‘You have only to read some of the letters on public questions, such as often appear in the Dutch papers, written by them, to get some idea of the natural abilities of the unlearned Boer,’ remarked Steve, rising and leaving the room, as he was tired and wanted to go to bed. CHAPTER II A GREENHORN Twelve months passed after this--uneventfully, so far as Steve’s private life was concerned. But at this time he had an attack of malarial fever, which left him weak and pale. He decided to take a week’s holiday, and spend it at the farm of an old farmer who had often asked him to pay him a visit. After a couple of days’ stay at this farm, he found his health and strength coming back to him. On the third day of his stay, he went for a walk, accompanied by Fritz, the son of his host, and a Hollander who had only just arrived the day before to take up the position of tutor in the family of the old farmer. Fritz was a merry, mischievous young fellow of eighteen; and as he was considered old enough to assist his father in looking after the farm, he was not a pupil of the new teacher, and therefore considered himself at liberty to make as much fun of the _green_ Hollander as opportunity offered. During the walk above mentioned, Fritz had taken the opportunity to begin _Mijnheer van der Tromp’s education_, as he termed it. ‘How is he going to educate the children while _his_ education is being neglected?’ was his question, in answer to his father’s remonstrances. He began the Hollander’s education by marching him through the orchard, in Steve’s company, and giving him the names of the different kinds of fruit and vegetables--all wrong, of course. ‘Do you see this tree, mijnheer? It is the sweet potato tree,’--it was a peach. ‘Oh, you don’t say so! Do sweet potatoes grow on such a tall tree? I should like to taste some of them when they are ripe.’ ‘And this is a pine apple tree,’ remarked Fritz, pointing out a fine banana bush. ‘How wonderful Nature is,’ soliloquised the poor city bred Hollander. ‘Everything in Nature has its peculiar wonders, and is made by God with its own peculiar habits.’ ‘And this tree, teacher, which you see is full of beautiful yellow ripe fruit, is our South African fig?’ continued Fritz, now drawing the attention of the teacher to a fine specimen of the prickly pear. (Turkish _fig_ is the Dutch name for it literally translated.) ‘What, are these figs? and are they fit for eating now?’ asked Mijnheer van der Tromp. ‘Oh, yes, teacher, and I can assure you they are delicious eating too,’ replied Fritz, turning away and walking on. Of course Fritz knew what was going to happen. Steve had walked on a few paces, as he was afraid he would be unable to contain his laughter if he listened any longer to Fritz’s fooling; so the poor Hollander was perfectly at the mercy of Fritz, as Steve did not overhear the information just given about the prickly pear.