Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-02-15
A DAUGHTER
OF THE VELDT
How Two Enemies Met
On "Lovers' Walk"

uWeiliHS treillSWOrK OF vines broke
the wind at both front and rear, while
pretty flower garden, fragrant with
flowers, spread far away in front Of
the substantial dwelling. was admir-
Ing these things from my horses back,
when 1t suddenly dawned upon me that
l had possibly played the imbecile in
straying so far from camp. But 1t was
too late to hang back. If the farmer
folk were friendly, was in luck, for
the inside of such dwelling could not
be i'll supplied with creature comforts.
Ii, however, they were hostile, l was
at their mercy. l had no desire to
match my pony's pace against the fight
| Of a Mauser bullet, so, humming a
song and thinking of a psalm. I rode
forward as If certain of kindly well
come. An elderly Boer with a kindly
face met me at the door and gave me
the time of day with all civility. a ne
gro lad took hold of my bride. and l
swung myself out of the saddle just in
time to receive a civil greeting from
the farmers wife-healthy, wholesome,
substantial, well fed and clothed. They
invited me inside, and there their four
daughters introduced themselves to
me. They all talked English as well as
| could, and before had been there 20
seconds had arrived at the conclusion
that | should never get better chance
to study the language of the people of
our foes and determined to sacrifice
myself upon the flinty shrine of duty
Three of the maidens were plain faced,
good, honest looking girls, but the
fourth had face like young preach
er's first public prayer-a face that
many man would risk his life for.
So much of my whole career has
more rugged scenes of life that a de-
scription Of dainty womanhood comes
awkwardly from me. But have read
so much about the ugliness and clumsi-
ness of the Boer woman in British
journals that should like to try to de-
scribe this daughter of the veldt. al
though only a farmers daughter. I do
not know If she should be called short
or tall, but her cheek could have been
nestled comfortably on the shoulder of
a fairly tall man. | don't know how
much hair she had, but there was
enough of 1t to make fellow feel as
If he didn't care rap If half the earth
was bald. 1t was not red nor yellow;
it was like honey kissed by sunshine.
She had the sort of forehead which one
never sees on the face Of a fool, ma
lures signboard for an emporium of
brains. Her eyes were large. brown
and fearless, not bold nor yet waver-
ing. Her mouth was perfect-not one
Of those sepulchers which disfgure
some feminine faces, not childishly
small like bud bursting into bloom,
but strong, true mouth, large enough
for a prayer to slip through, but not
big enough to swear with. Her waist
would Just about fill the crook Of a
mans arm and make him feel that
there was no room for anything else
under heaven. The arch of her bust
was like the curve on a wave as it
breaks on the beach in the bay, not the
stiff lath and plaster model one is apt
to see walking around the streets Of
cities. Her hands were shapely, brown
and strong, cracked a little by wind
and weather; not toy hands. but hands
that could spank baby or help hus-
band back to paths of rectitude when
all the world had damned him past re-
demptIon.
So she looked when l saw her, and
said unto my soul, verify, 1t is good
thing for his enemies language" It
was the fifth evening after that, and
had registered my fifth visit to the
farm, when an event befell which put
an end to my studies in Dutch for the
time being. had dined with the
farmers, the plain sisters had made
music for me. They had lifted their
voices in song also, for l was an hon.
ored guest, having been enabled to do
some little deeds of kindness through
the favor Of the courteous general to
relation Of the ladies who was q pris-
oner In our lines. They had given me
blankets and rugs for the poor beggar,
and the general had handed them to
the man.
The night was a beautiful one, so,
lighting a cigar, / rambled down to-
ward the quarter mile long avenue of
orange trees. 1t was to be my last Wis
1t. for our troops were on the move at
dawn. AS sauntered forward l
heard the rustic of woman's skirts
amid the bushes on my right. and. look
ing In that direction. ! saw the navy
blue dress and the red gold hair of the
girl who had been teaching me Dutch.
| had not many seconds to look at her,
but brief as the time was had long
enough to notice that one hand held
the blue skirts switched up so that
about foot of white pptticoat was
displayed | also noticed that she was
:; aiding toward the orange walk, which
hal l:ng since learned was known in
the family rs the lovers walk" She
d | net look in my direction, did not
';ln toward me at all, but like many
- thcr fool | was pulled up in my
folly. What farm is there in it." I
&rHcd. IL take my lesson in Dutch
IN the shade OF the orange treesf'
Tossing my cigar away, l sauntered
after the flying figure out of the flower
arden, over the field, into the shady
ak. | mcandCred like a he goat
CROUCH Il gap in hedge, l walked
r.out 80 yards and saw no one, heard
10 one. Then all at once found my
elf looking right into the face Of big
hairy savage who wore a tweed coat
md band jlier full of cartridges. In
his hands he carried a handy little
Mausrr carhire.
We'll. Mr.. Spy said the hairy indi-
vidual, you are my prisoner"
tr:nI IN v,,,ila lint tho