the story of an african farm-第14章

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still　think　the　old　man　must　have　something　nice　for　them。　　And　the　old

manwell；　a　big　boy　may　have　a　sweet　tooth　sometimes；　may　he　not？　　Ha；

ha！〃　said　the　German；　chuckling　at　his　own　joke；　as　he　heaped　the　plate

with　almonds。　　〃Here　is　a　stonetwo　stones　to　crack　themno　late　patent

improvementwell；　Adam's　nut…cracker；　ha；　ha！　　But　I　think　we　shall　do。　

We　will　not　leave　them　uncracked。　　We　will　consume　a　few　without

fashionable　improvements。〃



Here　the　German　sat　down　on　one　side　of　the　table；　Bonaparte　on　the　other；

each　one　with　a　couple　of　flat　stones　before　him；　and　the　plate　between

them。



〃Do　not　be　afraid；〃　said　the　German；　〃do　not　be　afraid。　　I　do　not　forget

the　boy　at　the　fire；　I　crack　for　him。　　The　bag　is　full。　　Why；　this　is

strange；〃　he　said　suddenly；　cracking　upon　a　large　nut；　〃three　kernels！　　I

have　not　observed　that　before。　　This　must　be　retained。　　This　is　valuable。〃　

He　wrapped　the　nut　gravely　in　paper；　and　put　it　carefully　in　his　waistcoat

pocket。　　〃Valuable；　very　valuable！〃　he　said；　shaking　his　head。



〃Ah；　my　friend；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃what　joy　it　is　to　be　once　more　in　your

society。〃



The　German's　eyes　glistened；　and　Bonaparte　seized　his　hand　and　squeezed　it

warmly。　　They　then　proceeded　to　crack　and　eat。　　After　a　while　Bonaparte

said；　stuffing　a　handful　of　raisins　into　his　mouth：



〃I　was　so　deeply　grieved；　my　dear　friend；　that　you　and　Tant　Sannie　had　some

slight　unpleasantness　this　evening。〃



〃Oh；　no；　no；〃　said　the　German；　〃it　is　all　right　now。　　A　few　sheep　missing；

but　I　make　it　good　myself。　　I　give　my　twelve　sheep；　and　work　in　the　other

eight。〃



〃It　is　rather　hard　that　you　should　have　to　make　good　the　lost　sheep；　said

Bonaparte；　〃it　is　no　fault　of　yours。〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　German；　〃this　is　the　case。　　Last　evening　I　count　the　sheep

at　the　kraaltwenty　are　missing。　　I　ask　the　herd；　he　tells　me　they　are

with　the　other　flock；　he　tells　me　so　distinctly；　how　can　I　think　he　lies？　

This　afternoon　I　count　the　other　flock。　　The　sheep　are　not　there。　　I　come

back　here：　　the　herd　is　gone；　the　sheep　are　gone。　　But　I　cannotno；　I　will

notbelieve　he　stole　them；〃　said　the　German；　growing　suddenly　excited。　

〃Some　one　else；　but　not　he。　　I　know　that　boy。　　I　knew　him　three　years。　　He

is　a　good　boy。　　I　have　seen　him　deeply　affected　on　account　of　his　soul。　

And　she　would　send　the　police　after　him！　　I　say　I　would　rather　make　the

loss　good　myself。　　I　will　not　have　it；　he　has　fled　in　fear。　　I　know　his

heart。　　It　was；〃　said　the　German；　with　a　little　gentle　hesitation；　〃under

my　words　that　he　first　felt　his　need　of　a　Saviour。〃



Bonaparte　cracked　some　more　almonds；　then　said；　yawning；　and　more　as　though

he　asked　for　the　sake　of　having　something　to　converse　about　than　from　any

interest　he　felt　in　the　subject：



〃And　what　has　become　of　the　herd's　wife？〃



The　German　was　alight　again　in　a　moment。



〃Yes；　his　wife。　　She　has　a　child　six　days　old；　and　Tant　Sannie　would　turn

her　out　into　the　fields　this　night。　　That；〃　said　the　German　rising；　〃that

is　what　I　call　crueltydiabolical　cruelty。　　My　soul　abhors　that　deed。　　The

man　that　could　do　such　a　thing　I　could　run　him　through　with　a　knife！〃　said

the　German；　his　grey　eyes　flashing；　and　his　bushy　black　beard　adding　to　the

murderous　fury　of　his　aspect。　　Then　suddenly　subsiding；　he　said；　〃But　all

is　now　well；　Tant　Sannie　gives　her　word　that　the　maid　shall　remain　for　some

days。　　I　go　to　Oom　Muller's　tomorrow　to　learn　if　the　sheep　may　not　be

there。　　If　they　are　not；　then　I　return。　　They　are　gone；　that　is　all。　　I

make　it　good。〃



〃Tant　Sannie　is　a　singular　woman；〃　said　Bonaparte；　taking　the　tobacco　bag

the　German　passed　to　him。



〃Singular！　　Yes；〃　said　the　German；　〃but　her　heart　is　on　her　right　side。　　I

have　lived　long　years　with　her；　and　I　may　say；　I　have　for　her　an　affection；

which　she　returns。　　I　may　say；〃　added　the　German　with　warmth；　〃I　may　say；

that　there　is　not　one　soul　on　this　farm　for　whom　I　have　not　an　affection。〃



〃Ah；　my　friend；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃when　the　grace　of　God　is　in　our　hearts；

is　it　not　with　us　all？　　Do　we　not　love　the　very　worm　we　tread　upon；　and　as

we　tread　upon　it？　　Do　we　know　distinctions　of　race；　or　of　sex；　or　of

colour？　　No！



〃'Love　so　amazing；　so　divine；

　　It　fills　my　soul；　my　life；　my　all。'〃



After　a　time　he　sank　into　a　less　fervent　mood；　and　remarked：



〃The　coloured　female　who　waits　upon　Tant　Sannie　appears　to　be　of　a　virtuous

disposition；　an　individual　who〃



〃Virtuous！〃　said　the　German；　〃I　have　confidence　in　her。　　There　is　that　in

her　which　is　pure；　that　which　is　noble。　　The　rich　and　high　that　walk　this

earth　with　lofty　eyelids　might　exchange　with　her。〃



The　German　here　got　up　to　bring　a　coal　for　Bonaparte's　pipe；　and　they　sat

together　talking　for　a　while。　　At　length　Bonaparte　knocked　the　ashes　out　of

his　pipe。



〃It　is　time　that　I　took　my　departure；　dear　friend；〃　he　said；　〃but；　before　I

do　so；　shall　we　not　close　this　evening　of　sweet　communion　and　brotherly

intercourse　by　a　few　words　of　prayer？　　Oh；　how　good　and　how　pleasant　a

thing　it　is　for　brethren　to　dwell　together　in　unity！　　It　is　like　the　dew

upon　the　mountains　of　Hermon；　for　there　the　Lord　bestowed　a　blessing；　even

life　for　evermore。〃



〃Stay　and　drink　some　coffee；〃　said　the　German。



〃No；　thank　you；　my　friend；　I　have　business　that　must　be　done　tonight；〃　said

Bonaparte。　　〃Your　dear　son　appears　to　have　gone　to　sleep。　　He　is　going　to

take　the　wagon　to　the　mill　tomorrow！　　What　a　little　man　he　is。〃



〃A　fine　boy。〃



But　though　the　boy　nodded　before　the　fire　he　was　not　asleep；　and　they　all

knelt　down　to　pray。



When　they　rose　from　their　knees　Bonaparte　extended　his　hand　to　Waldo；　and

patted　him　on　the　head。



〃Good　night；　my　lad；〃　said　he。　　〃As　you　go　to　the　mill　tomorrow；　we　shall

not　see　you　for　some　days。　　Good　night！　　Good…bye！　　The　Lord　bless　and

guide　you；　and　may　He　bring　you　back　to　us　in　safety　and　find　us　all　as　you

have　left　us！〃　　He　laid　some　emphasis　on　the　last　words。　　〃And　you；　my　dear

friend；〃　he　added；　turning　with　redoubled　warmth　to　the　German；　〃long；　long

shall　I　look　back　to　this　evening　as　a　time　of　refreshing　from　the　presence

of　the　Lord；　as　an　hour　of　blessed　intercourse　with　a　brother　in　Jesus。　

May　such　often　return。　　The　Lord　bless　you！〃　he　added；　with　yet　deeper

fervour；　〃richly；　richly。〃



Then　he　opened　the　door　and　vanished　out　into　the　darkness。



〃He；　he；　he！〃　laughed　Bonaparte；　as　he　stumbled　over　the　stones。　　〃If　there

isn't　the　rarest　lot　of　fools　on　this　farm　that　ever　God　Almighty　stuck

legs　to。　　He；　he；　he！　　When　the　worms　come　out　then　the　blackbirds　feed。　

Ha；　ha；　ha！〃　　Then　he　drew　himself　up；　even　when　alone　he　liked　to　pose

with　a　certain　dignity；　it　was　second　nature　to　him。



He　looked　in　at　the　kitchen　door。　　The　Hottentot　maid　who　acted　as

interpreter　between　Tant　Sannie　and　himself　was　gone；　and　Tant　Sannie

herself　was　in　bed。



〃Never　mind；　Bon；　my　boy；〃　he　said；　as　he　walked　round　to　his　own　room；

〃tomorrow　will　do。　　He；　he；　he！〃





Chapter　1。VIII。　　He　Catches　the　Old　Bird。



At　four　o'clock　the　next　afternoon　the　German　rode　across　the　plain；

returning　from　his　search　for　the　lost　sheep。　　He　rode　slowly；　for　he　had

been　in　the　saddle　since　sunrise　and　was　somewhat　weary；　and　the　heat　of

the　afternoon　made　his　horse　sleepy　as　it　picked　its　way　slowly　along　the

sandy　road。　　Every　now　and　then　a　great　red　spider　would　start　out　of　the

karoo　on　one　side　of　the　path　and　run　across　to　the　other；　but　nothing　else

broke　the　still　monotony。　　Presently；　behind　one　of　the　highest　of　the

milk…bushes　that　dotted　the　roadside；　the　German　caught　sight　of　a　Kaffer

woman；　seated　there　evidently　for　such　shadow　as　the　milk…bush　might　afford

from　the　sloping　rays　of　the　sun。



The　German　turned　the　horse's　head　out　of　the　road。　　It　was　not　his　way　to

pass　a　living　creature　without　a　word　of　greeting。　　Coming　nearer；　he　found

it　was　no　other　tha