the story of an african farm-第2章

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warm　and　the　room　close；　and　she　dreamed　bad　dreams。　　Not　of　the　ghosts　and

devils　that　so　haunted　her　waking　thoughts；　not　of　her　second　husband　the

consumptive　Englishman；　whose　grave　lay　away　beyond　the　ostrich…camps；　nor

of　her　first；　the　young　Boer；　but　only　of　the　sheep's　trotters　she　had

eaten　for　supper　that　night。　　She　dreamed　that　one　stuck　fast　in　her

throat；　and　she　rolled　her　huge　form　from　side　to　side；　and　snorted

horribly。



In　the　next　room；　where　the　maid　had　forgotten　to　close　the　shutter；　the

white　moonlight　fell　in　in　a　flood；　and　made　it　light　as　day。　　There　were

two　small　beds　against　the　wall。　　In　one　lay　a　yellow…haired　child；　with　a

low　forehead　and　a　face　of　freckles；　but　the　loving　moonlight　hid　defects

here　as　elsewhere；　and　showed　only　the　innocent　face　of　a　child　in　its

first　sweet　sleep。



The　figure　in　the　companion　bed　belonged　of　right　to　the　moonlight；　for　it

was　of　quite　elfin…like　beauty。　　The　child　had　dropped　her　cover　on　the

floor；　and　the　moonlight　looked　in　at　the　naked　little　limbs。　　Presently

she　opened　her　eyes　and　looked　at　the　moonlight　that　was　bathing　her。



〃Em！〃　she　called　to　the　sleeper　in　the　other　bed；　but　received　no　answer。

Then　she　drew　the　cover　from　the　floor；　turned　her　pillow；　and　pulling　the

sheet　over　her　head；　went　to　sleep　again。



Only　in　one　of　the　outbuildings　that　jutted　from　the　wagon…house　there　was

some　one　who　was　not　asleep。



The　room　was　dark；　door　and　shutter　were　closed；　not　a　ray　of　light　entered

anywhere。　　The　German　overseer；　to　whom　the　room　belonged；　lay　sleeping

soundly　on　his　bed　in　the　corner；　his　great　arms　folded；　and　his　bushy　grey

and　black　beard　rising　and　falling　on　his　breast。　　But　one　in　the　room　was

not　asleep。　　Two　large　eyes　looked　about　in　the　darkness；　and　two　small

hands　were　smoothing　the　patchwork　quilt。　　The　boy；　who　slept　on　a　box

under　the　window；　had　just　awakened　from　his　first　sleep。　　He　drew　the

quilt　up　to　his　chin；　so　that　little　peered　above　it　but　a　great　head　of

silky　black　curls　and　the　two　black　eyes。　　He　stared　about　in　the　darkness。　

Nothing　was　visible；　not　even　the　outline　of　one　worm…eaten　rafter；　nor　of

the　deal　table；　on　which　lay　the　Bible　from　which　his　father　had　read

before　they　went　to　bed。　　No　one　could　tell　where　the　toolbox　was；　and

where　the　fireplace。　　There　was　something　very　impressive　to　the　child　in

the　complete　darkness。



At　the　head　of　his　father's　bed　hung　a　great　silver　hunting　watch。　　It

ticked　loudly。　　The　boy　listened　to　it；　and　began　mechanically　to　count。　

Ticktickone；　two；　three；　four！　　He　lost　count　presently；　and　only

listened。　　Ticktickticktick！



It　never　waited；　it　went　on　inexorably；　and　every　time　it　ticked　a　man

died！　　He　raised　himself　a　little　on　his　elbow　and　listened。　　He　wished　it

would　leave　off。



How　many　times　had　it　ticked　since　he　came　to　lie　down？　　A　thousand　times；

a　million　times；　perhaps。



He　tried　to　count　again；　and　sat　up　to　listen　better。



〃Dying；　dying；　dying！〃　said　the　watch；　〃dying；　dying；　dying！〃



He　heard　it　distinctly。　　Where　were　they　going　to；　all　those　people？



He　lay　down　quickly；　and　pulled　the　cover　up　over　his　head：　　but　presently

the　silky　curls　reappeared。



〃Dying；　dying；　dying！〃　said　the　watch；　〃dying；　dying；　dying！〃



He　thought　of　the　words　his　father　had　read　that　evening〃For　wide　is　the

gate；　and　broad　is　the　way；　that　leadeth　to　destruction　and　many　there　be

which　go　in　thereat。〃



〃Many；　many；　many！〃　said　the　watch。



〃Because　strait　is　the　gate；　and　narrow　is　the　way；　that　leadeth　unto　life；

and　few　there　be　that　find　it。〃



〃Few；　few；　few！〃　said　the　watch。



The　boy　lay　with　his　eyes　wide　open。　　He　saw　before　him　a　long　stream　of

people；　a　great　dark　multitude；　that　moved　in　one　direction；　then　they　came

to　the　dark　edge　of　the　world　and　went　over。　　He　saw　them　passing　on　before

him；　and　there　was　nothing　that　could　stop　them。　　He　thought　of　how　that

stream　had　rolled　on　through　all　the　long　ages　of　the　pasthow　the　old

Greeks　and　Romans　had　gone　over；　the　countless　millions　of　China　and　India；

they　were　going　over　now。　　Since　he　had　come　to　bed；　how　many　had　gone！



And　the　watch　said；　〃Eternity；　eternity；　eternity！〃



〃Stop　them！　stop　them！〃　cried　the　child。



And　all　the　while　the　watch　kept　ticking　on；　just　like　God's　will；　that

never　changes　or　alters；　you　may　do　what　you　please。



Great　beads　of　perspiration　stood　on　the　boy's　forehead。　　He　climbed　out　of

bed　and　lay　with　his　face　turned　to　the　mud　floor。



〃Oh；　God；　God！　save　them！〃　he　cried　in　agony。　　〃Only　some；　only　a　few！　

Only　for　each　moment　I　am　praying　here　one！〃　　He　folded　his　little　hands

upon　his　head。　　〃God！　　God！　save　them！〃



He　grovelled　on　the　floor。



Oh；　the　long；　long　ages　of　the　past；　in　which　they　had　gone　over！　　Oh；　the

long；　long　future；　in　which　they　would　pass　away！　　Oh；　God！　the　long；　long；

long　eternity；　which　has　no　end！



The　child　wept；　and　crept　closer　to　the　ground。



。。。





The　Sacrifice。



The　farm　by　daylight　was　not　as　the　farm　by　moonlight。　　The　plain　was　a

weary　flat　of　loose　red　sand；　sparsely　covered　by　dry　karoo　bushes；　that

cracked　beneath　the　tread　like　tinder；　and　showed　the　red　earth　everywhere。　

Here　and　there　a　milk…bush　lifted　its　pale…coloured　rods；　and　in　every

direction　the　ants　and　beetles　ran　about　in　the　blazing　sand。　　The　red

walls　of　the　farmhouse；　the　zinc　roofs　of　the　outbuildings；　the　stone　walls

of　the　kraals；　all　reflected　the　fierce　sunlight；　till　the　eye　ached　and

blenched。　　No　tree　or　shrub　was　to　be　seen　far　or　near。　　The　two　sunflowers

that　stood　before　the　door；　out…stared　by　the　sun；　drooped　their　brazen

faces　to　the　sand；　and　the　little　cicada…like　insects　cried　aloud　among　the

stones　of　the　kopje。



The　Boer…woman；　seen　by　daylight；　was　even　less　lovely　than　when；　in　bed；

she　rolled　and　dreamed。　　She　sat　on　a　chair　in　the　great　front　room；　with

her　feet　on　a　wooden　stove；　and　wiped　her　flat　face　with　the　corner　of　her

apron；　and　drank　coffee；　and　in　Cape　Dutch　swore　that　the　beloved　weather

was　damned。　　Less　lovely；　too；　by　daylight　was　the　dead　Englishman's　child；

her　little　stepdaughter；　upon　whose　freckles　and　low；　wrinkled　forehead　the

sunlight　had　no　mercy。



〃Lyndall；〃　the　child　said　to　her　little　orphan　cousin；　who　sat　with　her　on

the　floor　threading　beads；　〃how　is　it　your　beads　never　fall　off　your

needle？〃



〃I　try；〃　said　the　little　one　gravely；　moistening　her　tiny　finger。　　〃That　is

why。〃



The　overseer；　seen　by　daylight；　was　a　huge　German；　wearing　a　shabby　suit；

and　with　a　childish　habit　of　rubbing　his　hands　and　nodding　his　head

prodigiously　when　pleased　at　anything。　　He　stood　out　at　the　kraals　in　the

blazing　sun；　explaining　to　two　Kaffer　boys　the　approaching　end　of　the

world。　　The　boys；　as　they　cut　the　cakes　of　dung；　winked　at　each　other；　and

worked　as　slowly　as　they　possibly　could；　but　the　German　never　saw　it。



Away；　beyond　the　kopje；　Waldo　his　son　herded　the　ewes　and　lambsa　small

and　dusty　herdpowdered　all　over　from　head　to　foot　with　red　sand；　wearing

a　ragged　coat　and　shoes　of　undressed　leather；　through　whose　holes　the　toes

looked　out。　　His　hat　was　too　large；　and　had　sunk　down　to　his　eyes；

concealing　completely　the　silky　black　curls。　　It　was　a　curious　small

figure。　　His　flock　gave　him　little　trouble。　　It　was　too　hot　for　them　to

move　far；　they　gathered　round　every　little　milk…bush；　as　though　they　hoped

to　find　shade；　and　stood　there　motionless　in　clumps。　　He　himself　crept

under　a　shelving　rock　that　lay　at　the　foot　of　the　kopje；　stretched　himself

on　his　stomach；　and　waved　his　dilapidated　little　shoes　in　the　air。



Soon；　from　the　blue　bag　where　he　kept　his　dinner；　he　produced　a　fragment　of

slate；　an　arithmetic；　and　a　pencil。　　Proceeding　to　put　down　a　sum　with

solemn　and　earnest　demeanour；　he　began　to　add　it　up　aloud：　　〃Six　and　two　is

eightand　four　is　twelveand　tw