Diamond Dyke Part 36

But d.y.k.e did not lie down for some time after a.s.suring himself that the noise had not roused his brother from his heavy sleep. The boy was uneasy about the woman. She had told him that Jack had threatened to kill her. Suppose he came back now with his companions to take revenge upon her for betraying their plans.

"She wouldn't know," he said to himself, after carefully weighing the matter over in his mind, to decide that they would be afraid to come again after such a reception.

So, concluding at last that the woman would be quite safe, d.y.k.e reloaded his gun, placed it ready, and lay down once more, conscious of the fact now that the dog was awake and watchful.

Five minutes after he was asleep, and did not wake till the Kaffir woman came and tapped at the door, to show him, with a look of triumph, four a.s.segais left behind by the visitors of the past night.

"Dat Jack," she said, holding up one. "Dose oder fellow."

"Will they come for them?"

"No. Jack no come again. Get other wife. Tant Sal don't want any more."

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

OOM STARTLES HIS FRIENDS.

The days glided peacefully by, with d.y.k.e kept busy enough supplying the larder, especially for his brother's benefit, and under his treatment the poor fellow grew better.

But so slowly; and he was the mere ghost of his former self when he began to crawl out of the house by the help of a stick, to sit in the shade and watch d.y.k.e as he was busy about the place.

There was very little to vary the monotony of their life. A lion came one night, but did not molest horse or bullock. They had visits, too, from the jackals, but Tanta Sal was right--Jack came no more, and they saw nothing of the Kaffirs who had been his companions, though d.y.k.e found a rough hut and traces of a fire in the patch of forest close to where he went to shoot the guinea-fowl, showing that he must often have been pretty near the Kaffirs' hiding-place.

In fact, Jack had had a very severe peppering, and felt not the slightest inclination to risk receiving another.

The subject of giving up Kopfontein was often discussed, but even if it were done, it seemed evident that many months must elapse before Emson would be fit to travel; so the subject was talked of less often, though one thing was evident both to d.y.k.e and his brother--their scheme of ostrich-farming had completely broken down, and unless a bold attempt were made to start afresh, they would gradually become poorer and poorer, for alone, all d.y.k.e's efforts to collect valuable skins were disposed to be rather unfruitful, try hard as he would.

Months had pa.s.sed, and they had had no more black visitors, but one day Tanta Sal rushed into the house where the brothers were seated at dinner, with such a look of excitement upon her features, that d.y.k.e sprang up, seized one of the guns and handed another to his brother, who stood up, looking weak, but determined to help if danger were at hand.

But Tanta gesticulated, pushed the guns away, and signed to d.y.k.e to follow.

The cause of the woman's excitement was evident directly, for there, a mile away, was a wagon drawn by a long team of oxen, and it was evident that they were to have visitors at the farm.

"Some poor wretch going up in the wilds to seek his fortune," said Emson rather sadly. "I wish him better luck than ours, young un."

"Oh, I say, Joe, don't talk in that doleful way," cried d.y.k.e excitedly.

"This is so jolly. It's like being Robinson Crusoe and seeing a sail.

Here, wait while I fetch the gla.s.s."

d.y.k.e returned the next minute with his hands trembling so that he could hardly focus and steady the "optic tube." Then he shouted in his excitement, and handed the telescope to his brother.

"Why, it's that fat old Dutchman, Morgenstern! Who'd have thought of seeing him?"

Sure enough it was the old trader, seated like the Great Mogul in the old woodcuts. He was upon the wagon-box, holding up an enormously long whip, and two black servants were with him--one at the head of the long team of twelve oxen, the other about the middle of the double line of six, as the heavy wagon came slowly along, the bullocks seeming to crawl.

"I am glad," cried d.y.k.e. "I say, Joe, see his great whip? He looked in the gla.s.s as if he were fis.h.i.+ng."

"Tant make fine big cake--kettle boil--biltong tea?" asked the Kaffir woman hospitably.

"Yes," said Emson quietly. "But," he continued, as Tanta Sal ran off to the back of the house, "it may not be Morgenstern, young un. Fat Germans look very much alike."

"Oh, but I feel sure this is the old chap.--I say, what's the German for fat old man?"

"I don't know. My German has grown rusty out here. d.i.c.ker alte Mann, perhaps. Why?"

"Because I mean to call him that. He always called me b.o.o.by."

"No, bube:--boy," said Emson, smiling.

They stood watching the wagon creeping nearer and nearer for a minute or two, d.y.k.e longing to run to meet the visitors; but he suddenly recalled the orderly look at Morgenstern's, and rushed back into the house to try to make their rough board a little more presentable; and he was still in the midst of this task, when, with a good deal of shouting from the Kaffir servants, and sundry loud cracks of the great whip, the wagon, creaking and groaning, stopped at the fence in front of the house, and the old German shouted:

"Ach! mein goot vrient Emzon, how you vas to-day? Vere is der bube?"

"d.i.c.ker alte Mann!" said d.y.k.e between his teeth, and hurriedly brus.h.i.+ng away some crumbs, and throwing a skin over the chest in which various odds and ends were kept, he listened to the big bluff voice outside as Morgenstern descended.

"It is goot to shack hant mit an Englander. Bood you look tin, mein vrient. You haf been down mit dem vever?"

"Yes, I've been very ill."

"That is nod goot. Bood you ged besser now. Ach, here is der poy!

Ach! mein goot liddle bube, ant how you vas?"

d.y.k.e's hands were seized, and to his horror the visitor hugged him to his broad chest, and kissed him loudly on each cheek.

"Oh, I'm quite well," said d.y.k.e rather ungraciously, as soon as he could get free.

"Ov goorse you vas. Grade, pig, oogly, shtrong poy. I am clad to zee you again. You did got home guite zave?"

"Eh? Oh yes. But that's ever so long ago."

"Zo? Ach! I haf been zo busy as neffer vas. Now you led mein two poys outspan, eh?"

"Of course," said Emson warmly.--"Show them where the best pasture is, toward the water, d.y.k.e.--Come in, Herr. You look hot and tired."

"Ja, zo. I am sehr hot, and you give me zomeden to drink. I haf zom peaudivul dea in dem vagons. I give you zom to make."

An hour later, with the visitor and his men refreshed, Morgenstern smiled at d.y.k.e, and winked both his eyes. "You know vad I vants?" he said.

"Yes; your pipe."

"Ja, I wand mein bibe. You gom mit me do G.o.d mein bibe und mein dobacco din; und den I light oop, und shmoke und dalk do you, und you go all round, und zhow me den ostridge-bird varm."

They all went out together, the visitor noticing everything; and laying his hand upon Emson's shoulder, he said: "You muss G.o.d besser, mein vrient. You are nod enough d.i.c.k--doo tin."

"Oh, I'm mending fast," said Emson hastily, and then they stopped by the wagon, with Morgenstern's eyes twinkling as he turned to d.y.k.e.