A tall, powerful, middle-aged man, in a coarse cloth jacket, leathern trousers or crackers, and a broad-brimmed home-made hat, issued from the chief dwelling-house as the horsemen galloped up and drew rein. The sons of the family and a number of barking dogs also greeted them. Hans and Considine sprang to the ground, while two or three of the eleven brothers, of various agesalso in leathern crackers, but without coats or hatscame forward, kicked the dogs, and led the horses away.
Let me introduce a stranger, father, whom I have foundlost in the karroo, said Hans.
Welcome to Eden! Come in, come in, said Mynheer Conrad Marais heartily, as he shook his visitor by the hand.
Considine suitably acknowledged the hospitable greeting and followed his host into the principal room of his residence.
There was no hall or passage to the house. The visitor walked straight off the veldt, or plain, into the drawing-roomif we may so style it. The house door was also the drawing-room door, and it was divided transversely into two halves, whereby an open window could at any moment be formed by shutting the lower half of the door. There was no ceiling to the room. You could see the ridge-pole and rafters by looking up between the beams, on one of which latter a swallowtaking advantage of the ever open door and the general hospitality of the familyhad built its nest. The six-foot sons almost touched the said nest with their heads; as to the smaller youths it was beyond the reach of most of them, but had it been otherwise no one would have disturbed the lively little intruder.
The floor of the apartment was made of hard earth, without carpet. The whitewashed walls were graced with various garments, as well as implements and trophies of the chase.
From the beams hung joints of meat, masses of dried flesh, and various kinds of game, large whipstermed sjamboks (pronounced shamboks)made of rhinoceros or hippopotamus hide, leopard and lion skins, ostrich eggs and feathers, dried fruit, strings of onions, and other miscellaneous objects; on the floor stood a large deal table, and chairs of the same descriptionall home-made,two waggon chests, a giant churn, a large iron pot, several wooden pitchers hooped with brass, and a side-table on which were a large brass-clasped Dutch Bible, a set of Dutch tea-cups, an urn, and a brass tea-kettle heated like a chafing-dish. On the walls and in corners were several flint-lock guns, and one or two of the short light javelins used by the Kafirs for throwing in battle, named assagais.
Three small doors led into three inner rooms, in which the entire family slept. There were no other apartments, the kitchen being an outhouse. On the centre table was spread a substantial breakfast, from which the various members of the family had risen on the arrival of the horsemen.
Considine was introduced to Mynheer Marais vrouw, a good-looking, fat, and motherly woman verging on forty,and his daughter Bertha, a pretty little girl of eight or nine.
What is Mynheers name? was the matrons first question.
Mynheer replied that it was Charles Considine.
Was Mynheer English?
Yes, Mynheer was proud to acknowledge the fact.
Mrs Marais followed up these questions with a host of otherssuch as, the age and profession of Mynheer, the number of his relatives, and the object of his visit to South Africa. Mynheer Marais himself, after getting a brief outline of his sons meeting with the Englishman, backed the attack of his pleasant-faced vrouw by putting a number of questions as to the political state of Europe then existing, and the chances of the British Government seriously taking into consideration the unsatisfactory condition of the Cape frontier and its relations with the Kafirs.
To all of these and a multitude of other questions Charlie Considine replied with great readiness and good-humour, as far as his knowledge enabled him, for he began quickly to appreciate the fact that these isolated farmers, who almost never saw a newspaper were thirsting for information as to the world in general as well as with regard to himself in particular.
During this bombardment of queries the host and hostess were not forgetful to supply their young guest with the viands under which the substantial table groaned, while several of the younger members of the family, including the pretty Bertha, stood behind the rest and waited on them. With the exception of the host and hostess, none of the household spoke during the meal, all being fully occupied in listening eagerly and eating heartily.
When the Dutch fire began to slacken for want of ammunition, Considine retaliated by opening a British battery, and soon learned that Marais and his wife both claimed, and were not a little proud of, a few drops of French blood. Their progenitors on the mothers side, they said, were descended from one of the French Huguenot families which settled in the colony after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.
You see, said Mynheer Marais, with a quiet smile of satisfaction, as he applied a boiled cob of mealies or Indian corn to his powerful teeth, our family may be said to be about two-thirds Dutch and one-third French. In fact, we have also a little English blood in our veins, for my great-grandfathers mother was English on the fathers side and Dutch on the mothers. Perhaps this accounts to some extent for my tendency to adopt some English and American ideas in the improvement of my farm, which is not a characteristic of my Cape-Dutch brethren.
So I have been told, and to some extent have seen, said Considine, with a sly glance; in fact they appear to be rather lazy than otherwise.
Not lazy, young sir, returned Marais with some emphasis. They are easy-going and easily satisfied, and not solicitous to add to their material comforts beyond a certain pointin short, contented with little, like Frenchmen, which is a praiseworthy condition of mind, commended in Holy Writ, and not disposed to make haste to be rich, like you English.
Ah, I see, rejoined Considine, who observed a twinkle in the eyes of some of Mynheers stalwart sons.
Yes, pursued the farmer, buttering another mealie-cob, and commencing to eat it with infinite gusto, you see, the Cape Dutchmen, although as fine a set of men as ever lived, are just a little too contented and slow; on the other hand, young sir, you English are much too reckless and fast
Just so, interrupted Considine, bowing his thanks to the hostess for a third venison-steak which she had put on his plate; the Dutch too slow, the English too fast, so that three parts Dutch, two parts French, and one part Englishlike a dash of seasoningis, it seems, the perfect Marais mixture.
This remark produced a sudden and unintentional burst of laughter from the young Maraises, not so much on account of the excess of humour contained in it, as from the fact that never before had they heard a jest of any kind fabricated at the expense of their father, of whom they stood much in awe, and for whom they had a profound respect.
Conrad Marais, however, could take a joke, although not much given to making one. He smiled blandly over the edge of his mealie-cob.
Youre right, sir,right; the mixture is not a bad one. The Dutch element gives steadiness, the English vigour, and the French spirit.By the way, Arend, he continued, turning to one of his stout olive-branches, talking of spirit reminds me that you will have to go to work at that leak in the dam with more spirit than usual, for we cant afford to lose water in this dry weather. It is not finished, I think?
No, father, but we hope to get it done this afternoon.
Conrad Marais, however, could take a joke, although not much given to making one. He smiled blandly over the edge of his mealie-cob.
Youre right, sir,right; the mixture is not a bad one. The Dutch element gives steadiness, the English vigour, and the French spirit.By the way, Arend, he continued, turning to one of his stout olive-branches, talking of spirit reminds me that you will have to go to work at that leak in the dam with more spirit than usual, for we cant afford to lose water in this dry weather. It is not finished, I think?
No, father, but we hope to get it done this afternoon.
Thats well. How many of you are at it?
David and I, with six Totties. Old Sam is ill, and none of the others can be spared to-day.
Cant some of your brothers help? asked the farmer. Losing water is as bad almost as losing gold.
Joseph meant to come, but he started at six this morning to look after the cattle. We hear that the Kafirs carried off some of Jan Smits sheep yesterday.
The black scoundrels! exclaimed Conrad Marais, with a growl and a frown, they are never at rest, either in times of peace or of war.
The frown passed as quickly as it came, and the genial smile habitual to the farmer resumed its place on his countenance as he ran his fingers through the thick masses of his iron-grey hair, and rose from the table.
Come, Mr Considine, he said, putting on his hat, are you disposed for a ride? I take a look round the farm every morning to see that things are going straight. Will you join me?
Of course Considine gladly assented, and Hans said he would accompany them, while the other sonsexcept of course the younger ones, and the baby who was Berthas special chargewent out to their various avocations.
A few minutes later the three horsemen were cantering over the plain.
During the ride, Considine was again questioned closely as to his future intentions and prospects, but without anything very satisfactory being evolved. At last Conrad Marais pulled up, after a long pause in the conversation, and while they advanced at a walk, said Well, Ive been thinking, and here is the outcome. You want work, Mr Considine, and I want a workman. Youve had a good education, which I count a priceless advantage. Some of my sons have had a little, but since I came here the young ones have had none at all worth mentioning. What say you to become a schoolmaster? You stop with me and give the youngsters as much as you think fit of whatever you know, and Ill give you house-room and food, with a small salary and a hearty welcome. You need not bind yourself. If you dont like it, you can leave it. If you do like it, you are welcome to stay as long as you please, and youll thus have an opportunity of looking about and deciding on your future plans. What say you?
Considine received the opening sentences of this proposal with a smile, but as the farmer went on he became grave, and at length seriously entertained the idea. After having slept a night over it he finally resolved to accept the offer, and next day was fairly installed as dominie and a member of the farmers family. School-books were ferreted out from the bottom of family chests; a Hottentots (or Totties) mud-hut was converted into a schoolroom; six of the farmers sonsbeginning almost at the foot of the scaleformed a class. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were unfolded to youthful and not unwilling minds, even Latin was broached by the eldest of the six, and, during a separate hour in the evening, French was taught to Bertha. Everything, in short, was put in train, and, as Considine expressed it, the Marais Academy was going full swing, when an event occurred which instantly sent French and Latin to the right-about and scattered the three Rs to the four winds.
This was nothing less than an order from the Colonial Government to the Field Cornets on the frontier to engage waggons and oxen from the farmers, to be sent to Algoa Bay for the purpose of conveying the British immigrantsexpected in a few weeksfrom the coast to the various locations destined for their reception.
Among others, Conrad Marais was to send two waggons and spans of oxen, each span consisting of eighteen animals. Hans Marais was to go in charge, and Hans resolved to have Considine as a companion, for the journey down to the coast was longabout 160 miles,and the two youths had formed so strong an attachment during their short acquaintance that Considine was as anxious to go as his friend could desire.
Conrad Marais, having no objection to this arrangement, the oxen were inspanned, and the day following that on which the order was received they set off towards the shores of the Indian Ocean.
Having to pass the residence of Jan Smit on the way, Considine seized the opportunity to visit his former cross-grained companion and pay his debt.
Jan Smit was in a more savage humour than usual when the young man walked up to his dwelling. The farmers back was towards him as he approached. He stood nervously switching a sjambok in his right hand, while he stormed in Dutch at three of his unfortunate people, or rather slaves. One was a sturdy Hottentot named Ruyter, one a Malay named Abdul Jemalee, both of whom had travelled with Considine on the up journey. The third was the Bushman whom he had encountered when lost on the karroo, and who, owing to his inveterate stupidity, had been named Booby.
They had all been implicated in the recent loss of cattle suffered by their savage master, who had already flogged the Bushman with the sjambok and was furiously interrogating the Hottentot. At last he gave him a tremendous cut across the shoulders, which immediately raised a dark red bar thereon.
Ruyters black eyes flashed. He did not wince, but drew himself quickly up like a man about to retaliate. Jan Smit observing and resenting the action, at once knocked him down.
Ruyter slowly rose and staggered away just as Considine came up. The youth could not resist the inclination to exclaim Shame!
Who dares cried Jan Smit, turning fiercely round. He paused in mute surprise at sight of his former companion.
I dare! said Considine sternly; many a time the word has been on my lips before, and now that it has passed them it may go. I came not here, however, to bully, or be bullied, but to pay my debt to you.
He drew out a leathern purse as he spoke, and the Dutchman, whose spirit was quelled both by the manner and the matter of his visitors remark, led the way to his domicile.
The house resembled that of Conrad Marais in form, but in nothing else. Everything in and around it was dirty and more or less dilapidated. There was no dam, no garden,nothing, in short, but the miserable dwelling and a few surrounding huts, with the cattle kraal.
Having paid his debt, Considine did not vouchsafe another word, but returned at once to the waggons. On the way he overtook Ruyter.
My poor fellow, he said, have you no means of redress? Can you not complain to some onesome magistrate?
Complain! exclaimed the Hottentot fiercely, what de use of complain? No one care. Nobody listenboh! no use complain.
The man had learnt a smattering of English. He was a short but very powerful fellow, and with a more intellectual head and countenance than is common to his race.
Where are you going just now, Ruyter? asked Considine, feeling that it was best to change the subject just then.
Go for inspan de waggin. Ordered down to Algoa Bay for bring up de white men.
Then we shall probably meet on the road, said Considine, for I am going to the same place. As he spoke, they came to a point where the road forked. The Hottentot, with a sulky Good-day, took that path which led towards Jan Smits cattle kraal, while Considine followed the other and rejoined his waggons. The two friends mounted their horses, the drivers set the ox-teams in motion, and the huge waggons lumbered slowly over the karroo towards the rising sun.