Waldo through his half-closed eyes looked at them. Thinking, fearing, craving, those tiny sparks of brother life, what were they, so real there in that old yard on that sunshiny afternoon? A few years — where would they be? Strange little brother spirits! He stretched his hand toward them, for his heart went out to them; but not one of the little creatures came nearer him, and he watched them gravely for a time; then he smiled, and began muttering to himself after his old fashion. Afterward he folded his arms upon his knees, and rested his forehead on them. And so he sat there in the yellow sunshine, muttering, muttering, muttering to himself.

It was not very long after when Em came out at the backdoor with a towel thrown across her head, and in her hand a cup of milk.

“Ah,” she said, coming close to him, “he is sleeping now. He will find it when he wakes, and be glad of it.”

She put it down upon the ground beside him. The mother-hen was at work still among the stones, but the chickens had climbed about him, and were perching on him. One stood upon his shoulder, and rubbed its little head softly against his black curls; another tried to balance itself on the very edge of the old felt hat. One tiny fellow stood upon his hand, and tried to crow; another had nestled itself down comfortably on the old coat-sleeve, and gone to sleep there.

Em did not drive them away; but she covered the glass softly at his side. “He will wake soon” she said, “and be glad of it.”

But the chickens were wiser.

THE END.

GLOSSARY

The subjoined Glossary gives the meanings of the several Dutch and Colonial words used in this work:

Benaauwdheit = Indigestion.

Brakje = A little cur of low degree.

Bultong = Dried meat.

In-span = To harness.

Kappje = A sun-bonnet.

Karroo = The wide sandy plains in some parts of South Africa.

Karroo-bushes = The bushes that take the place of grass on these plains.

Kartel = The wooden bed fastened in an ox-wagon. Kopje = A small hillock, or, “little head.”

Kraal = The space surrounded by a stone wall or hedged with thorn branches, into which sheep or cattle are driven at night.

Mealies = Indian corn.

Meerkat = A small weasel-like animal.

Meiboss = Preserved and dried apricots.

Nachtmaal = The Lord’s Supper.

Out-span = To unharness, or a place in the field where one unharnesses.

Predikant = Parson.

Reim = Leather rope.

Schlecht = Bad.

Sloot = A dry watercourse.

Spook = A ghost.

Stamp-block = A wooden block, hollowed out, in which mealies are placed to be pounded before being cooked.

Upsitting = In Boer courtship the man and girl are supposed to sit up together the whole night.

Velschoen = Shoes of undressed leather.

ENDNOTES

PART II

CHAPTER IV

1 Lunatics at the Cape are sent to Robbin Island.

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