Diamond Dyke
Page 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
A RESTING-PLACE.
"You are petter as offer you vas, heh?" cried the old trader, thrustinghis face in between the canvas curtains of the wagon end. "Yes, quitewell. Good-morning."
"Ach zo. It is a goot mornings. Ant how is der tog? You vill say howto you are to dem alt Oom Morgenstern. He is goot tog ten, and gettinghimself mended ferry quickly. How vas it he shall pe scratch and piteall ofer hims, heh?"
The old man patted and stroked the dog with his big fat hand, as hespoke in a soft soothing tone, which had the effect of making him thebest of friends with Duke, who whined and licked at the hand, and keptup a regular throbbing pat-pat-pat upon the floor of the wagon.
"Ach yes, ten, he is a ferry goot togs, and he shall pe effer zo muchpetter zoon. Ant zo der pig spotty gat gom und dake him, heh?"
"Yes, poor fellow, one of the great brutes pounced upon him suddenly,and fetched him from right under the wagon," said Dyke. "You were bad,weren't you, Duke, old chap?"
The dog threw up his head and uttered a loud howl, and then began tolick the cuts torn by the leopard's sharp claws.
"Ach! he vas pad, den," said the old man. "But das ist goot vizzick forgoots und pites. Der tog's tongue ist as goot as his tooses ist pad.Ant zo you zhoot hims, heh?"
"What!--the leopard?" said Dyke. "Yes, I shot and hit him, I suppose;but I was afraid of hitting the dog. I fired, though, as a lastchance."
"It was guide right," said the old man, nodding his head. "You do notshoode--you do noding, and der leopards garry away den hund. You doshoode, und if you shoode him, it is petter than for hims to be eatenoop alife, und you may shoode den leopard. Zo! I am happy das you hafezave den tog. He is a goot tog, und a goot tog ist a goot vrient out inder veldt. Now you gom mit me, und die alte voman give us bode zomfruhstuck. You know what ist das?"
Dyke shook his head.
"Das ist goot Deutsch for breakfass, mein young vrient."
"Oh, I see," cried Dyke. "I never learnt Dutch."
"Nein, nein, nein, goot bube. Not Dutch. I did say Deutsch--Sharmans."
"But you are a Boer, are you not?"
"Nein. I did gom ofer from Sharmany dwenty year ago. Dere ist blendyof Dutch Boer varder on. I am Deutsch."
"I'll recollect," said Dyke eagerly.--"But how is Jack the Kaffir? Ishe lying down under the wagon?"
"Nein," cried the old man sharply. "As zoon as he zee me gom, shoostwhen it ist morgen, und he zee mein big shdick, he shoomp oop und go undveed den pferd horse, as he know he should. He's guide well, dank you,now, and work ferry hart, like a goot poy."
The old man wrinkled up his face, shut his eyes, and indulged in ahearty, silent laugh.
"I am zorry," he said, suddenly growing serious; "und I veed and nurse aboor mans, und I zay to him: `Lie you there und go to sleep dill you arebesser.' Boot Meinheer Jack he ist a pig hoomboogs, and I gan zee allfroo him. Dunder and lightning! I gif him der shdick. Now gom und hafden breakfast, und den you shall gom indo mein shdore, und puy diemealies, und gorn, und dea, und goffee, und rice, und zhugars, und bayme den money, und we will load den wagon. Den der vorks is done, undyou shall gom und sit und dalk do me about die osdridge birds, while Ishmoke mein bibe und you rest yourself, und resht die bullocks for twoday. Den you go pack to your pig bruder, who want to see you ferrypad."
"Yes, I want to get back again," said Dyke.
"Das ist goot, bud you moost haf a goot long resht, und go guide wellagain. Und now, my younger vrient, I will dell you zomedings to delldem bruder. You dell him der osdridge ist no goot. I haf dried, bootdey go zick, und guarrel, und fight, und ghick von anoder und eferybodies, und preak die legs; und die hens lay dere nests vull of pigeggs, und die ghocks gom und shoomp upon 'em, und make der feet allovaire gustard und shell, und den no jickens gom. You dell dem bruderdot your beebles haf been vinding die diamonds in der veldt, und he hadpetter go und look vor die brescious shdones, und nod preak hish hartlike der gock osdridge preak die eggs his weibs lays."
"Yes, I'll tell him, Herr Morgenstern. I did want him to come and lookfor gold."
"Ach! der golt ist no goot, bube. Effery potty goes to look for dengolt. You dell him to go und look for die diamonds."
"Yes, but where?" said Dyke drily.
"Dunder und lightning! If I know, I should dake two pig wagon to demplace, all vull of mealies und goot dings, und dell die beebles diediamonds vas here; und vhen dey gom to vind, I should zell mein gootdings und go und vetch zom move. You must go und vind die placeseveryvere all ofers, und dell me. I ken not, bood der are diamonds tobe found. Now you shdop dat ruck a dongue of yours, und do not dalk zomotch like an old vool, und gom und hafe zom breakfast, or the old frauvill gom after us mit a shdick."
He winked comically at Dyke, and led the way to the house, where therewas a warm welcome, and a delicious breakfast of bread and milk andcoffee waiting, with glorious yellow butter and fried bacon to follow.