CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
AT TANTE ANN'S.
It was growing dark before a suitable place presented itself, this beinga typical Boer farm in a very desolate part of the veldt, the spothaving been evidently chosen by its occupants on account of the tinykopje and abundant supply of water welling out, besides being a perfectspot for the branch of farming the owner carried on, there being penafter pen of ostriches, the great foolish-looking large-eyed birdsstaring at the two horsemen wonderingly as they approached the doorwhere the owner stood looking distant and glum, as he smoked his bigpipe.
Yes, he said, he would sell them some provisions for themselves and cornfor their horses if they had money to pay for what they wanted.
This was at once produced, and the farmer looked on after summoning ahuge Kaffir to help with the horses and get out the corn; while his fatwife, after coming to the door to glare at the visitors, condescended toput on a kettle to prepare them tea, and see if there was a chicken thatcould be killed and broiled, and some eggs for frying.
There were several bits of consultation carried on by the husband andwife from time to time, and everything showed that the visitors were farfrom welcome.
"Never mind," said Ingleborough; "all we want is a good meal, and weshall be off in the morning as soon as it is light."
"That shed with the iron roof is to be our bedroom, I suppose?" saidWest.
"Yes, and we're lucky to get that and a few sacks."
Just then the Boer came slowly sidling up, smoking hard the while, toknow if they had seen anything of the war, and he seemed deeplyinterested on hearing that a skirmish had been going on not so manymiles from his farm.
"Why are you two not fighting?" he said suddenly.
"Because we don't want to," was West's smiling reply.
"But you are Englanders?" said the Boer.
"Yes, but all Englanders don't want to fight," said West, whileIngleborough looked on, quite unmoved.
"Oh, don't tell, me!" said the Boer, shaking his head. "They all wantto fight and kill the Boers before robbing them of their homes andfarms. Don't tell me--I know!"
He walked away to where the Kaffir was seeing to the horses, and Westnoticed that he took a good deal of notice of them, glanced two or threetimes in the direction of his visitors, and then ran his hands downtheir legs in a most professional way, narrowly escaping a kick fromWest's steed, before he walked thoughtfully back to his rough--lookinghouse, into which he was careful not to allow his guests to enter.
"We're to share the stable with the nags," said Ingleborough; "but itdoesn't matter. Let's go and see how they are getting on," hecontinued, as the Boer disappeared indoors. "We can't afford to havethem fed on some of his lordship's refuse. I know something of thetricks of these gentlemen of old."
They entered the rough stable, where the big Kaffir was standing on oneside and greeted them with a heavy scowl.
"Well, Jack," said Ingleborough, "are the ponies eating their corn?"
"Yes, baas," said the black gruffly; "eat um all fast."
"Ah, I thought so," said Ingleborough quietly, sniffing and blowing onthe musty trash. "Do you feed your horses on stuff like this?"
He turned so sharply on the Kaffir that the man shrank as if from ablow; but his questioner smiled.
"Not your fault, I suppose?"
"Baas say, `Give ponies thaht,'" he replied apologetically.
"Of course, my lad," said Ingleborough, drawing out a shilling andslipping it into the black's hand.
"Now you get some of the best corn, and see that the horses eat it. Youunderstand?"
"Yes, baas," said the man, with a sharp click, as his eyes glistened andhe showed his white teeth in a satisfied grin. "Soon my baas go away,give them good to eat."
"Is your baas going away?"
"Iss; saddle pony; go away."
As the black spoke he pointed to the farther end of the long mud-walledshed, where another pony was tied up.
Just then the shrill voice of the Boer vrouw was heard calling, and theKaffir gave a shout in reply.
"Tant' Ann want um," he said, and he ran out, joined the lady at thedoor, and was dismissed to get some fuel from a heap, while the farmercame out, smoking away, and Ingleborough left the shed with West as ifto join him.
"Are you going to give him your opinion?" said West.
"No: we can't afford to quarrel. The Kaffir will take care of our nagsnow, and get another tip for his pains."
The next minute they were close up to their host, who had evidently beenthinking over the words which had last been exchanged.
"You Englanders," he said, "think you are very clever; but the Boersbeat you before, and they're going to beat you more this time, and driveyou all into the sea."
"Very well!" said West, smiling. "I hope they'll give us time to getinto the ships."
"Perhaps!" said the Boer, smoking more rapidly in his excitement. "Butit's all going to be Dutch now! No more English!"
"All right," said Ingleborough; "but I want my supper very badly."
"Want to eat? Yes; come in! The vrouw says it is nearly ready."
"That's right; then let's have it."
"You can come in the house," continued the farmer, and Ingleboroughraised his eyebrows a little in surprise.
But a greater surprise awaited the pair on entering the mud-floored roomto find quite a decent meal awaiting them on the table, and theirsour-looking heavy hostess ready to wait on them with a kind of surlycivility.
The pair were too hungry to think of anything then but appeasing theirappetite, and they made a good meal, their host making no scruple aboutbringing a stool to the table and taking a larger share than either.
He said little, but his little keen eyes examined everything inconnection with his visitors' costume, paying most heed to theirweapons, while his wife saw to the wants of all from time to time,retiring at intervals to a second room which led out of the first andseemed to have been added quite lately.
"You'll want to sleep soon?" said the farmer inquiringly, when the mealwas ended.
"Yes, the sooner the better," said Ingleborough, rising; an examplefollowed by West; "and we shall be off in the morning early. We'll takea couple of these cakes."
The Boer nodded.
"Shall I sell you some biltong?" he said.
"Yes, certainly."
"I will have it ready. Where are you going now?"
"To look at the ponies."
"Oh, they are all well. My Kaffir has seen to them."
"But I suppose we are to sleep out there?" said Ingleborough.
"No," said the Boer; "you can sleep there," and he pointed to arough-looking bed in one corner of the room. "My Kaffir sleeps with thehorses. My vrouw and I sleep in the other room."
"Then as soon as we can we should like to turn this dining-room into ourbedroom," said Ingleborough.
"But we'll look at our ponies first."
The Boer grunted and proceeded to refill his pipe, while the two youngmen went out and across to the rough shelter, where they found theirponies looking evidently the better for a good feed, and the Kaffirgrinning and ready to pat their plumped-out figures, the ponies takingthe touch of his hand as a friendly caress.
"Eat a big lot," said the Kaffir, in the Boer tongue. "Ah, like this,"and he held a native basket for their inspection, at the bottom of whichwas a specimen of the corn with which the ponies had been fed.
"That's right, Jack! Capital; hard as shot! There's another shillingfor you!"
The Kaffir grinned again with delight as he took the money.
"Good baas!" he said. "Two good baas! Baas want boy, Jack come 'longwith you!"
"Not this time, my lad!"
"Very glad to come 'long with good baas!" said the man, in adisappointed tone of voice.
"No, we can't take you, my lad," said West, patting the big fellow onthe shoulder. "Have the ponies saddled at daylight. We're goingearly."
The black nodded his
head, and the pair, weary enough now from theirlong journey, and drowsy after their hearty meal, strode slowly back tothe house, to find that the table had been cleared, save that a coupleof big bread cakes lay on one end alongside of a little pile of biltong,the sun-dried mahogany-looking strips of ox-flesh so much in use amongthe rough farmers of the veldt.
The dirty-looking room smelt hot and stuffy, but a little window at theback had been thrown open, and the soft air blowing from off miles ofplain made the place a little more bearable.
A common lamp had been lighted, and a streak of light came from beneaththe ill-fitting door which led into the other room, from which the lowmurmur of voices could be heard as the young men entered talkingcheerily together.
This announced their return, and the door creaked upon its hinges,giving entrance to the farmer, who pointed to the next day's provisionsand significantly held out his hand.
"How much?" said West, and the man demanded an unconscionable amount,which made the pair exchange glances. But Ingleborough nodded as muchas to say: "Pay the thief!" and the money was handed over and taken witha grunt. After this the Boer passed into the next room, closing thedoor after him; but it did not prevent the acid voice of the vrouw fromreaching the visitors' ears as if to protest.
"The old scoundrel won't hand over the plunder," said Ingleborough, witha chuckle. "I hope she'll give him what we didn't--a thorough goodtongue-thrashing."
He had hardly spoken when he found that he had jumped at a wrongconclusion, for the door was pulled open again and the Boer reappeared.
"Tante Ann says you are to make haste and put out the lamp," he growled,"for she don't want to be burned in her bed."
"All right, uncle," replied Ingleborough. "Good night, and bless youfor a fine specimen of the noble, freedom-loving Boer. Say good nightto Tante too, and tell her that our sleeping chamber is the veryperfection of domestic comfort."
"Hunk!" ejaculated the farmer, and he disappeared again.
"I wonder that he did not turn upon you," said West, ratherreproachfully; "he must have understood that you were speakingsarcastically."
"Not he," said his companion. "Thick-headed, muddy-brained brute; morelike a quadruped than a man! The Kaffirs are gentlemen to some of theseup-country farmers, and yet they are the slaves."
"Too tired to discuss moral ethics!" said West sleepily; "but reallythis place is awful. Agricultural implements in one corner, sacks ofsomething in another, horns, saddles, tools--oh, I'm too sleepy to goon. Hallo! He has taken those two rifles away that were slung overthat low cupboard."
"To be sure; so he has! Afraid we should steal them, perhaps, and beoff before he woke! I say, did you notice how he examined ours?"
"Yes; I fancied he had noticed that they were Mausers."
"Oh no. They were fresh to him. Well, I'm going to take care that hedoesn't help himself to them. I don't know what you're going to do, butI'm going to lie down on one side of that bed just as I am, bandolierand all, and I vote we lay the rifles between us."
"I shall do the same," said West. "What do you say to leaving the doorand window open for the sake of the fresh air? No fear of lions here?"
"I don't know so much about that, but we should get some warning fromthe horses and oxen. Bah! It's not likely. What now?"
There was a heavy thumping at the door leading into the other room, andthe vrouw's shrill voice was heard ordering them to put out the light.
"Tell her, West, that her royal commands shall be instantly obeyed byher obedient slaves."
"Shan't," replied West. "That will quiet her," and he turned out thelight, putting an end to its abominable emanation of coarse petroleum,while the soft starry light of a glorious night stole in, showing theshapes of door and windows.
"Hah! That's better!" said Ingleborough, making the rough bedsteadcreak as he laid himself gently down. "I hope none of these cartridgeswill explode. Oh, how I can sleep!"
"And so can I," sighed West, "even dressed up like this," after layinghis rifle alongside of his companion's, straight down the middle of thebed.
"We didn't tell Jack the Kaffir to bring our shaving-water at daybreak,"said Ingleborough, who now that he was in a horizontal position seemedto have suddenly grown wakeful. "I say."
"Well?"
"I wonder how our dear friend Anson is!"
West made no reply.
"I say! West!"
"Oh, don't talk, please. I want to sleep."
"All right, you shall, till I see the pearly dawn streaming in throughthat little window at the back here. I say, though, if you hear me turnround in the night and the cartridges begin to pop, just wake me up, orthere may be an accident."
West again made no reply.
"And we should have Tante Ann waking up, when there would be a greaterexplosion still. There, good night!"
"Good night."
Then silence, save that the cry of some prowling creature far out on theveldt sounded wonderfully like the baying of a dog.