Jess

  CHAPTER XXII

  ON THE ROAD

  John and Jess had finished their meal, and were about to leave thetable, when suddenly the door opened, and who should appear at it butFrank Muller himself! Mistake was impossible; there he stood, strokinghis long golden beard, as big, as handsome, and, to Jess's mind, asevil-looking as ever. The cold eyes fell upon John with a glance ofrecognition, and something like a smile began to play around the cornersof the finely cut cruel mouth. Suddenly, however, his gaze lit upon thetwo Boers, one of whom was picking his teeth with a steel fork andthe other lighting his pipe within a few inches of Jess's head, andinstantly his face grew stern and angry.

  "Did I not tell you two men," he said, "that you were not to eat withthe prisoners?"--this word struck awkwardly on Jess's ear. "I toldyou that they were to be treated with all respect, and here I find yousprawling over the table and smoking in their faces. Be off with you!"

  The smooth-faced man with the tusk rose at once with a sigh, putdown the steel fork with which he had been operating, and departed,recognising that _Meinheer_ Muller was not a commanding officer to betrifled with, but his companion, the Vilderbeeste, demurred. "What,"he said, tossing his head so as to throw the long black hair out of hiseyes, "am I not fit to sit at meat with a couple of accursed English--a_rooibaatje_ and a woman? If I had my way he should clean my bootsand she should cut up my tobacco;" and he grinned at the notion tilleyebrows, whiskers, and moustache nearly met round his nose, causing himto look for all the world like a hairy-faced baboon.

  Frank Muller made no answer in words. He simply took one step forward,pounced upon his insubordinate follower, and with a single swing of hisathletic frame sent him flying headlong through the door, so that thisfree and independent burgher lit upon his head in the passage, smashinghis pipe and considerably damaging his best feature--his nose. "There,"said Muller, shutting the door after him, "that is the only way to dealwith such a fellow. And now let me bid you good-day, Miss Jess," and heextended his hand, which Jess took, rather coldly it must be owned.

  "It has given me great pleasure to be able to do you this littleservice," he added politely. "I had considerable difficulty in obtainingthe pass from the General--indeed I was obliged to urge my personalservices before he would give it to me. But never mind that, I gotit, as you know, and it will be my care to escort you safely toMooifontein."

  Jess bowed, and Muller turned to John, who had risen from his chair andwas standing some two paces away, and addressed him. "Captain Niel," hesaid, "you and I have had some differences in the past. I hope that theservice I am doing you will prove that I, for one, bear no malice. Iwill go farther. As I told you before, I was to blame in that affair inthe inn-yard at Wakkerstroom. Let us shake hands and end what we cannotmend," and he stepped forward and extended his hand.

  Jess turned to see what would happen. She knew the whole story, andhoped he would take the man's hand; next, remembering their position,she hoped that he would.

  John turned colour a little, then he drew himself up deliberately andput his hand behind his back.

  "I am very sorry, Mr. Muller," he said, "but even in our presentposition I cannot shake hands with you; you will know why."

  Jess saw a flush, bred of the furious passion which was his weak point,spread itself over the Boer's face.

  "I do _not_ know, Captain Niel. Be so good as to explain."

  "Very well, I will," said John calmly. "You tried to assassinate me."

  "What do you mean?" thundered Muller.

  "What I say. You shot at me twice under pretence of firing at abuck. Look here!"--and he took up his soft black hat, which he stillwore--"here is the mark of one of your bullets! I did not know about itthen; I do now, and I decline to shake hands with you."

  By this time Muller's fury had got the better of him. "You shall answerfor that, you English liar!" he said, at the same time clapping hishand to his belt, in which his hunting-knife was placed. Thus for a fewseconds they stood face to face. John never flinched or moved. There hestood, quiet and strong as some old stubby tree, his plain honest faceand watchful eye affording a strange contrast to the beautiful butdemoniacal countenance of the great Dutchman. Presently he spoke inmeasured tones.

  "I have proved myself a better man that yourself once, Frank Muller, andif necessary I will again, notwithstanding that knife of yours. But, inthe meantime, I wish to remind you that I have a pass signed by your ownGeneral guaranteeing our safety. And now, Mr. Muller," with a flash ofthe blue eyes, "I am ready." The Dutchman drew the knife, but replacedit in its sheath. For a moment he was minded to end the matter then andthere, but suddenly, even in his rage, he remembered that there was awitness.

  "A pass from the General!" he said, forgetting his caution in his fury."Much good a pass from the General is likely to be to you. You are inmy power, man! If I choose to close my hand I can crush you. Butthere--there," he added, checking himself, "perhaps I ought to makeallowances. You are one of a defeated people, and no doubt are sore, andsay what you do not mean. Anyhow, there is an end of it, especially inthe presence of a lady. Some day we may be able to settle our troublelike men, Captain Niel; till then, with your permission, we will let itdrop."

  "Quite so, Mr. Muller," said John, "only you must not ask me to shakehands with you."

  "Very good, Captain Niel; and now, if you will allow me, I will tellthe boy to get your horses in; we must be getting on if we are to reachHeidelberg to-night." And he bowed himself out, feeling that once morehis temper had endangered the success of his plans. "Curse the fellow!"he said to himself: "he is what those English call a gentleman. It wasbrave of him to refuse to take my hand when he is in my power."

  "John," said Jess, as soon as the door had closed, "I am afraid of thatman. If I had understood that he had anything to do with the pass Iwould not have taken it. I thought that the writing was familiar to me.Oh dear! I wish we had stopped at Pretoria."

  "What can't be cured must be endured," said John again. "The only thingto do is to make the best of it, and get on as we can. You will beall right anyhow, but he hates me like poison. I suppose that it is onaccount of Bessie."

  "Yes, that's it," said Jess: "he is, or was, madly in love with Bessie."

  "It is curious to think that a man like that can be in love," remarkedJohn as he lit his pipe, "but it only shows what queer mixtures peopleare. I say, Jess, if this fellow hates me so much, what made him give methe pass, eh? What's his game?"

  Jess shook her head as she answered, "I don't know, John; I don't likeit."

  "I suppose he can't mean to murder me; he did try it on once, you know."

  "Oh no, John," she answered with a sort of cry, "not that."

  "Well, I don't know that it would matter much," he said, with anapproach to cheerfulness which was rather a failure. "It would saveone a deal of worry, and only anticipate things a bit. But there, Ifrightened you, and I dare say that, for the present at any rate, he isan honest man, and has no intentions on my person. Look! there is Mouticalling us. I wonder if those brutes have given him anything to eat!We'll secure the rest of this leg of mutton on chance. At any rate, Mr.Frank Muller sha'n't starve me to death," and with a cheerful laugh heleft the room.

  In a few minutes they were on their road again. As they started FrankMuller came up, took off his hat, and informed them that probably hewould join them on the morrow below Heidelberg, in which town they wouldfind every preparation to enable them to spend the night comfortably.If he did not join them it would be because he was detained on duty.In that case the two men had his orders to escort them safely toMooifontein, and, he added significantly, "I do not think that you willbe troubled with any further impoliteness."

  In another moment he had galloped off on his great black horse, leavingthe pair considerably mystified and not a little relieved.

  "Well," said John, "at any rate that does not look like foul play,unless, indeed, he has gone on to prepare a warm reception for us."

  Jess shrugged her shoul
ders, she could not understand it; and then theysettled themselves down to their long lonely drive. They had forty oddmiles to cover, but the guides, or rather the guard, would only consentto their outspanning once, which they did on the open veldt a littlebefore sunset. At sundown they inspanned again, and started across thedarkening veldt. The road was in a shocking state, and until the moonrose, which it did about nine o'clock, the journey was both difficultand dangerous. After that things were a little better; and at last,about eleven o'clock, they reached Heidelberg. The town seemed almostdeserted. Evidently the great body of the Boers were at the front, andhad only left a guard at their seat of government.

  "Where are we to outspan?" asked John of the Unicorn, who was jogging onalongside, apparently half asleep.

  "At the hotel," was the short reply, and thither they went. Thankfulenough they were to reach it, and to find, from the lights in thewindows, that people were still about.

  Notwithstanding the awful jolting of the cart, Jess had been asleep forthe last two hours. Her arm was hooked round the back of the seat, andher head rested against John's great-coat, which he had fixed up in sucha way as to make a pillow. "Where are we?" she asked, waking up with astart as the cart stopped. "I have had such a bad dream! I dreamt that Iwas travelling through life, and that suddenly everything stopped, and Iwas dead."

  "I don't wonder at it," laughed John; "the road for the last ten mileshas been as rough as anybody's life. We are at the hotel. Here are theboys to take the horses," and he clambered stiffly out of the cart andhelped or rather lifted her down, for she was almost too cramped tomove.

  Standing at the inn-door, holding a light above her head, they found apleasant-looking Englishwoman, who welcomed them heartily.

  "Frank Muller was here three hours ago, and told me to expect you," shesaid; "and very glad I am to see an English face again, I can tell you.My name is Gooch. Tell me, is my husband all right in Pretoria? He wentup there with his waggon just before the siege began, and I have notheard a word from him since."

  "Yes," said John, "he is all right. He was slightly wounded in theshoulder a month ago, but he has quite recovered."

  "Oh, thank God!" said the poor woman, beginning to cry; "those devilstold me that he was dead--to torment me, I suppose. Come in, miss: thereis some hot supper ready when you have washed your hands. The boys willsee to the horses."

  Accordingly they entered, and were made as happy as a good supper,a hearty welcome, and comfortable beds could make people in theircondition.

  In the early morning one of their estimable escort sent in a messageto say that they were not to start before half-past ten, as the horsesrequired more rest, so they enjoyed some hours longer in bed than theyhad expected, and anybody who has ever made a journey in a post-cartin South Africa can understand the blessing thereof. At nine theybreakfasted, and as the clock struck half-past ten Mouti brought thecart round, and with it came the two Boers.

  "Well, Mrs. Gooch," said John, "what do we owe you?"

  "Nothing, Captain Niel, nothing. If you only knew what a weight you havetaken off my mind! Besides, we are quite ruined; the Boers have lootedall my husband's cattle and horses, and until last week six of them werequartered on me without paying a farthing, so it makes no odds to me."

  "Never mind, Mrs. Gooch," said John cheerfully, "the Government willcompensate you when this business is over, no doubt."

  Mrs. Gooch shook her head prophetically. "Never a halfpenny do I expectto see," she said. "If only I can get my husband back, and we can escapeout of this wicked place with our lives, I shall be thankful. And lookhere, Captain Niel, I have put up a basketful of food--bread, meat, andhard-boiled eggs, with a bottle of three-star brandy. It may be usefulto you and the young lady before you reach home. I don't know where youwill sleep to-night, for the English are still holding Standerton, soyou won't be able to stop there, and you can't drive right through. No,don't thank me, I could not do less. Good-bye--good-bye, miss; I hopeyou will get through all right. You had better look out, though. Thosetwo men you have with you are very bad lots. I heard say, rightlyor wrongly, that that fat-faced man with the tooth shot two woundedsoldiers through the head after the fight at Bronker's Spruit, and Iknow no good of the other. They were laughing and talking together aboutyou in the kitchen this morning; one of my boys overheard them, andthe Boer with the long hair said that, at any rate, they would not betroubled with you after to-night. I don't know what he meant; perhapsthey are going to change the escort; but I thought that I had bettertell you."

  John looked grave, and his suspicions re-arose, but at that moment oneof the men in question rode up and told him that he must start at once,and so off they went.

  This second day's journey was in many respects a counterpart of thefirst. The road was utterly deserted, and they saw neither Boer,Englishman, nor Kafir upon it; nothing, indeed, except a few herds ofgame grazing on the ridges. About two o'clock, however, just as they hadstarted after a short outspan, a little incident occurred. Suddenlythe Vilderbeeste's horse put his foot into an ant-bear hole and fellheavily, throwing his rider on to his head. He was up in a minute, buthis forehead had struck against the jawbone of a dead buck, and theblood was pouring from it down his hairy face. His companion laughedbrutally at the accident, for there are some natures in the world towhich the sight of pain is irresistibly comical, but the injured mancursed aloud, trying to staunch the flow with the lappet of his coat.

  "_Waacht een beeche_," said Jess, "there is some water in that pool,"and telling John to pull up she sprang from the trap and led the man,who was half-blinded with blood, to the spring. Here she made himkneel down and bathed the wound, which was not a very deep one, till itstopped bleeding, and then, having first placed a pad of cotton-wool,some of which she happened to have in the cart, upon it, she bound herhandkerchief tightly round his head. The man, brute as he was, appearedto be much touched at her kindness.

  "Almighty," he said, "but you have a kind heart and soft fingers; my ownwife could not have done it better; it is a pity that you are a damnedEnglishwoman."

  Jess climbed back into the cart, making no reply, and they started on,the Vilderbeeste looking more savage and unhuman than ever with thediscoloured handkerchief round his head, and his dense black beard andhair mattered with gore which he would not take the trouble to wash outof them.

  After this nothing further occurred till, by the orders of their escort,they outspanned, an hour or so before sunset, at a spot in the veldtwhere a faint track forked from the Standerton road.