Notwithstanding the many losses and crosses of his past life, there was contentment in his eye. He was gratified by the prosperous appearance of his crops. The maize4 was now “in the milk,” and the ears, folded within the papyrus-like husks, looked full and large. It was delightful5 to hear the rustling6 of the long green blades, and see the bright golden tassels7 waving in the breeze. The heart of the farmer was glad as his eye glanced over his promising8 crop of “mealies.” But there was another promising crop that still more gladdened his heart—his fine children. There they are—all around him.
Hans—the oldest—steady, sober Hans, at work in the well-stocked garden; while the diminutive9 but sprightly10 imp11 Jan, the youngest, is looking on, and occasionally helping12 his brother. Hendrik—the dashing Hendrik, with bright face and light curling hair—is busy among the horses, in the “horse-kraal;” and Trüey—the beautiful, cherry-cheeked, flaxen-haired Trüey—is engaged with her pet—a fawn14 of the springbok gazelle—whose bright eyes rival her own in their expression of innocence15 and loveliness.
Yes, the heart of the field-cornet is glad as he glances from one to the other of these his children—and with reason. They are all fair to look upon,—all give promise of goodness. If their father feels an occasional pang16, it is, as we have already said, when his eye rests upon the cherry-cheeked, flaxen-haired Gertrude.
But time has long since subdued17 that grief to a gentle melancholy18. Its pang is short-lived, and the face of the field-cornet soon lightens up again as he looks around upon his dear children, so full of hope and promise.
Hans and Hendrik are already strong enough to assist him in his occupations,—in fact, with the exception of “Swartboy,” they are the only 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. You may notice that Swartboy appears to be about thirty years old, and he is full that; but if you were to apply a measuring rule to him, you would find him not much over four feet in height! He is stoutly19 built however, and would measure better in a horizontal direction. You may notice that he is of a yellow complexion20, although his name might lead you to fancy he was black—for “Swartboy” means “black-boy.” You may observe that his nose is flat and sunk below the level of his cheeks; that his cheeks are prominent, his lips very thick, his nostrils21 wide, his face beardless, and his head almost hairless—for the small kinky wool-knots thinly-scattered over his skull22 can scarcely be designated hair. You may notice, moreover, that his head is monstrously23 large, with ears in proportion, and that the eyes are set obliquely24, and have a Chinese expression. You may notice about Swartboy all those characteristics that distinguish the “Hottentots” of South Africa.
Yet Swartboy is not a Hottentot—though he is of the same race. He is a Bushman.
How came this wild Bushman into the service of the ex-field-cornet Von Bloom? About that there is a little romantic history. Thus:—
Among the savage25 tribes of Southern Africa there exists a very cruel custom,—that of abandoning their aged13 or infirm, and often their sick or wounded, to die in the desert. Children leave their parents behind them, and the wounded are often forsaken26 by their comrades with no other provision 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 been upon a hunting excursion with some of his own kindred, and had been sadly mangled27 by a lion. His comrades, not expecting him to live, left him on the plain to die; and most certainly would he have perished had it not been for our field-cornet. The latter, as he was “trekking” over the plains, found the wounded Bushman, lifted him into his wagon28, carried him on to his camp, dressed his wounds, and nursed him till he became well. That is how Swartboy came to be in the service of the field-cornet.
Though gratitude29 is not a characteristic of his race, Swartboy was not ungrateful. When all the other servants ran away, he remained faithful to his master; and since that time had been a most efficient and useful hand. In fact, he was now the only one left, with the exception of the girl, Totty—who was, of course, a Hottentot; and much about the same height, size, and colour, as Swartboy himself.
We have said that Swartboy and the young Hendrik were saddling a pair of horses. As soon as they had finished that job, they mounted them, and riding out of the kraal, took their way straight across the plain. They were followed by a couple of strong, rough-looking dogs.
Their purpose was to drive home the oxen and the other horses that were feeding a good distance off. This they were in the habit of doing every evening at the same hour,—for in South Africa it is necessary to shut up all kinds of live-stock at night, to protect them from beasts of prey30. For this purpose are built several enclosures with high walls,—“kraals,” as they are called,—a word of the same signification as the Spanish “corral,” and I fancy introduced into Africa by the Portuguese—since it is not a native term.
These kraals are important structures about the homestead of a boor, almost as much so as his own dwelling-house, which of itself also bears the 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 drive them home. These browsed31 in a different direction; but, as they were near, he went afoot, taking little Jan along with him.
Trüey having tied her pet to a post, had gone inside the house to help Totty in preparing the supper. Thus the field-cornet was left to himself and his pipe, which he still continued to smoke.
He sat in perfect silence, though he could scarce restrain from giving expression to the satisfaction he felt at seeing his family thus industriously32 employed. Though pleased with all his children, it must be confessed he had some little partiality for the dashing Hendrik, who bore his own name, and who reminded him more of his own youth than any of the others. He was proud of Hendrik’s gallant33 horsemanship, and his eyes followed him over the plain until the riders were nearly a mile off, and already mixing among the cattle.
At this moment an object came under the eyes of Von Bloom, that at once arrested his attention. It was a curious appearance along the lower part of the sky, in the direction in which Hendrik and Swartboy had gone, but apparently34 beyond them. It resembled a dun-coloured mist or smoke, as if the plain at a great distance was on fire!
Could that be so? Had some one fired the karoo bushes? Or was it a cloud of dust?
The wind was hardly strong enough to raise such a dust, and yet it had that appearance. Was it caused by animals? Might it not be the dust raised by a great herd35 of antelopes,—a migration36 of the springboks, for instance? It extended for miles along the horizon, but Von Bloom knew that these creatures often travel in flocks of greater extent than miles. Still he could not think it was that.
He continued to gaze at the strange phenomenon, endeavouring to account for it in various ways. It seemed to be rising higher against the blue sky—now resembling dust, now like the smoke of a widely-spread conflagration37, and now like a reddish cloud. It was in the west, and already the setting sun was obscured by it. It had passed over the sun’s disc like a screen, and his light no longer fell upon the plain. Was it the forerunner38 of some terrible storm?—of an earthquake?
Such a thought crossed the mind of the field-cornet. It was not like an ordinary cloud,—it was not like a cloud of dust,—it was not like smoke. It was like nothing he had ever witnessed before. No wonder that he became anxious and apprehensive39.
All at once the dark-red mass seemed to envelope the cattle upon the plain, and these could be seen running to and fro as if affrighted. Then the two riders disappeared under its dun shadow!
Von Bloom rose to his feet, now seriously alarmed. What could it mean?
The exclamation40 to which he gave utterance41 brought little Trüey and Totty from the house; and Hans with Jan had now got back with the sheep and goats. All saw the singular phenomenon, but none of them could tell what it was. All were in a state of alarm.
As they stood gazing, with hearts full of fear, the two riders appeared coming out of the cloud, and then they were seen to gallop42 forward over the plain in the direction of the house. They came on at full speed, but long before they had got near, the voice of Swartboy could be heard crying out,—
“Baas Von Bloom! da springhaans are comin!—da springhaan!—da springhaan!”
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1
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
boor
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| n.举止粗野的人；乡下佬 | |
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3
smoker
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| n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室 | |
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4
maize
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| n.玉米 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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6
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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7
tassels
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| n.穗( tassel的名词复数 )；流苏状物；（植物的）穗；玉蜀黍的穗状雄花v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须( tassel的第三人称单数 )；使抽穗， （为了使作物茁壮生长）摘去穗状雄花；用流苏装饰 | |
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8
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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9
diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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10
sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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imp
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| n.顽童 | |
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12
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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13
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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fawn
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| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
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15
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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16
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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17
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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19
stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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20
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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21
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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22
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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23
monstrously
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24
obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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25
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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26
Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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27
mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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28
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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29
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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30
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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31
browsed
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| v.吃草( browse的过去式和过去分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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32
industriously
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33
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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34
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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35
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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36
migration
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| n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙 | |
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37
conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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38
forerunner
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| n.前身，先驱（者），预兆，祖先 | |
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39
apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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40
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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41
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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42
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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