Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-02-10
CHAPTER III.

John Mel woke early next morning, feeling
as sore and stiff as tho gh he had been well
beaten and then strapped up tight in horse
girihs. He made shift, however, to dress
himself, and then, with the help of a stick,
hmped through the French windows that
opened from bis room on to the verarda and
surveyed the scene before him. 1t was q de-
lightful spot. At the back Of the house was
the steep, bowlder strewn face of the fat
topped hill that curved round on each side,
embosominS great slope Of green, in the lap
of which the house was placed The house
itself was solidly built of brown stone, and,
with the exception of the wagon shed and
other outhouses, which were rooted with gal
vanized iron that shone and glistened in the
rays Of the morning sun in a way that would
have made an eagle blink, was covered with
rich brown thatch. All along its front ran
wide veranda, up the trellis work Of which
green vines and blooming creepers trailed
pleasantly, and beyond was the broad car
rage drive of red soil, bordered with bushy
orange trees laden with odorous flowers and
green and golden fruit. On the farther side
Of the orange trees were the gardens, fenced
In with low walls of rough stone, and the
orchard full of standard fruit trees, and
beyond thesa again the oxen and ostrich
kraals, the latter full of long necked birds.
To the right Of the house grew thriving
plantations Of blue gum and black waffle,
and to the left was a broad stretch of Guilt
waited lands, lying SO that they could be irri-
gated for winter crops by means Of water led
rom the great spring that gushed from the
mountain side high above the house and gave
its name Of Mooifontein to the place.
All these and many more things John Mel
saw as he looked out from tho veranda at
Mooifontein, but, for the moment at any
rate, they were lost in the wild and wonderful
beauty of the panorama that rolled away for
miles and miles at his feet, till it was ended
by the mighty range of the Drakersberg to
the left, tipped hero and there with snow,
and by the dim and vast horizon of the SWELL
ing Transvaal plains to the right and far in
front of him 1t was beautiful sight, and
one to make the blood run in mans veins and
his heart beat happily because he was alive
to see it. Mile upon mile of grass clothed
veldt beneath, bending and ripping like a
corn field in the quick breath of the morning,
space upon space of deep blue sky overhead
with neaF cloud to dim it, and tho swift
rush of the wind between. Then to the left
there. impressive to look on and conducive to
UU1tl11u tuOukuLS, Tic IllOuuU9lIlS rear COelT
crests against the sky, and, crowned with the
gathered SHOWS Of the centuries whose monu-
ments they are, from aeon to econ gaze males.
tically out oxer the wido plains and tbs
ephemeral, ant like races that tread them, and
while they endure think themselves the mas
tiers Of their little world. And over all
mountain, plain and flashing strean,-the
glorious light Of tho African sun and the
spirit Of life moving now as it once moved
upon the darkening waters.
John stood and gazed at the untamed
beauty Of the scene, in his mind comparing it
TO many cultivated views that he had known,
end coming to the conclusion that, however
desirable the presence Of civilized man might
Z b In the world, it could not be said that his
operations really added to it, beauty. For
the old line, Nature unadorned adorned the
mod, still remains true in more senses than
ona Presently his reflections were inter.
rupted by the step Of Eilas Croft, which, not
withstanding his age and bent frame, still
rang firm enough-and he turnsd to greet
him
swell. Capt Mel" said the old man, sup
alreadyl. It looks wen IL you mean to take
70 farming. Yes, it's pretty view, and q
pretty place, too. Well, l made II. Twenty
uv0 years ago rode up mere and saw this
spot Look, you SEQ that rock there behind
the house, l slept under it and woke at sum
rise and looked out at this beautiful view and
Ut the great veldt dt was all alive with game
them, and ! said to myself, 'Silas, for five
and twenty years have you wandered about
this great country. and now you are getting
tired o1<it; you've never seen fairer spot
than this or . healthier; now Be- wiss man
and stop herc.' Aud 30 I did. l bought
5000 morgen COCO acres, moro or less, for
&l0 down and case Of gin, and l
ut to work to make this place, and you
~ have nadc it. Ay, it has grow.
under my hand, every stone aud tree Of it,
and you know whit that means In a new
country. But one way and another l have
done Il. and now have got too old to manage
4. and that's how I came to give out that I
wanted partner. % old Snow told you down
n Durham. You re. told Snow it must be