Part 63 (1/2)
”Surely,” thought Von Bloom, ”there must be water there I shall ride forward and see”
But his horse had scarcely waited for hi upon the bridle; and as soon as his head was turned in the direction of the tree, he started forith outstretched neck, snorting as he rushed along
The rider, trusting to the instinct of his horse, surrendered up the bridle; and in less than fivefroushed out within a dozen yards of the tree
The field-cornet would now have hastened back to the wagon: but he thought that by allowing his horse to browse an hour or so upon the grass, he would ood tiave the animal his liberty, while he stretched hireat tree
As he lay, he could not help ad the wonderful production of nature that towered est trees he had ever beheld It was of the kind known as the ”nwana” tree, a species of _ficus_, with large sycanificent head Its trunk was full twenty feet in diaht without a branch, and then spreading off into numerous lih the thick foliage Von Blooe as cocoa-nuts; and upon these the parrots and several other kinds of birds appeared to be feeding
Other trees of the sa distances apart; and though they were all taller than the surrounding tirew by the spring
The field-cornet, as he enjoyed the cool shade which its u what an admirable spot it would be to build a kraal The in placed beneath its friendly shelter, need never dread the fierce rays of the African sun; even the rain could scarce penetrate its leafy canopy In fact, its dense foliage almost constituted a roof of itself
Had his cattle still remained to him, no doubt the vee-boer would have resolved at once toas it hat now could he do in such a place? To him it would be only a wilderness There was no species of industry he could follow in such a reht sustain hiame was plenteous all around But that would be but a sorry existence, with no promise for the future What would his children do hereafter? Were they to groith no other end than to become poor hunters--no better than the wild Bushmen? No! no! no! To make a home there would be out of the question A few days to recruit his wearied horses, and then he would le and trek back to the settleot back? He knew not what then His future was gloo in such reflections for an hour or ht hiht and bridled his horse, he mounted and set forth
The anirass and cool water, carried hi; and in less than two hours he ca the horses
These were taken back to the wagon and harnessed in; and then the great vehicle once more ”treked” across the plains
Before the sun had set, the long white cap-tent was gleaantic ”nwana”
CHAPTER XV
THE TERRIBLE TSETSE
The verdant carpet that stretched away around thereen leaves upon the trees--the flowers by the fountain--the crystal water in its bed--the black bold rocks towering up at a distance--all combined to lad as they beheld it; and while the wagon was outspanning, every one gave utterance to their delightful emotions
The place seemed to please every one Hans loved its quiet and sylvan beauty It was just such a place as he would choose to ramble in, book in hand, and dream away many a pleasant hour Hendrik liked it much, because he had already observed what he termed ”extensive spoor” about the spot: in other words, he had noticed the tracks of est wild anihted to see so eraniueous belladonna lily, with its large blossoms of rose-colour and white; and there were not only plants in flower, but bushes, and even trees, covered with gaudy and sweetly-perfuar-bush,” the e cup-shaped corollas of pink, white, and green; and there, too, was the ”silver-tree” whose soft silvery leaves playing in the breeze, looked like a huge mass of silken flowers; and there were the olden yellow that filled the air with their strong and agreeable perfuetation were around or near at hand: the arborescent aloes, with their tall flower-spikes of coral red, and euphorbias of many shapes; and _zamia_, with its palinae_ All these were observed in the neighbourhood of this new-discovered fountain
But what received little Truey's admiration more than any other was the beautiful blue water-lily, which is certainly one of the loveliest of Africa's flowers Close by the spring, but a little farther in the direction of the plain, was a vley, or pool--in fact, it ht have been termed a small lake--and upon the quiet boso in all their gorgeous beauty
Truey, leading her little pet on a string, had gone down on the bank to look at the at such pretty things
”I hope papa will stay here a long time,” she said to her companion, little Jan
”And I hope so too Oh! Truey, what a fine tree yon is! Look! nuts as big as my head, I declare Bless me, sis! how are we to knock some of thehted with the new scenes around the people were inclined to be happy, yet they were checked in their expression of it, by observing that there was a cloud on the brow of their father He had seated hiround, as though he were busy with painful reflections All of them noticed this