Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-07
CHAPTER VIII.
HE CATCHES THE OLD BIRD.

AT U CLOCK tue next aIternOOn the
German rode across the plain, return
ing from his search for the lost sheep.
He rode slowly, for he had been in the
saddle since sunrise and was some
what weary, and the heat of the after
noon made lis horse sleepy as it picked
its way slowly along the sandy road.
Every now and then great red spider
would start out of the ''karroo'' on one
side of the path and run across to the
other, but nothing else broke the still
monotony. Presently, behind one of
the highest of the milk bushes that
dotted the roadside, the German caught
sight of Kaffir woman, seated there
evidently for such shadow as the milk
bush might afford from the sloping
rays of the sun. The German turned
the horses head out of the road 1t
was not his way to pass a living crea-
ture without a word of greeting. Com
Ing nearer, he found 1t was no other
than the wife of the absconding Kaffir
herd. She had a baby tied on her back
by dirty strip Of red blanket. An
other strip hardly larger was twisted
round her waist, for the rest of her
black body was naked. She was a
sullen, i'll looking woman, with lips
hideouslt protruding.
The German questioned her as to
how she came there. She muttered in
broken Dutch that she had been turned
away. Had she done evil? She shook
her head sullenly. Had she had food
given her? She grunted negative
and famed the flies from her baby,
Telling the woman to remain where
she was, he turned his horses head to
the road and rode off at a furious pace.
Hard hearted! Cruel! o my God!
Is this the way? Is this charity? Yes,
yes, yesw calculated the old man as he
rode on, but. presently his anger be-
gan to evaporate, his horse,s pace
slackened: and by the time he had
= ened his own door he was nodding
and smiling. *;
Dismounting quickly, he went to the
great chest where his provisions were
kept. Here he got out a little meal, a
few mealies, few rooster. cakes.
These he tied up in three blue handker-
chiefs, and, putting them into a sail
cloth bag, he strung them over his
shoulders. Then he looked circu1n-
specify out at the door. 1t was very
bad to be discovered in the act of Civ
ing. 1t made him red up to the roots
of his old grizzled hair. No one was
about, however, SO he rode off again.
Before the milk bush sat the Kaffir
woman still, like Hagar, he thought,
thrust out by her mistress In the will
derness to die. Telling her to loosen
the handkerchief from her head, he
poured into it the contents of his bag.
The woman tied it up in sullen silence.
You must try to get to the next
farm" said the German.
The woman shook her head She
would sleep in the field.
The German reflected. Kaffir women
were accustomed to sleep in the open
air, but then the child was small, and
after SO hot day the night might be
chilly. That she would creep back to
the huts at the homestead when the
darkness favored her the Germans
sagacity did not make evident to him.
:. ! =
He took off the old brown salt and
pepper coat and held IT out to her The
woman received 1t IN silence and laid 1t
across her knee. With that they Will
steep warmly, not SO bad. Ha, ha, ha!'
SAD the German. And he rode home,
nodding MS head IN a manner that
would have made any other man dizzy.
y wish he would not come back to-
night said EN-, her face wet with
tears.
IT Will be Just the same II he comes
PACK tomorrow, said LyndaH.
me TWO girls sat on the step Of the
cabin waiting for the Germans re-
turn. Lyndali shaded her eyes with
her hand from the sunset light.
There he comes" she said, Ehis-
Ting Ach Jerusalem du schone! so
loud can hear him here"
Perhaps he has found the sheep"