Swallow: A Tale of the Great TrekHaggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
History
Swallow: A Tale of the Great Trek
Haggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
Historical fiction; South Africa -- History -- Great Trek, 1836-1840 -- Fiction; Transvaal (South Africa) -- Fiction
So the guest masters led them into the fence of the town and gave them
the guest hut, the largest in the kraal, and the best food that they
had—milk and meal and beef and eggs, as much as they would of it. The
_schimmel_ also was fastened to a post in the little courtyard of the
hut, and a Kaffir who once had served as groom to a white man, washed
him all over with warm water. Afterwards he was given a mash of meal to
eat, and, later, when he was a little rested, his fill of good forage,
which he ate gladly, for, though he was very tired and his legs were
somewhat swollen, otherwise he was none the worse for that great ride.
In the shelter of the hut Suzanne took off her clothes, remembering
with a sort of wonder how she had put them on on the morning of her
marriage, which now seemed years ago, and bathed herself with water.
Then Sihamba having given the garments to a waiting woman to wash,
wrapped her in a soft kaross of fur, and after drinking some milk and
eating a little, Suzanne laid herself down upon a mattress made of the
husks of mealie cobs, and even as she thanked God Who had brought her
safely through so many dangers past, and prayed Him to protect her in
those that were to come, and to comfort the heart of her husband in his
sickness and affliction, she fell asleep. When she saw her sleeping,
but not before, Sihamba crept to her feet, for now that all was over
she could scarcely walk, and laying herself down there slept also.
All the rest of the day they slept, and all the night that followed,
nor did they wake till sunrise of the next morning, when women of the
household of the chief knocked upon the door-board to ask if they
needed aught. Then they rose feeling well and strong again except for
the stiffness of their limbs, and Suzanne clothed herself in the
garments that the woman had washed, combing her dark hair with a Kaffir
comb. Afterwards they ate heartily of the good food that was brought to
them, and left the hut to visit the _schimmel_, that they found almost
recovered and devouring Kaffir sugar-cane, though like themselves he
was somewhat stiff.
Presently, while they stroked and fondled him, a messenger came, saying
that if it pleased the lady Swallow, the chief Sigwe would take counsel
with her in the place of audience. So after a little while they went,
and as they passed out of the kraal fence, Suzanne was received with a
chief’s salute by the escort that was waiting for her. Then surrounding
her and Sihamba, they led them to the place of audience, a circle of
ground enclosed by a high double fence, and as Suzanne entered it once
more all present there, including Sigwe himself, gave her the salute of
chiefs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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