Swallow | Page 6

for Jan, my man, saw it; he saw his
father and his uncle hanged like dogs. When they pushed them from the
beam four of the ropes broke--perhaps they had been tampered with, I
know not-- but still the devils who murdered them would show no
mercy. Jan ran to his father and cast his arms about him, but they tore
him away.
"Do not forget, my son," he gasped as he lay there on the ground with
the broken rope about his neck, nor did Jan ever forget.
It was after this that the Botmars trekked into the Transkei, and with
them some other families, amongst whom were the Naudes, my parents.
Here in the Transkei the widow Botmar and my father were near

neighbours, their steads being at a distance from each other of about
three hours upon horseback, or something over twenty miles. In those
days, I may say it without shame now, I was the prettiest girl in the
Transkei, a great deal prettier than my granddaughter Suzanne there,
although some think well of her looks, but not so well as she thinks of
them herself, for that would be impossible. I have been told that I have
noble French blood in my veins, though I care little for this, being quite
content to be one of the Boers, who are all of noble blood. At least I
believe that my great-grandfather was a French Huguenot Count who
fled from his country to escape massacre because of his religion. From
him and his wife Suzanne, so it is said, we women of the Naudes get
our beauty, for we have always been beautiful; but the loveliest of the
race by far was my daughter Suzanne who married the Englishman,
Ralph Kenzie, from which time our good looks have begun to fall off,
though it is true that he was no ill-favoured man.
Whatever the cause, in my youth, I was not like the other Boer girls,
who for the most part are stout, heavy, and slow of speech, even before
they are married, nor did I need to wear a /kapje/ to keep a pink and
white face from burning in the sun. I was not tall, but my figure was
rounded and my movements were as quick as my tongue. Also I had
brown hair that curled and brown eyes beneath it, and full red lips,
which all the young men of that district--and there were six of them
who can be counted--would have given their best horse to kiss, with the
saddle and bridle thrown in. But remember this, Suzanne, I never
suffered them to do so, for in my time girls knew better what was right.
Well, among all these suitors I favoured Jan Botmar, the old cripple
who sits yonder, though in those days he was no cripple but the
properest man a girl could wish to see. My father was against such a
match, for he had the old French pride of race in him, and thought little
of the Botmar family, as though we were not all the children of one
God--except the black Kaffirs, who are the children of the devil. But in
the end he gave way, for Jan was well-to-do; so after we had "opsitted"
together several times according to our customs, and burnt many very
long candles,[*] we were married and went to live on a farm of our own
at a distance. For my part I have never regretted it, although doubtless I

might have done much better for myself; and if Jan did, he has been
wise enough not to say so to me. In this country most of us women
must choose a man to look after--it is a burden that Heaven lays upon
us--so one may as well choose him one fancies, and Jan was my fancy,
though why he should have been I am sure I do not know. Well, if he
had any wits left he would speak up and tell what a blessing I have
been to him, and how often my good sense has supplied the lack of his,
and how I forgave him, yes, and helped him out of the scrape when he
made a fool of himself with--but I will not write of that, for it makes
me angry, and as likely as not I should throw something at him before I
had finished, which he would not understand.
[*] It is customary among the Boers for the suitor to sit up alone at
night with the object of his choice. Should the lady favour him, she
lights long candles, but if he does not please her she produces "ends,"
signifying thereby that she prefers his room to his company.--Author.
No, no; I do not regret it, and,