Diamond Dyke: The Lone Farm on the Veldt - Story of South African AdventureFenn, George Manville
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Diamond Dyke: The Lone Farm on the Veldt - Story of South African Adventure
Fenn, George Manville
Adventure stories; South Africa -- Fiction
"You wait dill I haf finish mein bibe, und we vill all go to vork, und
pack dese dings in dem wagon. Now you look here. I dell you about die
diamonds--und der is hartly any potty yet as know--und as zoon as I haf
dell you, I zay to myselfs: `Ach! Hans Morgenstern, you are not a man:
you are chattering old frau, who gannot keep a zecret. You go dell
effery potty.' Und I vas ferry zorry pecause I vas soch an old
dumkopf--you know what dot is?"
"Something head," said Dyke, smiling.
"Yaas, it ist your thick head, poy, shdupid head, und I vas gross mit
myzelf, bud now I am glad. Der pig bruder zaid I vas honest mans, und
just. I am a magistrate, und I dry to be, und I vall out mit den Boers,
und zom oder white men, pecause I zay der Kaffir is a pig shdupid shild,
und you must make him do what you want; but you shall not beat und kill
him for nodings. Ach! you laugh yourselfs pecause I use den shdick.
Neffer mind. I am just, und die Kaffirs know it, und gom und work for
den alt man, und gom pack again. I am glad now I did dell you about die
diamonds. Your bruder ist a gendlemans, und you dell him not to wasde
his dime over die long shanks, and to go for die diamonds, und if he
wands shdores, to gom mit his wagon, und get all he wands, und if he
gannot bay me, id does not madder. Zom day he will ged das money, und
he gan bay me den. Ach! he zaid I vas a honest man, und he is mein
vrient, und dot is der zweetest bibe of dobacco I ever shmoke. Now gom
und help load den wagon, like a goot poy, and zom day, when you grow a
pig man, you may learn to shmoke doo. Boot it ist not goot for poys."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
A DEAD CHECK.
Two pleasant, restful days under the green leaves at old Morgenstern's
farm and store, and he was pressed to stay another; but Dyke was anxious
to get back to his brother, and with Duke limping about, the horse and
bullocks looking quite fresh and well, everything loaded up carefully,
and a cask of sweet, pure water slung at the back of the wagon, Dyke
stood at early dawn ready to start.
The oxen were yoked and hitched on to the dissel-boom and trek tow,
breakfast was over, and all was ready, with Jack flourishing his great
long whip of hippopotamus hide, eager to start.
Just then the hospitable old German signed to the Kaffir to come
alongside, and a chirrup brought up the dog as well.
"Now, mein vrient," said the old man, "you gan oondershtand goot
Englisch, if you gannot shpeak him zo vel ash me, zo you listen. I am a
creat magistrate, und know a lot. I am going to dalk to dot tog, und
you are to hear.--Now, my goot tog, you are better as effer you vas,
heh?"
Duke barked.
"Das ist goot. Now you are going to Kopfontein."
The dog barked loudly.
"Das ist good, too. Now I dell you dis: if Kaffir Jack--you know Kaffir
Jack--dot is him."
He clapped his hand on the black's shoulder, and the dog barked
excitedly.
"Yaas, you know him; und I dell you dot if he does not work, you are to
bide him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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