Diamond Dyke Part 21

"And curled himself up, and went to sleep."

"Das vas der best of all, mein young vrient. Aha! Goot tog, den. You let me zee how you vas pad. I am your master's vrient; das ist zo."

He advanced his hand to where Duke lay just inside the canvas, and the dog gave the skin on which he lay two thumps with his tail.

"Das ist goot," said the old German trader. "Ach! yaas; you haf been pite on dem pack, und scratch, scratch along bofe your zides; boot you are a prave tog, and zoon be guite well again."

Duke's tail performed quite a fantasia now, and he uttered a low whine and licked at the great, fat, friendly hand which patted his head.

"Und now vere is der poy?"

"Get into the wagon," said d.y.k.e; and the German climbed in, followed by d.y.k.e, and stooped down over the figure of Kaffir Jack, who lay on a blanket, with his head toward the front part of the wagon, through which opening the evening light still streamed.

The Kaffir's head was tied-up with a bandage formed of the sleeve of a s.h.i.+rt cut off at the shoulder, split up lengthwise at the seams, tied together so as to make it long enough, and this was stained with blood, evidently days old.

The Boer gazed down at the Kaffir, and Jack gazed up at him, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up his face in the most piteous fas.h.i.+on.

This scrutiny on both sides went on for some time in a silence which was at last broken by the Kaffir uttering a dismal groan which went right to d.y.k.e's heart.

"Ah," said the trader softly, "boor vellow! How you vas?"

Jack uttered a more dismal groan than before.

"Ah, vas it den? Boor mans! you zeem as bad as neffer can be. You doomble off dem vagon, und dread on your vace like dot?"

"Oh!" groaned Jack. "Baas killum."

"Did he den. Der baas kill der boor vellow dead?" Then suddenly changing his tone from one full of soft sympathy to a burst of fierce anger, he roared out: "Dunder und lightning! You get oot of dis, you oogly black, idle tog. You got sore head, und lazy as big bullock. Out you vas!"

He accompanied the fierce words with a sharp kick, and Jack bounded up and sprang clear over the wagon-box, to stand out on the trampled ground, staring wildly.

"Ah, you vait till I gom und get das 'noceros whip, und make you tance, you lazy tog. You go take den pferd to water, or you haf no zopper to-night. Roon!"

d.y.k.e stood staring at the change that had come over the Kaffir, who ran to where the horse was tied, unfastened the rein, and led him off without a word.

The old trader chuckled.

"I know whad is der madder mit dose poy. He is guide well as neffer vas, und lie und shleep and say he gannod vork a leedle pid. How game he do domble und gut den kopf?"

d.y.k.e coloured.

"He did not tumble," said the boy. "I hit him."

"Zo? Mit dem shd.i.c.k?"

"No," faltered d.y.k.e; "with the barrel of my gun."

"Ach! das ist not goot. You mide break den gun. Der whip handle is der bess. Why you vas. .h.i.t him on dem het?"

"He would not see to the bullocks. Almost directly after we had started--I mean the next day--he got at the meat and ate all there was."

"Ach! yas. He look as if he had den gros shdomach. And zo he eat him all?"

"Yes; everything."

"Und what den?"

"Then he went to sleep and wasted a whole day, and I had to do everything, and cut wood for the fire, and watch to keep off the wild beasts."

"Ach! boor vellow! he vas shleepy, after eat himself so vull."

"Yes."

"Und der next day?"

"The next day he said it was too soon to start, and that I must go and shoot something for him to eat, while he kept up a good fire."

"Zo? He is a glever vellow," said the Boer, nodding his head, and with his eyes twinkling. "Und did you go and shoot zom more meat vor den boor poy?"

"No. I told him he must get up, and help to get the wagon along."

"Und he said he vould not move?"

"Yes," said d.y.k.e; "and at last I got angry, and kicked him to make him get up and work."

"Ah zo; und what den?"

"He jumped up, and threatened to spear me with his a.s.segai."

"Zo; und what den?"

"I hit him over the head with the gun barrel, and he fell down, and has not been up since. I was afraid I had killed him, for he lay with his eyes shut."

"Und you goot oop your s.h.i.+rt to die oop his het, und you veed him, und drink him, und waid upon him effer since as neffer vas."

"Yes; I've had to do everything," said d.y.k.e sadly; "but I ought not to have hit him so hard."

"Vot? My goot younger vrient, you should, und hit him more hart as dot.

A lazy, pad tog. He is a cheating rascal. A man is neffer bad when he look guide well as dot. I know dot sort o' poy, und he shall pe ferry sorry when he go pack, or I keep him here. Now you gom und wash, and meine alt voman shall give you blendy do eat und drink, und den you shall haf a creat big shlafen, und wake oop do-morrow morning as guide well as neffer vas. Gom along. Und zo die ozdridge birds go todt?"

"Go how?" said d.y.k.e wonderingly.

"Todt, dead--vall ashleep, and neffer wake oop no more. Ah, vell, I am zorry for den pig bruder. He ist a ver goot mans. He bay for all he puy at mein shdore, und dot is vot die oder beobles do not alvays do.-- Frau," he continued, as they entered the homely and rather untidy but scrupulously clean house, "dis ist mein younger vrient: you dake him und wash him, und make him a pig evening's eating, vor he has gom a long way do zee us, und he will shday as long as he like."

Frau Morgenstern, a big, fat woman, greeted him warmly, and confined her was.h.i.+ng to giving him a tin bucket, a lump of coa.r.s.e yellow soap, and a piece of canvas perfectly clean, but coa.r.s.e enough to make a sack.

That bucket of water was delicious, and so was the hearty meal which followed, and after being a.s.sured by the hearty old German that the cattle were properly tended, and seeing to Breezy himself--an act which brought the old trader's fat hand down upon his back with "Goot poy: alvays dake gare of your goot horse youzelf,"--the house was re-entered, the door shut, and the host stood up, closed his eyes, and said a prayer in his native tongue, ending by blessing d.y.k.e in true patriarchal fas.h.i.+on.

That night d.y.k.e slept as he had not slept for weeks, and woke up the next morning wondering that he could feel so fresh and well, and expecting to see Kaffir Jack at the other end of the wagon, curled up in a blanket; but though the dog was in his old quarters, Jack was absent, and d.y.k.e supposed that he was asleep beneath.