The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-12-29

IOuuu W SEE WHO IL De.
"You old vagabond of a praying Ger
man, are you deaf?"
Tant' Sannie stood before the steps
of the kitchen. Upon them sat the
lean Hottentot. Upon the highest
stood Bonaparte Blenkins. both hands
folded under the tails of his coat and
his eyes fixed on the sunset sky.
The German dropped the saddle on
the ground.
''Bish, bish, bish! What may this
be?' he said and walked toward the
house. very stranger
The girls followed him, EN- still
weeping. Lyndall with her face rather
white and her eyes wide open.
"And have the heart of devil did
you say? You could run me through
with knife, could you?" cried the
Dutchwoman. II could not drive the
Kaffir maid away because was afraid
of you, was [? Oh, you miserable rag!
I loved you, did 1? would have liked
to marry you, would |, would l, would
~ cried the Boer woman. You cats
tail, you dogs paw! Be near my house
tomorrow morning when the sun
RISES she gasped, my katfirs will
drag you through the sand. They
would do it gladly, any of them, for
bit of tobacco, for all your prayings
with Them
II am bewildered, am bewildered,"
said the German, standing before her
and raising his hand to his forehead.
''I-I do not understand"
ASK him, ask HIM" cried Tant' San
ME, pointing to Bonaparte. ''He knows.
You thought he could not make me
understand, but he did, he did, you old
fool! l know enough English for that.
You be here" shouted the Dutchwo-
man, when the morning star rises,
and will let my Katfirs take you out
and drag you till there is not one bone
left in your old body that is not bro
ken as fine as bobootie meat, you old
beggar! All your rags are not worth
that they should be thrown out on to
the ash heap cried the Boer woman,
''but 1 will have them for my sheep!
Not one rotten hoof Of your old mare
do you take with you. I will have her
all, all for my sheep that you have
lost, you goddess thing!"
The Boer woman wiped the moisture
from her mouth with the palm of her
hand.
The German turned to Bonaparte,
who still stood on the step absorbed in
the beauty Of the sunset.
"Do not address me- do not approach
me, lost man." said Bonaparte, not
moving his eye nor lowering his chin.
"There Is crime from which all ma
ture revolts; there is crime whose
name is loathsome to the human ear.
That crime is yours; that crime is in
gratitude. This woman has been your
benefactress. On her farm you have
lived, after her sheep you have looked,
into her house you have been allowed
to enter and hold Divine service, an
honor of which you We're never worthy,
and how have you rewarded her?
Basely, basely, basely"
'But it is all false, lies and false
hoods. 1 must, will speak," said the
German, suddenly looking round, be-
wildered. do l dream? Are you
MAD! Wnat may 1T De!
go, dog" cried the Dutchwoman.
81 would have been rich woman this
day if it had not been for your lazi-
ness, praying with the kaffirs behind
the kraal walls. Go, you Kaftir dog!
"But what then is the matter? What
may have happened since left?" said
the German, turning to the Hottentot
woman who sat upon the step.
She was his friend; she would tell
him kindly the truth. The woman an
swered by loud, ringing laugh
"Give it him, old missis! Give it
him!
1t was so nice to see the white man
who had been master hunted down.
The colored woman laughed and threw
a dozen mealie grains into her mouth
to chew
All anger and excitement faded from
the old mans face. He turned slowly
away and walked down the little path
to his cabin, with his shoulders bent.
1t was all dark before him He stun
bled over the threshold of his own we'll
known door.
EN-, sobbing bitterly, would have
! followed him, but the Boer woman pre-
vented her by flood of speech which
convulsed the Hottentot, SO low were
it's images.
"Come, EN-" said Lyndall, lifting
her small, proud head, "let us go in.
We will not stay to hear such Ian
guage."
She looked into the Boer woman's
eyes. Tant Sannie understood the
meaning of the look if not the words.
She waddled after them and caught
En- by the arm. She had struck Lyn-
dali once years before and had. never
done it again, so she took EN-.
80 you will defy me, too, will you,
you Englishmans ugliness!' she cried
as with one hand she forced the child
down and held her head tightly against
her knee. With the other she beat her
| first upon one cheek and then upon the
| other.
For one instant Lyndall looked on.
Then she laid her small fingers on the
BOer wOman'S arm With the eyertiOn