The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-11
MERCY OF THE BoER.
a south African PASTORAL.
Groin the Pail Mall Magazine.)

bic for space until there rose the rim o.
full moon over the edge OF the plair
which showed hard and clear cut against
the great disk. The ant hills. that alone
broke the monotonous fatness, flung in
terminable inky shadows as the cold white
glare. electric in its fierce intensity. shone
out level across the plains. The sense o.
loneliness. of utter isolation. was over
whelming; the heavens, sown with fire,
seemed so remote. and the bare earth,
stretching away into the dim. starry dis
lance so empty and limitiess. 1t might
have been the roof of some dead world.
By the edge of the marsh n transport
wagon had outspanned for the night. and
within the circle of freight. where moon
and fame struggled for the mastery, loom
ed the wavering outlines of the trek oxen
again the figure of man.
The only sounds were the cracking
chirps OF the bullfrogs In the Wei. and the
voices Of two men who sat leaning back
against the karoSs of meer-kat skins flung
over one of the wagon wheels.
mol" repeated the elder man, the trans
port rider and owner OF the wagon, rails
ing his voice. with us they shall not
come-either she or the brat
But look. Jakob." persisted the other;
'tit is now three weeks. four weeks. that
we are on the trek. and she has followed
all the time. and carried the child. too.
How the poor girl HES | do INST know.
Take only the child. Jakob..'
How are we to eat? How is the Vrouw
to eat?" demanded the Boer querulously
Are there not enough mouths to NIL al
ready, And God knows how much further
. ba r,-i.h p,, f,,t
cursed country; they have enough to pull
as it is. And why should feed the wife
and child of every black schelm that is
fool enough to want them? verdomte
swartzkopl" And he spat angrily into the
fire.
But the child" persisted Piet. THAT is
small and eats but little. not quarter as
much as a dog. Besides. Klaus may run
away II the girl falls sick. and he alone
knows the road and the drifts across the
river"
There was moments pause. well. the
brat. then. in Gods name snapped the
other. THE girl can walk. as she has
walked these three weeks" he added. and
rolled himself in his rug to avoid further
surrender
Piet rose stifay to his feet; the night
breeze was growing chill He knocked the
ashes out of his pipe. kicked some fuel
into the embers of the fire. and went
around to the other side of the wagon,
where the three Basuto boys were lying.
Klaus" he called. Here a moment"
A grunt from one of the blankets an
swered him.
"Baas Jakob says the baby may ride with
the Vrouw in the wagon, but the girl must
still walk
There was sudden movement at his
feet. and a dark figure rolled out of the
blanket
NO. boy. no. Not that" His hand was
being covered with kisses. Piet drew it
sharply away. and. taking n strip of
biltong from his pocket. thrust it into the
Basuto's grasp. Here, this may help for
the girl; 1t was all could get he said
roughly. and turning on his heel he went
back to where his brother lay sleeping.
Baas Piet was as ayerse to being gener-
Gus as the transport rider. though for
other reasons -
For a while Klaus lay still.
Presently, carrying the piece of hard
sun dried meat and his own supper OF
boiled mealies. he erept shivering from
his blanket and went slowly out on 10 the
silent veldt, in the direction from which
the wagon had come. as he had gone every
Beta was there among the ant hills.
Then he would cheer her up. and sit beside
her while she ate some OF his poor rations.
though they were not enough for her and
the child.
Beta was good girl. He knew that
when he gave her father two oxen and
some wethers, and took her away with
him from the old kraal by the wagon drift
across the Krei three years ago. She had
been with him ever since. and now, when
the trek began, Baas Jakob would not let
her ride in the wagon or even come near 1t.
Klaus grasped the kerrie dangling from
his belt at the recollection OF the cut
across the mouth that the drunken trans
port rider had given him with his sjambok
when he had asked his permission Be
sides. there was the baby. and he could
not have left both OF them behind. so far
from the kraal and her own people. But
Baas Jakob was a hard man; he did not
understand such things.
Ever since they had left Burghersdorp-
many weeks ago-she had walked after
hem. the baby slung at her back; and
there were yet three weeks more and the
desert strip to cross before they reached
the Great Belt and the river. But the
baby was to ride in the wagon now with
the Vrouw, and the girl would Iot be so
tired.
All. Baas Piet was good man-better
than Baas Jakob. He would help; and
alter on he might even be rich enough to
BUY few head of cattle and some ponies,
md they would all go back to the old place
IN the Krei. and He started to
MS feet as the pipe OF a hOneybird came
aintly out of the distance. Beta was
here at last.
The wagon was creaking along under the
BURNING MONDAY sun; the oxen stumbled
azily with loliing tongues. crawling at
nails pace without fear of the flick OF the
ash. for everyone was asleep except the
title voerloper trudging in front of the
wo leaders, grooming an endless native |
ong to himself. The wind. more burning
han the sun. came in ceaseless gusts |
Lcross the arid veldt. destitute of grass CT |
rec, and. catching up great clouds of red |
lust, whirled them In eddying. choking |
masses about the wagon, and then swept
hem away until they vanished in the |
heat haze. Now and then a /
ortolse dragged his black and yellow shell |
ut OF the way of the span. and numbered |
Ieaviiy off the track. to safe distance, |
here to retire within himself until the I'M
Tonted spparition had disappeared beyond |
is limited horizon; or a snake would |
boot out a shining head from the shelter
I some deserted ant heap as the rumble |
I wheels reused him from his nap; and 1
ar up in the clear blue air hCated a great
ulture. without tremor of his wide
Unions. just as he had floated for many
avs past, watching and waiting.
Suddenly there was a stir under the tilt
he curtain was flung aside and Baas Piet
topped out on to the forepart OF the
-agan, yawning sleepily.
Boy" he shouted, ''onsaddle the mare.
shall ride on to the waterhole beyond the
rift. 1t cannot be far off now
Klaus appeared from underneath the
-agon, where his blanket was slung ham