A Veldt Official Part 17

"_Ja, Baas_."

"But it isn't all right, you _schepsel_!" Then lowering his voice to a whisper, "Where is the gun?"

"_Yau_! What gun, _Baas_?"

Sonnenberg nearly choked with fury, and made a step forward as though to strike the Kaffir. The latter, however, moved not a muscle, standing there as imperturbably as though there were no infuriated white man within a mile of him.

"Look here!" stuttered the Jew, "if you don't drop this infernal fooling I'll--I'll--kill you. Didn't you tell me you had got the gun all right?

Didn't you?"

"Childlike and bland" hardly expresses the mild open reproachfulness which sat upon Tom's broad and sable countenance. He shook his head with a pleasant smile.

"Nay what, _Baas_. I said no word about any gun. You asked me if I got what I wanted, and I replied that I did."

The Jew fairly danced; to the vast but veiled amus.e.m.e.nt of his retainer, who would have a delicious incident to relate from kraal to kraal, from hut to hut, in his wanderings for many a long day; for Kaffirs are keen mimics, and the reproduction of Sonnenberg in his wrath would throw crowds into roaring, rolling, riotous laughter, whenever he should feel like bringing it forth.

"You d.a.m.nable black scoundrel!" hissed the Jew. "Give me back my money, and then go--g-go to h.e.l.l."

"Nay what, _Baas_. You gave me some money to buy a gun, and now you ask it back. Besides, I have not got it. My brother Ndimbi is taking care of it."

"I'll have you both in the _tronk_ for theft. You'll get five years at least, the pair of you infernal thieves."

"Theft? Thieves?" repeated the Kaffir, in magnificent surprise. "_Au_!

You are joking, _Baas_. Did you not give me money to buy a gun with, and tell me even where I could most likely get it? My brother Ndimbi was by, and heard it all. And now you ask for it back again. Nay, _Baas_, I can't return it, for Ndimbi has it. I owe him nearly all of it, so as I could not get a gun I thought I had better pay it."

Sonnenberg turned perfectly livid, and fairly gasped for breath. He saw now how completely he had been done. Tom had not the slightest intention of returning the money. He detested his master, and now here was a glorious chance of being even with the latter for many a past meanness. In all good faith he had intended to make the purchase, and then depart for the seat of war. But Roden's uncompromising refusal, and the words he had used in reference to Sonnenberg, had thrown a new light on the matter. Tom and his brother had talked it over during their walk home, and had concluded to keep the money, fully a.s.sured that Sonnenberg would never dare to make a stir about it.

And, in fact, it was so. Standing there, mad with helpless wrath, the shrewd brain of the Jew had already realised that much. If he prosecuted Tom, the other Kaffir would prove being present when the money was given, and for what purpose it was given. Roden Musgrave, too, would testify that the boy had made the proposal to him on the very night, which would be so far circ.u.mstantially corroborative. On his side he had only Lambert; but although Lambert had been present at the transaction he understood hardly any Dutch, in which tongue the affair had been negotiated. Besides, Lambert was weak, and a good bit of an a.s.s, and under cross-examination might be counted upon to give himself-- to give both of them--away. Again, to substantiate the charge of theft he would have to show how and when he had missed the money, and what opportunity the boy had of appropriating it. Tom was known, too, as a particularly honest and well-conducted boy, while he, Sonnenberg, laboured under the disadvantage of being a very shady sort of customer.

Moreover, his hatred of Roden Musgrave was well known--and his vows of vengeance against the latter had been made often and publicly. No, it would never do. The combination of coincidences would have far too fishy a look. Besides, the very suspicion of having endeavoured to supply a native with firearms, no matter with what object, would be more than likely to draw down upon him most unpleasantly practical demonstrations of popular wrath, and that there were many who would be only too glad of a pretext to foment, and take part in such he was well aware. There was no harm in trying a little bluff though.

He might as well have spared himself the trouble. At all his threats and promises Tom merely laughed good-humouredly. Then Sonnenberg, shaking his fist in the boy's face, ordered him to clear out, to leave his service there and then, which request was met with an equable consent, and a demand for wages up to date.

"I'll see you in h.e.l.l before I'll pay you a cent, you d.a.m.ned black thief," screamed the Jew. "You've robbed me of more than enough already. Get out of this, now, at once, or I'll kick you out."

"_Au_!"

"Do you hear?" screamed the Jew, advancing a step. But the other did not move. He merely reiterated his demand for wages.

"You'll get nothing from me. Now go, before I kick you out. What--you will have it? All right. Take that."

But "that" fell upon empty air. A very ugly look had come into the Kaffir's ordinarily good-humoured face, as he deftly dodged the blow aimed at him. Still, he did not return it. Sonnenberg, reading weakness in this abstinence, rushed at him again.

To a.s.sert an intention of kicking a person out of anywhere may const.i.tute a tolerably resonant threat; but to render it in any way an efficacious one, it follows that the kicker must be of a vastly more powerful habit of body than the kickee, of which salutary consideration Sonnenberg had completely lost sight as, foaming with rage, he returned to the charge. Now, Tom was an extremely thick-set, muscular Kaffir, who thought nothing of carrying a muidsack of mealies or other stuff on his back as often as required, in the process of loading or off-loading waggons in front of the store, whereas his employer was weedy and "soft"

all through, and took a precious deal more bad liquor than good hardening exercise; consequently, when these two closed, the tussle could have but one result. That result was Sonnenberg on his back in the dust of the yard, and the Kaffir sitting upon him, the while lecturing him on the advisability of promising to refrain from further violence if permitted to rise. This the Jew, at length, help not arriving, had no alternative but to do, whereupon his servitor was as good as his word, and in a trice Sonnenberg was standing upright again, the back of his coat and trousers bearing a strong family likeness to Lot's wife subsequent to her "conversion," shaking his fist wildly, and rolling out curses thick and marvellous in many languages. Then he fished some coins out of his pocket, and flinging them at Tom, ordered him to quit that instant, and that he would want every farthing of it and more to pay the fine that would be put upon him for this a.s.sault.

The Kaffir, whose face had resumed its normal good-humour, picked up the money with native imperturbability, and having satisfied himself that it represented every farthing of his wages, coolly pocketed it, and took his departure.

Scarcely were the public offices open than Sonnenberg came rolling in to prefer his charge of a.s.sault against Tom, a proceeding which that astute child of nature met by taking out a cross-summons, and in the result both were dismissed before half heard, Mr Van Stolz remarking on the very strange circ.u.mstance of Lambert witnessing the affair through a window, and yet not going to render a.s.sistance. And Sonnenberg had the pleasure of paying a guinea to the law-agent, Tasker, having--unwisely-- employed that astute pract.i.tioner, in the hope of rendering Tom's conviction doubly sure.

Tom, however, was the gainer by the full amount of his wages, over and above the sum of fifteen pounds which his ex-master had so generously presented him with, in order to compa.s.s an enemy's ruin. Nothing more, however, was said about this, and a few days later he disappeared from Doppersdorp. But greatly did the malevolent Jew rage and swear, as he reflected how he had been done, and, thinking to recognise his hand in the matter throughout, more than ever did he vow the most deadly vengeance upon Roden Musgrave.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

A SHAKE OF THE DICE.

Time stood not still, even at Doppersdorp, and on the whole it went by merrily. There were always mounted contingents proceeding to the seat of war or returning thence, the latter quicker that they went, as the misanthropic Emerson cynically, but we believe libellously, put it.

This kept things lively, especially for such good Doppersdorpers as had anything to sell, and was a state of affairs likely to last indefinitely, for, although actual hostilities were confined to the Transkei, Kreli was scotched, not killed, and as long as the Paramount Chief was at large and unconquered there was no telling how far the rising might spread. Indeed the tribes within the Colonial border, Gaikas, Hlambis, and a section of the Tembus, were reported more and more restless, and ominous rumours filled the air, of a preconcerted rising, of signal fires flashing their dread message nightly from the most prominent mountain heights, of war-dances on a large scale, and the sending of cattle away to places of concealment.

For all these alarms, Doppersdorp, secure in its comparative remoteness from the theatre of strife, cared but little. Still, it must draw some entertainment out of the prevailing excitement, wherefore its already existing Volunteer Corps was promptly remodelled, and many recruits poured in. It was a most important inst.i.tution was this Volunteer Corps, for did it not confer military rank on more than one of the most prominent store-keepers, with whom Solomon in all his glory was not in it, what time these majors and captains were swaggering around in a silver-grey uniform adorned with a shining shoulder strap and a whistle and jingling chain, the while striving hard to be at their ease and yet not stumble over the sabre, which was the proudest adornment of all?

Further, did it not form a convenient outlet to the martial ardour of many a waggon-wright's or blacksmith's apprentice, and perchance a shopman or so--hight a store-clerk in local parlance--who, rising suddenly from their hard-earned slumbers, to the sound of a bugle ringing out the wildest of alarm, would fall into rank for a nocturnal forced march along the waggon road, and, hearts beating high with heroism, effect the surround and capture of three or four amazed and perfectly harmless natives camped for the night? Then it was deemed necessary to place a guard over the nocturnal safety of the township, with periodical patrols, during which some warrior might perchance distinguish himself by spitting with his bayonet a more rashly aggressive cur than ordinary. These heroes found nightly asylum in a "guard-house," devoted to the custody of many fleas and a few insignia of the order of Good Templars, to whom the structure in fact belonged; and when upon his round of inspection one of the newly gazetted majors or captains aforesaid heard the ringing order, "Guard--turn out!" why then indeed he felt he had not lived in vain. But that doughty corps the Doppersdorp Volunteer Rifles had its uses, and in the fulness of time its band learned to play more than two tunes.

Further, there would appear sporadically in Doppersdorp at this time certain warlike individuals, arrayed in nondescript uniform, high boots, and very bright spars, eke helmet, immaculately white. These warriors would swagger around, tapping the boots aforesaid with a chowrie--a weapon which, for some occult reason, they much affected--and giving out darkly that they were recruiting for native levies, of which they were to have command when a sufficient number of recruits had been raised.

In some few instances these "colonels," as the misanthropic Emerson termed them, were _bond fide_, and able to produce credentials at the public offices empowering them to receive rations and a.s.sistance in the furtherance of their plans. Of such, the above misanthrope would predict that, the next time they were heard of would be in connection with "cooking" pay-sheets, or something of the kind. And, alas! for the frailty of human nature, ministering to the triumphant laughter of the cynic, in one or two such instances Emerson's sardonic predictions were fulfilled.

Turning from public affairs to those of private persons, Mona Ridsdale's behaviour, as regarded a certain one of such private persons, had become, all things considered, strange. We say "all things considered"

advisedly, because the change in her demeanour was unaccountable, to say the least of it. The sweet, subtle charm of those days of convalescence, seemed, with the accomplishment of that convalescence, to come to an abrupt termination. Her patient fairly off her hands, Mona seemed to encase herself with a cold reserve, as in a sh.e.l.l. Had she mistaken her feelings after all? Had she given herself away too much, and now desired to draw back before it was too late? Her behaviour puzzled those around her. Suffield noticed it, but like a wise man held his tongue. His wife noticed it, and being a woman, did not hold, hers.

She remonstrated, giving her relative what she termed a little bit of her mind--result, anger, and a lively pa.s.sage of arms.

There was one whom this behaviour did not puzzle, and that was Roden Musgrave himself. To him it afforded no surprise; for it was precisely such as might have been expected. The only thing that did surprise him was that he himself should have been temporarily lulled into believing in, not so much the genuineness, as the durability of the feeling Mona had shown; that a cool, practised head, such as his, should have been thrown off its level, even for the moment. He had been ill, which might account for it. Well, he was well now, and awakened from that fantastic dream. Mona had undoubtedly saved his life by her cool, ready courage; yet now he hardly felt grateful to her. Possibly, she herself regretted she had done so now, in that the failure of her efforts would have spared her the small degree of vexation which might attend her sudden change of front. Those words, those acts at the time, had been wrung from her by a certain warm, hysterical superabundance of feeling which must find an outlet somewhere. This it had found, and the volcano was quiescent again--until the advent of some fresh cause of eruption; some _freak_ cause, be it understood. Clearly hers was one of those surcharged, excitable temperaments, which, craving a new sensation, will conceive an ardent pa.s.sion, flaming with fiercely consuming brilliancy and heat, only to sink, like a burnt-out building, as quickly as it flared--to die into dark, cold, unprofitable ashes. He had seen such before--not once, nor twice--and the outcome was ever the same.

He remembered his first instincts with regard to her. Why had he suffered himself, even partially, to lose sight of them? Well, fortunate that it was only partially, and there was no harm done. Yet, after all, he was human.

Few and far between now were his rides out to Suffield's farm, and then for a visit of but short duration. His spare time he spent mostly in buck-shooting among the mountains, and his ordinary working time was now, since the war, pretty full. For her part, Mona seldom came into Doppersdorp.

But if Roden's visits to the Suffields were infrequent, the same could not be said for those of Lambert. Quick to perceive the state of affairs, the young doctor judged his own opportunity to have come round again, and was not slow to improve it. If Musgrave was out of the running, now was his own time to chip in, as he put it; and truth to tell, his efforts in that direction were received very graciously.

"I'm surprised at you, Mr Musgrave," said Mrs Van Stolz one evening.

"You are letting the doctor cut you out most completely."

"Cut me out?"

"Yes. He is always at the Suffields' now. I thought when you were invalided there, your chance had come, but you seem to have thrown it away again, somehow."

"My chance! My dear Mrs Van Stolz, what on earth 'chance' are you alluding to?"

"Oh, how very innocent we are!" she rejoined archly, while her husband chuckled. "Well, it may not be true, but they say Miss Ridsdale and the doctor take moonlight walks together."

This shaft, meant to be deadly, seemed to fly utterly wide. Roden, who was engaged lighting his pipe at the moment, continued to do so with unmoved countenance and hand as steady as a rock.

"And if it is true, I don't see what earthly business it is of mine," he answered, in so perfectly equable a voice as to astonish his hearers.

"Really I have no more right to challenge Miss Ridsdale's acts than, say, Lambert himself has."

"Perhaps he has by this time, Musgrave," struck in Mr Van Stolz mischievously.