Part 7 (1/2)

She must endure these o'ercharged dragging hours, This th' unspoken horror of her life, The dread that sapped her strength, and drained her powers, The guarded secret of a brave man's wife!

d.i.c.k would come back to-morrow with the light Of morn. But fear would be her Lord to-night.

Beth turned her to the stoep. With sensuous breath The moonflower drenched the garden in its scent, Ardent, voluptuous, and white as death It hung long blossoms, heavy with intent.

The morning glories folded into sleep.

Lay purple in undress, and slumber deep.

Behind the wattles rose the circled moon, Splas.h.i.+ng her silver over poort and track.

The boys went chattering to their kraals, and soon Long shadows ribbed the tent in white and black.

Beth closed the entrance fast, then slowly sped, A lonely woman, to a lonely bed.

Come away, Come away, Come, come, come away, For the moon, For the moon Wove a shroud in the day, All of white, All of white, Which she flings over all In the night, In the night Like a pall, In the night, in the night.

Come away, Come away, Come, come, come away, For the moon, For the moon Threw my blossoms a ray, They are white, Deadly white, And their petals are pale, Wan and light.

Do not fail, Come away--in the night.

Come away, Come away, Come, come, come away, For the moon, For the moon Wove a shroud in the day, And my scent, Oh my scent Which I waft over all, Is of death!

Feel its breath!

And the moon made a pall Which she lent to us all, To us all!

Come away.... Come away, Come, Come, Come....

”Come, come!”--The sleeper moved. An argent shroud Woven with silver cross-st.i.tch into stars.

Was that the moonflower singing from the cloud?

Why were its petals bruised and veined with scars?

”Come!”--It was not the moonflower. Wide awake Beth started up. That voice!--For pity's sake!

That dear loved voice. The midnight echoed clear, Rang with that urgent summons from the veld, That startling premonition. Far and near Cries s.h.i.+vered through her brain. d.i.c.k's voice. She felt It vibrant in her ears. A call, for her.

She sprang up quickly, every sense astir.

Down past the shadowed garden, through the kloof, She knew the way, she followed to the cry.

No stealthy footpad, sound of howl or hoof Could scare her in the awful mystery Of G.o.d-begotten knowledge. d.i.c.k had called, Terrestrial things nor checked her, nor appalled.

”This is the shroud,” she murmured. Over all The moon had spread her splendour, cold and white.

”This is the s.h.i.+ning drapery, the pall, This h.o.a.ry sheet of clean pellucid light.”

Grasping a small revolver in her hand She hurried on, across the broken land.

A mighty Silence wrapped the veld in dreams.

The breath of night hung in the soundless air.

A wilderness unknown, unconquered streams Lay with the Universe, at one, to dare In majesty of nature, undisturbed The flux of centuries, untrod, uncurbed.

The white world grew before her. Silhouettes Of shadowed kopjes struck against the sky.

The vlei gleamed fitfully. With sharp-edged frets The coa.r.s.e gra.s.s cut the horizon l.u.s.tily.

The dancing moonway on the swollen drift Broke into patterns on the current swift.

Thwarted. Beth stared in piteous dismay.

A frantic river, wild with recent rains, Largened beyond all daring, barred her way.

Flooding the plains, drunk with illicit gains It dashed with savage fury, tossing high Its waters over bank and boundary.

The girl looked anxiously around. Below The river widened, shallowing its bed, Seeming to flow on leisurely and slow.