled his bundles there. + +"'We all have our troubles,' he said, as he shook out his +brown blanket. 'Age for some of us, sorrow for others. And +then there is death, too. I am not dead, at least.' + +"'Why do you talk of death?' demanded Peter sharply. + +"The old Kafir held up a finger. There was a kind of mirth +in his motion. 'Hush, or you will wake him,' he replied. +'But I know all about death, except the taste of it. I know +how it looks, and how it lies on the ground, and how it +comes, and how it is concealed.' + +"He raised his hard old face with eyes half-closed, and +snuffled at the air. + +"'And how it smells, too,' he said. + +"'You will learn the taste of it in a minute,' cried +Barend, springing to his feet with a white face. 'You old +scarecrow, what is it you are hinting about? Do you take us +for murderers?' + +"The old Kafir sat down among his bundles and fumbled for +his pipe. There was no concern on him; he had the still +ease of one who comes upon his own special task, sees it, +and knows he is the master of it. While Barend, shaking a +little, stood gauntly over him, he filled his pipe, lit it, +and blew forth a cloud of smoke. + +"'Pooh!' he said. 'The baas gives too much importance to +trifles. A dead man is of less worth than a living one. It +is the baas I am interested in--not the carrion.' + +"He spat very leisurely and took the pipe to his lips +again. + +"Barend, after a little hesitation, sat down again. + +"'I have known white men,' said the old Kahr, leaning back +against his tree, 'who scratched crosses in the ground, and +traced them on their breasts with a finger, when they came +upon death or the dead. That is a strong charm. And in the +east, yonder, are others who spill wine on the earth. But +in my tribe we neither make crosses nor waste liquor. We +spit. Where is the baas going?' + +"'Across Baviaan's Nek,' said Barend, very quietly. + +"'Ah! That is a long way. Tonight the baas should camp by +the huts that are over the drift where the great rocks are. +There are Kafirs there who will not fear this luggage of +yours. They will sell food and shelter, and refrain from +curiosity. Will that serve the baas?' + +"'Surely,' said Barend, and tossed him some tobacco. + +"The old Kahr caught the horses for them and helped them to +lift the dead man to the saddle. By this time the body had +become stiff, and needed a constant effort to hold it +steady. The sun was hot as they rode on, and the dust +smoked up about the fetlocks of the horses. The stiff feet +of the dead man were in the stirrups, and as now and again +they broke into a short canter, he seemed as though he +would stand up in his stirrups to look ahead. + +"'So Emmanuel always did when he rode among ant-heaps,' +said Peter once. + +"Barend only grunted in reply; the strain on his arm and +wrist was a heavy one. + +"They camped that night at the huts the old Kafir had +spoken of. The Kafirs there were of a large build, strong +and silent. They glanced once or twice at the body, but +said nothing. + +Food was forthcoming--, and a big clean hut, and here the +two Boers slept beside the corpse. It was only next +morning, when they had mounted and were about to start, +that one, with the head-ring of dignity about his scalp, +gave a word of counsel. + +"He stood at Barend's bridle, looking up to him with a sort +of pity. + +"'The day will be hot, baas,' he said, 'and that will be +doubly burdensome. So you may know that beyond the Nek, +where the mimosas grow on a damp plain, the ground is very +soft. There are huts there, and shovels.' + +"Barend nodded his thanks, and they rode through the drift +and up the Nek. It was, as the Kafir had predicted, a hot +day. One of those days which come in the throng of the +summer, when the sun is an oppressor, ruthless and joying +in pain, when the earth is dead with heat and dryness and +the very air forbears to take a freedom I When they came +down the slopes beyond the crest, the flanks and rumps of +the horses were slimy with running sweat, and red nostrils +spoke of distress. The dead man sat in the saddle with a +thin show of eyeball under each lowered lid, and a gleam of +teeth above the sunken lower lip, yet for all the world +like one that follows a purpose, like one guiding himself +to a steadfast end. In the face there was a growing hue +that does not visit the living, but the hat-brim cast a +shadow over it that lent it an effect of deep gravity and +solemn intention. + +"'He means to reach the farm.' said Barend, after glancing +at him. + +"Peter drew rein. 'And yet,' he said, 'he will never do it +if we travel thus. We killed horses to make the city in +three days; going at this rate, it will take us six to +return.' + +"'Well,' replied Barend, 'what else is there to do?' + +"'Only one thing,' said Peter, 'your horse is the weight- +carrier. You must take Emmanuel over your saddle-bow, and +we must kill more horses.' + +"'But a dead man,' said Barend. 'It is like a blasphemy.' + +"'We can do nothing else,' said Peter, and after a little +more talking they made the change." + +The Vrouw Grobelaar paused and looked at us. Katje was +tight in the crook of my arm. + +"Words limp while horses stride free," she said, "but +conceive that ride. Taking horses where they could find +them, they rested no more, nor drew rein save to fill and +light their pipes. From Baviaan's Nek they traveled at the +canter across the mimosa swamp, and so by the Rhenoster +Drift to Ookiep, where Barend's horse fell and he and that +other rolled on the veld together. When Peter had found and +brought another horse, they made one stage to Jantje's +Kraal, and thence, galloping wordless through the night, to +Zwartvark. Long rides, you will say! Aye, rides to +remember; but think of the brimming stillness of the +journey, hushed and governed by that silent companion, +while thought could not stray nor fancy escape from the +death that chased at the elbow of each. When, on the third +morning, as the sun came spouting up from the low country, +they saw afar the roof that was their goal, Peter cried +aloud like a child awaking from evil dreams. + +"Ere noon their hoofs knocked on the stones in the front +kraal, and they bore the body to the shade of the tobacco +shed. + +"'And now,' said Peter, when that was done, 'who is to tell +the ou tante?' + +"Barend leaned at the door-post with his arm cast up over +his face and said nought, but there came from the house a +girl of the neighborhood, who laid a finger to her lips. + +"'Hush,' she said. 'Make no noise about this house. Where +have you been, the two of you? An hour earlier, and you had +been in time. As it is, the Vrouw van der Westhuizen died +with no kin about her.'" + + THE SACRIFICE + +"Do not think," said the Vrouw Grobelaar, looking at me +with a hard unwinking eye, "that idle men should have +pretty wives. Though Katje will lose that poppy red-and- +white when she begins to grow fat. Still--" + +Katje made an observation. + +"Her mother," pursued the Vrouw Grobelaar, still holding me +fixed, "spent seventeen years in one room, because she +could not go through the door; and when she died they took +the roof on and hoisted her out like a bullock from a well. +But as I was saying, it is not well that idle men--those +with leisure for their littlenesses, like schoolmasters and +doctors and Predikants should have pretty wives, or they +tend to waste themselves. A man with real work and money +matters and the governing of cattle and land and Kafirs to +fill his day, for such a one it is very well. Her +prettiness is an interval, like the drink he takes in the +noonday. But for an idle man it becomes the air he +breathes. He is all-dependent on it, and it is a small and +breakable thing. + +"Look how men have been wrecked upon a morsel of pink-and- +white, how strong brains have scattered like seed from a +burst pod for a trifle of hunger in a pair of eyes! I +remember many such cases which would make you stare for the +foolishness of men and the worthlessness of some women. +There was the Heer Mostert, Predikant at Dopfontein, who +fell to blasphemy and witchcraft when his wife Paula was +sick and muttered emptily among her pillows." + +The old lady shifted in her wide chair and took her eyes +from me at last. + +"She was pretty, if you like," she said. "A tall girl, with +a small red mouth, and hair that swathed her head like +coils of bronze. The Predikant, who had more fire in him +than a minister should have, and more fullness of blood +than is good for any man, spent the half of his life in the +joy of being near to her. She was full in the face and slow +with a sleek languor, but on his coming there was to see a +quickness of welcome spread itself in her. She would flush +warmly, and her eyes would cry to him. Their love glowed +between them; they were children together in that mighty +bond. So when a spring that came down with chill rains +smote Paula with a fever, and laid her weakly on her bed, +the Predikant was a widower already, and walked with a face +white and hard, drawn suddenly into new lines of pain and +fear. + +"Women are strange in sickness. Some are infants, greatly +needing caresses and the neighborhood of one tender and +familiar. Others grow bitter, with an unwonted spite and +temper, venting their ill-ease on all about them. But after +the first, Paula was neither of these. The sense of things +left her, and she lay on her bed with wide eyes that saw +nothing and spoke brokenly about babies. For she had none. +The doctor, a man of much brisk kindness, whose face was +grown to a cheerful shape, frowned as he bent above her and +questioned her heart and pulse. Paula was very ill, and as +he looked up he saw the Predikant, tall and still, standing +at the foot of the bed, gazing on the girl's face that gave +no gaze back; and there was little he could say. + +"'Speak to her,' he told him. + +"The Predikant kneeled down beside her, and took her hand, +that pinched and plucked upon the quilt, into his. + +"'Paula!' he said gently. 'Wife!' and oh! the yearning that +shivered nakedly in his voice. + +"'Little hands,' moaned Paula weakly--'little hands beating +on my breasts. Little weak hands; oh, so little and weak!' + +"The Predikant bowed his head, and the doctor saw his +shoulders bunch in a spasm of grief. + +"'Paula!' he called again. 'Paula, dear. It is I--John. +Don't you know John, Paula? Won't you answer me, dear?' + +"With eyes shut tight, he lifted a face of passionate +prayer. + +"'Say daddy!' said Paula, crooning faintly. 'Say daddy.' + +"The doctor passed his arm across the Predikant. + +"'Come away,' he said gently. 'This does no good. Come +away, now. There is plenty of hope.' + +"He led him outside, rocking like a sightless man. When he +sat down on the edge of the stoop, he stared straight +before him for a little while, fingering a button on his +coat till it broke off. Then he flung it from him and +laughed--laughed a long quiet laugh that had no tincture of +wildness. + +"'Look here,' said the doctor, 'unless you go and lie down, +you'll not be fit to help me with Paula when I need you. +Lie down or work, whichever you please. But one or the +other, my man.' + +"'Suppose,' said the Predikant quietly--'suppose I go and +pray?' + +"'That'll do capitally,' answered the doctor. 'But pray +hard, mind. It might even do some good. There's nothing +certain in these cases.' + +"'I have just been thinking that,' said the Predikant, +turning to him with a face full of doubt. But we can try +everything, at any rate.' + +"'We will, too,' said the doctor cheerfully; and then the +Predikant passed to his room to pour out the soul that was +in him in prayer for the life of Paula. + +"It was a great battle the doctor fought in the dark room +in which she lay. When late that night the Predikant, his +face dull white in the ominous gloom, came again to the +rail at the foot of the bed, his hand fell on something +soft that hung there. It was Paula's long bronze hair they +had cut off for coolness to her head. + +"The doctor did not wait for the question. + +"'There will be a crisis before day,' he said. + +"'What does that mean?' asked the other. The doctor +explained that Paula would rise, as it were, to the crest +of a steep hill, whence she would go down to life or death +as God should please. + +"'But what can we do?' demanded the Predikant. + +"'Very little,' replied the doctor. 'Beyond the care I am +giving her now, the thing is out of our hands. We can only +look on and hope. There is always hope.' + +"'And always hope betrayed,' said the Predikant. 'But is +she worse now than she was this afternoon when she babbled +of the little hands?' + +"'Yes,' answered the doctor. + +"'But I prayed,' said the Predikant, with a faint note of +argument and question. + +"'Quite right, too,' replied the doctor.' Go and pray +again,' he suggested. + +"The Predikant shook his head.' It is wasting time,' he +whispered, and turned to tiptoe out. But at the door he +turned and crept back again. + +"'It is my wife, you see,' he said mildly--'my wife, so if +one thing fails we must try another. You see?' + +"The doctor nodded soothingly, and the Predikant crept out +again. + +"The doctor sat beside the bed and watched the sick woman, +and heard her weak murmur of children born in the dreams of +fever. It was a still night, cool, and hung with a white +glory of stars, and the point at which life and death +should meet and choose drew quickly near. + +There was this and that to do, small offices that a woman +should serve; but the doctor had ordered the women away and +did them himself. He was a large man, who continually fell +off when he mounted a horse, but in a sick-room he was +extraordinarily deft, and trod velvet footed. So in the +business of leading Paula to the point where God would +relieve him time went fast, and presently he knew the +minute was at hand. + +"He was sitting, intent and strung, when he heard from the +garden outside the house a bell tinkle lightly. He frowned, +for it was no time for noises; but it tinkled again and yet +again, louder and more insistent, while a change grew +visibly on the face of the sick woman, and he knew that the +issue was stirring in the womb of circumstance. Then, +brazenly, the bell rang out, and with an oath on his breath +he rose and slipped soundlessly from the room. + +"When he reached the garden all was still, and he loosed +his malediction upon the night air. But even as he turned +to go back the bell fluttered near at hand, and he dived +among the bushes to silence it He nearly fell over one that +kneeled between two big shrubs and wagged a little ram +bell. + +"'What in hell is this?' demanded the doctor fiercely, +seizing the bell. + +"'It is me,' answered a voice, and the Predikant rose to +his feet. 'Be careful where you tread. There are things +lying about your feet you had better not touch. Has it done +her any good?' + +"'You stricken fool!' cried the doctor, 'do you know no +better than to go rattling your blasted bells about the +place tonight? You're mad, my man--mad and inconvenient.' + +"'But is she better?' persisted the Predikant. + +"'I'll tell you in ten minutes.' replied the doctor. 'But +if you make any more noise you'll kill her, mind that.' + +"The Predikant went with him to the stoop, and stayed there +while the doctor returned to the bedside. At the end of an +interval he was out again, and took the husband by the arm. + +"'It's over,' he said. 'She's doing finely. Sleeping like a +child. You can thank God now, Mynheer Mostert.' + +"The Predikant stared at him dumbly. + +"'Thank God, did you say?' he asked at last. + +"'And me,' answered the doctor, smiling. + +"'I do thank you,' answered the Predikant. 'I do thank you +from my heart, doctor. But for the rest--' + +"And here, with a voice as even as one who speaks on the +traffic of every day, with a calm face, he poured forth an +awful, a soul-wracking blasphemy. + +"'Here!' cried the doctor, startled. 'Draw the line +somewhere, Predikant. That sort of thing won't do at all, +you know.' + +"'Now let me see my wife,' said the Predikant; and after a +while, when he had warned him very solemnly on the need for +silence, the doctor took him in and showed him Paula, thin +and shorn, sleeping with level breath. The Predikant looked +on her with parted lips and clenched hands, and when he was +outside again he turned to the doctor. + + "' I value my soul,' he said simply. 'But it is worth it.' + +"'I haven't a notion what you are gibbering about,' +answered the doctor, who had a glass in his hand. 'But +there's long sleep and a dream killer in this tumbler, and +you've to drink it.' + +"'I need nothing,' said the Predikant, but at the doctor's +urgency he drank the dose, and was soon in his bed and +sleeping. + +"Next day, when he was let in to Paula's bedside, she +smiled and murmured at him, and nodded weakly when he +spoke. The doctor warned him about noise. + +"'We've won her back,' he explained, 'and she's going to do +well. But she has had a hard time, and there's no denying +she is very weak and ill. So if you go back to your bell-- +ringing or any of those games you'll undo everything. She's +to be kept quiet, do you hear?' + +"'I hear,' answered the Predikant. 'There shall be +stillness. Not that it matters for all your words, but +there shall be stillness.' + +"'I warn you,' retorted the doctor seriously, 'that it +matters very much. You're off your axle, my friend, and I +shall have to doctor you. But if I hear of any foolishness, +Predikant or no Predikant, I'll have you locked up as sure +as your name's Mostert.' + +"He left him there, and started through the garden to his +cart that stood in the road. On his way he stubbed his foot +against something that lay on the earth--a great metal cup. +He picked it up. + +"'I am not a heathen,' he said, as he brought it to the +Predikant, 'and therefore a Communion-cup is no more to me +than a sardine tin, when it is out of its place. I don't +want to know what you were doing out here the other night, +my friend; but you had better put this back in the Kerk +before somebody misses it.' + +"The Predikant took it from him, but said nothing. + +"'And look here,' went on the doctor, 'it was my skill and +knowledge that saved your wife. Nothing else. Good-day.' + +"As he drove off, he saw the Predikant still standing on +the stoop, the great cup, stained here and there with +earth, in his hand. + +"From that hour Paula mended swiftly. Even the doctor was +surprised at the manner in which health sped back to her, +and the young roses returned to her cheeks. + +"'There's more than medicine in this,' he said one day. 'Do +you know what it is, Predikant?' + +"'Yes,' said the Predikant. + +"'You do, eh? Well, it's clean young blood, my friend, and +nothing else,' answered the doctor, watching him with a +slight frown of shrewdness. + +"The Predikant said nothing. For days there had been a kind +of gloom on him, lit by a savage satisfaction in the +betterment of his wife. His manner was like a midnight, in +which a veld-fire glows far off. He had grown thinner, and +his face was lean and gray, while in his eyes smouldered a +spark that had no relation to joy or triumph. + +"'Clean young blood,' repeated the doctor. 'No miracles, if +you please.' He thought, you see, he had divined the +Predikant's secret. + +'I'm a man of science,' he went on, 'and when I come across +a miracle I'll shut up shop.' + +"Paula, from her pillows, heard them with a little wonder, +and she was not slow to see the trouble and change in her +husband's haunted face. So that night, when he came to say +good-night to her, she drew his hand down to her breast, +and searched for the seed of his woe. + +"'You look so thin and ill, my dear,' she said gently. 'You +have worried too much over me. You have paid too great a +price for your wife.' + +"She felt him tremble between her arms. + +"'A great one,' he answered, 'but not too great.' + +"'Not?' she smiled restfully, as he lifted his face from +her bosom and looked into her eyes. + +"'Never too great a price for you,' he said. 'Never that.' + +"'My love!' she answered, and for a while they were silent +together. + +"Then she stirred. 'Do you know, John,' she said, 'that you +and I have not prayed together since first this sickness +took me? Shall we thank God together, now that He has +willed to leave us our companionship for yet a space?' + +"'No!' he said quietly. + +"'Dear!' She was surprised. 'I was asking you to thank God +with me.' + +"He nodded. 'I heard you, but it serves no purpose. God +forgot us, Paula.' + +"His eyes were like coals gleaming hotly. + +"'I prayed,' he cried, 'and yet you slipped farther from me +and nearer the grave. I strewed my soul in supplication, +and there was talk of winding-sheets. And then, in the keen +hour of decision, when you tilted in the balance, I sought +elsewhere for aid; and while I defiled all holiness, ere +yet I had finished the business, comes to me that doctor +and tells me all is well. What think you of that, Paula?' + +"She had heard him with no breaking of the little smile +that lay on her lips--the little all-forgiving smile that is +the heritage of mothers,--and now that he was done she +smiled still. + +"'I remember the old tales,' she answered. + +"'How does the witch call the devil, John? Water in the +Communion-cup, bread and blood and earth--is that it? and +two circles--two, is it?' + +"'Three,' he corrected. + +"'Ah, yes; three.' She laughed soothingly, 'You poor +muddled boy,' she murmured. 'Do you prize me so much, John? +Poor John. You must let me be wise for both of us, John. I +am not afraid of the devil, at all events.' + +"'Nor I,' he answered, 'so long as you are well.' + +"'But I am getting well now,' she answered, 'And I do want +you to pray with me, dear. Put your head down, dear, and +let me whisper to you.' + +"She soothed him gently and sweetly, buttressing his +weakness with her love. How can I know what she said or +what he answered? She wrought upon him with the kind arts +God gives a woman to pay her for being a woman, and soon +she had softened something of the miserable madness that +possessed him, and he kneeled beside the bed, sobbing +rendingly, and prayed. Her hand lay on his head, and after +a while, when the violence had passed by, he was taken with +a serene peace. + +"He bade her good-night, tenderly. + +"'Good-night,' she answered, 'and, John--I would that I +could give you half of what you would have given for me.' + +"As he went out at the door he saw her face smiling at him, +with a great warmth of love and pity transfiguring it. + +"'Nest morning, when the doctor came, he stayed near an +hour in her room, and then came to the Predikant. + +"'Just tell me,' he said to him,--'just tell me straight and +short, what you did to your wife last night.' + +"The Predikant told him in a few words what had passed +between them, while the doctor watched him and curled his +lip. + +"'Exactly,' he said, when the Predikant had done. 'Quite +what I should have guarded against in you. Now you may go +to your wife as quickly as you like. She is dying!' + +"It was so. She died in his arms in half an hour, with the +little smile of baffled motherhood yet on her lips." + +Katje clenched her hands and looked out to the veld in +silence. + + + THE COWARD + + +"After all," said the Vrouw Grobelaar weightily, "a coward +is but one with keener eyes than his fellows. No young man +fears a ghost till it is dark, but the coward sees the +stars in the daytime, like a man at the bottom of a well, +and ghosts walk all about him. + +"A coward should always be a married man," she added, "You +may say, Katje, that it is hard on the woman. It is what I +would expect of you. But when you have experience of +wifehood you will come to the knowledge that it is the +man's character which counts, and it is the woman's part to +make up his deficiencies. With what men learn by practicing +on their wives, the world has been made. + +"If you would cease to cackle in that silly fashion I would +tell you of Andreas van Wyck, the coward--a tale that is +known to few. Well, then." + +"He was a bushveld Boer, farming cattle on good land, not a +day's ride from the Tiger River. His wife, Anna, was of the +de Villiers stock from over the borders of the Free State, +a commandant's daughter, and the youngest of fourteen +children. They were both people of a type common enough. +Andreas was to all seeming just such a Burgher as a hundred +others who have grown rich quietly, never heard of outside +their own districts, yet as worthy as others whom every one +nods to at Nachtmaal. Anna, too, was of an everyday +pattern, a short plump woman, with a rosy solemn face and +pleasant eyes--a sound Boer woman, who could carry out her +saddle, catch her horse and mount him without help. You +see, in her big family, the elders were all men, and most +had seen service against the Kafirs, and a girl there won +esteem not by fallals and little tripping graces, but by +usefulness and courage and good fellowship. She saw Andreas +first when he was visiting his mother's aunt in her +neighborhood. There was shooting at a target, for a prize +of an English saddle, and no one has ever said of him that +he was not a wonderful shot. He carried off the prize +easily, against all the Boers of those parts, and Anna's +father and brothers among them. A few months later they +were married. + +"They drove from Anna's home to Andreas' farm on the +bushveld in a Cape cart with two horses, and sat close +under the hood while the veld about them was lashed with +the first rains of December. It was no time for a journey +by road, but in those days the country was not checkered +with railway lines as it is now, and Anna had nothing to +say against a trifle of hardship. For miles about them the +rolling country of the Free State was veiled with a haze of +rain, and the wind drove it in sheets here and there, till +the horses staggered against it, and the drum of the storm +on the hood of the cart was awesome and mournful. Towards +afternoon, after a long, slow trek, they came down the +slope towards Buys' Drift, and Andreas pulled his horses up +at the edge of the water. + +"The rains had swelled the river to a flood, and it ran +with barely a ripple where ordinarily the bushes were clear +of the water. Full a hundred and fifty yards it spanned, +and as they looked, they saw it carry past a dead ox and +the rags of uprooted huts. + +"'We can never cross till it goes down,' said Andreas. 'I +am sorry for it, but there is no choice. We must go back to +your father's house.' + +"Anna pressed his arm and smiled. + +"'You are joking,' she said. 'You know well that I will not +go back there tonight for all the floods in ten years. No +girl would that valued her husband and herself.' + +"'But look at the drift!' he urged. + +"'It is a big head of water,' she agreed. 'I was once +before upset in such a flood as this. You must head them +up-stream a little, and then strike down again to the +opposite bank.' + +"'Not I,' he answered. 'I am not going to drown myself for +a trifle of pride, nor you either. We must go back.' + +"She shook her head. 'Not that!' she replied. 'Give me the +reins and the whip.' Before he could resist she had taken +them from his hands. 'Put your feet on our box,' she +directed, 'or the water will float it away. Now then!' + +"She drew the whip across the horses' quarters, and in a +minute they were in the river, while Andreas sat marveling. + +"'You understand that it was first necessary to move up- +stream to a point in the middle of the river. She steadied +the horses with a taut hold on the reins, for her young +wrists were strong as iron, and spoke to them cheerily as +the flood leaped against their chests, and they stood and +hesitated. The rain drove in their faces viciously: +Andreas, his face sheltered by the wide brim of his hat, +had to rub away the water again and again in order to see; +but Anna knit her brows and endured the storm gallantly, +while with whip and rein and voice she pushed the team on +towards the place of turning. + +"The rushing of the water filled their ears, and before +them, between the high banks of the Vaal, they saw only a +world of brown water, streaked with white froth, hurling +down upon them. It rose above the foot-board and swilled to +the level of the seat. The horses, with heads lifted high, +were often, for an anxious moment or two, free of the +shifting bottom and swimming. A tree, blundering down- +stream, struck the near wheel, and they were nearly +capsized, the water rushing in over their knees. As they +tilted Andreas gave a cry, and shifted in his place. Anna +called to her horses and knit her brows. + +"At last it was time to humor them around, and this, as I +need not tell you, is the risky business in crossing a +flooded drift. With somewhat of a draw on the near rein, +Anna checked the team, and then, prodding with her whip, +headed the horses over and started them. They floundered +and splashed, and Andreas half rose from his seat, with +lips clenched on a cry. The traces tightened under the +water, a horse stumbled and vanished for a moment, and, as +the cart tilted sickeningly, the man, ashen-faced and +strung, leaped from it and was whirled away. + +"The water took him under, drew him gasping over the +bottom, and spat him up again to swim desperately. His head +was down-stream, and, as there was a sharp bend half a mile +below, he had no extraordinary difficulty in bringing his +carcass to shore. He lay for a minute among the bushes, and +then ran back to see what had become of the cart, the +horses, and his wife. He found them ashore, safe and +waiting for him, and Anna wringing the wet from her hair as +she stood beside the horses' heads. + +"'You are not hurt?' she asked, before he could speak. Her +face was grave and flushed, her voice very quiet and +orderly. + +"'No.' he said. + +"'Ah!' she said, and climbed again into the cart, and made +room for him in the place of the driver. + +"That was how he discovered himself to his wife. In that +one event of their wedding-day he revealed to Anna what was +a secret from all the world--perhaps even from himself. He +was a coward, the thing Anna had never known yet of any +man--never thought enough upon to learn how little it may +really matter or how greatly it may ruin a character. When +her brothers, having drunk too much at a waapenschauw, +wished to make a quarrel quickly, they called their man a +coward. But for her it had been like saying he was a devil-- +a futile thing that was only offensive by reason of its +intention. And now she was married to a coward, and must +learn the ways of it. + +"They spoke no more of the matter. Anna shrank from a +reference to it. She could not find a word to fit the +subject that did not seem an attack on the man with whom +she must spend her life. They settled down to their +business of living together very quietly, and I think the +commandant's daughter did no braver thing than when she +recognized the void in her husband, and then, holding it +loathsome and unforgivable, passed it over and put it from +her mind out of mere loyalty to him. + +"The years went past at their usual pace, and there +occurred nothing to ear-mark any hour and make it +memorable, till the Kafirs across the Tiger River rose. I +do not remember what men said the rising was about. +Probably their chief was wearied with peace and drunkenness +and wanted change; but anyhow the commando that was called +out to go and shoot the tribe into order included Andreas, +the respected Burgher and famous shot. The feldkornet rode +round and left the summons at his house, and he read it to +Anna. + +"'Now I shall get some real shooting,' he said, with bright +eyes. + +"She looked at him carefully, and noted that he lifted down +his rifle with the gaiety of a boy who goes hunting. It +brought a warmth to her heart that she dared not trust. + +"'It is a pity you should go before the calves are weaned,' +she said. + +"'Pooh! You can see to them,' he answered. + +"'But you could so easily buy a substitute. It would even +be cheaper to send a substitute,' she urged half-heartedly. + +"You see she had no faith at all in his courage. The years +she had lived with him had brought forth nothing to undo +the impression he had left in her mind when he sprang from +the cart and abandoned her in the middle of the Vaal River, +and this emergency had awakened all her old fear lest he +should be proclaimed a coward before the men of his world. + +"'I dare say it would be cheaper and better in every way,' +he answered with some irritation. 'But for all that I am +going. This is a war, the first I have known, and I am not +going to miss the chance. So you had better get my gear +ready!' + +"With that he commenced to tear up rags and to oil and +clean his rifle. + +"She bade him adieu next day and saw him canter off with +some doubt. He had shown no hesitation at all in this +matter. From the time of the coming of the summons he had +been all eagerness and interest. It might have led another +to think she had been wrong, that the man who feared water +feared nothing else; but Anna knew well, from a hundred +small signs, that her husband had no stability of valor in +him, that he was and would remain--a coward. + +"Next day the fighting had commenced, and Anna, working +serenely about her house, soon had news of it. There was a +promise of interest in this little war from the start. The +commando, under Commandant Jan Wepener, had made a quick +move and thrust forward to the crown of the little hills +that overlook the Tiger River and the flat land beyond it, +which was the home of the tribe. Here they made their +laager, and it was plain that the fighting would consist +either of descents by the Burghers on the kraals, or of +attacks by the Kafirs upon the hills. Either way, there +must be some close meetings and hardy hewing, a true and +searching test for good men. The young Burgher that told +her of it, sitting upon his horse at the door as though he +were too hurried and too warlike to dismount and enter, +rejoiced noisily at the prospect of coming to grips. + +"Anna puckered her brows. 'It is not the way to fight,' she +said doubtfully. 'A bush and a rifle and a range of six +hundred yards is what beat the Basutos.' + +"'Pooh!' laughed the young Burgher. 'You say that because +your husband shoots so well, and you want him to be marked +for good fighting.' + +"She frowned a little, inwardly accusing herself of this +same meaning. She would gladly have put these thoughts from +her, for brave folk, whether men or women, have commonly +but one face, and she hated to show friendship to her +husband and harbor distrust of him in her bosom. When the +young Burgher at last rode away, galloping uselessly to +seem what he wished to be--a wild person of sudden habits-- +she sat on the stoop for a while and thought deeply. And +she sighed, as though pondering brought her no decision, +and went once more about her work, always with an eye +cocked to the window to watch for any rider coming back +from the laager with news of affairs. + +"But there was a shyness on both sides for a week. The +Kafirs had not yet ripened their minds to an attack on the +hills, nor had the Burghers quite sloughed their custom of +orderliness and respect for human life. There was a little +shooting, mostly at the landscape, by those whose trigger- +fingers itched; but at last a man coming back with a hole +in his shoulder to be doctored and admired halted at the +door and told of a fight. + +"He sat in a long chair and told about the pain in his +shoulder, and opened his shirt to show the wound. Anna +leaned against the door-post and heard him. Outside his +brown pony was rattling the rings of the bit and switching +at flies, and she perceived the faint smell of the sweat- +stained saddlery and the horse-odour she knew so well. +Before her, the tall grimy man, with bandages looped about +him, his pleasant face a little yellow from the loss of +blood, babbled boastfully. It was a scene she was familiar +with, for of old on the Free State border the Burghers and +the Basutos were forever jostling one another, and--I told +you her father was a commandant! + +"'But tell me about the battle,' she urged. + +"'Allemachtag!' exclaimed the wounded man. 'But that was a +fight! It was night, you know, about an hour after the +dying of the moon, and there was a spit of rain and some +little wind. The commandant was very wakeful, I can tell +you, and he had us all out from under the wagons, though it +was very cold, and sent us out to the ridge above the +drift. And there we lay in the long grass among the bushes +on our rifles, while the feldkornet crawled to and fro +behind us on his belly and cursed those who were talking. I +didn't talk--I know too much about war. But your man did. I +heard him, and the feldkornet swore at him in a whisper.' + +"'What was he saying?' Anna asked quickly. + +"'Oh, dreadful things. He called him a dirty takhaar with a +hair-hung tongue, and--' + +"'No, no!' cried Anna impatiently. 'What did my husband +say, I mean? What was he talking about when the feldkornet +stopped him?' + +"'Oh, he was just saying that it would be worth turning out +into the cold if only the Kafirs would come. And then he +cried out, 'What's that moving?' and the feldkornet crawled +up and cursed him.' + +"'Go on about the fight,' said Anna, looking from him, that +he might not see what spoke in her eyes. + +"'Yes. Well, I was just getting nicely to sleep, when +somebody down on my left began firing. Then I saw down the +hill, the flashes of guns, and soon I could hear great +lumps of pot-leg screaming through the air. They are firing +a lot of pot-leg, those Kafirs. I fired at a flash that +came out pretty regularly, and by and by it ceased to +flash. Then, as I rose on my knees, a great knob of pot-leg +hit me in the shoulder, and I cried out and fell down. Your +husband came to me and helped me to go back to the rocks, +and soon after all the shooting stopped. The Burghers found +three dead Kafirs in the morning, so we won.' + +"'You were very brave,' said Anna. + +"'Yes, wasn't I? And so was your husband, I believe,' said +the wounded man. 'I couldn't see him, but I've no doubt he +was. They'll try to rush the drift again tonight.' + +"'What makes you think so?' Anna demanded, starting. + +"'Oh, they've been gathering for some days,' answered the +other. 'It's what they are trying to do. You see there are +no farms to plunder on the other side of the river, so they +must cross.' + +"'I see,' said Anna slowly. + +"When he was ready, she helped the wounded man again to his +saddle, and saw him away, then turned, with the light of a +swift resolution in her eyes, to the task of getting ready +to go to Andreas. The river and the hills were but a short +six hours from her farm, and on a horse she could have +ridden it in less. But it was no wish of hers to bring any +slur upon her husband, so she prepared to go to him in a +cart, taking shirts and shoes and tobacco, like a dutiful +wife visiting her husband on commando. And for a purpose +she took no trouble to name to herself, she put in her +pocket a little pug-nosed revolver which Andreas had once +bought, played with for a while, and then forgotten. + +"A Kafir came with her, to see to the horses and so on, for +she was to travel in no other manner than that in which +Burghers' wives travel every day; but once clear of the +farm she took the reins and the whip to herself, and drove +swiftly, pushing the team anxiously along the way. So well +did she guide her path, that by evening they were slipping +down the road towards the drift of the Tiger River, and +when the light of day began to be mottled with night, they +had crossed the drift and were passing up the right bank. +When at length the darkness came, they were at the foot of +the hills which the commando held. + +"Here Anna alighted, and left the 'boy' to outspan and +watch the cart. In a basket on her arm she had a bottle of +whiskey and a bottle of medicine for rheumatism, that would +make her coming seemly, and with the little revolver in her +pocket knocking against her knee at every step, she faced +the dark and the empty veld, and began the ascent of the +hill alone. She was come to be a spur to her husband. This +she knew clearly enough, yet as she went along, with the +thin wind of the night on her forehead, she wasted no +thoughts, but bent herself to the business of finding the +laager and coming to Andreas. About her were the sombre +hills, that are, in fact, mere bushy kopjes, but in the +darkness, and to one alone, portentous and devious +mountains. Veld-bred as she was, the business of path- +finding was with her an instinct, like that of throwing up +your hand to guard your eyes when sparks spout from the +fire. Yet in an hour she lost herself utterly. + +"She strove here and there, practicing all the tricks of +the hunter to avoid moving in a circle, and so on. She +wrenched her skirts through bushes that seemed to have +hands. She plunged over stones that were noisy and ragged +underfoot; she tumbled in ant-bear holes and bruised +herself on ant-hills. And after a long time she sat down +and listened--listened patiently for the alarm of firing to +beckon a course to her. And there she waited, her basket on +her knee, her arms folded across it, for all the world like +a quiet woman in church, with no tremors, but only a mild +and enduring expectancy. + +"It came at last, a tempest of shooting that seemed all +round her. Below her, and to her left, there were splashes +of white flame. The fighter's daughter knew at once that +these were from Kafir guns. Overhead, the rip-rip-rip of +the Burghers' rifles pattered like rain on a roof, like +hoofs on a road. And all was near at hand. Despite her +endeavors, she had come nearly the whole way round the +hill, and was now barely outside the cross-fire. She stood +up, shaking her skirts into order, and took in the +position. It was a bad one, but it pointed the way to +Andreas, and, with a pat to her tumbled clothes she settled +the bottles safely again in the basket and resumed her +climbing. + +"She thrust along through the bushes, while the clatter of +the rifles grew nearer, and presently there was a flick-- +like a frog diving into mud--close by her feet, and she knew +there were bullets coming her way. Flick-plop! It came +again and again and again. + +"'Some one sees me moving and is shooting at me,' said Anna +to herself, and stopped to rest where a rock gave cover. +The bullets, lobbing like pellets tossed from a window, +came singing down towards her, clicking into the bushes, +while below she could see the progress of the battle +written in leaping dots of fire. + +The Kafirs were spreading among the boulders--so much could +be read from the growing breadth of the line of their fire, +and Anna was quick to grasp the meaning of this movement. +They were preparing to rush the hill, as of old the Basutos +had done. The Kafirs with guns were being sent out to the +flanks of the line to keep up a fire while the centre went +forward with the assegais. It was an old manoeuvre; she had +heard her brothers talk of it many times, and also--she +remembered it now--of the counter-trick to meet it. There +must be bush at hand, to set fire to, that the advance may +be seen as soon as it forms and withered with musketry. + +"Regardless of that deft rifleman among the Burghers who +continued to drop his bullets about her, Anna took her +basket again on her arm, came forth from her rock, and +resumed the climb. She was obliged to make a good deal of +noise, for it was too dark and uncomfortable to enable her +to choose her steps well, Up above, the Burghers must have +heard her plainly, though none but a keen eye would pick +the blackness of her shape from the bosom of the night. The +summit and the foot of the hill were alive with the +spitting of the guns, and all the while the unknown +sharpshooter searched about her for her life with clever +plunging shots that flicked the dirt up. One bullet whisked +through a piece of her skirt. + +"'Now, I wonder if it can be Andreas who shoots so neatly,' +said Anna, half-smiling to herself. 'He would be surprised +if he knew what he is shooting at. Dear me, this is a very +long and tiresome hill.' + +"It was almost at that moment that she heard it--the +beginning of the rush. There came up the hill, like a slow +and solemn drum-music, the droning war-song of the Kafirs +as they moved forward in face of the fire. It was an awful +thing to hear, that bloody rhythm booming through the dome +of the night. It is a song I have heard in the daytime, for +a show, and it rings like heavy metal. Anna straightened +herself and looked about her; there was nothing else for it +but that she must start a fire, ere the battle-line swept +up and on to the laager. It would draw more shooting upon +her; but that gave her no pause. She had matches in her +pocket, and fumbled about her and found a little thorn-bush +that crackled while it tore her naked hands. Crouching by +it, she dragged a bunch of the matches across the side of +the box,--they spluttered and flamed, and she thrust them +into the bush. It took light slowly, for there were yet the +dregs of sap in it; but as it lighted, the deft rifleman +squirted bullet after bullet all around her, aiming on the +weakling flame she nursed with her bleeding hands. + +"But for this she had no care at all. She had ceased to +perceive it. Sheltering the place with her body, she drew +out more matches, tore up grass, and built the little flame +to a blaze that promised to hold and grow. As it cracked +among the twigs, she wrenched the bush from the ground and +ran forward with it upheld. + +"'Burghers, Burghers!' she screamed. 'Pas op! The Kafirs +are coming up the hill!' + +"And whirling it widely she flung the burning bush from her +with all her force, and watched its fire spread in the +grass where it fell. Then she, too, fell down, and lay +among the rocks and plants, scarcely breathing. + +"Up above, the old commandant, peering under the pent of +his hand, saw the torch waved and the figure that flung it. + +"'Allemachtag!' he cried. 'It's the Vrouw van Wyck!' + +"The next instant he was shouting, 'And here come the +Kafirs! Shoot, Burghers, shoot straight and hard.' + +"Where she lay, near the fire that now spread across the +flank of the hill in broad bands among the dry grass and +withered bushes, the Vrouw van Wyck heard that last cry and +lifted her head as a torrent of shooting answered it. The +Kafirs and the Burghers were at grips, and it seemed that +all around her the night rustled with secret men that slunk +about. There was great danger to her at last, for either in +going forward or going back she might fall into the hands +of the Kafirs, and--oh, you can never tell what that may +mean! At the best and choicest it is death, but at the +worst it is torment with loathly outrage, the torment and +the degradation of Sheol. Anna knew that, knew it well and +feared it. That daunted her, and as the thought grew +clearer in her mind, dread gripped her, and she huddled +among the stones with ears alert and a heart that clacked +as it beat. + +"Noises threatened her, and to them, the casual noises of +the night, she gave ear anxiously, while above her the +fight raged direfully and all unheard. At one time she +truly saw naked Kafirs go up the hill,--the light of the +fire glinted on the points of their assegais and threw a +dull gleam on the muscle-rippled skin of them. Next, stones +falling made her start, and ere this alarm was passed she +heard the unmistakable clatter of shod feet among the +boulders, and--plain and loud--an oath as some man stumbled. +He was already to be seen, vaguely; then he was near at +hand, coming upon her. + +"'Now, what in God's name is this?' she cried, and rose. +In her hand was the little blunt-nosed revolver. + +"The man ran through a bush towards her, 'Anna,' he cried, +'Anna!' + +"It was Andreas, and he took hold of her body and pressed +her close to him. + +"She thrilled with a superb exaltation of pride and joy, +and put her arms about him. + +"'What are you doing here?' he demanded. + +"'I was coming to you,' she said, and with a little laugh, +as of a girl, she showed him the basket, with the bottles +yet in it. 'And you?' she asked, then. + +"'Me?' he said. 'Why, I've come for you, of course. The +Kafirs are at the ridge, and God knows what might happen to +you. Was it you I was shooting at down there all the time?' + +"'You shot very well,' she answered, and showed him the +hole in her skirt where the bullet had pierced it. She +heard him mutter another oath. + +"'But we must be going,' he said; 'this is no place to be +talking--no place at all. We must get round to the laager +again. Let me have your arm, and tread quietly, and we must +leave the basket.' + +"'Not I,' she answered. 'I have brought it all this way, +and I will not leave it now.' + +"He answered with a short laugh, and they commenced to move +upward. But by now the fire had hold of the thorn-trees all +about, and their path was as light as day. It was too +dangerous to attempt to climb to the ridge, and after +walking for a while they were compelled to find the cover +of a rock and remain still. Anna sat on the ground, very +tired and content, and her husband peered out and watched +what was to be seen. + +"'We have beaten them,' he said. 'I can see a lot of them +running back. Pray God none come this way. I wish I had not +left my rifle.' + +"'Yes,' said Anna, 'you left your rifle, and came unarmed +to help me.' + +"'It would have been awkward among the bushes,' he +explained, and was suddenly silent, looking out over the +top of the rock. + +"'What is it?' asked Anna. He gave no answer, so she rose +and went to his side and looked too, with her arms on his +shoulder. + +"The rip-rip of the Burghers' rifles sounded yet, but there +was now another sound. The bushes creaked and the stones +rocked with men returning down the hill. Not two hundred +paces away they were to be seen--many scores of Kafirs +dodging down-hill, taking what cover they could, pausing +and checking at each rock and mound that gave shelter from +the bullets. + +"Anna felt her husband quiver as he saw the crowd swooping +upon him. + +"'Take this,' she said, and pressed the little revolver +into his hand. 'It would be well not to be taken. But kiss +me first.' + +"He looked from the retreating and nearing Kafirs to her, +with a face knotted in perplexity. + +"'It is the only thing,' she urged, and drew his lips to +hers. + +"He looked down at the little weapon in his palm, and spoke +as with an effort. + +"'I was never a brave man, Anna,' he said, 'and I can't do +this. Will you not do it?' + +"She nodded and took the pistol. The Kafirs found nothing +to work their hate upon." + + + HER OWN STORY + + +"But what are you going to live on?" asked the Vrouw +Grobelaar. "You haven't got a farm." + +"We're going to live in a town," answered Katje proudly. + +I interrupted here, and tried to make the old lady +understand that even schoolmasters received some money for +their work, and that there would be enough for two, without +frills. + +She had no answer for the moment, but sat and looked at us +both very thoughtfully. Still, there was no hostility in +her aspect; she had not her warlike manner, and seemed +engrossed rather with an estimate of the situation than of +its consequences. I had looked for opposition and +disparagement at least, volubly voiced and backed with a +bloody example of a failure in marriage, and I know that +Katje shared my misgivings. But here was something +different. + +"You--you are not angry?" asked Katje after a while. + +The old lady started. "Angry! No, of course not. It is not +altogether my affair, Katje. As time goes on, I grow +nervous of stirring any broth but my own. If it were a +matter of mere wisdom, and knowledge of life, and the cool +head of an elder, I should not be afraid to handle you to +suit my ideas; but this is a graver piece of business. +Wisdom has nothing to do with it; those who are wise in +their love are often foolish in their life. You've got your +man, and if you want him you'll marry him in despite of the +tongues of men and of angels. I know; I did it myself." + +"You?" cried Katje. + +"Yes, me," retorted the Vrouw Grobelaar. "Why not? Do you +think that a person of sense has no feelings? When I was a +girl I was nearly as big a fool as some others I could +name, and got more out of it, in happiness and experience, +than ever they will." + +"Tell us about it," suggested Katje. + +"I am telling you," snapped the old lady. + +"Don't interrupt. Sit down. Don't fidget; nor giggle. +There. + +"When I was a girl," she began at last, "my father's farm +was at Windhoek, and beyond the nek to the south, an easy +two hours from our beacons, there lived one Kornel du +Plessis. I came to know him, somehow. I saw him here and +there, till I had no wish to see any but him, and we +understood one another very well. Ah, Katje, girls are +light things; but I truly think that in those days few Boer +maids had much mind for trivial matters in their loves when +once the man was found right and sound. Even at this length +of time I have a thrill in remembering Kornel: a big man, +and heavy, with thick shoulders, but very quick on his +feet, and eyes that were gray, with pleasant little puckers +at the corner. He sat far back in his saddle and lolled to +the gait of the horse easily; such men make horse-masters, +and masters of women. That is to say, they are masters of +all. + +"There was no kissing behind the kraal and whispering at +windows. Neither of us had a mind for these meannesses. He +came to my father's house and took food with us, and told +my father the tale of his sheep and cattle, and the weight +of the mortgage on his farm. Though he was not rich, he was +young and keen, and my father knew well that the richest +are not those who begin life with riches. There would have +been no hindrance to a marriage forthwith, but for some law +business in the town, of which I never understood the +truth. But it concerned the land and house of Kornel, and +my father would not say the last word till that should be +settled. + +"It dragged on for a long while, that law matter, and the +conversations between Kornel and my father ran mainly in +guesses about it, with much talk that was very forlorn of +interest. But what did it matter to me? I had the man, and +knew I could keep him; had I foreseen the future, even then +I would not have cared. But for all that, I was very uneasy +one hot day when Kornel rode over with a grave face and +eyes that looked as though he had not slept the night +before. + +"My father gave him a sharp look, and pulled strongly at +his pipe, like a man who prepares for ticklish business. + +"'You have news?' he asked. + +"'Kornel nodded, and looked at me. It was a look as though +he would ask me to spare and forgive. I smiled at him, and +came and stood at his side. + +"'From what you have told me,' began my father, looking +very wise, 'the water right may cut you off from the +pastures. Is that so?' + +"'No,' said Kornel; 'all that is wrong.' + +"'H'm. Indeed! Then you will have to carry your north +beacon farther to the east and lose the dam.' + +"'Wrong again,' answered Kornel patiently. + +"'Then you have won your case,' said my father, very eager +to name the truth and prove his wisdom. + +"'Dear me!' said Kornel;' you have no idea at all of the +matter. You are quite out in your guesses. I have not won +my case. I have lost it, and the land and the house and the +stock along with it. I came over on a horse that is no more +mine than this chair is. For all I know my very trousers +may belong to the other man. There you have it. What do you +say to that?' + +"'Then you have nothing at all?' asked my father. + +"'I have a piece of waste on the dorp road, near the +spruit,' answered Kornel. 'There is a kind of hut on it. +That is all. It is only two morgen' (four acres). + +"My father sat shaking his head in silence for a long time, +while Kornel clenched and unclenched his hands and stared +at the floor and frowned. I put my hand on his shoulder, +and he trembled. + +"'It is an affliction,' said my father at last, 'and no +doubt you know very well what you have done to deserve it. +But it might be worse. You might have had a wife, and then +what would you have done?' + +"One is wise to honor one's parents always, but one cannot +be blind. I think my father might sometimes have spoken +less and done better for it. + +"'We have talked about Christina yonder,' continued my +father, pointing at me with the stem of his pipe. 'It is a +good thing it went no further than talk.' + +"'But it did,' I said quickly. 'It went much further. It +went to my promise and Kornel's; and if I am ready to keep +mine now, I shall not look to see him fail in his.' + +"Ah! He never needed any but the smallest spur. Your true +man kindles quickly. At my word he sprang up and his arm +folded me. I gasped in the grip of it. + +"'My promise holds,' he said, through clenched teeth. + +"My father had a way of behaving like a landdrost +(magistrate) at times, and now he wrinkled his forehead and +smiled very wisely. + +"'When one's bed is on the veld,' he said,' it is not the +time to remember a promise to a girl. It is easier to find +a bedfellow than a blanket sometimes. And then, I am to be +considered, and I cannot suffer this kind of thing.' + +"'I think you will have to manage it,' answered Kornel. + +"'Do you?' said my father. 'Well, I have nothing to give +you. Christina, come here to me!' + +"Kornel loosed his arm and set me free, but I stayed where +I was. + +"'Father,' I cried, 'I have promised Kornel!' + +"'Come here!' he said again. Then, when I did not move, +disobeying him for the first time in my life, his face +darkened. 'Are you not coming?' he said. + +"'No,' I answered, and my man's arm took me again, tight-- +tight, Katje. + +"'Well,' said my father, 'you had better be off, the two of +you. Do not come here again.' + +"'We can do that much to please you,' answered Kornel, with +his head very high. 'Come, Christina!' + +"And I followed him from my father's house. I had not even +a hat for my head. + +"We were married forthwith, of course--no later than the +next day,--and the day after that I rode with my man to the +plot beside the dorp spruit to see our home that had to be. +That was a great day for me; and to be going in gentle +companionship with Kornel across the staring veld and along +the empty road was a most wonderful thing, and its flavor +is still a relish to my memory. I knew that he feared what +we were to see--the littleness and mean poverty of it, after +the spaciousness of the farm; but most of all it galled him +that I should see it on this our first triumphant day. He +was very gentle and most loving, but shadows grew on his +face, and there was a track of worry between his brows that +spurred me. I knew what I had to do, now that our fortunes +were knitted, and I did it. + +"The plot was a slope from the edge of the dorp to the +little spruit, not fenced nor sundered in any way from the +squalid brick which houses the lower end of Dopfontein. +Full in face of it was the location of the Kafirs; around +it and close at hand were the gross and dirty huts of the +off-colors (half-castes). The house, which was in the +middle of the plot, was a bulging hovel of green brick, no +more stately or respectable than any of the huts round +about. As our horses picked their way through the muck +underfoot, and we rode down to it, the off-colors swarmed +out of their burrows and grinned and pointed at us. + +"Kornel helped me from my saddle, and we went together to +see the inside of the house. It was very foul and broken, +with the plain traces of Kafirs in each of its two rooms, +and a horrid litter everywhere. As I looked round I saw +Kornel straighten himself quickly, and my eyes went to his. + +"'This is our home,' he said bluntly, with a twitching of +the cheek. + +"I nodded. + +"'Perhaps,' he said in the same hard tone, as if he were +awaiting an onslaught of reproach,--'perhaps I was wrong to +bring you to this, but it is too late to tell me so now. It +is not much--' + +"I broke in and laughed. 'You will not know it when I have +set it to rights,' I answered. 'It shall be a home indeed +by the time I am through with it.' + +"His cheek twitched yet, as though some string under the +flesh were quivering with a strain. + +"'It's you and me against all the evil luck in the world,' +he cried, but his face was softening. + +"I cowered within the arm he held out to me, and told him I +was all impatience to begin the fight. And he cried on my +shoulder, and I held him to me and soothed him from a +spring of motherhood that broke loose in my heart. + +"Within a week we were living in the place, and, Katje, I +hope you will feel yet for some roof what I felt for that, +with all its poorness. It was the first home of my +wifehood: I loved it. I worked over it, as later I worked +over the children God bestowed on me, purging it, remaking +it, spending myself on it, and gilding it with the joy of +the work. From the beams of the roof to the step of the +door I cleansed it with my hands, marking it by its +spotlessness for the habitation of white folk among the +yellow people all around. Kornel did little to aid me in +that--for the most part he was seeking work in the town; and +even when he was at home I drove him sharply from the labor +that was mine, and mine alone. The yellow people were very +curious about it all, and would stand and watch me through +the door till Kornel sjamboked them away; and even then +some of their fat talkative women would come round with +offers of help and friendship. But though we were fallen to +poverty, we had not come so low as that; and few came to me +a second time, and none a third. + +"Still, though Kornel humbled himself and asked very little +money, there was no work to be had in the dorp. No +storekeeper had a use for him, and the transport agents had +too many riders already. Day after day went by, and each +day he came back more grim, with a duller light in those +kind eyes of his and a slower twinkle. + +"'You must trust in yourself,' I told him, as he sat by the +table and would have it that he was not hungry. + +"'I trust in you,' he answered, with a pitiable attempt at +his old sparkle. 'You have proved yourself; I have not--yet, +and I could do the work of three Kafirs, too.' + +"The next day he came home at noon, with a swing in his +gait and his fingers working. + +"'I've got work,' he said, 'at last.' + +"I stopped sewing and looked at him. 'Is it a white man's +work?' I asked. + +"'It is work,' he retorted. + +"'Very well,' I said; 'but remember, we sink or soar +together, and in neither case will I blame you. If you get +white man's work, you shall have a white man's wife; but if +you are going to do the work of Kafirs--' + +"'Yes,' he said; 'and what then?' + +"'In that case,' I answered, 'I shall do washing to eke it +out and be a level mate for you.' + +"'By God, you won't!' he cried, and his hand came down hard +on the table. There was no mistaking his face: the command +and the earnestness of it lighted up his eyes. I stared at +him in a good deal of surprise, for though I had known it +was there, this was the first I had seen of the steel +strain in my man. + +"'Call it Kafir work, or what you please,' he went on, with +a briskness of speech that made answer impossible. 'You +will keep this house and concern yourself with that only. +The gaining of money is my affair. Leave it to me, +therefore.' + +"I cast down my eyes, knowing I must obey, but a little +while after I asked him again what the work was to be. + +"'Making bricks,' he answered. 'Here we have the spruit at +our door and mud for the picking up. It needs only a box- +mould or two, and it will be funny if I can't turn out as +many good bricks in a day as three lazy Kafirs. Old Pagan, +the contractor, has said he will buy them, so now it only +remains to get to work.' + +"As he said this, I noticed the uneasiness that kept him +from meeting my eye, for in truth it was a sorry employ to +put his strength to,--a dirty toil, all the dirtier for the +fact that only Kafirs handled it in Dopfontein, and the pay +was poor. From our door one could always see the brick- +making going on along the spruit, with the mud-streaked +niggers standing knee-deep in the water, packing the wet +dirt into the boxes, and spilling them out to be baked in +the sun or fired, as the case might be. There was too much +grime and discomfort to it to be a respectable trade. + +"But Kornel went to work at once, carrying down box-moulds +from the contractor's yard, and stacking them in the stiff +gray mud at the edge of the spruit, I went with him to see +him start. He waded down over his boots, into the slow +water, and plunged his arms elbow-deep into the mud. + +"'Here's to an honest living,' he said, and lilted a great +lump of slime into the first box and kneaded it close. +Then, as he set it aside and reached for the next, he +looked up to me with a smile that was all awry. My heart +bled for him. + +"'But there's no time to be polite,' he said, as the mud +squelched into the second box. 'Here's the time to prove +how a white man can work when he goes about it. So run back +to the house, my kleintje, and leave me to make my +fortune.' + +"And forthwith he braced himself and went at that sorry +work with all his fine strength. I had not the heart to +stay by him; I knew that my eyes upon him were like +offering him an insult, and yet I never looked at him save +in love. But once or twice I glanced from the doorway, and +saw him bowed still over that ruthless task, slaving +doggedly, as good men do with good work. + +"When the evening meal was due he came in, drenched from +head to foot, and patched and lathered with the pale sticky +mud; but though he was so tired that he drooped like a sick +man where he stood, his face was bright again and his eyes +were once more a-twinkle with hope and confidence. + +"As he changed his clothes and washed himself, he talked +cheerily to me through the wall, with a spirit like a +boy's. + +"'I've begun, at any rate,' he called out, 'and that's a +great thing. If I go as far forward as I've gone back, I +shall be satisfied. Where did you say the comb was?' + +"And all through supper he chattered in the same vein, +rejoicing in the muscles that ached with work and in his +capacity to do more and bear more than the Kafirs who were +his rivals. + +For me, I was pleased enough and thankful to hear the heart +of him thus vocal, and to mark the man I knew of old and +chose to be my mate come to light in this laborer, new from +his toil. + +"We did not sit late that night, for, with all his elation +and reawakened spirits. Kornel was weary to the honest bone +of him, and swayed with sleep as he stood on his feet. He +rolled into my clean, cool sheets with a grunt of utter +satisfaction. 'This is comfort indeed,' he said drowsily, +as I leaned over him, and he was asleep before I had +answered. + +"At daylight he rose and went forth to the spruit again, +and there all day he labored earnestly. Each time that I +looked towards him I saw his back bent and his arms +plunging in the mud, while the rows of wet bricks grew +longer and multiplied. I heard him whistling at it,--some +English melody he had gathered long before at a +waapenschauw,--with a light heart, the while he was up to +his knees in the dirty water, with the mud plastered all +over him. + +"By and by I went down to the bank and asked him how he +did. He straightened himself, grimacing humorously at the +stiffness of his back, and answered me cheerily. + +"'Tomorrow old Pagan will come down and pay for what I have +done,' he said. I think he will be surprised at the amount. +His Kafirs have no such appetite for it as I.' And he +laughed. + +"It was a dreadful business he had taken in hand, and work +hard beyond believing. The boxes stood in a pile above the +stream, and each had to be reached down as one was filled, +and as soon as two were full Kornel must climb the bank to +set them aside. When all were full, they had to be turned +out on the level ground, and all this, as you can see, +meant that he must scramble up and down in the heavy mud, +taxing every spring in his poor body. Yet he toiled +ceaselessly, attacking the job with a kind of light-hearted +desperation that made nothing of its hardships, bringing to +it a tough and unconquerable joy in the mere effort, which +drove him ever like a spur. + +"As I watched him delving, I thought that here a woman +could render some measure of help, and as he turned from +talking to me I began to empty out the boxes that were +ready and stack them again on the pile. I had not yet +turned out ten bricks when he saw me, and paused in his +melancholy work. + +"'Stop that!' he cried, and scrambled out of the spruit to +where I stood. 'I suppose,' he went on, 'you would like +your father to know that I had suffered you to work for me +like a Kafir.' + +"'Kornel!' I cried in horror. + +"But he was white on the cheek-bones and breathing hard, +and I could not soften him. + +"'Rich man's daughter or poor man's wife,' he said, 'you +are white, and must keep your station. It is my business to +sell myself, not yours. Get you back to the house I have +given you, and stay there.' + +"And with that he picked up the soft bricks I had turned +for him, and threw them one by one into the spruit. + +"'Poverty and meanness and all,' he added, 'it shall not be +said at your father's house that you worked for me. Nor +that you lacked aught it became you to have, neither,' he +added, with a quick heat of temper. 'Get to your house.' + +"I slunk off, crying like a child, while he went back to +the mud--and the labor. + +"Next day came Pagan to pay for the work that was done. He +drove up in his smart cart, and tiptoed his way daintily to +the edge of the spruit where the bricks lay. He was an old +man, very cleanly dressed, with hard white hair on his head +and face, and a quick manner of looking from side to side +like a little bird. In all his aspect there was nothing but +spoke of easy wealth and the serenity of a well-ordered +life; there was even that unkindly sharpness of tone and +manner that is a dead-weight on the well-to-do. My husband +was at work when he drove up, but he straightened his back, +squared his broad shoulders, and came up from the mud, +walking at the full of his height and smiling down at the +rich man with half-closed eyes. + +"'Daag, Heer Pagan,' he said to him, in the tone of one who +needs and desires nothing, and held out his hand--mud from +the elbow--with something lordly in the gesture. The rich +man cocked his head quickly, in the way he had, and hung in +the breeching for a moment, ere he rendered his hand to +Kornel, with a reddening of the cheek above his white +whisker that betrayed him, I thought, for a paltry soul. + +"'I've come to see your bricks,' he said curtly, 'and to +pay for 'em, if they're all right.' + +"'Ah, the bricks,' said Kornel airily. 'Yes, to be sure. +There they are. Go and count them, if you like, and then +you can come to me at my house where the Vrouw du Plessis +(which was me) will give us some coffee.' + +"I was watching, you may be sure, and again I saw the +wintry red swell above the white whisker, and I clenched my +hands in wrath and contempt at the creature's littleness. I +was sure he would have liked to sweep my man's courtesy +aside, and certainly the politeness had a prick in it. He +was rich, and old, and fat, with a consequence in his mien +and an air that hinted he was used to deference, and Kornel +was but a muddy brick-moulder. Yet there stood my man, so +easy in his quiet speech, so sure of himself, so dangerous +a target for contempt, that the rich man only stammered. +Kornel nodded as though he understood the invitation to be +accepted, and walked up to the house, leaving old Pagan to +count the bricks and follow. + +"I kissed him as he came in. 'You've trampled his dirty +soul under your heel,' I said, 'and I love you for it. I +love to see you upright and a man of purpose; whatever +comes of it, I shall honor you always.' + +"He kissed me and laughed. 'Nothing will happen, if we are +lucky,' he said. 'There is more in John Pagan than the big +stomach and the money. But we mustn't crawl to him; I'll +wager he never crawled himself when he was poor.' + +"I set the coffee ready, spreading the table with a fine +cloth I had brought from Kornel's farm, one of the few +things we had taken with us, and presently in came old +Pagan. Directly I saw him I felt a doubt of him; there was +a kind of surreptitious viciousness showing in his sour +smile that warned me. He was like a man who is brewing an +unpleasant joke. + +"'Ah, Mrs. du Plessis,' he said, 'your man will have been +working very hard.' + +"'You know what brick-moulding is, then?' I said. + +"He grinned. 'A little,' he said; 'yes, a little. There's +few jobs I haven't put a hand to in my time. Work's a fine +thing, when a man knows how to work.' + +"'You are very right,' agreed Kornel. + +"'This is good coffee,' said John Pagan, as he stirred his +cup. 'In fact, it's better than the bricks.' + +"'A better hand was at work on it,' said Kornel. + +"'So I should judge,' answered Pagan sleekly. 'I should +like another cup of this coffee, if I may trouble you, Mrs. +du Plessis.' + +"He laid his cup on the table and bit his nails while I +filled it, glancing round at my poor room the while and +smiling to himself. + +"'Yes,' he said, 'I like the coffee, but I don't like the +bricks. They're no good at all.' + +"We both stared at him, silent and aghast, and the white- +haired old man chuckled in our stricken faces. + +"'What is wrong with them?' demanded Kornel at last. His +face was white, but he spoke quite naturally. + +"'Aha!' laughed old Pagan. 'Ye see, there's no trade, that +ye can take up without a bit o' learning, not even makin' +mud-bricks. The very same thing happened to me. Lord, it's +past forty years ago, I turned out six hundred dozen, and +had 'em thrown on my hands. It nearly broke my heart.' + +"'I can understand that,' said Kornel. 'But what is wrong +with my bricks?' + +"Old Pagan set his cup back on the table and sat up in his +chair. As he began to speak he hitched back the sleeves of +his coat and moved his neck in his white collar. + +"'See here!' he said. 'It's a little thing, like turning up +the toe of a horseshoe, but just as essential. When ye set +your full moulds out to dry, did ye set 'em on edge, to +drain away the water? Ye did not? Well, that's what's +wrong. They're just mud-pies-lumps o' damp dirt, that'll +crumble as soon as they're dry. There's ninety dozen of +'em, by my count, and there'll not be three dozen that ye +could use in any way consistent wi' conscience. Do ye take +my meanin'?' + +"Kornel nodded very thoughtfully. + +"'Well, you'll just need to get to work again,' said the +old man. 'Maybe I'm not exactly keen on greetings and +invitations and the like, but you'll not be able to teach +me anything on bricks. So if ye're thinking anything about +the splendor o' your work, wait dll ye're master of it +before you waste more thought. I'm your better as a +craftsman,' he said, with a glance towards me. + +"I was red all over, what with shame and sorrow, but I +marked that the paltriness seemed to have gone from John +Pagan as soon as he began to talk of work. He turned then +to Kornel with a briskness that was not unkindly. + +"'I was relying on you for bricks,' he said, 'for you can +work, and that's a fact. Perhaps you can let me have a +hundred dozen by Thursday, eh? I'm waitin' on them. And if +you make sure of it, I'll do wi' ye what's my common +custom, and that's pay half the price in advance. How's +that suit?' + +"Kornel rose from his chair and stammered thanks, and John +Pagan paid the money on to the table. + +"'I'll be down on Thursday to see the bricks,' he said, +'and don't forget the dodge I told ye. And maybe Mrs. du +Plessis 'll be willing to give me coffee again when I come. +So good-day to ye, and mind--drain 'em!' + +"When he was gone Kornel and I looked at each other and +laughed emptily. Then he went out to the mud again to make +ready for Thursday. + +"So it was we lived for a time that was shorter than it +seemed, building on the mud of our shaky fortunes a pride +that our poverty could not overturn. Kornel had a saying +that seemed irreligious but very true. 'There are ministers +and farmers and lawyers who are rich,' he would observe, +'but there's no money in work,' I have since been won to +believe that there is a flaw in the argument, but for us it +was true, and bitterly true. We were never on the right +side of ten shillings; we were never out of sight of the +thin brink of want. That we were preserved and kept clear +of disaster was due only to the toil of Kornel and my own +anxious care for the spending of the money. I found out +that a wife who is strong has a great trade to drive in +upholding her house; and I, at any rate, was proficient in +maintaining cleanliness, in buying and making food, and +preserving to my home the atmosphere of happiness and +welcome that anchors a man to his own place. Take it all in +all, we were happy, and yet I would not pretend that there +were not grim hours when we wondered if the mere living +were worth all that it cost. Kornel, hard as iron always, +grew lean and stooped, and there appeared in his face a +kind of wild care that frightened me. From the chill +upcoming of the dawn to the rising of the wind at evening +he taxed himself remorselessly at the sorry work in the +mud, while I scrubbed and scraped and plotted and prayed to +make the meagre pay cover wants that were pared meagre +enough. Yes, there were certainly times when we thought the +cost too great, but, God be praised, we never thought it at +the same moment, and the stronger always upheld the weaker. + +"And there was never any shame in the matter. Even as we +feared nothing, we were never ashamed. Never! + +"One morning--, about an hour before high sun, when the dust +lay thick on the road into the town that passed our land, +and the neighborhood around was feverish with the fuss of +the Kafirs and yellow folk, I stood for a moment at my +door, looking down to where Kornel was fervently at work in +the spruit. There was always traffic on the road at that +hour, and something drew me to look towards it. At once I +saw my father. He was riding in, dressed in his black +clothes, very solemn and respectable, with his beard +flowing over his chest. At the same moment he saw me, and +seemed to start in his saddle and glance quickly at all +about--at my poor little house, the litter that lay about, +the squalor of the town-end we lived in, and the laborious +bent back of my man as he squattered about in the mud. He +checked his horse an instant, as though by an impulse; for +my father, though I honored him, was a weak man, in whom no +purpose was steadfast. I saw the wavering in his face and +the uncertainty of his big pale eyes; and then, half- +nodding to me as though in an embarrassment, he pushed on +and entered the town. I went down and told Kornel. + +"'H'm!' He stood as though in thought, looking up to me +from the water. 'Your father, eh? Would you like him to +come and see you?' + +"I nodded. + +"He laughed and climbed up the bank to me. 'So would I,' he +said. 'I have a stiffness in my back that makes me inclined +for anything rather than this work. Even your father.' + +"We walked up to the house together, and Kornel's brow was +creased with thought, while his lips smiled. + +"'You see,' he said, 'we want nothing from him--nothing at +all, so we can't afford to be humble. Have we any money at +all?' + +"'We have three shillings,' I answered, 'and I owe one +shilling for food.' + +"'That's not enough,' he said, shaking his head. 'You say +he saw me working? We must have thirty shillings at least; +we must treat him well; I can't let him off now that he has +seen so much. We'll stuff him till he bulges like a rotten +cask, and wishes he could make bricks as I can. I wonder if +Pagan would pay me in advance for a thousand dozen. I'll go +and ask him.' + +"He started for the door at once, but turned and came back +to me. + +"'He said once he had nothing to give me,' he whispered to +me. Do you grudge me this, kleintje.' + +"'Not I,' I answered. 'I only wish we could do more.' + +"He kissed me and was off in a moment. Pagan made no +difficulty about the money. He looked at Kornel shrewdly +when my man made the request, and paid at once. + +"'It suits me ye should be a wee thing in my debt,' he +said. 'But you're so damned proud, there's times I'm scared +o' ye. Sign yer name here.' + +"'Now,' said Kornel, when he had put the money in my hand, +'get what you need for a dinner that will tickle the ou +pa's stomach, and a bottle of whiskey. There never was a +deacon that did not suffer from some complaint that whiskey +would ease; and I'll get into what clean clothes I have and +go to look for him.' + +"So I bought the dinner. I was willing enough to suffer the +emptiness to come, if only I could wipe from my father's +memory his impression of my man's poverty; but all the +same, in case he should refuse to visit us, I bought things +that would last long enough to serve ourselves until the +thirty shillings should have been earned. They made a good +show: for I have never been a fool in the matter of food, +and I knew my father's tastes. I promised myself that his +dinner should be his chief memory of that day, at all +events. He was, I fear, the kind of man who remembers his +good dinners better than anything else. + +"It was a long time before they came, and I had given up +all hope of the visit when I heard their voices. Or rather, +it was Kornel's voice that I heard, in a tone of careless +civility, like one who performs a casual duty of +politeness. He was talking nonsense in a slow drawl, and as +they picked their way from the road to the house my father +looked up to him in a kind of wonder. + +"'The evenings are pleasant here,' Kornel was saying. 'We +have a little time to ourselves then, for people have +learned at last not to trouble us much. One sees the sun go +down yonder across the hills, and it is very pretty, Now, +on the farm, nobody ever knew how handsome the sunset is. +We were like Kafirs on the farm; but life in the town is +quite different.' + +"He chattered on in the same strain, and my father was +plainly dazed by it, so that his judgment was all fogged, +and he took the words at their face value. I noticed that +my father seemed a little abashed and doubtful; it was easy +to see that this was the opposite of what he had expected. + +"He greeted me with a touch of hesitation in his manner; +but I kissed him on the forehead and tried to appear a +fortunate daughter--smiling assuredly, you know, glad to +exercise hospitality and to receive my father in my own +house. It was not all seeming, either; for I had no shame +in my condition and my husband's fortune,--only a resentment +for those who affected to expect it. + +"'You are looking well,' said my father, staring at me. +'How do you like the life you are living?' + +"Kornel smiled boldly across to me, and I laughed. + +"'I was never so happy in my life,' I answered--and that, at +any rate, was true. + +"My father grunted, and sat listening to the gentle flow of +talk with which Kornel gagged him the while I busied myself +with the last turn of the cooking and set the table to +rights. But he glanced at me from time to time with +something of surprise and disapproval; perhaps a white +woman with no Kafir servant had never met his eyes before. +Kornel did not miss the expression of his face. + +"'We will show you something new in the dinner line,' he +remarked knowingly. 'There are things you can't teach to a +Kafir, you know.' + +"'What things?' demanded my father. + +"'Ah, you shall see in a moment,' answered Kornel, nodding +mysteriously. 'Christina will show you. Have you ever heard +of a ragout?' + +"My father shook his head. Neither had I; but I held my +tongue. + +"'Well,' said Kornel, 'a ragout is a fowl cooked as +Christina has cooked it. It is a very favorite dish among +the rich men in Johannesburg. If you will draw up your +chair to the table you shall see.' + +"It is true that I had a good hand with a fowl, stewed in a +fashion of my own, which was mainly the outcome of +ignorance and emergency; but it was very fortunate that on +that day of all days the contrivance should have turned out +so well. It was tender, and the flesh was seasoned to just +the right flavor by the stuff I stewed with it--certain +herbs, Katje, and a hint of a whiff of garlic. Garlic is a +thing you must not play with: like sin, you can never undo +it, whatever forgiveness you win. But a leaf or two bruised +between two clean pebbles, and the pebbles boiled with the +stew, spices the whole thing as a touch of devil spices a +man. + +"You maybe sure I was anxious about it, and watched Kornel +and my pa as they started to eat. Kornel swallowed his +first mouthful with an appearance of keen judgment; then he +winked swiftly to me, and nodded slightly. It was his +praise of the dish. Oh, if you had known my man, you would +not need telling that that was enough for me. My father +commenced to eat as though curious of the food before him. +He gave no sign of liking or otherwise; but presently he +squared his shoulders, drew his chair closer to the table, +and gave his mind to the matter. + +"'That's right, walk into it,' said Kornel. "'It is very +good indeed,' said my father, eating thoughtfully, and +presently I helped him to some more. Kornel gave him soda- +water with whiskey in it, and thereafter there were other +things to eat--nearly thirty shillings' worth. After that +they sat and smoked, and drank the strong coffee I made for +them, and passed the whiskey bottle to and fro between +them. All the while Kornel babbled amiably of foolish +things, sunsets, and Shakespeare and the ways of women, +till I caught myself wondering whether indeed he relished +the change from the wide clean veld of the farm to this +squalid habitation of toil. + +"'I suppose,' said my father at last, when Kornel had +finished talking about sunsets,--'I suppose a ragoo, as you +call it, is very expensive to make?' + +"'I really couldn't say,' answered Kornel. 'But I should +think not.' + +"'H'm; and you think a Kafir could not be taught to make +them?' + +"Kornel laughed. 'I should be sorry to try,' he said. + +"My father pondered on that for a while, smoking strongly +and glancing from time to time at me. + +"'I'm growing an old man,' he said at last, 'and old men +are lonely at the best.' + +"'Some seem to wish it,' said Kornel. + +"'I say they are lonely,' repeated my father sharply. 'I +have no wife, and I cannot be bothered with getting another +at my time of life.' He shook his gray head sadly. 'Not +that I should have to look far for one,' he added, however. + +"Kornel laughed, and my father looked at him angrily. + +"'If it had not been for you,' he said, 'I should still +have had my daughter Christina to live with me. I am tired +of being alone, and I cannot nurse the wrong done me by my +own flesh and blood. You and Christina had better come out +to the farm and live with me.' + +"'And leave my business?' asked Kornel. + +"'Oh, there is mud and water on the farm, if your business +pleases you,' retorted my father. 'But out there we do not +take the bread out of the mouths of Kafirs.' + +"'I see,' answered Kornel briefly; and I, who watched him, +knew from his voice that there was to be no truce after +that, that we should still earn our livelihood by the mud +bricks. + +"'You will come?' asked my father. + +"'Good Lord, no!' replied Kornel. 'You would weary me to +death in a week, I don't mind being civil when we meet, but +live with you! It would be to make oneself a vegetable.' + +"My father heard him out with a grave face, and then rose +to his feet. There was a stateliness in his manner that +grieved me, for when a man meets a rebuff with silence and +dignity he is aging. + +"'You are right, perhaps,' he said. 'I don't know, but you +may be. Anyhow, I have enjoyed an excellent meal, and I +thank you. Good-bye, Christina!' + +"When he was gone, Kornel turned to me. + +"'It is evident you cannot have both a husband and a +father,' he said; 'but I am sorry for the rudeness, +kleintje. He is a greater man than I.' + +"'I think you might have made it otherwise,' I answered, +for my heart ached for my father. + +"He shrugged his shoulders. 'You must manage to forgive +me,' he said. 'I have a thousand dozen bricks to make, and +that will be punishment enough.' + +"'But you will not start again tonight!' I cried, for it +was already the thin end of evening, and he was taking off +his clean clothes. + +"'A thousand dozen is a big handful,' he answered, smiling. +'There's nothing like getting a grip on the work ahead.' + +"So in a few minutes he was down in the water again, and +the mud flew as he worked at the heart-breaking task he had +taken upon him. After all, the ragout was expensive to +make. It came dearer than we expected. + +"Late into the night he held on, though thrice I went out +to the bank of the stream to beg him to quit it and come to +bed. There was a great pale moon that night, which threw up +the colors of things strongly, and I have yet in my mind-- +and my heart--that picture,--the stained water, and the bank +of gray mud over it, and between the two my Kornel bent +over the endless boxes, vehemently working with no +consideration for the limits of his strength. His arms +gleamed with the wet, and were ceaseless; he might have +been a dumb machine, without capacity for weariness. If he +had toiled before, now he toiled doubly; there was a +trouble in his mind to be sweated out and a debt of money +to be repaid. And also, like a peril always near at hand, +there was the thin margin that stood between us and +starvation. + +"When he came to bed at length, he lay down without the +greeting he was wont to give me--lapsed into his place +beside me with the limpness of a man spent to the utmost +ounce. He slept without turning on his side, his worn +hands, half-closed, lying loosely on the quilt. Yet within +an hour after daylight he rose with narrow, sleep-burdened +eyes, fumbled into his clothes, and staggered out to the +spruit again, to resume his merciless work with the very +fever of energy. The Kafirs that worked leisurely on the +next plot stopped to look at him and to wonder at the speed +with which the rows of drying bricks lengthened and +multiplied. I saw them pointing as I stood at the door, +heavy-hearted and anxious, and envied the ease of their +manner of life, and the simplicity that could be content +with such work at such a wage. Yes, I have envied Kafirs, +Katje; there are times for all women when we envy the dead. + +"But it was the day after that that the trouble came upon +us, great and violent and unawaited. Kornel had been up at +daybreak again, working as strongly as ever, though his +mouth was loose with the strain and his face very yellow +and white. The drying and the dry bricks were lying on the +ground in long rows, and some which were hard were already +stacked to make room for others. It was a tremendous output +for one man in the time it had taken; and when the Kafirs +turned out, gabbling and laughing as usual, they stopped to +look in surprise at our plot and the great quantity of +bricks. They gathered in a group, and talked among +themselves and pointed, and presently I was aware there was +something toward. One of them in particular,--a great brown +brute, with bulky shoulders and huge arms, seemed to be +concerned in the affair; he stared continually towards +Kornel, and talked loudly, his voice running up into the +squeak of a Kafir when he is excited, or angry, or afraid; +and presently he stepped over our border line and walked +down to the bricks. He was jabbering to himself all the +time as he stooped and picked up bricks and examined them +closely, and glanced down to the spruit where Kornel was +still working. + +"I watched him, but I said nothing, hoping he would go away +before Kornel saw him; but he kept on, and presently my man +looked up. + +"He saw the Kafir at once, and climbed up the bank pretty +quickly. There was something like a smile on his face, a +look as though he had found the relief he needed. He walked +swiftly over to the Kafir. + +"'What are you doing here?' he demanded, keeping his eyes +unwinkingly on the staring eyes of the Kafir. + +"The latter held a dried brick in his great paw, and now he +thrust it forward and broke into a torrent of speech. He +accused Kornel of having trespassed in the night and stolen +the bricks of the Kafirs. No man, he said, could have made +so many by himself, and then he began to call names. I +shuddered and put my hands before my face, and took them +down again in time to see Kornel's fist fly up and out, and +the great Kafir reel back from a vicious blow in the face. + +"But he gave way for a moment only. Next instant he +recovered and his huge arm rose, and I screamed and ran +forward as the brick, dry and hard as a stone, struck +Kornel on the head and tumbled him, loosely like a dead +man, among the rows of bricks about him. I did not see the +Kafir run away; I saw only the thin white face of my man +turned up to the sun, and the blood that ran from his brown +hair. I lifted his head and called to him; but his head +lolled on his shoulders, and I let him lie while I ran out +crying to find help. + +"It was some of the yellow folk who carried him in for me, +and brought the German doctor. + +"Kornel was on the bed when he came, and he caused the cut +to be bandaged, and then spoke abstrusely of the effect of +the blow, so that I understood nothing at all. I learned, +however, how I was to tend him, how feed him, and how he +would lie unconscious for long intervals when there would +be nothing at all to do for him. But he told me I had +nothing to fear in the end. Indeed, he had a kind of +cheeriness which seems to belong to doctors, which did much +to comfort me and steady me for what was to come. Kornel +would not die, he said; and it was that assurance I chiefly +needed. + +"The day went slowly for me, I can tell you. There was yet +food enough in the house to last us a little while, and I +made a mess for Kornel, and ate what I wanted myself. He +recovered his sense of things once or twice, but when night +came he dropped off again into a stupor from which he was +not to be roused, and it was then I left him. I felt as +though I were a traitor to him in his weakness; but my mind +had buzzed hopelessly all day about the problem of our mere +living, and I saw nothing else for it, so down I went to +the spruit to earn what I might for my sick husband. + +"The moon gave me light, and I had watched Kornel often +enough to know how to go about the work. But the water, as +it flowed about my legs, bit me with a chill that made me +gasp, and the effort of the work, the constant bending and +lifting, tried every muscle in my body. I had seen the +cruelty of the work in its traces on Kornel, and knew how +little it gave and how much it took; but with this first +trial of it came the realization, never lost since, of how +gallant a man I had chosen to stand between me and the +world, and how much I owed him. I had not time to think a +great deal, for the torture of brick-making is partly in +the tact that while it wrenches the body, it joins the mind +to its infinite triviality. If you think, you do not pack +the mud as it must be packed, and the sun crumbles your +bricks to dust. It is no task for a real man at all; even +for a woman, it debases, it unmakes, it breaks. + +"I worked hard at it, husbanding my strength, and within an +hour I was weak and foolish with the effort. Twice I had +left it to go in and see if all was well with Kornel, and +this rested me; but I was now resolved that I must rest no +more, if ever our debt was to be paid and bread earned for +the grim days to come. So I stayed in the bitter water and +worked on, till even the sense of pain was dulled and it +seemed that I was past the capacity of feeling. + +"I was toiling thus (never mind my old troubles, Katje, +dear; this is years ago) when a sound came to my ears that +caused me to look up. It had been going on for some time, +persisting till it gained my notice, and suddenly I became +aware that there were men on our ground among the bricks. I +climbed half-way up the bank to look at them, where they +could not see me; and I saw several dark figures bent to +some business or moving here and there. I caught the sound +of hushed voices, too, though no words; and then the hot +wrath set my blood racing as I realized what was going on. +The Kafirs, who knew my man was wounded and helpless--the +very beast who had felled him--were stealing the bricks he +had labored so stoutly to make. My head swam with a +delirium of vivid anger at the meanness of the crime, and +without calculation, with no thought of fear, I scrambled +up and ran at them, shouting. + +"I suppose they were surprised at my coming out of the +spruit, and some of them ran as soon as they heard me. +Others stood and waited ominously--you know what a Kafir is +with a woman,--and doubtless I should have met my last +earthly troubles then and there, but that from the road +beyond us there were other shouts, and men came running. + +"I saw the forms of the rescuers as they raced up, and +marked one tall young man who ran past me with his arm +lifted before him. There was a flash and a bang, and I sat +down heavily as the white men shot at the Kafirs who were +now all running to cover. It took but an instant, and I +remember it as one remembers a thing seen at night by a +lightning flash, sharp and feverish. + +"'Ye've no need to be feared,' someone said to me. 'They're +only my clerks, but they're a handy lot.' + +"A short stout man was standing over me, and as I looked up +I saw it was old Pagan. Away in the darkness there were yet +cries and the sound of blows, where the white men pursued +the Kafirs. + +"'Ye see,' continued the old man, 'I heard o' what had +happened, an' I counted on this. I'm a man o' experience, +Mrs. du Plessis, an' the very same thing happened to me +once. So I got a few o' my lads along, and we've been +waitin' for what ye might call the eventuality. I'm no' +exactly a negrophilist, ye ken. An' after seem' you +squatterin' about in the mud yonder, while yer husband was +sick a-bed, there was no holdin' the lads. No' that I +endeavored to restrain them, in any precise sense.' + +"Away in the darkness a Kafir shrieked agonizedly. + +"'There ye are,' said the old man. 'Yon's chivalry. If ye +had been a man, they'd never ha' put their hearts into it +like that.' + +"He helped me to my feet and gave me an arm towards the +house. + +"'There's just one thing,' he said, 'and it's this. I'm no' +quite the slave-driver ye might take me for--workin' in the +night to drag a pittance out o' me! For instance, I've a +job in the store that yer man can have, if it'll suit him, +and if you're willing yerself. It's no' a big thing, but +it's white. And for the present while, I dare say I can +advance ye enough to be going on with. And me and the lads +'ll say no word about seein' you at yer work.' + +"What is the use of carrying this tale on? It was there we +ceased to have the troubles that go to making tales, and +entered upon the ordered life of good industry and clean +living. But, Katje, of all that came afterwards, money and +success, and even children, there was nothing to knit us as +did the sorry months by the spruit, when my Kornel proved +himself the man I knew him to be. Be happy, Katje; be happy +at any rate." + +I think she has been happy. + +THE END + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Vrouw Grobelaar and Her Leading Cases, by +Perceval Gibbon + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VROUW GROBELAAR *** + +***** This file should be named 20355.txt or 20355.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/3/5/20355/ + +Produced by Charles Klingman + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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