The necessity for providing fresh provisions took the brothers out again
next day, but there were no more herds visible, as far as their glass
would show, anywhere out upon the plain; but at last they caught sight
of half-a-dozen of the graceful little springboks, and after a long
gallop got close enough to try a couple of shots, which proved
successful; and a little buck was borne home in triumph, a portion
cooked, and Dyke sat watching his brother eat that evening, till Emson
looked up.
"Why, hullo!" he cried; "not well?"
"Oh yes, I'm quite right," replied Dyke hastily.
"Then why don't you eat?"
"Because I wanted you to make up for the past," said the boy, laughing.
"I'm a meal ahead of you. I had such a splendid dinner yesterday off
the eland."
Next morning, upon their visit to the ostrich-pens, Emson's face
brightened, for there was excitement among the birds, the great hen
having hatched every egg of those they had brought home in the net; and
for the next few days everything possible was done in the way of
feeding, so as to help the young brood on into a state of strength.
"Oh, it's all right, Joe," said Dyke; "all we've got to do is to keep on
scouring the plain and finding nests. We shall succeed after all."
"Yes, but you must scout off after some meal and coffee; we can't get on
without those."
"And sugar."
"And sugar. What do you say to starting to-morrow?"
"I'm ready," said Dyke; and after warning Jack, and making the necessary
preparations over night, they sought their couches, and rose before
daybreak to go and rouse up the Kaffir and his wife.
The latter soon had her fire glowing; Jack grumpily fetched water, and
then proceeded to yoke the bullocks to the wagon, after which he settled
down to his breakfast; and after feeding his stock, Emson mounted his
horse to ride a few miles with his brother, both keeping a sharp lookout
for game; while Duke, who was of the party, kept on hunting through the
hushes, and now and then starting a bird.
It was getting toward mid-day before anything was shot, and then another
little springbok fell to Emson's piece, just as they reached the water
where they were to make their first halt.
The buck was divided, part to go back to Kopfontein and some to form
part of Dyke's provision, while another portion was cooked at once and
eaten.
"There," said Emson at last, "I don't think I need say any more to you,
old fellow. Jack knows the way well enough. Set him to drive the
bullocks, and you ride beside and drive him. Keep a tight rein, and if
he shows his teeth and isn't obedient, tell him you'll shoot him, and
take aim at once, or he won't believe you."
"Rather sharp practice, Joe, isn't it?"
"Not with a man like that. He'll be ready to play upon you in every
way, and you must let him see that you do not mean to be imposed upon.
Sounds harsh, but I know Master Jack by heart."
"You do think he'll take me straight to all the water?"
"I haven't a doubt about it, old fellow," said Emson, smiling. "Jack
isn't an ostrich, and must drink at least once a day, so you need not be
nervous about that.--There," he continued, mounting; "I must be off.
Good-bye."
"Not yet; I'm going to ride a little way back with you," cried Dyke.
"No, you are not, lad. Rest yourself and your horse.--Here! Hi!
Jack!"
The Kaffir came from under the wagon, grinning.
"Drive your bullocks carefully, and bring them back in good condition."
The man smiled and showed his teeth.
"That's right. Go along and have your sleep."
The Kaffir went back and crept under the wagon, and Emson clasped his
brother's hand.
"Take your time, but don't lose any, old fellow," he said; "for I shall
be glad to see you back. Take care of yourself. I wish I were going
with you, but I can't. There, you are man enough to manage everything,
so good-bye."
He urged his horse forward and went back swiftly along the trail, his
nag cantering steadily along one of the broad ruts made by the wagon
wheels in the sand, while Dyke went and seated himself just under the
wagon-tilt, and watched him till he was out of view.
"Six days and nights at the least," said Dyke to himself with a sigh,
"and perhaps a fortnight, before I get back. Never mind; every day will
be one less, and I don't suppose I shall mind its being lonely, after
all. Duke's good company, and so is Breezy, without counting Jack, and
it isn't so very bad after all to go riding through the country with
one's own tent on wheels. Why, some fellows at home would be mad with
joy to get such a chance. Ah, look at that. Why, if I'd been ready, I
might have got a couple of Guinea-fowl for the larder."
For a flock of the curious speckled birds came and settled amongst the
bushes on the other side of the water pool, but catching sight of
visitors, went off with a tremendous outcry.
"Don't matter," said Dyke; "there's plenty of the buck."
The sun was sinking low in the west, as after a long, toilsome journey
from the last water, Dyke, with the great whip held aloft like a large
fishing-rod and line, sat on the wagon-box shouting to the weary oxen
from time to time. He was apparently quite alone, save that Breezy was
tethered by a long leathern rein to the back of the wagon. There was no
Kaffir Jack, no Duke; and the boy, as he sat driving, looked weary, worn
out, and disconsolate.
For days past he had been upon a faintly-marked track leading
south-west--a track in which hoof-marks and the traces of wagon wheels
having passed that way were faintly to be seen, quite sufficient to show
him that he was on the right track for civilisation in some form, and he
felt pretty certain that sooner or later he would reach Oom
Morgenstern's store and farm.
But it had been a terrible task that managing of the team alone, and
urging the sluggish animals to drag the wagon when they reached heavy
patches of sand. Then, too, there was the outspanning--the unyoking the
often vicious animals from the dissel-boom or wagon pole and trek chain,
when he halted by water, and let them drink and feed. Then the
inspanning, the yoking up of the oxen again, and the start once more.
That huge whip, too, had been such a clumsy thing to handle, but highly
necessary, for without it he would never have reached the end of his
journey. Then at night there had been the same outspanning to see to;
the feeding of the bullocks; the collection of wood and lighting of as
big a fire as he could contrive, to cook his food, boil his coffee, and,
finally, make up to scare off wild beasts. In addition to this, a thorn
protection ought to have been made to keep off danger from Breezy, but
that was impossible; and hour after hour Dyke had sat in the darkness,
where the cob's rein was made fast to the wagon tail, and, gun in hand,
had watched over the trembling beast, keeping him company when the
distant roaring of lions was heard on the veldt, and the bullocks grew
uneasy.
Little sleep fell to Dyke's lot by night; but in the daytime, when the
bullocks were going steadily along the track, which they followed
willingly enough for the most part, the boy's head would sink down upon
his breast, and he would snatch a few minutes' rest, often enough to
start up and find the wagon at a standstill, and the bullocks cropping
some patch of grass or the tender shoots of a clump of bushes.
Then on again, with at times the great whip exchanged for the gun, and
some bird or another laid low, so as to find him in extra provisions by
the way. Once, too, he managed to hit a little buck.
A long, doleful, and weary journey, without meeting a soul, or being
passed. On and on, over the never-ending plain, often despairing, and
with the oxen groaning, empty as the wagon was, for the sun flashed and
was reflected up with blinding force, and there were moments when Dyke
grew giddy, and felt as if he must break down.
But those were only moments. He set his teeth again, and trudged on or
rode, thinking of Joe waiting patiently away there in the lonely,
corrugated iron building, tending the ostriches, and feeling in perfect
confidence that the journey would be achieved, and the necessary stores
brought back.
There were moments, though, when Dyke brightened up, and told himself
that he would do it if he tried till to-morrow morning; and at such
times he laughed--or rather tried to laugh--for it was rather a painful
process, his face being sore and the skin ready to peel away.
But at last, after escaping danger after danger by a hair's-breadth, the
great weariness of the almost interminable journey was coming to an end,
for, far away in the distance, there was a building visible through the
clear air. He could see a broad stretch of green, too, looking
delightful with waving trees, after the arid wilderness through which he
had passed; and now, in spite of his great fatigue, Dyke plucked up
courage, for the building must be Oom Morgenstern's farm, and in an hour
or so the traveller felt that the first part of his journey was at an
end.
Once or twice a feeling of doubt troubled him, but that soon passed off,
for reason told him that he could not be wrong--this must be the point
for which he had been aiming.
The bullocks began to move more briskly now, for they could see green
pasture in the far distance, and there was a moister feeling in the air,
suggestive of water not far away.
So Dyke's task grew lighter, and an hour or so later he could see a big,
heavy, grey man standing outside an untidy-looking building, littered
about with cask and case, and who saluted him as he halted his team:
"Ach! das is goot. How you vas, mein bube?"
"Here, I say," cried Dyke, as the big German shook hands with him, "who
are you calling a booby, Uncle Morgenstern?"
"Hey? You vas bube. Not gall yourself mans, long time ago to gom.
Bube ist poy, goot poy. Zo you gom vrom Kopfontein all py youzelf to
puy mealies and dea, and goffee and sugars?"
"Well, not quite all alone; I've got our Kaffir with me."
"Ach! ten: why you not make him drive die pullock? Lazy tog!"
"He's in the wagon, bad. I've had to drive the bullocks, and inspan and
outspan all by myself."
"Ach! wonterful! All py youself. Goot poy. Ant you are hot, und sehr
dursty."
"Oh yes, horribly thirsty."
"Goot! Die Frau shall make you zom of mein beaudiful goffees. Das is
good vor dursdy.--Hi!" he shouted; and a couple of Kaffir boys came from
behind a rough shed, to whom he gave instructions to outspan the oxen
and drive them to the abundant pasture by the river side.
"Goot! Now led me see der pad mensch. Zo you haf put you Kaffir in you
wagon, and give him a pig ride."
"Yes; I thought he was going to die."
"Zo? Ah! zom beebles would haf left him oonter a dree, und zay do him:
`Mein vrient, you had petter make youself guite well as zoon as you gan.
I muss nicht shtop. Goot-bye.' But you did bring him in dem wagon,
hey?"
"Oh yes: I could not leave him."
"You are a goot poy, my young vrient. And how is der big bruder?"
"Quite well," said Dyke, looking uneasy as the big, frank-faced, fat,
German Boer questioned him.
"Why did he not gom too? I like den big bruder."
"Too busy minding the young ostriches."
"Ach zo! Of goorse. Ant you make blenty of money--you gut off der
vedders, and zend dem to der Gape?"
"Oh no. We're doing very badly: the young birds die so fast."
"Zo? Das ist sehr, very bad. You had petter zell mealie und gorn, und
dea und sugars. It ist mooch petters as neffer vas, and you not haf to
gom five, zigs, zeven days to me. Now let us zee den Kaffirs."
The old man had approached the back of the wagon as he spoke, and now
drew the canvas aside, to be greeted by a low growl which made him start
back.
"Tunder!" he cried. "Der Kaffir tog is gone mad!"
"No, no; that is our dog Duke."
"Ah! Und is he pad too?"
"Yes: a leopard came and seized him one night and carried him off from
under the wagon; but I ran out and fired, and I suppose I hit the beast,
for there was a lot of snarling and Duke got away; but I thought he
would have died."
"Ach! boor togs den. What you do to him?"
"Bathed the places with water."
"Goot!"
"And he licked the wounds himself."
"Besser."
"And curled himself up, and went to sleep."
"Das vas der best of all, mein young vrient. Aha! Goot tog, den. You
let me zee how you vas pad. I am your master's vrient; das ist zo."
He advanced his hand to where Duke lay just inside the canvas, and the
dog gave the skin on which he lay two thumps with his tail.
"Das ist goot," said the old German trader. "Ach! yaas; you haf been
pite on dem pack, und scratch, scratch along bofe your zides; boot you
are a prave tog, and zoon be guite well again."
Duke's tail performed quite a fantasia now, and he uttered a low whine
and licked at the great, fat, friendly hand which patted his head.
"Und now vere is der poy?"
"Get into the wagon," said Dyke; and the German climbed in, followed by
Dyke, and stooped down over the figure of Kaffir Jack, who lay on a
blanket, with his head toward the front part of the wagon, through which
opening the evening light still streamed.
The Kaffir's head was tied-up with a bandage formed of the sleeve of a
shirt cut off at the shoulder, split up lengthwise at the seams, tied
together so as to make it long enough, and this was stained with blood,
evidently days old.
The Boer gazed down at the Kaffir, and Jack gazed up at him, screwing up
his face in the most piteous fashion.
This scrutiny on both sides went on for some time in a silence which was
at last broken by the Kaffir uttering a dismal groan which went right to
Dyke's heart.
"Ah," said the trader softly, "boor vellow! How you vas?"
Jack uttered a more dismal groan than before.
"Ah, vas it den? Boor mans! you zeem as bad as neffer can be. You
doomble off dem vagon, und dread on your vace like dot?"
"Oh!" groaned Jack. "Baas killum."
"Did he den. Der baas kill der boor vellow dead?" Then suddenly
changing his tone from one full of soft sympathy to a burst of fierce
anger, he roared out: "Dunder und lightning! You get oot of dis, you
oogly black, idle tog. You got sore head, und lazy as big bullock. Out
you vas!"
He accompanied the fierce words with a sharp kick, and Jack bounded up
and sprang clear over the wagon-box, to stand out on the trampled
ground, staring wildly.
"Ah, you vait till I gom und get das 'noceros whip, und make you tance,
you lazy tog. You go take den pferd to water, or you haf no zopper
to-night. Roon!"
Dyke stood staring at the change that had come over the Kaffir, who ran
to where the horse was tied, unfastened the rein, and led him off
without a word.
The old trader chuckled.
"I know whad is der madder mit dose poy. He is guide well as neffer
vas, und lie und shleep and say he gannod vork a leedle pid. How game
he do domble und gut den kopf?"
Dyke coloured.
"He did not tumble," said the boy. "I hit him."
"Zo? Mit dem shdick?"
"No," faltered Dyke; "with the barrel of my gun."
"Ach! das ist not goot. You mide break den gun. Der whip handle is der
bess. Why you vas hit him on dem het?"
"He would not see to the bullocks. Almost directly after we had
started--I mean the next day--he got at the meat and ate all there was."
"Ach! yas. He look as if he had den gros shdomach. And zo he eat him
all?"
"Yes; everything."
"Und what den?"
"Then he went to sleep and wasted a whole day, and I had to do
everything, and cut wood for the fire, and watch to keep off the wild
beasts."
"Ach! boor vellow! he vas shleepy, after eat himself so vull."
"Yes."
"Und der next day?"
"The next day he said it was too soon to start, and that I must go and
shoot something for him to eat, while he kept up a good fire."
"Zo? He is a glever vellow," said the Boer, nodding his head, and with
his eyes twinkling. "Und did you go and shoot zom more meat vor den
boor poy?"
"No. I told him he must get up, and help to get the wagon along."
"Und he said he vould not move?"
"Yes," said Dyke; "and at last I got angry, and kicked him to make him
get up and work."
"Ah zo; und what den?"
"He jumped up, and threatened to spear me with his assegai."
"Zo; und what den?"
"I hit him over the head with the gun barrel, and he fell down, and has
not been up since. I was afraid I had killed him, for he lay with his
eyes shut."
"Und you goot oop your shirt to die oop his het, und you veed him, und
drink him, und waid upon him effer since as neffer vas."
"Yes; I've had to do everything," said Dyke sadly; "but I ought not to
have hit him so hard."
"Vot? My goot younger vrient, you should, und hit him more hart as dot.
A lazy, pad tog. He is a cheating rascal. A man is neffer bad when he
look guide well as dot. I know dot sort o' poy, und he shall pe ferry
sorry when he go pack, or I keep him here. Now you gom und wash, and
meine alt voman shall give you blendy do eat und drink, und den you
shall haf a creat big shlafen, und wake oop do-morrow morning as guide
well as neffer vas. Gom along. Und zo die ozdridge birds go todt?"
"Go how?" said Dyke wonderingly.
"Todt, dead--vall ashleep, and neffer wake oop no more. Ah, vell, I am
zorry for den pig bruder. He ist a ver goot mans. He bay for all he
puy at mein shdore, und dot is vot die oder beobles do not alvays do.--
Frau," he continued, as they entered the homely and rather untidy but
scrupulously clean house, "dis ist mein younger vrient: you dake him und
wash him, und make him a pig evening's eating, vor he has gom a long way
do zee us, und he will shday as long as he like."
Frau Morgenstern, a big, fat woman, greeted him warmly, and confined her
washing to giving him a tin bucket, a lump of coarse yellow soap, and a
piece of canvas perfectly clean, but coarse enough to make a sack.
That bucket of water was delicious, and so was the hearty meal which
followed, and after being assured by the hearty old German that the
cattle were properly tended, and seeing to Breezy himself--an act which
brought the old trader's fat hand down upon his back with "Goot poy:
alvays dake gare of your goot horse youzelf,"--the house was re-entered,
the door shut, and the host stood up, closed his eyes, and said a prayer
in his native tongue, ending by blessing Dyke in true patriarchal
fashion.
That night Dyke slept as he had not slept for weeks, and woke up the
next morning wondering that he could feel so fresh and well, and
expecting to see Kaffir Jack at the other end of the wagon, curled up in
a blanket; but though the dog was in his old quarters, Jack was absent,
and Dyke supposed that he was asleep beneath.