The Settler and the Savage | Page 7

a grim smile, "but I pity the
emigrants!"
As Considine's head drooped at this point, and his eyes winked with

that owlish look which indicates the approach of irresistible sleep, Hans
Marais rose, and, spreading a large kaross or blanket of leopard skin on
the ground, invited his companion to lie down thereon. The youth
willingly complied, stretched himself beside the Dutchman, and almost
instantly fell sound asleep. Hans spread a lighter covering over himself
and his comrade, and, with his head on his saddle, lay for a long time
gazing tranquilly at the stars, which shone with an intensity of lustre
peculiar to that region of the southern hemisphere, while the yelling
cries of jackals and the funereal moaning of spotted hyenas, with an
occasional distant roar from the king of beasts, formed an appropriate
lullaby.
CHAPTER TWO.
INTRODUCES A CAPE DUTCHMAN AND HIS FAMILY, AND
SHOWS THE UNCERTAINTY OF HUMAN PLANS.
The break of day found Charlie Considine and Hans Marais galloping
lightly over the karroo towards a range of mountains which, on the
previous evening, had appeared like a faint line of blue on the horizon.
The sun was just rising in a blaze of splendour, giving promise of an
oppressive day, when the horsemen topped a ridge beyond which lay
the primitive buildings of a frontier farm.
Considine uttered an exclamation of surprise, and looked inquiringly at
his companion.
"My father's farm," said Hans, drawing rein and advancing at a
foot-pace.
"A lovely spot," returned his companion, "but I cannot say much for the
buildings."
"They are well suited to their purpose nevertheless," said Hans;
"besides, would it be wise to build fine houses for Kafirs to burn?"
"Is being burnt by Kafirs the necessary end of all frontier farms?" asked

Considine, with a smile.
"Not the necessary, but the probable end. Many a one has been burnt in
times gone by, and many a one will be burnt again, if the Government
and people in England do not recognise and admit the two great facts,
that the interest as well as the main desire of the frontier settler is peace,
while the chief delight as well as business of the Kafir is war. But I
suppose that you, being an Englishman, will not believe that until
conviction is forced on you by experience.--Come, I will introduce you
to one of those colonists who are supposed to be such discontented
fire-eaters; I think he will receive you hospitably."
The young farmer put spurs to his horse as he spoke, and dashed away
over the plain, closely followed by his new friend, who was not sorry to
drop the conversation, being almost entirely ignorant of the merits of
the question raised.
The style of the group of buildings to which they drew near was not
entirely unfamiliar to Considine, for he had passed one or two similar
farms, belonging to Cape Dutchmen, on his trip from the sea-coast to
the interior. There were about this farm, however, a few prominent
points of difference. The cottages, being built of sun-dried bricks, were
little better than mud-huts, but there were more of them than Considine
had hitherto seen on such farms, and the chief dwelling, in particular,
displayed some touches of taste which betokened superior refinement
in the inhabitants. The group lay in a hollow on the margin of an
insignificant stream, whose course through the plain was marked by a
thick belt of beautiful mimosa-bushes. Close to the houses, these
mimosas, large enough to merit the title of trees, formed a green setting
in which the farm appeared to nestle as if desirous of escaping the
sunshine. A few cactus shrubs and aloes were scattered about in rear of
the principal dwelling, in the midst of which stood several mud-huts
resembling gigantic bee-hives. In these dwelt some of the Hottentot and
other servants of the farm, while, a little to the right of them, on a high
mound, were situated the kraals or enclosures for cattle and sheep.
About fifty yards farther off, a clump of tall trees indicated the position
of a garden, whose fruit-trees were laden with the blossoms or

beginnings of a rich crop of peaches, lemons, oranges, apricots, figs,
pears, plums, apples, pomegranates, and many other fruits and
vegetables. This bright and fruitful gem, in the midst of the brown and
apparently barren karroo, was chiefly due to the existence of a large
enclosure or dam which the thrifty farmer had constructed about half a
mile from the homestead, and the clear waters of which shimmered in
the centre of the picture, even when prolonged drought had quite dried
up the bed of its parent stream. The peaceful beauty of the scene was
completed by its grand background of blue mountains.
A tall, powerful, middle-aged man, in