Part 41 (2/2)
”No: we can't afford to quarrel. The Kaffir will take care of our nags now, and get another tip for his pains.”
The next minute they were close up to their host, who had evidently been thinking over the words which had last been exchanged.
”You Englanders,” he said, ”think you are very clever; but the Boers beat you before, and they're going to beat you more this time, and drive you all into the sea.”
”Very well!” said West, smiling. ”I hope they'll give us time to get into the s.h.i.+ps.”
”Perhaps!” said the Boer, smoking more rapidly in his excitement. ”But it's all going to be Dutch now! No more Englis.h.!.+”
”All right,” said Ingleborough; ”but I want my supper very badly.”
”Want to eat? Yes; come in! The vrouw says it is nearly ready.”
”That's right; then let's have it.”
”You can come in the house,” continued the farmer, and Ingleborough raised his eyebrows a little in surprise.
But a greater surprise awaited the pair on entering the mud-floored room to find quite a decent meal awaiting them on the table, and their sour-looking heavy hostess ready to wait on them with a kind of surly civility.
The pair were too hungry to think of anything then but appeasing their appet.i.te, and they made a good meal, their host making no scruple about bringing a stool to the table and taking a larger share than either.
He said little, but his little keen eyes examined everything in connection with his visitors' costume, paying most heed to their weapons, while his wife saw to the wants of all from time to time, retiring at intervals to a second room which led out of the first and seemed to have been added quite lately.
”You'll want to sleep soon?” said the farmer inquiringly, when the meal was ended.
”Yes, the sooner the better,” said Ingleborough, rising; an example followed by West; ”and we shall be off in the morning early. We'll take a couple of these cakes.”
The Boer nodded.
”Shall I sell you some biltong?” he said.
”Yes, certainly.”
”I will have it ready. Where are you going now?”
”To look at the ponies.”
”Oh, they are all well. My Kaffir has seen to them.”
”But I suppose we are to sleep out there?” said Ingleborough.
”No,” said the Boer; ”you can sleep there,” and he pointed to a rough-looking bed in one corner of the room. ”My Kaffir sleeps with the horses. My vrouw and I sleep in the other room.”
”Then as soon as we can we should like to turn this dining-room into our bedroom,” said Ingleborough.
”But we'll look at our ponies first.”
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