Chapter Three.Why Old Jackal Danced the War-Dance.A solid burst of rain; the hissing, thrashing deluge of the high veldt had driven the hoe-wielders from the tobacco “lands,” and the old Hottentot had retired thankfully to the barn to work on a lambskin kaross he was making for the mistress. There the children found him, though for the moment they were quiet as their father stepped in to ask Old Hendrik, in his strong American accent, if this rain was likely to flush the Vaal too deep for crossing at the drift below.“Well, baas,” answered he, “dis hyer rain won’t do it, p’r’aps, but I seen it pretty black up de river all dis mawnin’, an’ I reckon de drift’s a-gun’ to be too strong for goin’ a-visitin’.”“Then I guess I ain’t a-tryin’ it,” decided the baas, withdrawing to the house.The children took up the subject. “Is it goin’ to be justsobig wide, Ou’ Ta’?” asked little Annie.“Well, Ainkye,” answered Old Hendrik, “p’r’aps it ain’t a-goin’ to be yust so wide’s it was when Ou’ Jackalse danced de war-dance, and Ou’ Mensefreiter hit hisse’f on a rock into no bigger’n a water-millon; but it’s a-goin’ to be too full fo’ your daddy to go yust sa’nterin’ troo it.”“Oh, Ou’ Ta’, you never told us about that Mensefreiter at all,” cried the little girl reproachfully.“Didn’t I now?” cried Old Hendrik. “Well, I’d ought to anyhow, ’cause it was mighty tough times for Ou’ Jackalse an’ Ou’ Wolf dem days. Besides, dis is de same drift right hyer below.“You see,” he went on, squaring himself on the sack of mealies which served him for a seat, “times was hard wid all sorts of folk dat year. De rinderpest come along, an’ it just clean out all de game an’ de buck, till Ou’ Jackalse an’ Ou’ Wolf dey may hunt all day an’ dey may hunt all week an’ Sunday, an’ den dey won’t get de shadda of a buck. Dey ha’ to keep on a-drinkin’ water to keep deir tummies from growin’ front an’ back togeder.”“An what did Missis Jackalse an’ little Ainkye Jackalse do for sometin’ to eat, then?” asked Annie anxiously.“Oh, dere was no Missis Jackalse den,” answered the old Hottentot cheerily. “Dis was long ’fore that Dis was when Ou’ Jackalse an’ Ou’ Wolf was young fellas, an’ don’t only go roun’ upsittin’ wid de nices’ young misses dey can hear of. An’ it stand ’em in han’ to be young fellas an’ to had no fam’lies; ’cause de young fellas can scratch all day if dey like an’ den dere ain’t nawtin’ to eat.“Well, you knows Ou’ Jackalse is mighty slim a-gettin’ scoff if dere’s anybody else has some, but it wahnt no use waitin’ to steal what oder folk ain’t polished off, ’cause dere ain’t nawtin’ for oder folk to begin on, let alone to leave for him to sneak it. He yust ha’ to hump hisse’f an’ rustle roun’ if he’s a-gun’ to get anytin’. An’ dis is where Ou’ Jackalse’s bein’ so smart come in handy. Ou’ Wolf he keeps a-gauntin’ an’ a-wobblin’ on ahter de buck he tink hemightsee over de nex’ rise, but Ou’ Jackalse he yust keep his eye skinned to size upwhat’son de yonder side de ridge.“Well, by’n’by he sees a farm where dere’s a patch o’ to’acco wanted ’tendin’ to mighty bad, an’ de farmer he’s a-leanin’ on de gate an’ first a-lookin’ at de row an’ den a-lookin’ at de hoe, as if fo’ one ting he can’t make up his mind where he’s a-gun’ to begin, an’ as if for anoder ting he can’t yust settle if he’s goin’ to start at all dis mawnin’ nohow.“Ou’ Jackalse he look, an’ he sit down, an’ he ’gun to brush de grass behin’ him wid his tail, sort o’ slow an’ like he’s tinkin’ pretty deep. He can’teattobacco; he know dat, but de man what work in de to’acco he can eat sometin’, an’ sometin’ a long shot better’n to’acco—he eat scoff. So Ou’ Jackalse he make up his mind an’ down he go to de farmer.“‘Mawnin’, baas!’ ses he. ‘Darie to’acco ’gin to look as if some of it’s goin’ to run wild an’ some of it goin’ to choke ’fore long,’ ses he.“‘Oh! ’tain’t nawtin’ to shout about yet,’ ses de farmer. ‘A good man an’ a good hoe soon set dat a’right agen.’“‘Well, what you reckon you’s goin’ to give de good man fo’ usin’ de good hoe an’ doin’ it?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse straight out.“‘Oh, I give him his scoff, an’ a twist o’ to’acco,’ ses de farmer, lazy like.“‘Hu!’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Ain’t you feared you’ll send him to drink an’ to end up in de tronk wid all de money he’ll have fo’ spendin’?’ An’ Ou’ Jackalse he fair sniff a bit.“De man turn roun’. ‘You please yourse’f,’ ses he. ‘I tink scoff’s a lot in dese times, when de rinderpest is kill off not on’y all de meat but all de oxen too, so we cahnt fetch nawtin’ from nowhere.’“‘Well, good scoff?’ axes Ou’ Jackalse, like he want to make de best of it.“‘Dere ain’t on’y one sort o’ scoff at my place,’ ses de man. ‘Same sort o’ scoff I get myse’f.’“‘Well, you leave de hoe here an’ I see about it,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, an’ de man he yust drop dat hoe like it was hot, an’ offs home to sit in de cool an’ drink coffee.“So Ou’ Jackalse he’d made a start anyhow; he’d got a yob at least. But if you tink he’s goin’ to balance hisse’f on de end o’ dat hoe, well, you’s got hold o’ de wrong ox dis time. He yust come along to Ou’ Wolf. ‘At last,’ ses he. ‘At last I’s got a sight to get some scoff anyhow,’ an’ he fetch a big ole breaf like as if a sack o’ Kaffir corn flop off his back.“‘How’s dat?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, a-sittin’ down an’ proppin’ hisse’f up wid his front foots, an’ his tongue hangin’ out like a sheepskin.“‘Dere’s a farmer de yonder side de ridge, an’ he want some’dy to do a bit in his to’acco, an’ he’ll give us a share of his scoff same as hisse’f,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse; an’ he look at Ou’ Wolf as if he ought to drop two tickies in de bag next time he goes to church, like an ole dopper farmer when de rain save de crop.“But Ou’ Wolf he look at Ou’ Jackalse sort o’ s’picious. ‘Do a bit in de to’acco?’ ses he. ‘Dat’swork, ain’t it?’ ses he.“‘An’ mighty glad to get it,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, out big an’ loud, makin’ as if he was just wishin’ dere was a hoe dere dis minute, so he could lick right in.“‘But—work,’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an’ he droop his head an’ he shake it slow an’ swingin’.“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, sort o’ like he’s ponderin’ it. ‘Darie baas he reckon de man on de hoe is a-gun’ to be workin’, but de man on de hoe he might reckon he don’t know so much about dat. He might reckon he’ll knock it off in his own time. He might s’pose it’s him ha’ to do it; an’ he might ’member dat de longer dat yob last de longer his scoff last. See? fathead!’ ses he.“‘Well, I wants de scoff,’ ses Ou’ Wolf; ‘dere ain’t no shadda ’bout dat. But, de work; I don’t know,’ ses he.“‘Now you look-a’-me,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, ’s if he was fair tired o’ fool argyin’. ‘You knows me. IsIlikely to make de grass fly much a-workin’? or isIde sort o’ one to work at all if dere was any oder snift of a chance o’ scoff?’ ses he.“Ou’ Wolf tink he know Ou’ Jackalse pretty well by dis time. ‘No,’ ses he, kind o’ considerin’. ‘I don’t tink you’dworkif dere was any oder chance,’ ses he.“‘Come along o’ me, den,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, an’ away dey pops.“Ou’ Jackalse he bring Ou’ Wolf along to de gate an’ he give him darie hoe. ‘Dis is you’ patch,’ ses he, ‘mine’s furder along on de yonder side de house. I’ll bring de scoff at dinner time, an’ in de meantime you yust get a sort o’ wiggle on you, like’s if you could work if you had to,’ an’ off he stalk till he get out o’ sight. Den he flop down an’ bake hisse’f in de sun.“Well, Ou’ Wolf he gets a sort o’ stroke on him like a bywoner dat tinks it’s a-pretty near time he shifted to some farm where dey don’t raise no crops nohow, and den about an hour before noon along comes Ou’ Jackalse agen, an’ he looks at what Ou’ Wolf’s done, an’ he slant his eye at what he ain’t done, an’ he tinks dere’s a fair ole little lot o’ dat yet.“‘Look-a’-me, Ou’ Wolf,’ ses he. ‘It’s a-comin’ along to dinner time soon, butyou; you yust about ain’t if dat’s all you’s done yet. De baas he’ll tink what I done, an’ he’ll see what you ain’t done, an’ den, why, dere you is! You ought to be sorry fo’ you’se’f, when you looks at what you done.’“‘I yust is,’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an’ he ain’t a-considerin’ ’fore he ses it needer. ‘I yust is,’ an’ he sort o’ squint up at de sun to see how soon it’s a-gun’ to be noon, an’ he sort o’ guess at de row to see how soon it ain’t likely to be done.“‘Well, it ain’t my look out if de baas don’t gi’e you no scoff fo’ dat bit,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘I got you de work, but you cahnt look fo’ me to do it fo’ you too, as well’s my own. I cahnt only ’pologise fo’ you. You better get a bit wigglier wiggle on you if you wants some dinner, anyhow,’ ses he, an’ off he pops.“Well, Ou’ Wolf he tinks p’r’aps he had better hump hisse’f along a bit an’ make a kind of a shine anyhow. ‘I ain’t a-gun’ to let no sich a skellum ha’ to ’pologise fo’ me,’ ses he, an’ he yust lit into dat row like he wants to get de baas to let him opset wid his daughter.“Den it come along to noon, an’ de farmer he come out to see what about de hoein’. Ou’ Jackalse he pop up out o’ de long grass an’ meet him. ‘I was yust a-comin’ fo’ de scoff,’ ses he.“‘Scoff fo’ dat much?’ ses de farmer; ‘an’ two o’ you too!’ ses he.“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, ‘we’s a bit gone in fo’ want o’ scoff, dese last days since de rinderpest, so p’r’aps we ain’t a-quite got into de stroke yet. But if we has a good dinner to-day, why den to-morro’—well, to-morro’,’ ses he, an’ he t’row out his ban’s like to-morro’ dey’ll yust scoff darie hoein’!“‘Well, we’ll see,’ ses de farmer. ‘You can come along now an’ get de scoff,’ an’ so dey goes.“Well, dis yere scoff turn out to be all bisceyt, Boer bisceyt, an’ de baas he give Ou’ Jackalse enough fo’ bofe o’ dem, an’ Ou’ Jackalse he start back.“Now on de way he see a bushy little bush, an’ he t’row one bisceyt in dere to hide it. An’ on de way he seen anoder little bush, an’ he t’row anoder bisceyt into dat bush too, an’ he do like a-dat till he ha’n’t on’y one bisceyt left. An’ den he up an’ show Ou’ Wolf datleetleone bisceyt. ‘Dat’s all de man had,’ ses he. ‘One f’r hisse’f, one f’r his wife an’ childer, an’ one f’r us. But he’s a-gun’ to have mo’ to-morro’, he ses.’“‘I reckon he yust is,’ ses Ou’ Wolf, letting de hoe drop like he never had hold of it yet. ‘If he’s a-gun’ to get any more o’ dis yere lan’s hoed den he yust is. How’s I a-gun’ to hoe to’acco on half a bisceyt?’ ses he. ‘An’ dis is de sort o’ yob you was so sa’cy dat you’d got it to keep us f’m starvin’, is it?’ ses he. ‘A whole one half o’ one bisceyt!’ snorts he, ’s if he wants to see some’dy yust step on his shadda, dat’s all.“‘Well, half o’ one bisceyt—dat’s a deal better’n de whole o’ one day widout no scoff at all,’ sniffs Ou’ Jackalse, mighty insulted. ‘But den, never mind.I is abit stronger’n you, anyhow; so you yust eat my half o’ dat bisceyt as well’s your own, an’ I’ll slip back an’ eat some o’ de corn I seen dropped by de barn. Dere’s two-t’ree grains dere yet if de birds ain’t pick ’em up ’fore dis,’ an’ off he flops, lookin’ yust as full o’ pious as a location predicant (Parson) when he’s got a good collection on a Sunday.“Ou’ Wolf he feel a mighty sneak to let Ou’ Jackalse lose his half de bisceyt like dat, but he don’t can he’p it nohow, an’ he’s yust so ’ongry dat while he bite off his own half o’ de bisceyt he mess de yonder half de same time, an’ den he might yust as well eat dat half too, ’cause he cahnt offer it to Ou’ Jackalse now when it’s all mussed. An’—well; de fus’ ting Ou’ Wolf know, gop! he scoff dat half too. But he feel dat mean dat he work dat hoe like steam to easy his mind a bit.“All dis time Ou’ Jackalse he’s a-pickin’ up dem bisceyt he hid in de bushes, an’ yust a-blowin’ hisse’f out, till he cahnt on’y wink an’ har’ly stir his tail where he lie an’ bake alongside a stone.“Well, it go on like dis for one day after anoder, till one day along comes Ou’ Mensefreiter, an’ he see Ou’ Wolf a-hoein’ in de to’acco, an’ he see Ou’ Jackalse a-snuggin’ an’ a-bakin’ atween a bush an’ a stone. ‘Wotto!’ ses Ou’ Mensefreiter. ‘Here’s two,’ an’ he fair seizes ’em, an’ he offs.”“But Ou’ Ta’,” interjected the little girl. “What was that Mensefreiter like?”“Oh, he was one o’ dese yere bo’-constructors yo’ daddy tells you about. An’ yet he don’t was yust a constructor needer. He was one o’ dese puff-adders what spring t’ree yards high an’ t’ree yards far at you, quicker’n you’ eye can flash to watch ’em; only he was de grandaddy of ’em all, an’ so he was bigger’n a bo’-constructor, an’ de same way he could strike forty yard high, an’ forty yard far, an’ forty times quicker’n de biggest puff-adder dat ever make you yump an’ run in de veldt. An’ he yust grab dese two and offs wid ’em to where he live—an’ dat’s de yonder side de drift down here.“Well, de Mensefreiter he took de two out an’ look ’em up an down, top an’ bottom, as soon as he gets to his kraal. He feel Ou’ Wolf’s bones an’ he shake his head. ‘Youispretty fine drawed,’ ses he. ‘It ’ud take two o’ you to make a shadda. You’ll want some fattin’ ’fore you’s good enough for a bile, let alone a roast.’“Den he feel Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he sort o’ smile all de way down his back. ‘Well, you bin have a high ole time, ain’t you, wid all dat fat on you? A week’s feedin on de berries here’ll give you yust a nice flavour,’ ses he.“So nex’ day he gi’en ’em baskets; a sort o’ baskets like a bottle, so’s you cahnt open it, an’ so’s you cahnt get your hand in. You yust drops de berries in, an’ den Ou’ Mensefreiter he unlock de lid an’ see how much you fetch home. An’ off dese two flops to pick berries.“‘Now look-a’-me,’ ses Ou’ Wolf to Ou’ Jackalse. ‘You better don’t eat too much now, else you’ll get scoffed ’fore you know it. You better to get t’in like me an’ den you’ll live longer. I’s yust a-gun’ to pick berries till de sweat run, den Ou’ Mensefreiter ain’t a-gun’ to was’e time eatin’ me, I’ll keep dat t’in.’“‘A’ right I’ll tink on,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, but he ain’t no more’n see de berries in de sun dan he wink to his nose end. ‘I’s fat,’ ses he to hisse’f. ‘I’s fat, an’ I’s a-goin’ to keep fat Ou’ Mensefreiter ain’t a-eat me yet, and he ha’n’t better hold his breat’ till he does, needer, else he’s likely to get black in de face ’fore he finis’.’“Next he tas’e one berry, an’ ahter dat he yust about put one berry in his basket and forty-one in his mout’, till the yuice run all down his chest, an’ he feel dat good he yust cahnt he’p it but he fair stan’ on his head wid fun like a wildebeeste.“Well, it come along to time to get back to de kraal, an’ yust when Ou’ Wolf was fair a-workin’ an’ a-snatchin’ at de berries to fill his basket, Ou’ Jackalse he sort o’ sa’nter past de basket behind him an’ swop his own for it, yust so slim an’ so quick dat Ou’ Wolf never dream on it. On’y when dey start fo’ de kraal, he say. ‘Dese yere berries is mighty light, considerin’ what a lot I picked an’ all,’ an’ he mop his fore’ead as if he’s glad dat yob’s done.“Dis went on de same every day; Ou’ Wolf bringin’ yust a han’ful home, an’ Ou’ Jackalse a fat basket, till one day Ou’ Mensefreiter he wink at Ou’ Jackalse. ‘You is a bit slim, ain’t you, bringin’ all your berries home an’ eatin’ none, so’s you won’t get no fatter, huh? But dis is whereIcomes in. I yust drops you inside dis hock,’ ses he, droppin’ him in an empty place like a pigsty, ‘an’ I fat you up wid seven days’ feed o’ pun’kin like a little pig. Den we’ll see if you don’t make de finest kind o’ dinner,’ ses he. ‘An’ you, Ou’ Wolf,’ ses he, ‘you’s de all right sort. Yust you keep on in de berries, eatin plenty like you bin a doin’, an’ den one o’ dese days you’ll be nice an’ fat too.’“Ou’ Wolf he take his basket at dat an’ off out to de bessie berries agen, an’ he won’er a bit; an’ Ou’ Jackalse he stop in de hock an’ he kind o’ begin to won’er too. Dere’s two or t’ree pun’kins, de finest kind o’ pampoene, in de hock wid him—dat’s his scoff fo’ de day, an’ if he don’t eat ’em all up ’fore night, den he’s yust agun’ to ketch it.“Well, Ou’ Jackalse he look at dem pampoene an’ he kind o’ feel he ain’t yust a-yearnin’ fo’ dinner nohow. He look over de top o’ de wall o’ de hock, but he know it ain’t no manner o’ use to try an’ run for it, ’cause Ou’ Mensefreiter ’ll snap him back ’fore he get into his stride har’ly. It ain’t yust sich a fat time, bein’ fat, ahter all, tinks he, an’ he sort o’ wish he had Ou’ Wolf dere wid him somehow. He look dis way an’ he look dat way, but dere ain’t nawtin’, on’y de little pat’ a-runnin’ down to de drift, and de drift a-risin’ an’ a-risin’ wid it keepin’ on a-rainin’ an’ a-rainin’ up de river. It look mighty like Ou’ Jackalse’s name’s goin’ to be ‘mud’ dis time, an’ his tail yust drop flop.“Den he feel a sort o’ quiet little twitch at his tail. He look roun’ sharp, an’ dere he see little Kleinkie Mousie. ‘What you bite me fo’?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, kind o’ big, ’cause it kind o’ give him a start wid makin’ him tink it was Ou’ Mensefreiter had him.“‘You’s got all dese pampoene, ain’t you? An’ I want to talk to you about de seeds for my dinner,’ ses Kleinkie, his eyes a-shinin’ black an’ his paws yust ready to off ’fore you can swip you’ tail.“Ou’ Jackalse he know he can’t eat de seeds hisse’f, an’ besides he ain’t yust dead gone on dem pun’kins nohow. He tink he might’s well be a fine fella an’ get his name up wid Kleinkie. ‘A’right,’ ses he, ‘if you want a dinner, why, dere you is,’ ses he, an’ he sweep his hand up like di’monds is dust an’ he’s yust scatterin’ dust down de wind. Den he lean up agen de corner o’ de hock an’ watch Kleinkie fair gnawin’ dem seeds, like it quite do him good to watch it.“Well, dis went on till de sevent’ day, an’ to-morro’ mawnin’ Ou’ Jackalse is goin’ to be shove in de pot an’ roas’. He ’gin to look down his nose some, ’specially when he look at de pun’kin Ou’ Mensefreiter drop in fo’ him to eat dis day. It was yust one pun’kin, only one; but it was de biggest old pun’kin you ever did see. ‘If I did get myse’f wrop round de outside o’ dat pampoene I’d be sort o’ fat-lookin’ anyhow,’ ses he, an’ he smile kind o’ mournful.“Den up pops little Kleinkie. ‘What’s de matter?’ ses he. ‘You looks like a location Kaffir when he bin had a night on Kaffir beer an’ den ha’ to work next mawnin’,’ ses he.“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘I never did work yet ’cept to get out o’ work. But if I don’t find some way o’ gettin’ out o’ dis ’fore night, widout Ou’ Mensefreiter seein’ me, den it’s mighty likely I’d be glad to ha’ de chance to go to work to-morro’ mawnin’.’“‘A bit rough dat,’ ses Kleinkie. ‘If dere was any way I could he’p now?’“Dat set Ou’ Jackalse to studyin’, an’ it ain’t a minute or two ’fore de twinkle ’gin to shine in his eye, and his tail begin to rise itse’f. ‘Look-a’-me now, Kleinkie,’ ses he; ‘dere is one way, if you an’ de rest o’ you’ people like to he’p a bit.’“‘How’s dat?’ axes Kleinkie.“‘Dis way,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘I cuts a hole in darie pampoene, an’ den you an’ de rest turn to an’ gnaw an’ scrape out de inside till dere ain’t on’y yust de shell left.’“‘An’ den?’ axes Kleinkie.“‘Oh, den you’ll see,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘You yust get darie pampoene scrape’ out first,’ ses he.“‘Well,’ ses Kleinkie. ‘You gin us dem seeds a’right, you did, so now we’ll see what about dis yob;’ an’ off he pop an’ fetch all de rest o’ de mouses, an’ it ain’t har’ly no time ’fore dey has dat pun’kin scrape as clean inside as de mealie pap pot in a bywoner’s fam’ly.“‘See me now,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he lift darie pun’kin an’ he drop itqu-i-etly over de wall onto de groun’ outside, on dat side away from where Ou’ Mensefreiter’s lyin’ sunnin’ hisse’f. ‘See de drift down dere?’ ses he; ‘an see how high it is wid de flood? Well, once I get to de yonder side dat drift den Ou’ Mensefreiter cahnt folio’ me. Floods is dat much good anyhow. Now watch,’ ses he.“Wid dat he wriggle hisse’f out ahter de pun’kin, yust as flat as a new skun sheepskin, an’ ’fore you could look twice he wiggle hisse’f right into de inside o’ dat pun’kin, till you couldn’t see hide nor hair of him.“Den Kleinkie hear him begin to sing,ve-erysoft an’ low:—“Pampoenekie; Pampoenekie,Roll down de pat’ickie;Pampoenekie pat’ickie,Pampoene roll!“An’ darie pun’kin begun an’ ro-o-oll.“Den Kleinkie keep on a-watchin’, an’ darie pun’kin find de pat’ dat run down to de drift. Kleinkie watch yet, an’ darie pun’kin keep on a-rollin’ an’ a-swiftin’ till, bounce! it splosh an’ hit de water in de drift Kleinkie watch, an’ darie pun’kin went so fast it yust swish right across to de yonder side de drift, an’ Ou’ Jackalse he step out an’ snatch up a willow stick in one hand, an’ a big leaf in de oder, like a assegai an’ a shield, an’ swip! he begin to do a war-dance, yust a-leapin’ high an’ a-chantin.“Ou’ Mensefreiter he lift his head when de pun’kin ’gun to roll Ou’ Mensefreiter he kink his back when de pun’kin hit de drift. But Ou’ Mensefreiter, when he see Ou’ Jackalse doin’ darie war-dance—swip! he whip hisse’f t’rough de air, an’ de first place he light was down by de edge o’ de drift.“Dat drift was mighty wider’n he ever tried it afore, but he see Ou’ Jackalse a-springin’ an’ a-clinkin’ his heels togeder on de yonder side, an’ Ou’ Mensefreiter he hump hisse’f agen, an’—swip!—he strike for it to get dat Jackalse anyhow.“Forty yards was his everyday jump, an’ sixty yards at Nachtmaal. But dis day he bested dat mor’n double, an’ yet he don’t do enough. Dere was a big rock a-stickin’ out o’ de water, a long way short o’ bein’ across, an’ Ou’ Mensefreiter come into it wid his nose, whack! smack! sich a bash an’ a biff dat it yust drove his tail right on up into de inside of his head, an’ dere he was, all in a ball no bigger’n a water-millon, an’ he roll off into de water an’ down he go wid de stream; a-rubble an’ a-bubble, an’ a-over an’ a-pover, till he drownded. An dat’s what happen to darie Mensefreiter,” finished Old Hendrik.“An’ what did Ou’ Wolf do?” demanded the little girl.“Oh, Ou’ Jackalse he shout for Ou’ Wolf to come along. But Ou’ Wolf he look at de drift an’ he look at Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Ain’t you a-comin’?’ shouts Ou’ Jackalse.“‘What do I want to come for?’ ses Ou’ Wolf. ‘All de berries I pick now I’ll get a chance to eat ’em myse’f. An’ what do I want to come for? Eatin’ berries is better’n hoein’ to’acco for half a bisceyt a day. You go an’ hoe; I keep’s here wid de bessie berries. Besides—dere’s pun’kin.’”“And what did Old Jackalse have to do then?” demanded the youngest boy.“Well, I wouldn’ yust like to say what Ou’ Jackalse ha’ to do,” answered Old Hendrik. “But you can bet on what he didn’ do—he didn’ hoe.”
A solid burst of rain; the hissing, thrashing deluge of the high veldt had driven the hoe-wielders from the tobacco “lands,” and the old Hottentot had retired thankfully to the barn to work on a lambskin kaross he was making for the mistress. There the children found him, though for the moment they were quiet as their father stepped in to ask Old Hendrik, in his strong American accent, if this rain was likely to flush the Vaal too deep for crossing at the drift below.
“Well, baas,” answered he, “dis hyer rain won’t do it, p’r’aps, but I seen it pretty black up de river all dis mawnin’, an’ I reckon de drift’s a-gun’ to be too strong for goin’ a-visitin’.”
“Then I guess I ain’t a-tryin’ it,” decided the baas, withdrawing to the house.
The children took up the subject. “Is it goin’ to be justsobig wide, Ou’ Ta’?” asked little Annie.
“Well, Ainkye,” answered Old Hendrik, “p’r’aps it ain’t a-goin’ to be yust so wide’s it was when Ou’ Jackalse danced de war-dance, and Ou’ Mensefreiter hit hisse’f on a rock into no bigger’n a water-millon; but it’s a-goin’ to be too full fo’ your daddy to go yust sa’nterin’ troo it.”
“Oh, Ou’ Ta’, you never told us about that Mensefreiter at all,” cried the little girl reproachfully.
“Didn’t I now?” cried Old Hendrik. “Well, I’d ought to anyhow, ’cause it was mighty tough times for Ou’ Jackalse an’ Ou’ Wolf dem days. Besides, dis is de same drift right hyer below.
“You see,” he went on, squaring himself on the sack of mealies which served him for a seat, “times was hard wid all sorts of folk dat year. De rinderpest come along, an’ it just clean out all de game an’ de buck, till Ou’ Jackalse an’ Ou’ Wolf dey may hunt all day an’ dey may hunt all week an’ Sunday, an’ den dey won’t get de shadda of a buck. Dey ha’ to keep on a-drinkin’ water to keep deir tummies from growin’ front an’ back togeder.”
“An what did Missis Jackalse an’ little Ainkye Jackalse do for sometin’ to eat, then?” asked Annie anxiously.
“Oh, dere was no Missis Jackalse den,” answered the old Hottentot cheerily. “Dis was long ’fore that Dis was when Ou’ Jackalse an’ Ou’ Wolf was young fellas, an’ don’t only go roun’ upsittin’ wid de nices’ young misses dey can hear of. An’ it stand ’em in han’ to be young fellas an’ to had no fam’lies; ’cause de young fellas can scratch all day if dey like an’ den dere ain’t nawtin’ to eat.
“Well, you knows Ou’ Jackalse is mighty slim a-gettin’ scoff if dere’s anybody else has some, but it wahnt no use waitin’ to steal what oder folk ain’t polished off, ’cause dere ain’t nawtin’ for oder folk to begin on, let alone to leave for him to sneak it. He yust ha’ to hump hisse’f an’ rustle roun’ if he’s a-gun’ to get anytin’. An’ dis is where Ou’ Jackalse’s bein’ so smart come in handy. Ou’ Wolf he keeps a-gauntin’ an’ a-wobblin’ on ahter de buck he tink hemightsee over de nex’ rise, but Ou’ Jackalse he yust keep his eye skinned to size upwhat’son de yonder side de ridge.
“Well, by’n’by he sees a farm where dere’s a patch o’ to’acco wanted ’tendin’ to mighty bad, an’ de farmer he’s a-leanin’ on de gate an’ first a-lookin’ at de row an’ den a-lookin’ at de hoe, as if fo’ one ting he can’t make up his mind where he’s a-gun’ to begin, an’ as if for anoder ting he can’t yust settle if he’s goin’ to start at all dis mawnin’ nohow.
“Ou’ Jackalse he look, an’ he sit down, an’ he ’gun to brush de grass behin’ him wid his tail, sort o’ slow an’ like he’s tinkin’ pretty deep. He can’teattobacco; he know dat, but de man what work in de to’acco he can eat sometin’, an’ sometin’ a long shot better’n to’acco—he eat scoff. So Ou’ Jackalse he make up his mind an’ down he go to de farmer.
“‘Mawnin’, baas!’ ses he. ‘Darie to’acco ’gin to look as if some of it’s goin’ to run wild an’ some of it goin’ to choke ’fore long,’ ses he.
“‘Oh! ’tain’t nawtin’ to shout about yet,’ ses de farmer. ‘A good man an’ a good hoe soon set dat a’right agen.’
“‘Well, what you reckon you’s goin’ to give de good man fo’ usin’ de good hoe an’ doin’ it?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse straight out.
“‘Oh, I give him his scoff, an’ a twist o’ to’acco,’ ses de farmer, lazy like.
“‘Hu!’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Ain’t you feared you’ll send him to drink an’ to end up in de tronk wid all de money he’ll have fo’ spendin’?’ An’ Ou’ Jackalse he fair sniff a bit.
“De man turn roun’. ‘You please yourse’f,’ ses he. ‘I tink scoff’s a lot in dese times, when de rinderpest is kill off not on’y all de meat but all de oxen too, so we cahnt fetch nawtin’ from nowhere.’
“‘Well, good scoff?’ axes Ou’ Jackalse, like he want to make de best of it.
“‘Dere ain’t on’y one sort o’ scoff at my place,’ ses de man. ‘Same sort o’ scoff I get myse’f.’
“‘Well, you leave de hoe here an’ I see about it,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, an’ de man he yust drop dat hoe like it was hot, an’ offs home to sit in de cool an’ drink coffee.
“So Ou’ Jackalse he’d made a start anyhow; he’d got a yob at least. But if you tink he’s goin’ to balance hisse’f on de end o’ dat hoe, well, you’s got hold o’ de wrong ox dis time. He yust come along to Ou’ Wolf. ‘At last,’ ses he. ‘At last I’s got a sight to get some scoff anyhow,’ an’ he fetch a big ole breaf like as if a sack o’ Kaffir corn flop off his back.
“‘How’s dat?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, a-sittin’ down an’ proppin’ hisse’f up wid his front foots, an’ his tongue hangin’ out like a sheepskin.
“‘Dere’s a farmer de yonder side de ridge, an’ he want some’dy to do a bit in his to’acco, an’ he’ll give us a share of his scoff same as hisse’f,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse; an’ he look at Ou’ Wolf as if he ought to drop two tickies in de bag next time he goes to church, like an ole dopper farmer when de rain save de crop.
“But Ou’ Wolf he look at Ou’ Jackalse sort o’ s’picious. ‘Do a bit in de to’acco?’ ses he. ‘Dat’swork, ain’t it?’ ses he.
“‘An’ mighty glad to get it,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, out big an’ loud, makin’ as if he was just wishin’ dere was a hoe dere dis minute, so he could lick right in.
“‘But—work,’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an’ he droop his head an’ he shake it slow an’ swingin’.
“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, sort o’ like he’s ponderin’ it. ‘Darie baas he reckon de man on de hoe is a-gun’ to be workin’, but de man on de hoe he might reckon he don’t know so much about dat. He might reckon he’ll knock it off in his own time. He might s’pose it’s him ha’ to do it; an’ he might ’member dat de longer dat yob last de longer his scoff last. See? fathead!’ ses he.
“‘Well, I wants de scoff,’ ses Ou’ Wolf; ‘dere ain’t no shadda ’bout dat. But, de work; I don’t know,’ ses he.
“‘Now you look-a’-me,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, ’s if he was fair tired o’ fool argyin’. ‘You knows me. IsIlikely to make de grass fly much a-workin’? or isIde sort o’ one to work at all if dere was any oder snift of a chance o’ scoff?’ ses he.
“Ou’ Wolf tink he know Ou’ Jackalse pretty well by dis time. ‘No,’ ses he, kind o’ considerin’. ‘I don’t tink you’dworkif dere was any oder chance,’ ses he.
“‘Come along o’ me, den,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, an’ away dey pops.
“Ou’ Jackalse he bring Ou’ Wolf along to de gate an’ he give him darie hoe. ‘Dis is you’ patch,’ ses he, ‘mine’s furder along on de yonder side de house. I’ll bring de scoff at dinner time, an’ in de meantime you yust get a sort o’ wiggle on you, like’s if you could work if you had to,’ an’ off he stalk till he get out o’ sight. Den he flop down an’ bake hisse’f in de sun.
“Well, Ou’ Wolf he gets a sort o’ stroke on him like a bywoner dat tinks it’s a-pretty near time he shifted to some farm where dey don’t raise no crops nohow, and den about an hour before noon along comes Ou’ Jackalse agen, an’ he looks at what Ou’ Wolf’s done, an’ he slant his eye at what he ain’t done, an’ he tinks dere’s a fair ole little lot o’ dat yet.
“‘Look-a’-me, Ou’ Wolf,’ ses he. ‘It’s a-comin’ along to dinner time soon, butyou; you yust about ain’t if dat’s all you’s done yet. De baas he’ll tink what I done, an’ he’ll see what you ain’t done, an’ den, why, dere you is! You ought to be sorry fo’ you’se’f, when you looks at what you done.’
“‘I yust is,’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an’ he ain’t a-considerin’ ’fore he ses it needer. ‘I yust is,’ an’ he sort o’ squint up at de sun to see how soon it’s a-gun’ to be noon, an’ he sort o’ guess at de row to see how soon it ain’t likely to be done.
“‘Well, it ain’t my look out if de baas don’t gi’e you no scoff fo’ dat bit,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘I got you de work, but you cahnt look fo’ me to do it fo’ you too, as well’s my own. I cahnt only ’pologise fo’ you. You better get a bit wigglier wiggle on you if you wants some dinner, anyhow,’ ses he, an’ off he pops.
“Well, Ou’ Wolf he tinks p’r’aps he had better hump hisse’f along a bit an’ make a kind of a shine anyhow. ‘I ain’t a-gun’ to let no sich a skellum ha’ to ’pologise fo’ me,’ ses he, an’ he yust lit into dat row like he wants to get de baas to let him opset wid his daughter.
“Den it come along to noon, an’ de farmer he come out to see what about de hoein’. Ou’ Jackalse he pop up out o’ de long grass an’ meet him. ‘I was yust a-comin’ fo’ de scoff,’ ses he.
“‘Scoff fo’ dat much?’ ses de farmer; ‘an’ two o’ you too!’ ses he.
“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, ‘we’s a bit gone in fo’ want o’ scoff, dese last days since de rinderpest, so p’r’aps we ain’t a-quite got into de stroke yet. But if we has a good dinner to-day, why den to-morro’—well, to-morro’,’ ses he, an’ he t’row out his ban’s like to-morro’ dey’ll yust scoff darie hoein’!
“‘Well, we’ll see,’ ses de farmer. ‘You can come along now an’ get de scoff,’ an’ so dey goes.
“Well, dis yere scoff turn out to be all bisceyt, Boer bisceyt, an’ de baas he give Ou’ Jackalse enough fo’ bofe o’ dem, an’ Ou’ Jackalse he start back.
“Now on de way he see a bushy little bush, an’ he t’row one bisceyt in dere to hide it. An’ on de way he seen anoder little bush, an’ he t’row anoder bisceyt into dat bush too, an’ he do like a-dat till he ha’n’t on’y one bisceyt left. An’ den he up an’ show Ou’ Wolf datleetleone bisceyt. ‘Dat’s all de man had,’ ses he. ‘One f’r hisse’f, one f’r his wife an’ childer, an’ one f’r us. But he’s a-gun’ to have mo’ to-morro’, he ses.’
“‘I reckon he yust is,’ ses Ou’ Wolf, letting de hoe drop like he never had hold of it yet. ‘If he’s a-gun’ to get any more o’ dis yere lan’s hoed den he yust is. How’s I a-gun’ to hoe to’acco on half a bisceyt?’ ses he. ‘An’ dis is de sort o’ yob you was so sa’cy dat you’d got it to keep us f’m starvin’, is it?’ ses he. ‘A whole one half o’ one bisceyt!’ snorts he, ’s if he wants to see some’dy yust step on his shadda, dat’s all.
“‘Well, half o’ one bisceyt—dat’s a deal better’n de whole o’ one day widout no scoff at all,’ sniffs Ou’ Jackalse, mighty insulted. ‘But den, never mind.I is abit stronger’n you, anyhow; so you yust eat my half o’ dat bisceyt as well’s your own, an’ I’ll slip back an’ eat some o’ de corn I seen dropped by de barn. Dere’s two-t’ree grains dere yet if de birds ain’t pick ’em up ’fore dis,’ an’ off he flops, lookin’ yust as full o’ pious as a location predicant (Parson) when he’s got a good collection on a Sunday.
“Ou’ Wolf he feel a mighty sneak to let Ou’ Jackalse lose his half de bisceyt like dat, but he don’t can he’p it nohow, an’ he’s yust so ’ongry dat while he bite off his own half o’ de bisceyt he mess de yonder half de same time, an’ den he might yust as well eat dat half too, ’cause he cahnt offer it to Ou’ Jackalse now when it’s all mussed. An’—well; de fus’ ting Ou’ Wolf know, gop! he scoff dat half too. But he feel dat mean dat he work dat hoe like steam to easy his mind a bit.
“All dis time Ou’ Jackalse he’s a-pickin’ up dem bisceyt he hid in de bushes, an’ yust a-blowin’ hisse’f out, till he cahnt on’y wink an’ har’ly stir his tail where he lie an’ bake alongside a stone.
“Well, it go on like dis for one day after anoder, till one day along comes Ou’ Mensefreiter, an’ he see Ou’ Wolf a-hoein’ in de to’acco, an’ he see Ou’ Jackalse a-snuggin’ an’ a-bakin’ atween a bush an’ a stone. ‘Wotto!’ ses Ou’ Mensefreiter. ‘Here’s two,’ an’ he fair seizes ’em, an’ he offs.”
“But Ou’ Ta’,” interjected the little girl. “What was that Mensefreiter like?”
“Oh, he was one o’ dese yere bo’-constructors yo’ daddy tells you about. An’ yet he don’t was yust a constructor needer. He was one o’ dese puff-adders what spring t’ree yards high an’ t’ree yards far at you, quicker’n you’ eye can flash to watch ’em; only he was de grandaddy of ’em all, an’ so he was bigger’n a bo’-constructor, an’ de same way he could strike forty yard high, an’ forty yard far, an’ forty times quicker’n de biggest puff-adder dat ever make you yump an’ run in de veldt. An’ he yust grab dese two and offs wid ’em to where he live—an’ dat’s de yonder side de drift down here.
“Well, de Mensefreiter he took de two out an’ look ’em up an down, top an’ bottom, as soon as he gets to his kraal. He feel Ou’ Wolf’s bones an’ he shake his head. ‘Youispretty fine drawed,’ ses he. ‘It ’ud take two o’ you to make a shadda. You’ll want some fattin’ ’fore you’s good enough for a bile, let alone a roast.’
“Den he feel Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he sort o’ smile all de way down his back. ‘Well, you bin have a high ole time, ain’t you, wid all dat fat on you? A week’s feedin on de berries here’ll give you yust a nice flavour,’ ses he.
“So nex’ day he gi’en ’em baskets; a sort o’ baskets like a bottle, so’s you cahnt open it, an’ so’s you cahnt get your hand in. You yust drops de berries in, an’ den Ou’ Mensefreiter he unlock de lid an’ see how much you fetch home. An’ off dese two flops to pick berries.
“‘Now look-a’-me,’ ses Ou’ Wolf to Ou’ Jackalse. ‘You better don’t eat too much now, else you’ll get scoffed ’fore you know it. You better to get t’in like me an’ den you’ll live longer. I’s yust a-gun’ to pick berries till de sweat run, den Ou’ Mensefreiter ain’t a-gun’ to was’e time eatin’ me, I’ll keep dat t’in.’
“‘A’ right I’ll tink on,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, but he ain’t no more’n see de berries in de sun dan he wink to his nose end. ‘I’s fat,’ ses he to hisse’f. ‘I’s fat, an’ I’s a-goin’ to keep fat Ou’ Mensefreiter ain’t a-eat me yet, and he ha’n’t better hold his breat’ till he does, needer, else he’s likely to get black in de face ’fore he finis’.’
“Next he tas’e one berry, an’ ahter dat he yust about put one berry in his basket and forty-one in his mout’, till the yuice run all down his chest, an’ he feel dat good he yust cahnt he’p it but he fair stan’ on his head wid fun like a wildebeeste.
“Well, it come along to time to get back to de kraal, an’ yust when Ou’ Wolf was fair a-workin’ an’ a-snatchin’ at de berries to fill his basket, Ou’ Jackalse he sort o’ sa’nter past de basket behind him an’ swop his own for it, yust so slim an’ so quick dat Ou’ Wolf never dream on it. On’y when dey start fo’ de kraal, he say. ‘Dese yere berries is mighty light, considerin’ what a lot I picked an’ all,’ an’ he mop his fore’ead as if he’s glad dat yob’s done.
“Dis went on de same every day; Ou’ Wolf bringin’ yust a han’ful home, an’ Ou’ Jackalse a fat basket, till one day Ou’ Mensefreiter he wink at Ou’ Jackalse. ‘You is a bit slim, ain’t you, bringin’ all your berries home an’ eatin’ none, so’s you won’t get no fatter, huh? But dis is whereIcomes in. I yust drops you inside dis hock,’ ses he, droppin’ him in an empty place like a pigsty, ‘an’ I fat you up wid seven days’ feed o’ pun’kin like a little pig. Den we’ll see if you don’t make de finest kind o’ dinner,’ ses he. ‘An’ you, Ou’ Wolf,’ ses he, ‘you’s de all right sort. Yust you keep on in de berries, eatin plenty like you bin a doin’, an’ den one o’ dese days you’ll be nice an’ fat too.’
“Ou’ Wolf he take his basket at dat an’ off out to de bessie berries agen, an’ he won’er a bit; an’ Ou’ Jackalse he stop in de hock an’ he kind o’ begin to won’er too. Dere’s two or t’ree pun’kins, de finest kind o’ pampoene, in de hock wid him—dat’s his scoff fo’ de day, an’ if he don’t eat ’em all up ’fore night, den he’s yust agun’ to ketch it.
“Well, Ou’ Jackalse he look at dem pampoene an’ he kind o’ feel he ain’t yust a-yearnin’ fo’ dinner nohow. He look over de top o’ de wall o’ de hock, but he know it ain’t no manner o’ use to try an’ run for it, ’cause Ou’ Mensefreiter ’ll snap him back ’fore he get into his stride har’ly. It ain’t yust sich a fat time, bein’ fat, ahter all, tinks he, an’ he sort o’ wish he had Ou’ Wolf dere wid him somehow. He look dis way an’ he look dat way, but dere ain’t nawtin’, on’y de little pat’ a-runnin’ down to de drift, and de drift a-risin’ an’ a-risin’ wid it keepin’ on a-rainin’ an’ a-rainin’ up de river. It look mighty like Ou’ Jackalse’s name’s goin’ to be ‘mud’ dis time, an’ his tail yust drop flop.
“Den he feel a sort o’ quiet little twitch at his tail. He look roun’ sharp, an’ dere he see little Kleinkie Mousie. ‘What you bite me fo’?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, kind o’ big, ’cause it kind o’ give him a start wid makin’ him tink it was Ou’ Mensefreiter had him.
“‘You’s got all dese pampoene, ain’t you? An’ I want to talk to you about de seeds for my dinner,’ ses Kleinkie, his eyes a-shinin’ black an’ his paws yust ready to off ’fore you can swip you’ tail.
“Ou’ Jackalse he know he can’t eat de seeds hisse’f, an’ besides he ain’t yust dead gone on dem pun’kins nohow. He tink he might’s well be a fine fella an’ get his name up wid Kleinkie. ‘A’right,’ ses he, ‘if you want a dinner, why, dere you is,’ ses he, an’ he sweep his hand up like di’monds is dust an’ he’s yust scatterin’ dust down de wind. Den he lean up agen de corner o’ de hock an’ watch Kleinkie fair gnawin’ dem seeds, like it quite do him good to watch it.
“Well, dis went on till de sevent’ day, an’ to-morro’ mawnin’ Ou’ Jackalse is goin’ to be shove in de pot an’ roas’. He ’gin to look down his nose some, ’specially when he look at de pun’kin Ou’ Mensefreiter drop in fo’ him to eat dis day. It was yust one pun’kin, only one; but it was de biggest old pun’kin you ever did see. ‘If I did get myse’f wrop round de outside o’ dat pampoene I’d be sort o’ fat-lookin’ anyhow,’ ses he, an’ he smile kind o’ mournful.
“Den up pops little Kleinkie. ‘What’s de matter?’ ses he. ‘You looks like a location Kaffir when he bin had a night on Kaffir beer an’ den ha’ to work next mawnin’,’ ses he.
“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘I never did work yet ’cept to get out o’ work. But if I don’t find some way o’ gettin’ out o’ dis ’fore night, widout Ou’ Mensefreiter seein’ me, den it’s mighty likely I’d be glad to ha’ de chance to go to work to-morro’ mawnin’.’
“‘A bit rough dat,’ ses Kleinkie. ‘If dere was any way I could he’p now?’
“Dat set Ou’ Jackalse to studyin’, an’ it ain’t a minute or two ’fore de twinkle ’gin to shine in his eye, and his tail begin to rise itse’f. ‘Look-a’-me now, Kleinkie,’ ses he; ‘dere is one way, if you an’ de rest o’ you’ people like to he’p a bit.’
“‘How’s dat?’ axes Kleinkie.
“‘Dis way,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘I cuts a hole in darie pampoene, an’ den you an’ de rest turn to an’ gnaw an’ scrape out de inside till dere ain’t on’y yust de shell left.’
“‘An’ den?’ axes Kleinkie.
“‘Oh, den you’ll see,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘You yust get darie pampoene scrape’ out first,’ ses he.
“‘Well,’ ses Kleinkie. ‘You gin us dem seeds a’right, you did, so now we’ll see what about dis yob;’ an’ off he pop an’ fetch all de rest o’ de mouses, an’ it ain’t har’ly no time ’fore dey has dat pun’kin scrape as clean inside as de mealie pap pot in a bywoner’s fam’ly.
“‘See me now,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he lift darie pun’kin an’ he drop itqu-i-etly over de wall onto de groun’ outside, on dat side away from where Ou’ Mensefreiter’s lyin’ sunnin’ hisse’f. ‘See de drift down dere?’ ses he; ‘an see how high it is wid de flood? Well, once I get to de yonder side dat drift den Ou’ Mensefreiter cahnt folio’ me. Floods is dat much good anyhow. Now watch,’ ses he.
“Wid dat he wriggle hisse’f out ahter de pun’kin, yust as flat as a new skun sheepskin, an’ ’fore you could look twice he wiggle hisse’f right into de inside o’ dat pun’kin, till you couldn’t see hide nor hair of him.
“Den Kleinkie hear him begin to sing,ve-erysoft an’ low:—
“Pampoenekie; Pampoenekie,Roll down de pat’ickie;Pampoenekie pat’ickie,Pampoene roll!
“Pampoenekie; Pampoenekie,Roll down de pat’ickie;Pampoenekie pat’ickie,Pampoene roll!
“An’ darie pun’kin begun an’ ro-o-oll.
“Den Kleinkie keep on a-watchin’, an’ darie pun’kin find de pat’ dat run down to de drift. Kleinkie watch yet, an’ darie pun’kin keep on a-rollin’ an’ a-swiftin’ till, bounce! it splosh an’ hit de water in de drift Kleinkie watch, an’ darie pun’kin went so fast it yust swish right across to de yonder side de drift, an’ Ou’ Jackalse he step out an’ snatch up a willow stick in one hand, an’ a big leaf in de oder, like a assegai an’ a shield, an’ swip! he begin to do a war-dance, yust a-leapin’ high an’ a-chantin.
“Ou’ Mensefreiter he lift his head when de pun’kin ’gun to roll Ou’ Mensefreiter he kink his back when de pun’kin hit de drift. But Ou’ Mensefreiter, when he see Ou’ Jackalse doin’ darie war-dance—swip! he whip hisse’f t’rough de air, an’ de first place he light was down by de edge o’ de drift.
“Dat drift was mighty wider’n he ever tried it afore, but he see Ou’ Jackalse a-springin’ an’ a-clinkin’ his heels togeder on de yonder side, an’ Ou’ Mensefreiter he hump hisse’f agen, an’—swip!—he strike for it to get dat Jackalse anyhow.
“Forty yards was his everyday jump, an’ sixty yards at Nachtmaal. But dis day he bested dat mor’n double, an’ yet he don’t do enough. Dere was a big rock a-stickin’ out o’ de water, a long way short o’ bein’ across, an’ Ou’ Mensefreiter come into it wid his nose, whack! smack! sich a bash an’ a biff dat it yust drove his tail right on up into de inside of his head, an’ dere he was, all in a ball no bigger’n a water-millon, an’ he roll off into de water an’ down he go wid de stream; a-rubble an’ a-bubble, an’ a-over an’ a-pover, till he drownded. An dat’s what happen to darie Mensefreiter,” finished Old Hendrik.
“An’ what did Ou’ Wolf do?” demanded the little girl.
“Oh, Ou’ Jackalse he shout for Ou’ Wolf to come along. But Ou’ Wolf he look at de drift an’ he look at Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Ain’t you a-comin’?’ shouts Ou’ Jackalse.
“‘What do I want to come for?’ ses Ou’ Wolf. ‘All de berries I pick now I’ll get a chance to eat ’em myse’f. An’ what do I want to come for? Eatin’ berries is better’n hoein’ to’acco for half a bisceyt a day. You go an’ hoe; I keep’s here wid de bessie berries. Besides—dere’s pun’kin.’”
“And what did Old Jackalse have to do then?” demanded the youngest boy.
“Well, I wouldn’ yust like to say what Ou’ Jackalse ha’ to do,” answered Old Hendrik. “But you can bet on what he didn’ do—he didn’ hoe.”
Chapter Four.How Old Jackal got the Pigs.The pigs had been very troublesome all the morning, almost destroying the gate of the garden in their efforts to get at the tempting show within. It was in reward for the help of the children in driving the marauders away that Old Hendrik yielded at last to a question of Annie’s and told them another tale.“But you never told us, Ou’ Ta’,” said the little girl, “what Old Jackal did for something to eat in the rinderpest time, after he crossed the drift in the pumpkin. What did he do?”“Well,” replied the old Hottentot, scratching his head, “I tole you what he didn’t do—he didn’t hoe. An’ I’ll tell you now dat, whatever he is do, it’s a-gun’ to be sometin’ skellum. O’ course, he hatto do sometin’ to eat, now de game’s all dead o’ de rinderpest, an’ he hatto do it quick an’ lively too. So he go raungin’ round, an’ he trot dis way an’ he trot dat way, an’ de on’y chance he can see at all is at a farm where dere’s some pigs.“Dese yere pigs was all de time a-sneakin’ into de lands, an’ a-rootin’ up de crops, an’ de farmer he’d chase ’em out wid a long ox-whip till he nearly bu’st, an’ den he’d stand an’ mop his face an’ swear what he’s a-gun’ to do wid dem pigs if he don’t get some’dy to look ahter ’em soon. O’ course, if Ou’ Jackalse had a-bin Ou’ Wolf he’d a-gone right up an’ ax for de yob hisse’f, straight out, an’ de ting ’ud be done an’ no more about it. But he wahnt: he was yust Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he done Jackalse—he plan’.“De nex’ time de man chase de pigs, Ou’ Jackalse wait till dey gets into a leetle grass-pan, an’ den he try to drive ’em off furder. But de man he’d seen him a-stalkin’, an’ he run along wid his whip an’ fetch a cut so near his tail dat Ou’ Jackalse near yump out troo his eyeholes, an’ he fair light out f’m dere into some sugar cane an’ hide.“Well, dar he sit an’ dar he tink an’ study till he’s added it all up, an’ den he ses it out in once. ‘I’ll hatto get Ou’ Wolf here,’ ses he, breakin’ off a piece o’ sugar cane an’ bitin’ on it. ‘I reckon dat’s what I’ll hatto do; den I’ll get dem pigs a’ right.’“Well, off he go, an’ he come to de river side an’ shout for Ou’ Wolf. By’n’by Ou’ Wolf come an’ stand on de oder bank, and Ou’ Jackalse make like he yust is s’prise’ to see de look on him. ‘Why, what’s de matter wid you?’ ses he. ‘You does look mighty bad.’“‘I don’t,’ ses Ou’ Wolf out straight. ‘I feel yust dat good an’ fat I wish dere was buck to hunt, even if I didn’t ketch none.’“‘Don’t you b’lieve it,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, mighty concerned. ‘You yust looks good’n’ bad. You take an’ look at you’ eyes; dey’re all red an’ yalla, like you’s in a terr’ble state. An’ look at de skin under your yaws, an den at de hair on de top o’ you’ head, an’ you’ll see straight off how bad you is.’“Well, Ou’ Jackalse speak dat se’ious dat Ou’ Wolf try to look where Ou’ Jackalse tell him. But he didn’ had no lookin’-glass, an’ he try to look widout one. An’ he look dat cross-eyed, tryin’ to see wid his one eye into his toder eye, dat he fair loose all de skin along bofe sides his ribses an’ stiffen his tail right flop up wid de pull in tryin’. An’ when he see dat his eyes cahnt see into one anoder, he ’gin to tink if he ain’t a bit bad ahter all.“Den he try to see de skin under his yaws, and he twist an’ he snake till he fair stan’ on his head an’ scratch de air—an’ yet he cahnt get a look at it. Dat make him feel he ain’t a-feelin’ well at all. But when he try to ’xamine de hair on de top of his head, he get dat desprit he fair t’row a double back somerset an’ land hisse’f clean into de muddy river, an’ when he’s crawled onto a rock an’ stood a bit he makes up his min’ dat dere ain’t no two ways about it—he’s feelin’ bad.“‘What’ll I ha’ to do for it?’ ses he to Ou’ Jackalse, ’cause Ou’ Jackalse is King Lion’s doctor.“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, ‘you see what it is. It comes o’ you’ eatin’ on’y dese yere bessie berries an’ pun’kin; an’ pun’kins is mighty bad widout some meat wid ’em. You’ll hatto yust eat meat for a while, dat’s what you’ll hatto do; an’ I’s sorry for dat, ’cause I’s yust found out where dere is some, an’ dere ain’t har’ly mo’ dan enough for me. But, bein’ as it is, an’ bein’ as it’s you, I s’pose I’ll hatto share wid you now, you an’ me bein’ such ole chummies. A’ right den; if I has to do it I has to, so come on across an’ we’ll get it done,’ ses he.“Ou’ Wolf he tink by jimminy Ou’ Jackalse is yust about de decentis’ chap he’s seen for a long time. ‘It’s mighty good o’ you to do it,’ ses he; ‘an’ I ain’t a-gun’ to forget it needer.’ Den he plunk into de drift an’ come out on de bank. ‘Where’s dis yere meat at?’ ses he.“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, lookin’ kind o’ far away over his shoulder, ‘it’s a dis way. Over on de yonder side dat spruit dere’s a farm where dey has some pigs, an’ dese yere pigs is makin’ a terr’ble trouble, rootin’ up de mealie lands, an’ de sugar cane, an’ de water-millons; an de baas he says he want some’dy to look ahter ’em. You should hear him swear to dat Well now, you go an’ take de yob o’ mindin’ ’em. Den you drive ’em down to de spruit to look ahter ’em, an’ I’ll be dere, an’ we’ll see what we do nex.’“‘Right-o!’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an’ off he go.“Well, he gets de yob. ‘Mind now an’ keep you’ eye open for a Jackalse dere is som’eres about,’ ses de man. ‘I seen him a’ready havin’ a try for ’em.’“‘Oh, I’ll be a-lookin’ out for darie Jackalse,’ ses Ou’ Wolf. ‘I’s seen him myse’f a’ready, an’ he ain’t a-gun’ to get de best o’ me,’ ses he.“So Ou’ Wolf he drives de pigses down to de spruit, an’ dar’s Ou’ Jackalse a-waitin’ him. ‘What we gotto do nex’?’ ses he.“Ou’ Jackalse he stop chewin’ on de piece o’ sugar cane an’ he laugh right out. ‘I’ll show you,’ ses he. ‘Now we’ll yust drive de pigs into de donga here, an’ we’ll ketch ’em an’ cut off all deir tailses; every last one o’ dem.’“Well, dey done it, an’ mighty hard work on sich a hot day too; an’ Ou’ Wolf notice every now an’ agen dat he’s doin’ most o’ de work an’ Ou’ Jackalse doin’ mighty little but de bossin’. But he don’t say nawtin’ yet, ’cause he feel he’ll yust hatto get cured. ‘An’ what do we do wid dese yere tails now?’ ses he when dey finis’.“‘See dat mud hole?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Well, you stick de tails all about in de mud, wid deir little curls a-curlin’ in de air. Do dat now.’“Ou’ Wolf he done it. ‘An’ what’s de nex’ ting?’ ses he.“‘Well, de nex’ ting is one ting, but dere’s anoder ting afore dat,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘De nex’ ting is for you to go an’ tell de man dat dewilde-hondecome an’ chase de pigs till dey run ’em plunk-clunk right into de mud hole, an’ dar dey all is, head down an’ dead down, smodered, wid on’y deir little curly tailses a-stickin’ out. Dat’s de nex’ ting, but de ting afore dat is dis way. De man he’ll say—“Why didn’ you pull ’em out?” An’ you’ll say you tried to an’ come mighty near bein’ smoder yourse’f. Den he’ll say—“Where’s de mud on you?” An’—well, dere you is, where is dat mud?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he look mighty business like.“‘Den I hatto daub myself wid mud?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, like he’s tinkin’ weder he will or not.“‘Daub yourse’f?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Daub ain’t no sort o’ word for it. You’s fair got to roll in it, an’ squirm in it, till you look like you come so near bein’ smodered dat dere wahnt no fun in it at all. But I’ll he’p you,’ ses he. ‘Here you is now, an’ over you goes,’ an’ ’fore Ou’ Wolf knows what’s a-happenin’, Ou’ Jackalse lands in his ribses, biff! head first an’ wollop he go, smack into de mud.“Wid Ou’ Wolf bein’ tuk so s’prise’ like dat he had his mouf open an’ shoutin’ when he hit de mud, an’ his years an’ his eyes open, an’ he squash ’em all so full o’ mud, inside an’ out, dat he tink he surely is a goner. An’ Ou’ Jackalse he yust lie down on de bank an’ flop wid laughin’, an’ he feel dat good he ’gin to lam more mud at Ou’ Wolf where he’s a-diggin’ hisse’f out.“Den Ou’ Wolf, gets out at last, an’ he stand an’ try to scrape de mud outen his eyes till he can look at Ou’ Jackalse. But Ou’ Jackalse he look at him like it was a hawse he was a-buyin’. ‘Dat’s about it,’ ses he. ‘You’s yust about right now. De man’ll see right off dat you done all you could to save dem pigs, an’ he’ll gi’e you sometin’ for it. You’s about de mise’blest looking ting in de veldt yust now, but you’s about de usefullest chummy ever was.’“‘Oh, I is, is I?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an’ he don’t know weder he’s a-gun’ to fight or on’y use some words. But de mud in his tummy make him feel dat sick he don’t do one nor toder. He on’y ses—‘An’ what’s you goin’ to do all dis time?’“‘Oh, while you’s gone I takes de pigses an’ I lights out for de kraal at you’ house. Den when you comes an’ finds me dere well have meat; all de meat we want. An’ dat’s what’ll cure you; you tink o’ dat now,’ ses he.“Ou’ Wolf he tunk. ‘Well, a’right dis time,’ ses he, an’ off he snake hisse’f, for he was dat t’ick an heavy wid de mud he cahnt trot at all.“Well, he comes to de man, an’ he tell him how de pigs is smodered, an’ de man comes back wid him to have a look. He looks at de mud hole, an’ at all de little curly tails a-stickin’ up, an’ den he look at Ou’ Wolf. ‘You’s sure de pigs is smoder’ in dere?’ ses he.“‘Dere’s deir little curly tails a-stickin’ out,’ ses Ou’ Wolf. ‘Dey’s all down under dere, head firs’.’“‘Well,’ ses de man, ‘dat’s mighty funny now; ’cause yestiday I rode troo dat mud hole an’ it wahnt knee deep.’ An’ den he make a grab for a tail, an’ dar it is in his han’, clean cut off.“Ou’ Wolf he tink it’s about time to be slantin’ out o’ dat, but he ha’n’t made de second stride afore de man had him. ‘Deir little curly tails is a-stickin’ out, is dey?’ ses he, an bash he biffs him in de ribses. ‘Dewilde-hondechase ’em into de mud, did dey?’ an’ he yust mash de wind outen him. ‘Dey’s smoder’, is dey?’ ses he, an’ he grabs Ou’ Wolf up in de air an’ lam him down on de ground, an’ den he fair wipe up de scenery wid him. Den he left what was left an’ went off back to de house.“Well, ahter a while Ou’ Wolf he scrape up what dere is of him, an’ he slant out for home, mighty slow an’ mighty sorry, on’y he tink, well, he’s a-gun’ to get dat meat now to cure hisse’f wid, as soon as he gets to de kraal an’ de pigs.“But he gets to de kraal an’ he don’t get to de pigs, ’cause de pigs ain’t dere, an’ dere ain’t no sign of Ou’ Jackalse needer. ‘Dat’s funny,’ ses he. Den he sit down to wait, an’ he wait till it drop dark, an’ still dere ain’t no Jackalse an’ no pigses. ‘If he don’t come ’fore long,’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an he grines his teef.“But long or short Ou’ Jackalse didn’t come—dat night nor de next mawnin’. An’ what’s mo’,” ended Old Hendrik, “he ain’t never come dere yet. But f’m dat day to dis he’s al’ays had plenty lard in his house to keep his nose well greased. I don’t say how he has it, but he has it—dat’s all.”
The pigs had been very troublesome all the morning, almost destroying the gate of the garden in their efforts to get at the tempting show within. It was in reward for the help of the children in driving the marauders away that Old Hendrik yielded at last to a question of Annie’s and told them another tale.
“But you never told us, Ou’ Ta’,” said the little girl, “what Old Jackal did for something to eat in the rinderpest time, after he crossed the drift in the pumpkin. What did he do?”
“Well,” replied the old Hottentot, scratching his head, “I tole you what he didn’t do—he didn’t hoe. An’ I’ll tell you now dat, whatever he is do, it’s a-gun’ to be sometin’ skellum. O’ course, he hatto do sometin’ to eat, now de game’s all dead o’ de rinderpest, an’ he hatto do it quick an’ lively too. So he go raungin’ round, an’ he trot dis way an’ he trot dat way, an’ de on’y chance he can see at all is at a farm where dere’s some pigs.
“Dese yere pigs was all de time a-sneakin’ into de lands, an’ a-rootin’ up de crops, an’ de farmer he’d chase ’em out wid a long ox-whip till he nearly bu’st, an’ den he’d stand an’ mop his face an’ swear what he’s a-gun’ to do wid dem pigs if he don’t get some’dy to look ahter ’em soon. O’ course, if Ou’ Jackalse had a-bin Ou’ Wolf he’d a-gone right up an’ ax for de yob hisse’f, straight out, an’ de ting ’ud be done an’ no more about it. But he wahnt: he was yust Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he done Jackalse—he plan’.
“De nex’ time de man chase de pigs, Ou’ Jackalse wait till dey gets into a leetle grass-pan, an’ den he try to drive ’em off furder. But de man he’d seen him a-stalkin’, an’ he run along wid his whip an’ fetch a cut so near his tail dat Ou’ Jackalse near yump out troo his eyeholes, an’ he fair light out f’m dere into some sugar cane an’ hide.
“Well, dar he sit an’ dar he tink an’ study till he’s added it all up, an’ den he ses it out in once. ‘I’ll hatto get Ou’ Wolf here,’ ses he, breakin’ off a piece o’ sugar cane an’ bitin’ on it. ‘I reckon dat’s what I’ll hatto do; den I’ll get dem pigs a’ right.’
“Well, off he go, an’ he come to de river side an’ shout for Ou’ Wolf. By’n’by Ou’ Wolf come an’ stand on de oder bank, and Ou’ Jackalse make like he yust is s’prise’ to see de look on him. ‘Why, what’s de matter wid you?’ ses he. ‘You does look mighty bad.’
“‘I don’t,’ ses Ou’ Wolf out straight. ‘I feel yust dat good an’ fat I wish dere was buck to hunt, even if I didn’t ketch none.’
“‘Don’t you b’lieve it,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, mighty concerned. ‘You yust looks good’n’ bad. You take an’ look at you’ eyes; dey’re all red an’ yalla, like you’s in a terr’ble state. An’ look at de skin under your yaws, an den at de hair on de top o’ you’ head, an’ you’ll see straight off how bad you is.’
“Well, Ou’ Jackalse speak dat se’ious dat Ou’ Wolf try to look where Ou’ Jackalse tell him. But he didn’ had no lookin’-glass, an’ he try to look widout one. An’ he look dat cross-eyed, tryin’ to see wid his one eye into his toder eye, dat he fair loose all de skin along bofe sides his ribses an’ stiffen his tail right flop up wid de pull in tryin’. An’ when he see dat his eyes cahnt see into one anoder, he ’gin to tink if he ain’t a bit bad ahter all.
“Den he try to see de skin under his yaws, and he twist an’ he snake till he fair stan’ on his head an’ scratch de air—an’ yet he cahnt get a look at it. Dat make him feel he ain’t a-feelin’ well at all. But when he try to ’xamine de hair on de top of his head, he get dat desprit he fair t’row a double back somerset an’ land hisse’f clean into de muddy river, an’ when he’s crawled onto a rock an’ stood a bit he makes up his min’ dat dere ain’t no two ways about it—he’s feelin’ bad.
“‘What’ll I ha’ to do for it?’ ses he to Ou’ Jackalse, ’cause Ou’ Jackalse is King Lion’s doctor.
“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, ‘you see what it is. It comes o’ you’ eatin’ on’y dese yere bessie berries an’ pun’kin; an’ pun’kins is mighty bad widout some meat wid ’em. You’ll hatto yust eat meat for a while, dat’s what you’ll hatto do; an’ I’s sorry for dat, ’cause I’s yust found out where dere is some, an’ dere ain’t har’ly mo’ dan enough for me. But, bein’ as it is, an’ bein’ as it’s you, I s’pose I’ll hatto share wid you now, you an’ me bein’ such ole chummies. A’ right den; if I has to do it I has to, so come on across an’ we’ll get it done,’ ses he.
“Ou’ Wolf he tink by jimminy Ou’ Jackalse is yust about de decentis’ chap he’s seen for a long time. ‘It’s mighty good o’ you to do it,’ ses he; ‘an’ I ain’t a-gun’ to forget it needer.’ Den he plunk into de drift an’ come out on de bank. ‘Where’s dis yere meat at?’ ses he.
“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, lookin’ kind o’ far away over his shoulder, ‘it’s a dis way. Over on de yonder side dat spruit dere’s a farm where dey has some pigs, an’ dese yere pigs is makin’ a terr’ble trouble, rootin’ up de mealie lands, an’ de sugar cane, an’ de water-millons; an de baas he says he want some’dy to look ahter ’em. You should hear him swear to dat Well now, you go an’ take de yob o’ mindin’ ’em. Den you drive ’em down to de spruit to look ahter ’em, an’ I’ll be dere, an’ we’ll see what we do nex.’
“‘Right-o!’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an’ off he go.
“Well, he gets de yob. ‘Mind now an’ keep you’ eye open for a Jackalse dere is som’eres about,’ ses de man. ‘I seen him a’ready havin’ a try for ’em.’
“‘Oh, I’ll be a-lookin’ out for darie Jackalse,’ ses Ou’ Wolf. ‘I’s seen him myse’f a’ready, an’ he ain’t a-gun’ to get de best o’ me,’ ses he.
“So Ou’ Wolf he drives de pigses down to de spruit, an’ dar’s Ou’ Jackalse a-waitin’ him. ‘What we gotto do nex’?’ ses he.
“Ou’ Jackalse he stop chewin’ on de piece o’ sugar cane an’ he laugh right out. ‘I’ll show you,’ ses he. ‘Now we’ll yust drive de pigs into de donga here, an’ we’ll ketch ’em an’ cut off all deir tailses; every last one o’ dem.’
“Well, dey done it, an’ mighty hard work on sich a hot day too; an’ Ou’ Wolf notice every now an’ agen dat he’s doin’ most o’ de work an’ Ou’ Jackalse doin’ mighty little but de bossin’. But he don’t say nawtin’ yet, ’cause he feel he’ll yust hatto get cured. ‘An’ what do we do wid dese yere tails now?’ ses he when dey finis’.
“‘See dat mud hole?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Well, you stick de tails all about in de mud, wid deir little curls a-curlin’ in de air. Do dat now.’
“Ou’ Wolf he done it. ‘An’ what’s de nex’ ting?’ ses he.
“‘Well, de nex’ ting is one ting, but dere’s anoder ting afore dat,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘De nex’ ting is for you to go an’ tell de man dat dewilde-hondecome an’ chase de pigs till dey run ’em plunk-clunk right into de mud hole, an’ dar dey all is, head down an’ dead down, smodered, wid on’y deir little curly tailses a-stickin’ out. Dat’s de nex’ ting, but de ting afore dat is dis way. De man he’ll say—“Why didn’ you pull ’em out?” An’ you’ll say you tried to an’ come mighty near bein’ smoder yourse’f. Den he’ll say—“Where’s de mud on you?” An’—well, dere you is, where is dat mud?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he look mighty business like.
“‘Den I hatto daub myself wid mud?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, like he’s tinkin’ weder he will or not.
“‘Daub yourse’f?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Daub ain’t no sort o’ word for it. You’s fair got to roll in it, an’ squirm in it, till you look like you come so near bein’ smodered dat dere wahnt no fun in it at all. But I’ll he’p you,’ ses he. ‘Here you is now, an’ over you goes,’ an’ ’fore Ou’ Wolf knows what’s a-happenin’, Ou’ Jackalse lands in his ribses, biff! head first an’ wollop he go, smack into de mud.
“Wid Ou’ Wolf bein’ tuk so s’prise’ like dat he had his mouf open an’ shoutin’ when he hit de mud, an’ his years an’ his eyes open, an’ he squash ’em all so full o’ mud, inside an’ out, dat he tink he surely is a goner. An’ Ou’ Jackalse he yust lie down on de bank an’ flop wid laughin’, an’ he feel dat good he ’gin to lam more mud at Ou’ Wolf where he’s a-diggin’ hisse’f out.
“Den Ou’ Wolf, gets out at last, an’ he stand an’ try to scrape de mud outen his eyes till he can look at Ou’ Jackalse. But Ou’ Jackalse he look at him like it was a hawse he was a-buyin’. ‘Dat’s about it,’ ses he. ‘You’s yust about right now. De man’ll see right off dat you done all you could to save dem pigs, an’ he’ll gi’e you sometin’ for it. You’s about de mise’blest looking ting in de veldt yust now, but you’s about de usefullest chummy ever was.’
“‘Oh, I is, is I?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an’ he don’t know weder he’s a-gun’ to fight or on’y use some words. But de mud in his tummy make him feel dat sick he don’t do one nor toder. He on’y ses—‘An’ what’s you goin’ to do all dis time?’
“‘Oh, while you’s gone I takes de pigses an’ I lights out for de kraal at you’ house. Den when you comes an’ finds me dere well have meat; all de meat we want. An’ dat’s what’ll cure you; you tink o’ dat now,’ ses he.
“Ou’ Wolf he tunk. ‘Well, a’right dis time,’ ses he, an’ off he snake hisse’f, for he was dat t’ick an heavy wid de mud he cahnt trot at all.
“Well, he comes to de man, an’ he tell him how de pigs is smodered, an’ de man comes back wid him to have a look. He looks at de mud hole, an’ at all de little curly tails a-stickin’ up, an’ den he look at Ou’ Wolf. ‘You’s sure de pigs is smoder’ in dere?’ ses he.
“‘Dere’s deir little curly tails a-stickin’ out,’ ses Ou’ Wolf. ‘Dey’s all down under dere, head firs’.’
“‘Well,’ ses de man, ‘dat’s mighty funny now; ’cause yestiday I rode troo dat mud hole an’ it wahnt knee deep.’ An’ den he make a grab for a tail, an’ dar it is in his han’, clean cut off.
“Ou’ Wolf he tink it’s about time to be slantin’ out o’ dat, but he ha’n’t made de second stride afore de man had him. ‘Deir little curly tails is a-stickin’ out, is dey?’ ses he, an bash he biffs him in de ribses. ‘Dewilde-hondechase ’em into de mud, did dey?’ an’ he yust mash de wind outen him. ‘Dey’s smoder’, is dey?’ ses he, an’ he grabs Ou’ Wolf up in de air an’ lam him down on de ground, an’ den he fair wipe up de scenery wid him. Den he left what was left an’ went off back to de house.
“Well, ahter a while Ou’ Wolf he scrape up what dere is of him, an’ he slant out for home, mighty slow an’ mighty sorry, on’y he tink, well, he’s a-gun’ to get dat meat now to cure hisse’f wid, as soon as he gets to de kraal an’ de pigs.
“But he gets to de kraal an’ he don’t get to de pigs, ’cause de pigs ain’t dere, an’ dere ain’t no sign of Ou’ Jackalse needer. ‘Dat’s funny,’ ses he. Den he sit down to wait, an’ he wait till it drop dark, an’ still dere ain’t no Jackalse an’ no pigses. ‘If he don’t come ’fore long,’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an he grines his teef.
“But long or short Ou’ Jackalse didn’t come—dat night nor de next mawnin’. An’ what’s mo’,” ended Old Hendrik, “he ain’t never come dere yet. But f’m dat day to dis he’s al’ays had plenty lard in his house to keep his nose well greased. I don’t say how he has it, but he has it—dat’s all.”
Chapter Five.When Ou’ Wolf built his House.It was a day or two afterwards before the children caught Old Hendrik in the mood again. But sweet dumplings to dinner, with cinnamon sauce, had mellowed him this day, and they were quick to see it.“But how did Ou’ Wolf an’ Ou’ Jackalse first fall out, Ou’ Ta’?” demanded the eldest boy.“Dere never was no first fall out,” answered the old Hottentot with a sly grin, shifting his seat under the old mimosa to get the best of its shade before beginning. “Dere didn’t need to be no first: it yust come natural. Ou’ jackalse yust couldn’t he’p hisse’f. Dar was Ou’ Wolf; all de time so quiet, an’ all de time a-workin’ an’ a-doin’ sometin’ for hisse’f. An’ den dere was Ou’ Jackalse; all de time so slim, an’ all de time never a-workin’ nor a-doin’ anytin’ ’cept to get out o’ workin’ an’ doin’ sometin’ for hisse’f. Ou’ Wolf he’d go a-huntin’ for what hehad toget; an’ Ou’ Jackalse he’d sit an’ bake in de sun an’ plan skellum for what hewantto get. Natchally dey was al’ays fall out f’m de beginnin’: dere wahnt no oder way to it.“Look now, dat time when Ou’ Wolf build his house—look what happen den. Dar was Ou’ Wolf all jump-an’-ginger to get Missus Wolf married to him. But he cahnt get married till he build his house to put her in. So dere he was a-workin’ away at darie house, yust so set to finis’ it ’fore de time’s up dat he don’t har’ly gi’e hisse’f time to hunt enough to eat. He don’t take but mighty little to breakfas’, an’ ahter breakfas’ he yust slap de rest o’ de meat an’ de bones into de pot to be cookin’, ready agen dinner-time, while he’s a-workin’ away like crazy.“Well, he gets to t’atchin’ away, an’ along comes Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he smell darie stew in de pot, an’ ’fore you can wink he’s on to it an’ a-holdin’ up dat lid. ‘Allah man!’ ses he, ‘dat do smell good.’“Ou’ Wolf up on de roof-poles hears darie lid a-liftin’, an’ he look round yust in time. You should a-hear him shout, ‘Ho, yeh! What for yeh lookin’ in darie pot?’ ses he, an’ he grabs his two hands on de beam, an’ sets one foot on it, as if he was yust a-comin’ down in one yump, flop on Ou’ Jackalse chest.“‘Mawnin’! Oom Wolf,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, yust as s’prise’ an’ cheerful as sun-up. ‘Glad it’s you. I been a-wantin’ some breakfas’ yust so bad dat my tummy tinks my troat’s cut.’“‘Ho! you wants some breakfas’, does you?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, mighty snifty. ‘Well, you yust keep on a-wantin’. Dere ain’t no breakfas’ here for nob’dy. Dere’s yust one dinner an’ dat’s for me. Darie meat in darie pot’s it. I hain’t no time to go a-huntin’ for oder folks eatin’: I got sometin’ else to do,’ ses he.“Ou’ Jackalse he put dat lid back mighty slow an’ mighty sorry (like a little boy I knows when his mammy makes him put down de sugar pot at breakfas’), an’ all de time he’s watchin’ Ou’ Wolf out o’ de corner of his eye to see if he’s reg’lar raungin’ mad about it or not. But Ou’ Wolf reg’lar is.“Ou’ Jackalse he ’gun to tink p’r’aps he ain’t a-gun’ to get darie breakfas’ so much ahter all. Den he sniff de smell agen, an’ it ain’t no manner o’ use—four men an’ a dog couldn’t a-druv him away f’m dat smell; he yust ha’ to have dat breakfas’.“‘So yeh’s got sometin’ else to do, has yeh?’ ses he den, a sort o’ slow an’ hurt like. ‘You mustto, I should say; an’ it must be sometin’ mighty busy to make you so snarley like dat when an ole friend like me t’ought you’d like him to take a bite o’ breakfas’ wid you.’“Ou’ Wolf he feel mighty mean, but den he tink on Missus Wolf, an’ it ain’t no use; he yust ha’ to get dat house finis’. ‘I cahnt he’p it,’ ses he, stiff an’ hairy. ‘Dis yere house gotto be finis’. I hain’t no time to be a-huntin’ my dinner when dinner-time come. ’Sides, I’ll be too ’ungry.’“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, shakin’ his head as if he wouldn’ ha’ b’lieved it of Ou’ Wolf if he ha’n’t a-seen it. ‘Well, if you feel like dat it must be sometin’ pretty bad. What’s you in such a Allah Crachty hurry to finis’ dis house for anyhow?’ ses he. ‘Ou’ Wolf he don’t like to let it out, but he ha’ to say sometin’ to ’scuse hisse’f.’ He outs wid it. ‘Goin’ to get married,’ ses he, sharp an’ spiky. ‘Dat’s what.’“‘Oh, dat’s it, is it?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse sort o’ brightenin’ up an half a-laughin’ all at once. ‘Well, dat is sometin’ to be a bit hairy about. If dat’s it, why I ain’t got nawtin’ more to say about it, but on’y yust to turn to an’ he’p you straightaway. If you’s goin’ to be married, den we’s yust gotto get dis house finis’,’ ses he, an’ he brace up an’ look as if he’s gettin’ a mighty fine speech off’n his chest.“But Ou’ Wolf he ’members Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he don’t b’lieve in no sich a fine offer. ‘’Tain’t no good,’ ses he. ‘Dat’s my dinner, an’ it ain’t a-gun’ to be nob’dy’s breakfas’.’“But you cahnt insult Ou’ Jackalse nohow while he’s a-smellin’ dat smell. ‘It ain’t a-gun’ to be my breakfas’ nohow,’ ses he, mighty brisk and pleasant like. ‘I yust wouldn’ have it—now I knows what’s de matter—not if you wanted me to. You’ll want you’ dinner pretty bad when de time comes—a lot mo’ dan I shall’ (an’ here Ou’ Jackalse sort o’ skip his back leg out an’ wink at it), ‘so I’m yust a-gun’ to lend you a hand to get finis’,’ an’ he offs wid his coat an’ chucks it down. ‘Look out for me,’ ses he. ‘I’s a-comin’ up to dat t’atchin’.’“Well, Ou’ Wolf he don’t know what to say. He feel dat mean he wish Ou’ Jackalse ’ud slip an’ break his neck comin’ up. But Ou’ Jackalse he ain’t a slippin’ while he ain’t had dat meat yet outen darie pot, an’ he comes up yust as chirpy as a finch in a peach tree. ‘Why, we’ll ha’ dis yob finis’ in no time,’ ses he, an’ he smack Ou’ Wolf on his back atween de shoulders dat hearty he jarred de frown right off’n his face.“‘You’s too slow to shift you’ own shadda. See me now. I’ll lay de t’atch on dis lower row an’ you work on up to de top f’m dat,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, as he slam one bundle o’ reeds at Ou’ Wolf an’ hitch anoder under his own leg on de rafter where he’s a-straddlin’. ‘You’s worse dan Ou’ Miss Kuraan for stan’in’ an’ yaw, yaw, yawin’,’ ses he.“Well, Ou’ Wolf he cahnt yust feel like he’s a-likin’ it at all; he’s knowed Ou’ Jackalse too long for dat; but yet he cahnt yust see his way outen it needer. De longer dey work, de harder he get to studyin’ yust what Ou’ Jackalse is a-meanin’; an’ he tink so much an’ he tink so deep dat he clean forgot to watch yust what Ou’ Jackalse is a-doin’.“An’ whatwasOu’ Jackalse a-doin’ all de time, ses you? Why now, what would darie ou’ skellum be a-doin’ but doin’ skellum. First string o’ t’atch he lay along de rafters he’s mighty cheerful an’ mighty busy. Second string he lay along an’ you can see all de cheerful drop outen his face an’ see de grin begin to run an’ flicker where de cheerful was before. De t’ird string he lay an’ de fun begun to sheet in his eyes like de dry lightnin’ on a summer night, an’ he yust couldn’t hold in no longer. He ketch hold o’ de roots of his tail an’ he fair whizz it round and round till he almos’ make it hum, he feel dat full o’ laughin’ inside him. An’ all dis time Ou’ Wolf yust had his back to him, a-studyin’ an’ a-won’erin’ what mischief make Ou’ Jackalse want to he’p him. But he don’t like to look round to watch somehow.“Den de fourt’ string Ou’ Jackalse lay he work as quiet an’ as slim as if he’s a-stealin’ it; an’ de ting dat it’s in his mind to do, dat’s de time he’s doin’ it? Ou’ Wolf he’s still a-studyin’ an’ he keep on still a-studyin’, till in about one jiff he hear darie pot lid a-liftin’ agen, an de smell comes up dat good an’ t’ick he can taste it.“He swip his head round, an’ dere was Ou’ Jackalse wid de lid up an’ his nose a-workin’ an’ a-sniffin’ in de steam Didn’ Ou’ Wolf shout den. ‘Ho, yeh! How com’ yeh at darie dinner again?’“Ou’ Jackalse he cock one year up to hear, an’ he cock one eye up to see. ‘Oh, dat’s all right,’ ses he, quite comfy. ‘Dis ain’t dat pot at all. Dis ain’t no dinner; dis is yust a breakfas’. You ain’t got no shout in dis at all.’“Ou’ Wolf he don’t say not a word, but he yust make one flyin’ yump to land right fair on Ou’ Jackalse neck.“But he don’t land. ’Stead o’ dat he tink he’s yumped right troo hisse’f an turned hisse’f inside out. Anyway, he knows he finds hisse’f hangin’ down, head first, between de rafters, a-scratchin’ an’ a-fratchin’ in de air. When Ou’ Jackalse t’atch dat fourt’ string he t’atch Ou’ Wolf’s tail fast in wid it, an’ dere’s Ou’ Wolf now a-hangin’ by dat tail, head down an’ fightin’, an’ he cahnt get back nohow.“An’ don’t he shout! ‘Le’ me down out o’ dis,’ ses he. ‘You hear me now! Le’ me down or I’ll bang de stuffin’ out o’ you!’“Ou’ Jackalse he smile quite s’prise’ like. ‘What you want down out o’ dat for anyhow?’ ses he, spearin’ out a piece o’ meat f’m de pot—an’ ho! but you ought to seen him lick his lips. ‘Dis cahnt be nawtin’ to do wi’ you nohow. Yours is a dinner, ses you, an’ dis is a breakfas’, you can see dat you’se’f, ’cause I’s a-eatin’ it an’ it’s breakfas’ time.’ An’ he gullups down de meat off’n half a dozen bones.“‘Le’ me down now!’ yells Ou’ Wolf, gettin’ black in de face. ‘I’ll yust show you weder dat’s a breakfas’ or a dinner. I’ll teach you weder it’s mine or not!’“‘Now you look-a’-me, Oom Wolf,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, his eyes a-twinklin’ fresh as he swipe down de last meat off’n de first rib. ‘I’ll tell you what I’ll do; I’ll divide wid yeh—dat’s fair enough. So here you is for your share,’ an’ he lams de clean bone at Ou’ Wolf an’ catches him a hummer on de jaw.“Ou’ Wolf he fair lets out at dat; big words; words what make you’ years stand on end. An’ all de time Ou’ Jackalse keep on a-dippin’ an’ a-spearin’ in de pot, an’ a-tellin’ Ou’ Wolf what a clinkin’ fine piece o’ meat he’s pullin’ out, an’ how nice it taste, an’ how he hope Ou’ Wolf ’ll fin’ his dinner yust as nice when de time come—‘’Cause you said yust now you has your dinner in a pot som’eres round here, didn’ yeh?’ ses he, an’ he lams him wid anoder bone, biff!“Den de last meat was eat an’ de last bone t’rown, an’ Ou’ Jackalse he come wid a long reed an’ he gun’ to tickle Ou’ Wolf on de end of his nose where he’s a-hangin’. But Ou’ Wolf he’s in dat rage he yust snap an’ yap at darie reed till all de frame o’ de house begin to shake, an’ Ou’ Jackalse he tink it’s about time to get f’m under. An’ dere ain’t no more to stop for anyhow—he might as well keep on a-movin’. So he did.“Well, Ou’ Wolf he’s yust dat mad he won’t shout Ou’ Jackalse back to let him down an’ dey’ll say no more about it. Not him; he’ll yust hang an’ rattle an’ see him blowed first. But young Missus Wolf—well, you ’members dey wahnt married yet till de house ’ud be finis’, an’ I s’pose somehow she couldn’t he’p herse’f, but she yust hatto sa’nter past in de trees, an’ sort o’ peep an’ see how de house is a-gettin’ on. An’ dere she seen Ou’ Wolf a-hangin’, head down, an’ black in de face.“Sich a scrick she got, an’ sich a scream she let out! an’ in about two ticks she was inside darie house frame to hold him up. She cahnt reach his head de fust time, but de second time she yump so high she ketch him by de years, an’ dere she is, a-hangin’ down f’m him—to hold him up! An’ Ou’ Wolf he’s dat much gone on her he don’t like to say nawtin’ about it—but he feel his tail like comin’ out by de roots.“At last ses he—‘You’d better go up on de roof an’ make loose my tail. I’ll p’r’aps get down quicker dat way,’ ses he.“As soon as she hear him speak—‘Oh, he ain’t dead yet, he’s alive yet,’ ses she. An’ she’s yust dat glad she fair hangs an’ swings agen, till Ou’ Wolf hatto say sometin’. ‘But my tail ain’t a-gun’ to last much more,’ ses he.“Dat sort o’ cut into her sense a bit, an’ she stop an’ look. ‘Oh, dat’s it, is it?’ ses she, an’ she looks as if dat ain’t no great shakes to be de matter wid him. ‘If you’d yust go up an’ make it loose?’ ses he.“‘Hump!’ ses she, but she cahnt say no more yust yet, an’ so up she go. But when she get up on de roof an’ see how fast his tail is t’atched in wid de rest, it kind o’ strike her to won’er how de jimminy his tail come like dat, an’ she hadn’t more’n begun to un-t’atch it ’fore she begin to ax him how come it so.“Ou’ Wolf he ain’t in no Allah Crachty hurry to tell her all about it, but he ain’t no good at tellin’ you-know-whats. So what he hatto do he yust up an’ did, an’ he told her de hull tale plump.“Now p’r’aps she tinks a lot of Ou’ Wolf, an’ agen p’r’aps she tinks more about bein’ goin’ to get married an’ have a house o’ her own to boss in. But anyhow she tinks a lot de most o’ herse’f, an’ she gets dat mad wid him for bein’ had so silly dat she cahnt stand it nohow. She yust stop unt’atchin’, an’ she fair slam herse’f half way down troo de rafters to reach him an’ biff him a one-two in de ribses. ‘Take dat!’ ses she, ‘an’ dat! for bein’ sich a fathead!’“‘Ouk! Ouk!’ Ou’ Wolf he yell, an’ he make sich a kick an’ sich a fluster to get out o’ reach, dat fust ting you know de t’atch won’t hold no longer an’ it come loose an’ let him downwollop! fair on his head. But Missus Wolf she’s yust dat mad-an’-ginger dat she try to grab him an’ hold him up f’m droppin’ till she can biff him agen; an’ she grab yust too far an’ miss her reach, an’ down she come as well, head fust too, biff into his tummy, an’ knock de wind clean outen him.“Atween his head an’ his tummy Ou’ Wolf he tink he’s fair about dyin’, but in yust two ticks Missus Wolf was up an’ a-lammin’ into him. Den he knowed yust how dead he ain’t, for he yumps up wid a howl an’ a howler, an’ he fair streak it out o’ dat into de vach-a-bikkie bushes till he could lost her. He sit down dere, but he cahnt tink for feelin’, an’ he cahnt rub his head for tinkin’ on his tummy, nor rub his tummy for tinkin’ on his head.“But he lay it all up to Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Yust wait till I get a fair ole chance,’ ses he, ‘den see if I don’t get so even wid him it’ll stick out de oder side. Dat’s all.’“Well, it went on like dis till one day Ou’ Wolf was a-raungin’ along, an’ who should he see alongside de road but Ou’ Jackalse, a-sittin’ an’ a-polishin’ off de last piece o’ biltong outen a bag; nice, fat, buck-biltong.“‘Now I’s got him! See me if I don’t do sometin’ now,’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an’ he sits him down for a minute to see what’s de best way to do it.“But Ou’ Jackalse had seen him long ago a’ready, an’ he don’t hatto sit down an’ study how he’s goin’ to do. He knows it an’ he does it. He don’t wait to be yumped. He yust gets straight up and skips over to Ou’ Wolf, like as if he ain’t seen him for he don’t know how long, an’ he never was so glad. ‘Here you is,’ ses he ‘Yust de very one an’ yust in time. Here, taste dat,’ ses he an’ he offers him de last little piece o’ de biltong. ‘I owes you a good breakfas’, an’ now I’s a-gun’ to pay you half a dozen for it.’“Ou’ Wolf he don’t know. He’s mighty s’picious of Ou’ Jackalse any time you like, an’ worse when he’s a-offerin’ good turns. He draws back a bit. But dat biltong it look so red an’ sweet in de middle, where it’s cut across, an’ Ou’ Jackalse is a-lickin’ his lips wid such a smacks, dat Ou’ Wolf he take dat little piece an’ he wolf it down.“Dat piece taste yust so good he cahnt he’p it—he’s gotto ha’ some more. ‘Where’s dere more o’ dat?’ ses he. ‘Tell me quick till I gets at it.’“Ou’ Jackalse smile. ‘Well,’ ses he, ‘I’ve a-eat dat much dat I cahnt run fast enough myse’f. If I hadn’t a-done I’d a-gone wid you. But it don’t matter anyhow—it’s yust too easy for troublin’ about.’“‘Ne’er min’ dat. Where’s it?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, short an’ sharp.“‘On de road dere,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘On dat road you sees de spoor of a waggon dat’s went along not so long since. All you has to do is to run a bit wide an’ get ahead o’ dat waggon. Den you lie down in de road an’ make like you’s dead—too dead for skinnin’ in a hurry. De waggon’ll come along an’ de baas he’ll see you, an’ he’ll say—“Hello! here’s a dead wolf. His skin’ll make a fine mat for my wife. I’ll take him home an’ skin him.”“‘Den he’ll pick you up an chuck you on de waggon, an’ dere’s where all de biltong is—sacks an’ sacks of it. All you has to do is to wait a bit till de man ain’t a-lookin’, an’ den, flip!—you drops a sack o’ de nicest biltong out an’ slips off ahter it you’se’f. I on’y wish I had room for mo’,’ ses he, an’ he rubs his tummy like he’s fair a-longin’.“Ou’ Wolf he look at Ou’ Jackalse an’ he tink what he was intendin’ o’ doin’. But de taste o’ dat biltong yust make his mouf run, an’ he cahnt wait. ‘Is dat de way you got yours?’ ses he, sharp an’ hairy.“‘Dat’s de hull way,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse; ‘an’ I’s a laughin’ yet to tink on it—it’s so easy.’“Ou’ Wolf he don’t want to seem like he’s too soft a-b’lievin’, but de biltong make him fair yammer for more. ‘Well,’ ses he, ‘we’ll see,’ an’ off he sets to come round darie waggon.“By’n’by he gets ahead, an’ den he cuts into de road an’ lies down, an’ makes yust de same as if he’s dead.“De waggon comes along, an’ de man he see Ou’ Wolf a-lyin’ like dead in de road. ‘Hello!’ ses he, fair a-bristlin’, ‘here’s anoder on ’em, is dere? On’y toder one was a yackalse. An’ dis ’un’s goin’ to get chucked into de waggon too, is he, an’ steal anoder sack o’ biltong as well? But we’ll yust see about dat, we will. Here’s you!’ ses he, an’ he fair yump right square on Ou’ Wolf’s ribses—wallop!“‘Wou-uk!’ yells Ou’ Wolf, an’ he try to up an’ run for it.“‘So, you’re anoder, is you?’ shouts de man, an’ wallop he yumps on him agen.“‘I didn’t. Le’ me go,’ yells Ou’ Wolf at dat.“‘Steal anoder sack, will you!’ shouts de man, an’—wop!—he yumps on him some more.“But Ou’ Wolf’s yust about had enough. If he don’t get out o’ dat immeejitly, if not sooner, den he’s goin’ to be deader dan he shammed a minute since. ’Fore you can say knife! he yust scratched up an’ away an’ light out for de oder side o’ de sky line, wid de man a-peltin’ him wid a stone for every stride. ‘P’r’aps you’ll come agen,’ ses de man.“When Ou’ Wolf manage to crawl to de ridge he look back, an’ he sees de man a-whackin’ de whip into his team an’ shoutin’ like he feels right good an’ sa’cy. ‘Allah Crachty! look-a’-dat now,’ ses Ou’ Wolf to hisse’f, but he don’t rub no spot ’cause he cahnt make up his mind which is de sorest.“Den he look along de ridge an’ dere he see Ou’ Jackalse, yust a-hoppin’ an’ a-rollin’ wid laughin’. Ou’ Wolf he look an’ Ou’ Wolf he tink. But Ou’ Wolf he’s still a-feelin’ too, an he fair flop down an’ say nothin’. Dere wahnt anytin’ else to say. But he shake his head: I tell you he shake his head,” ended Old Hendrik, shaking his own head with the word.
It was a day or two afterwards before the children caught Old Hendrik in the mood again. But sweet dumplings to dinner, with cinnamon sauce, had mellowed him this day, and they were quick to see it.
“But how did Ou’ Wolf an’ Ou’ Jackalse first fall out, Ou’ Ta’?” demanded the eldest boy.
“Dere never was no first fall out,” answered the old Hottentot with a sly grin, shifting his seat under the old mimosa to get the best of its shade before beginning. “Dere didn’t need to be no first: it yust come natural. Ou’ jackalse yust couldn’t he’p hisse’f. Dar was Ou’ Wolf; all de time so quiet, an’ all de time a-workin’ an’ a-doin’ sometin’ for hisse’f. An’ den dere was Ou’ Jackalse; all de time so slim, an’ all de time never a-workin’ nor a-doin’ anytin’ ’cept to get out o’ workin’ an’ doin’ sometin’ for hisse’f. Ou’ Wolf he’d go a-huntin’ for what hehad toget; an’ Ou’ Jackalse he’d sit an’ bake in de sun an’ plan skellum for what hewantto get. Natchally dey was al’ays fall out f’m de beginnin’: dere wahnt no oder way to it.
“Look now, dat time when Ou’ Wolf build his house—look what happen den. Dar was Ou’ Wolf all jump-an’-ginger to get Missus Wolf married to him. But he cahnt get married till he build his house to put her in. So dere he was a-workin’ away at darie house, yust so set to finis’ it ’fore de time’s up dat he don’t har’ly gi’e hisse’f time to hunt enough to eat. He don’t take but mighty little to breakfas’, an’ ahter breakfas’ he yust slap de rest o’ de meat an’ de bones into de pot to be cookin’, ready agen dinner-time, while he’s a-workin’ away like crazy.
“Well, he gets to t’atchin’ away, an’ along comes Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he smell darie stew in de pot, an’ ’fore you can wink he’s on to it an’ a-holdin’ up dat lid. ‘Allah man!’ ses he, ‘dat do smell good.’
“Ou’ Wolf up on de roof-poles hears darie lid a-liftin’, an’ he look round yust in time. You should a-hear him shout, ‘Ho, yeh! What for yeh lookin’ in darie pot?’ ses he, an’ he grabs his two hands on de beam, an’ sets one foot on it, as if he was yust a-comin’ down in one yump, flop on Ou’ Jackalse chest.
“‘Mawnin’! Oom Wolf,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, yust as s’prise’ an’ cheerful as sun-up. ‘Glad it’s you. I been a-wantin’ some breakfas’ yust so bad dat my tummy tinks my troat’s cut.’
“‘Ho! you wants some breakfas’, does you?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, mighty snifty. ‘Well, you yust keep on a-wantin’. Dere ain’t no breakfas’ here for nob’dy. Dere’s yust one dinner an’ dat’s for me. Darie meat in darie pot’s it. I hain’t no time to go a-huntin’ for oder folks eatin’: I got sometin’ else to do,’ ses he.
“Ou’ Jackalse he put dat lid back mighty slow an’ mighty sorry (like a little boy I knows when his mammy makes him put down de sugar pot at breakfas’), an’ all de time he’s watchin’ Ou’ Wolf out o’ de corner of his eye to see if he’s reg’lar raungin’ mad about it or not. But Ou’ Wolf reg’lar is.
“Ou’ Jackalse he ’gun to tink p’r’aps he ain’t a-gun’ to get darie breakfas’ so much ahter all. Den he sniff de smell agen, an’ it ain’t no manner o’ use—four men an’ a dog couldn’t a-druv him away f’m dat smell; he yust ha’ to have dat breakfas’.
“‘So yeh’s got sometin’ else to do, has yeh?’ ses he den, a sort o’ slow an’ hurt like. ‘You mustto, I should say; an’ it must be sometin’ mighty busy to make you so snarley like dat when an ole friend like me t’ought you’d like him to take a bite o’ breakfas’ wid you.’
“Ou’ Wolf he feel mighty mean, but den he tink on Missus Wolf, an’ it ain’t no use; he yust ha’ to get dat house finis’. ‘I cahnt he’p it,’ ses he, stiff an’ hairy. ‘Dis yere house gotto be finis’. I hain’t no time to be a-huntin’ my dinner when dinner-time come. ’Sides, I’ll be too ’ungry.’
“‘Well,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, shakin’ his head as if he wouldn’ ha’ b’lieved it of Ou’ Wolf if he ha’n’t a-seen it. ‘Well, if you feel like dat it must be sometin’ pretty bad. What’s you in such a Allah Crachty hurry to finis’ dis house for anyhow?’ ses he. ‘Ou’ Wolf he don’t like to let it out, but he ha’ to say sometin’ to ’scuse hisse’f.’ He outs wid it. ‘Goin’ to get married,’ ses he, sharp an’ spiky. ‘Dat’s what.’
“‘Oh, dat’s it, is it?’ ses Ou’ Jackalse sort o’ brightenin’ up an half a-laughin’ all at once. ‘Well, dat is sometin’ to be a bit hairy about. If dat’s it, why I ain’t got nawtin’ more to say about it, but on’y yust to turn to an’ he’p you straightaway. If you’s goin’ to be married, den we’s yust gotto get dis house finis’,’ ses he, an’ he brace up an’ look as if he’s gettin’ a mighty fine speech off’n his chest.
“But Ou’ Wolf he ’members Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he don’t b’lieve in no sich a fine offer. ‘’Tain’t no good,’ ses he. ‘Dat’s my dinner, an’ it ain’t a-gun’ to be nob’dy’s breakfas’.’
“But you cahnt insult Ou’ Jackalse nohow while he’s a-smellin’ dat smell. ‘It ain’t a-gun’ to be my breakfas’ nohow,’ ses he, mighty brisk and pleasant like. ‘I yust wouldn’ have it—now I knows what’s de matter—not if you wanted me to. You’ll want you’ dinner pretty bad when de time comes—a lot mo’ dan I shall’ (an’ here Ou’ Jackalse sort o’ skip his back leg out an’ wink at it), ‘so I’m yust a-gun’ to lend you a hand to get finis’,’ an’ he offs wid his coat an’ chucks it down. ‘Look out for me,’ ses he. ‘I’s a-comin’ up to dat t’atchin’.’
“Well, Ou’ Wolf he don’t know what to say. He feel dat mean he wish Ou’ Jackalse ’ud slip an’ break his neck comin’ up. But Ou’ Jackalse he ain’t a slippin’ while he ain’t had dat meat yet outen darie pot, an’ he comes up yust as chirpy as a finch in a peach tree. ‘Why, we’ll ha’ dis yob finis’ in no time,’ ses he, an’ he smack Ou’ Wolf on his back atween de shoulders dat hearty he jarred de frown right off’n his face.
“‘You’s too slow to shift you’ own shadda. See me now. I’ll lay de t’atch on dis lower row an’ you work on up to de top f’m dat,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, as he slam one bundle o’ reeds at Ou’ Wolf an’ hitch anoder under his own leg on de rafter where he’s a-straddlin’. ‘You’s worse dan Ou’ Miss Kuraan for stan’in’ an’ yaw, yaw, yawin’,’ ses he.
“Well, Ou’ Wolf he cahnt yust feel like he’s a-likin’ it at all; he’s knowed Ou’ Jackalse too long for dat; but yet he cahnt yust see his way outen it needer. De longer dey work, de harder he get to studyin’ yust what Ou’ Jackalse is a-meanin’; an’ he tink so much an’ he tink so deep dat he clean forgot to watch yust what Ou’ Jackalse is a-doin’.
“An’ whatwasOu’ Jackalse a-doin’ all de time, ses you? Why now, what would darie ou’ skellum be a-doin’ but doin’ skellum. First string o’ t’atch he lay along de rafters he’s mighty cheerful an’ mighty busy. Second string he lay along an’ you can see all de cheerful drop outen his face an’ see de grin begin to run an’ flicker where de cheerful was before. De t’ird string he lay an’ de fun begun to sheet in his eyes like de dry lightnin’ on a summer night, an’ he yust couldn’t hold in no longer. He ketch hold o’ de roots of his tail an’ he fair whizz it round and round till he almos’ make it hum, he feel dat full o’ laughin’ inside him. An’ all dis time Ou’ Wolf yust had his back to him, a-studyin’ an’ a-won’erin’ what mischief make Ou’ Jackalse want to he’p him. But he don’t like to look round to watch somehow.
“Den de fourt’ string Ou’ Jackalse lay he work as quiet an’ as slim as if he’s a-stealin’ it; an’ de ting dat it’s in his mind to do, dat’s de time he’s doin’ it? Ou’ Wolf he’s still a-studyin’ an’ he keep on still a-studyin’, till in about one jiff he hear darie pot lid a-liftin’ agen, an de smell comes up dat good an’ t’ick he can taste it.
“He swip his head round, an’ dere was Ou’ Jackalse wid de lid up an’ his nose a-workin’ an’ a-sniffin’ in de steam Didn’ Ou’ Wolf shout den. ‘Ho, yeh! How com’ yeh at darie dinner again?’
“Ou’ Jackalse he cock one year up to hear, an’ he cock one eye up to see. ‘Oh, dat’s all right,’ ses he, quite comfy. ‘Dis ain’t dat pot at all. Dis ain’t no dinner; dis is yust a breakfas’. You ain’t got no shout in dis at all.’
“Ou’ Wolf he don’t say not a word, but he yust make one flyin’ yump to land right fair on Ou’ Jackalse neck.
“But he don’t land. ’Stead o’ dat he tink he’s yumped right troo hisse’f an turned hisse’f inside out. Anyway, he knows he finds hisse’f hangin’ down, head first, between de rafters, a-scratchin’ an’ a-fratchin’ in de air. When Ou’ Jackalse t’atch dat fourt’ string he t’atch Ou’ Wolf’s tail fast in wid it, an’ dere’s Ou’ Wolf now a-hangin’ by dat tail, head down an’ fightin’, an’ he cahnt get back nohow.
“An’ don’t he shout! ‘Le’ me down out o’ dis,’ ses he. ‘You hear me now! Le’ me down or I’ll bang de stuffin’ out o’ you!’
“Ou’ Jackalse he smile quite s’prise’ like. ‘What you want down out o’ dat for anyhow?’ ses he, spearin’ out a piece o’ meat f’m de pot—an’ ho! but you ought to seen him lick his lips. ‘Dis cahnt be nawtin’ to do wi’ you nohow. Yours is a dinner, ses you, an’ dis is a breakfas’, you can see dat you’se’f, ’cause I’s a-eatin’ it an’ it’s breakfas’ time.’ An’ he gullups down de meat off’n half a dozen bones.
“‘Le’ me down now!’ yells Ou’ Wolf, gettin’ black in de face. ‘I’ll yust show you weder dat’s a breakfas’ or a dinner. I’ll teach you weder it’s mine or not!’
“‘Now you look-a’-me, Oom Wolf,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse, his eyes a-twinklin’ fresh as he swipe down de last meat off’n de first rib. ‘I’ll tell you what I’ll do; I’ll divide wid yeh—dat’s fair enough. So here you is for your share,’ an’ he lams de clean bone at Ou’ Wolf an’ catches him a hummer on de jaw.
“Ou’ Wolf he fair lets out at dat; big words; words what make you’ years stand on end. An’ all de time Ou’ Jackalse keep on a-dippin’ an’ a-spearin’ in de pot, an’ a-tellin’ Ou’ Wolf what a clinkin’ fine piece o’ meat he’s pullin’ out, an’ how nice it taste, an’ how he hope Ou’ Wolf ’ll fin’ his dinner yust as nice when de time come—‘’Cause you said yust now you has your dinner in a pot som’eres round here, didn’ yeh?’ ses he, an’ he lams him wid anoder bone, biff!
“Den de last meat was eat an’ de last bone t’rown, an’ Ou’ Jackalse he come wid a long reed an’ he gun’ to tickle Ou’ Wolf on de end of his nose where he’s a-hangin’. But Ou’ Wolf he’s in dat rage he yust snap an’ yap at darie reed till all de frame o’ de house begin to shake, an’ Ou’ Jackalse he tink it’s about time to get f’m under. An’ dere ain’t no more to stop for anyhow—he might as well keep on a-movin’. So he did.
“Well, Ou’ Wolf he’s yust dat mad he won’t shout Ou’ Jackalse back to let him down an’ dey’ll say no more about it. Not him; he’ll yust hang an’ rattle an’ see him blowed first. But young Missus Wolf—well, you ’members dey wahnt married yet till de house ’ud be finis’, an’ I s’pose somehow she couldn’t he’p herse’f, but she yust hatto sa’nter past in de trees, an’ sort o’ peep an’ see how de house is a-gettin’ on. An’ dere she seen Ou’ Wolf a-hangin’, head down, an’ black in de face.
“Sich a scrick she got, an’ sich a scream she let out! an’ in about two ticks she was inside darie house frame to hold him up. She cahnt reach his head de fust time, but de second time she yump so high she ketch him by de years, an’ dere she is, a-hangin’ down f’m him—to hold him up! An’ Ou’ Wolf he’s dat much gone on her he don’t like to say nawtin’ about it—but he feel his tail like comin’ out by de roots.
“At last ses he—‘You’d better go up on de roof an’ make loose my tail. I’ll p’r’aps get down quicker dat way,’ ses he.
“As soon as she hear him speak—‘Oh, he ain’t dead yet, he’s alive yet,’ ses she. An’ she’s yust dat glad she fair hangs an’ swings agen, till Ou’ Wolf hatto say sometin’. ‘But my tail ain’t a-gun’ to last much more,’ ses he.
“Dat sort o’ cut into her sense a bit, an’ she stop an’ look. ‘Oh, dat’s it, is it?’ ses she, an’ she looks as if dat ain’t no great shakes to be de matter wid him. ‘If you’d yust go up an’ make it loose?’ ses he.
“‘Hump!’ ses she, but she cahnt say no more yust yet, an’ so up she go. But when she get up on de roof an’ see how fast his tail is t’atched in wid de rest, it kind o’ strike her to won’er how de jimminy his tail come like dat, an’ she hadn’t more’n begun to un-t’atch it ’fore she begin to ax him how come it so.
“Ou’ Wolf he ain’t in no Allah Crachty hurry to tell her all about it, but he ain’t no good at tellin’ you-know-whats. So what he hatto do he yust up an’ did, an’ he told her de hull tale plump.
“Now p’r’aps she tinks a lot of Ou’ Wolf, an’ agen p’r’aps she tinks more about bein’ goin’ to get married an’ have a house o’ her own to boss in. But anyhow she tinks a lot de most o’ herse’f, an’ she gets dat mad wid him for bein’ had so silly dat she cahnt stand it nohow. She yust stop unt’atchin’, an’ she fair slam herse’f half way down troo de rafters to reach him an’ biff him a one-two in de ribses. ‘Take dat!’ ses she, ‘an’ dat! for bein’ sich a fathead!’
“‘Ouk! Ouk!’ Ou’ Wolf he yell, an’ he make sich a kick an’ sich a fluster to get out o’ reach, dat fust ting you know de t’atch won’t hold no longer an’ it come loose an’ let him downwollop! fair on his head. But Missus Wolf she’s yust dat mad-an’-ginger dat she try to grab him an’ hold him up f’m droppin’ till she can biff him agen; an’ she grab yust too far an’ miss her reach, an’ down she come as well, head fust too, biff into his tummy, an’ knock de wind clean outen him.
“Atween his head an’ his tummy Ou’ Wolf he tink he’s fair about dyin’, but in yust two ticks Missus Wolf was up an’ a-lammin’ into him. Den he knowed yust how dead he ain’t, for he yumps up wid a howl an’ a howler, an’ he fair streak it out o’ dat into de vach-a-bikkie bushes till he could lost her. He sit down dere, but he cahnt tink for feelin’, an’ he cahnt rub his head for tinkin’ on his tummy, nor rub his tummy for tinkin’ on his head.
“But he lay it all up to Ou’ Jackalse. ‘Yust wait till I get a fair ole chance,’ ses he, ‘den see if I don’t get so even wid him it’ll stick out de oder side. Dat’s all.’
“Well, it went on like dis till one day Ou’ Wolf was a-raungin’ along, an’ who should he see alongside de road but Ou’ Jackalse, a-sittin’ an’ a-polishin’ off de last piece o’ biltong outen a bag; nice, fat, buck-biltong.
“‘Now I’s got him! See me if I don’t do sometin’ now,’ ses Ou’ Wolf, an’ he sits him down for a minute to see what’s de best way to do it.
“But Ou’ Jackalse had seen him long ago a’ready, an’ he don’t hatto sit down an’ study how he’s goin’ to do. He knows it an’ he does it. He don’t wait to be yumped. He yust gets straight up and skips over to Ou’ Wolf, like as if he ain’t seen him for he don’t know how long, an’ he never was so glad. ‘Here you is,’ ses he ‘Yust de very one an’ yust in time. Here, taste dat,’ ses he an’ he offers him de last little piece o’ de biltong. ‘I owes you a good breakfas’, an’ now I’s a-gun’ to pay you half a dozen for it.’
“Ou’ Wolf he don’t know. He’s mighty s’picious of Ou’ Jackalse any time you like, an’ worse when he’s a-offerin’ good turns. He draws back a bit. But dat biltong it look so red an’ sweet in de middle, where it’s cut across, an’ Ou’ Jackalse is a-lickin’ his lips wid such a smacks, dat Ou’ Wolf he take dat little piece an’ he wolf it down.
“Dat piece taste yust so good he cahnt he’p it—he’s gotto ha’ some more. ‘Where’s dere more o’ dat?’ ses he. ‘Tell me quick till I gets at it.’
“Ou’ Jackalse smile. ‘Well,’ ses he, ‘I’ve a-eat dat much dat I cahnt run fast enough myse’f. If I hadn’t a-done I’d a-gone wid you. But it don’t matter anyhow—it’s yust too easy for troublin’ about.’
“‘Ne’er min’ dat. Where’s it?’ ses Ou’ Wolf, short an’ sharp.
“‘On de road dere,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘On dat road you sees de spoor of a waggon dat’s went along not so long since. All you has to do is to run a bit wide an’ get ahead o’ dat waggon. Den you lie down in de road an’ make like you’s dead—too dead for skinnin’ in a hurry. De waggon’ll come along an’ de baas he’ll see you, an’ he’ll say—“Hello! here’s a dead wolf. His skin’ll make a fine mat for my wife. I’ll take him home an’ skin him.”
“‘Den he’ll pick you up an chuck you on de waggon, an’ dere’s where all de biltong is—sacks an’ sacks of it. All you has to do is to wait a bit till de man ain’t a-lookin’, an’ den, flip!—you drops a sack o’ de nicest biltong out an’ slips off ahter it you’se’f. I on’y wish I had room for mo’,’ ses he, an’ he rubs his tummy like he’s fair a-longin’.
“Ou’ Wolf he look at Ou’ Jackalse an’ he tink what he was intendin’ o’ doin’. But de taste o’ dat biltong yust make his mouf run, an’ he cahnt wait. ‘Is dat de way you got yours?’ ses he, sharp an’ hairy.
“‘Dat’s de hull way,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse; ‘an’ I’s a laughin’ yet to tink on it—it’s so easy.’
“Ou’ Wolf he don’t want to seem like he’s too soft a-b’lievin’, but de biltong make him fair yammer for more. ‘Well,’ ses he, ‘we’ll see,’ an’ off he sets to come round darie waggon.
“By’n’by he gets ahead, an’ den he cuts into de road an’ lies down, an’ makes yust de same as if he’s dead.
“De waggon comes along, an’ de man he see Ou’ Wolf a-lyin’ like dead in de road. ‘Hello!’ ses he, fair a-bristlin’, ‘here’s anoder on ’em, is dere? On’y toder one was a yackalse. An’ dis ’un’s goin’ to get chucked into de waggon too, is he, an’ steal anoder sack o’ biltong as well? But we’ll yust see about dat, we will. Here’s you!’ ses he, an’ he fair yump right square on Ou’ Wolf’s ribses—wallop!
“‘Wou-uk!’ yells Ou’ Wolf, an’ he try to up an’ run for it.
“‘So, you’re anoder, is you?’ shouts de man, an’ wallop he yumps on him agen.
“‘I didn’t. Le’ me go,’ yells Ou’ Wolf at dat.
“‘Steal anoder sack, will you!’ shouts de man, an’—wop!—he yumps on him some more.
“But Ou’ Wolf’s yust about had enough. If he don’t get out o’ dat immeejitly, if not sooner, den he’s goin’ to be deader dan he shammed a minute since. ’Fore you can say knife! he yust scratched up an’ away an’ light out for de oder side o’ de sky line, wid de man a-peltin’ him wid a stone for every stride. ‘P’r’aps you’ll come agen,’ ses de man.
“When Ou’ Wolf manage to crawl to de ridge he look back, an’ he sees de man a-whackin’ de whip into his team an’ shoutin’ like he feels right good an’ sa’cy. ‘Allah Crachty! look-a’-dat now,’ ses Ou’ Wolf to hisse’f, but he don’t rub no spot ’cause he cahnt make up his mind which is de sorest.
“Den he look along de ridge an’ dere he see Ou’ Jackalse, yust a-hoppin’ an’ a-rollin’ wid laughin’. Ou’ Wolf he look an’ Ou’ Wolf he tink. But Ou’ Wolf he’s still a-feelin’ too, an he fair flop down an’ say nothin’. Dere wahnt anytin’ else to say. But he shake his head: I tell you he shake his head,” ended Old Hendrik, shaking his own head with the word.