CHAPTER II.
THE KRAAL.
The ex-field-cornet was seated in front of his _kraal_--for such is thename of a South African homestead. From his lips protruded a large pipe,with its huge bowl of _meerschaum_. Every boer is a smoker.
Notwithstanding the many losses and crosses of his past life, there wascontentment in his eye. He was gratified by the prosperous appearance ofhis crops. The maize was now "in the milk," and the ears, folded withinthe papyrus-like husks, looked full and large. It was delightful to hearthe rustling of the long green blades, and see the bright golden tasselswaving in the breeze. The heart of the farmer was glad as his eyeglanced over his promising crop of "mealies."
But there was another promising crop that still more gladdened hisheart--his fine children. There they are--all around him.
Hans--the oldest--steady, sober Hans, at work in the well-stockedgarden; while the diminutive but sprightly imp Jan, the youngest, islooking on, and occasionally helping his brother. Hendrik--the dashingHendrik, with bright face and light curling hair--is busy among thehorses, in the "horse-kraal;" and Trueey--the beautiful, cherry-cheeked,flaxen-haired Trueey--is engaged with her pet--a fawn of the springbokgazelle--whose bright eyes rival her own in their expression ofinnocence and loveliness.
Yes, the heart of the field-cornet is glad as he glances from one to theother of these his children--and with reason. They are all fair to lookupon,--all give promise of goodness. If their father feels an occasionalpang, it is, as we have already said, when his eye rests upon thecherry-cheeked, flaxen-haired Gertrude.
But time has long since subdued that grief to a gentle melancholy. Itspang is short-lived, and the face of the field-cornet soon lightens upagain as he looks around upon his dear children, so full of hope andpromise.
Hans and Hendrik are already strong enough to assist him in hisoccupations,--in fact, with the exception of "Swartboy," they are theonly help he has.
Who is Swartboy?
Look into the horse-kraal, and you will there see Swartboy engaged,along with his young master Hendrik, in saddling a pair of horses. Youmay notice that Swartboy appears to be about thirty years old, and he isfull that; but if you were to apply a measuring rule to him, you wouldfind him not much over four feet in height! He is stoutly built,however, and would measure better in a horizontal direction. You maynotice that he is of a yellow complexion, although his name might leadyou to fancy he was black--for "Swartboy" means "black-boy."
You may observe that his nose is flat and sunk below the level of hischeeks; that his cheeks are prominent, his lips very thick, his nostrilswide, his face beardless, and his head almost hairless--for the smallkinky wool-knots thinly scattered over his skull can scarcely bedesignated hair. You may notice, moreover, that his head is monstrouslylarge, with ears in proportion, and that the eyes are set obliquely, andhave a Chinese expression. You may notice about Swartboy all thosecharacteristics that distinguish the "Hottentots" of South Africa.
Yet Swartboy is not a Hottentot--though he is of the same race. He is aBushman.
How came this wild Bushman into the service of the ex-field-cornet VonBloom? About that there is a little romantic history. Thus:--
Among the savage tribes of Southern Africa there exists a very cruelcustom,--that of abandoning their aged or infirm, and often their sickor wounded, to die in the desert. Children leave their parents behindthem, and the wounded are often forsaken by their comrades with no otherprovision made for them beyond a day's food and a cup of water!
The Bushman Swartboy had been the victim of this custom. He had beenupon a hunting excursion with some of his own kindred, and had beensadly mangled by a lion. His comrades, not expecting him to live, lefthim on the plain to die; and most certainly would he have perished hadit not been for our field-cornet. The latter, as he was "trekking" overthe plains, found the wounded Bushman, lifted him into his wagon,carried him on to his camp, dressed his wounds, and nursed him till hebecame well. That is how Swartboy came to be in the service of thefield-cornet.
Though gratitude is not a characteristic of his race, Swartboy was notungrateful. When all the other servants ran away, he remained faithfulto his master; and since that time had been a most efficient and usefulhand. In fact, he was now the only one left, with the exception of thegirl, Totty--who was, of course, a Hottentot; and much about the sameheight, size, and colour, as Swartboy himself.
We have said that Swartboy and the young Hendrik were saddling a pair ofhorses. As soon as they had finished that job, they mounted them, andriding out of the kraal, took their way straight across the plain. Theywere followed by a couple of strong, rough-looking dogs.
Their purpose was to drive home the oxen and the other horses that werefeeding a good distance off. This they were in the habit of doing everyevening at the same hour,--for in South Africa it is necessary to shutup all kinds of live stock at night, to protect them from beasts ofprey. For this purpose are built several enclosures with highwalls,--"kraals," as they are called,--a word of the same significationas the Spanish "corral," and I fancy introduced into Africa by thePortuguese--since it is not a native term.
These kraals are important structures about the homestead of a boer,almost as much so as his own dwelling-house, which of itself also bearsthe name of "kraal."
As young Hendrik and Swartboy rode off for the horses and cattle, Hans,leaving his work in the garden, proceeded to collect the sheep and drivethem home. These browsed in a different direction; but, as they werenear, he went afoot, taking little Jan along with him.
Trueey having tied her pet to a post, had gone inside the house to helpTotty in preparing the supper. Thus the field-cornet was left to himselfand his pipe, which he still continued to smoke.
He sat in perfect silence, though he could scarce restrain from givingexpression to the satisfaction he felt at seeing his family thusindustriously employed. Though pleased with all his children, it must beconfessed he had some little partiality for the dashing Hendrik, whobore his own name, and who reminded him more of his own youth than anyof the others. He was proud of Hendrik's gallant horsemanship, and hiseyes followed him over the plain until the riders were nearly a mileoff, and already mixing among the cattle.
At this moment an object came under the eyes of Von Bloom, that at oncearrested his attention. It was a curious appearance along the lower partof the sky, in the direction in which Hendrik and Swartboy had gone, butapparently beyond them. It resembled a dun-coloured mist or smoke, as ifthe plain at a great distance was on fire!
Could that be so? Had some one fired the _karoo_ bushes? Or was it acloud of dust?
The wind was hardly strong enough to raise such a dust, and yet it hadthat appearance. Was it caused by animals? Might it not be the dustraised by a great herd of antelopes,--a migration of the springboks, forinstance? It extended for miles along the horizon, but Von Bloom knewthat these creatures often travel in flocks of greater extent thanmiles. Still he could not think it was that.
He continued to gaze at the strange phenomenon, endeavouring to accountfor it in various ways. It seemed to be rising higher against the bluesky--now resembling dust, now like the smoke of a widely-spreadconflagration, and now like a reddish cloud. It was in the west, andalready the setting sun was obscured by it. It had passed over the sun'sdisc like a screen, and his light no longer fell upon the plain. Was itthe forerunner of some terrible storm?--of an earthquake?
Such a thought crossed the mind of the field-cornet. It was not like anordinary cloud,--it was not like a cloud of dust,--it was not likesmoke. It was like nothing he had ever witnessed before. No wonder thathe became anxious and apprehensive.
All at once the dark-red mass seemed to envelope the cattle upon theplain, and these could be seen running to and fro as if affrighted. Thenthe two riders disappeared under its dun shadow!
Von Bloom rose to his feet, now seriously alarmed. What could it mean?
The exclamation to which he gave utterance brought little Trueey andTot
ty from the house; and Hans with Jan had now got back with the sheepand goats. All saw the singular phenomenon, but none of them could tellwhat it was. All were in a state of alarm.
As they stood gazing, with hearts full of fear, the two riders appearedcoming out of the cloud, and then they were seen to gallop forward overthe plain in the direction of the house. They came on at full speed, butlong before they had got near, the voice of Swartboy could be heardcrying out,--
"Baas Von Bloom! _da springaans are comin'!--da springaan!--daspringaan!_"