The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-30

for know ] thought of nothing
was like an animal. My body was
strong and well to work. but my
brain was dead. If you have not felt it.
Lyndall, you cannot understand it. You
may work and work and work till you
are only body. not soul. Now, when
see one Of those evil looking men that
come from Europe-navvies, with the
beastlike, sunken face, different from
any Kaftir's-I know what brought that
look into their eyes. and If have only
one inch of tobacco give them half.
It is work, grinding, mechanical work,
that they or their ancestors have done,
that has made them into beasts. You
may work mans body so that his
soul dies. Work is good. have work
ed at the old farm from the SUMS ris-
ing till Its setting, but have had time
to think and time to feel. You may
work a man so that all but the animal
In him is gone. and that grows stronger
with physical labor. You may work a
man till he is devil. know it, be-
cause have felt it. You will never
understand the change that came over
me. No one but will ever know how
great it was. But was never misera-
Bile. When could keep my oxen from
sticking fast and when l could find 8
place to lie down in, l had all want
cd. After had driven eight months a
rainy season came. For Is hours out
Of the "a we worked in the wet. The
mud went up to the axles sometimes,
and we had to dig the wheels out, and
we never went far in day. My mas
ter swore at me more than ever, but
when he had done he always offered
ME his brandy flask. When l first
came, he had offered it me- and had
always refused. but now drank as
my oxen did when gave them water
brandy for myself whenever we passed
hotel.
Zone Sunday we 'outspanned' on the
banks of a swollen river to wait for it's
going down. 1t was drizzling still. so
lay under the wagon on the mud
There was no dry place anywhere. and
all the dung was wet, SO there was no
fire to cook food. My little flask was
filed with brandy, and drank some
and went to sleep. When woke. it
was drizZling still, so l drank some
more. was stiff and cold. and my
master. who lay by me, offered me his
flask, because mine was empty. drank
and see If the river was going down.
/ remember that | walked to the road.
and 1t seemed to be going away from
me. When ! woke up, was lying by u
little bush Oh the bank of the river. 1t
was afternoon. All the clouds had
gone. and the sky was deep blue. The
Bushman boy was grilling ribs AT the
fire. He looked at me and grinned
froD' ear 20 ear Master was little
MI ! he said, and lay down in the
dd. Something might ride over mas
Ter. SO l carried him there He grinned
at me again. 1t was as though he said:
You and ! are comrades. have lain
In road too. know all about it.
When turned my head from him,
saw the earth, SO pure after the rain,
so green, SO fresh. so blue, and was
q drunken carrier whom his leader had
picked up in the mud and lain at the
roadside to sleep out his drunk. re-
membered my old life, and l remem-
bered you. saw how one day you
would read in the papers: "A German
carrier, named Waldo Farber, was kill.
ed through falling from his wagon, be-
ing instantly crushed under the wheel.
Deceased was supposed to have been
drunk at the time of the accident"
There are those notices in the paper
every month. sat up. and l took the
brandy flask out of my pocket, and
flung it as far as | could into the dark
water. The Hottentot boy ran down
to see if he could catch it. 1t had sunk
to the bottom. never drank again
II do not know why kept on work.
ing so hard for that master. think
1t was as the oxen come every day and
stand by the yokes-they do not know
why. Perhaps would have been with
him still, but one day we starteda witl
loads for the diamond fields. The oxen
were very thin now, and they had been
standing about in the yoke all day
without food while the wagons were
being loaded. Not far from the towr
was a hill When we came to the foot
, the first wagon stuck fast. tried fol
little while to urge the oxen, but
soon saw that one span could never
/, pull it up. l went to the other Wagon
to loosen that span to join them on il
front, but the transport rider, who was
lying at the back of the wagon, jump
ed out.
"They shall bring it up the hill, ant
If half Of them die for it they shall dc
1t alone he said.
'sHe was not drunk, but in a bad TEN
per, for he had been drunk the nigh
before. He swore at me and told me-
to take the whip and help him. VIZ
tried for little time. Then l tolG
him it was no use, they could never
do it. He swore louder and called tt
the leaders to come on with thei
whips, and together they dashed. Their,
was one OK, a black OK, so thin tina
the ridge of his backbone almost GU
through his flesh.
1T is you, devil, is 1t, that will no