the story of an african farm-第22节

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are；　and　whose　duty　it　is　to　check　and　correct　you。〃



Saying　this；　Bonaparte　stood　up　and　took　down　the　key　of　the　fuel…house；

which　hung　on　a　nail　against　the　wall。



〃Walk　on；　my　boy；〃　said　Bonaparte；　pointing　to　the　door；　and　as　he　followed

him　out　he　drew　his　mouth　expressively　on　one　side；　and　made　the　lash　of

the　little　horsewhip　stick　out　of　his　pocket　and　shake　up　and　down。



Tant　Sannie　felt　half　sorry　for　the　lad；　but　she　could　not　help　laughing；

it　was　always　so　funny　when　one　was　going　to　have　a　whipping；　and　it　would

do　him　good。　　Anyhow；　he　would　forget　all　about　it　when　the　places　were

healed。　　Had　not　she　been　beaten　many　times　and　been　all　the　better　for　it？



Bonaparte　took　up　a　lighted　candle　that　had　been　left　burning　on　the

kitchen　table；　and　told　the　boy　to　walk　before　him。　　They　went　to　the　fuel…

house。　　It　was　a　little　stone　erection　that　jutted　out　from　the　side　of　the

wagon…house。　　It　was　low　and　without　a　window；　and　the　dried　dung　was　piled

in　one　corner；　and　the　coffee…mill　stood　in　another；　fastened　on　the　top　of

a　short　post　about　three　feet　high。　　Bonaparte　took　the　padlock　off　the

rough　door。



〃Walk　in；　my　lad；〃　he　said。



Waldo　obeyed　sullenly；　one　place　to　him　was　much　the　same　as　another。　　He

had　no　objection　to　being　locked　up。



Bonaparte　followed　him　in；　and　closed　the　door　carefully。　　He　put　the　light

down　on　the　heap　of　dung　in　the　corner；　and　quietly　introduced　his　hand

under　his　coat…tails；　and　drew　slowly　from　his　pocket　the　end　of　a　rope；

which　he　concealed　behind　him。



〃I'm　very　sorry；　exceedingly　sorry；　Waldo；　my　lad；　that　you　should　have

acted　in　this　manner。　　It　grieves　me；〃　said　Bonaparte。



He　moved　round　toward　the　boy's　back。　　He　hardly　liked　the　look　in　the

fellow's　eyes；　though　he　stood　there　motionless。　　If　he　should　spring　on

him！



So　he　drew　the　rope　out　very　carefully；　and　shifted　round　to　the　wooden

post。　　There　was　a　slipknot　in　one　end　of　the　rope；　and　a　sudden　movement

drew　the　boy's　hands　to　his　back　and　passed　it　round　them。　　It　was　an

instant's　work　to　drag　it　twice　round　the　wooden　post：　　then　Bonaparte　was

safe。



For　a　moment　the　boy　struggled　to　free　himself；　then　he　knew　that　he　was

powerless；　and　stood　still。



〃Horses　that　kick　must　have　their　legs　tied；〃　said　Bonaparte；　as　he　passed

the　other　end　of　the　rope　round　the　boy's　knees。　　〃And　now；　my　dear　Waldo；〃

taking　the　whip　out　of　his　pocket；　〃I　am　going　to　beat　you。〃



He　paused　for　a　moment。　　It　was　perfectly　quiet；　they　could　hear　each

other's　breath。



〃'Chasten　thy　son　while　there　is　hope；'〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃'and　let　not　thy

soul　spare　for　his　crying。'　　Those　are　God's　words。　　I　shall　act　as　a

father　to　you；　Waldo。　　I　think　we　had　better　have　your　naked　back。〃



He　took　out　his　penknife；　and　slit　the　shirt　down　from　the　shoulder　to　the

waist。



〃Now；〃　said　Bonaparte；　〃I　hope　the　Lord　will　bless　and　sanctify　to　you　what

I　am　going　to　do　to　you。〃



The　first　cut　ran　from　the　shoulder　across　the　middle　of　the　back；　the

second　fell　exactly　in　the　same　place。　　A　shudder　passed　through　the　boy's

frame。



〃Nice；　eh？〃　said　Bonaparte；　peeping　round　into　his　face；　speaking　with　a

lisp；　as　though　to　a　very　little　child。　　〃Nith；　eh？〃



But　the　eyes　were　black　and　lustreless；　and　seemed　not　to　see　him。　　When　he

had　given　sixteen　Bonaparte　paused　in　his　work　to　wipe　a　little　drop　of

blood　from　his　whip。



〃Cold；　eh？　　What　makes　you　shiver　so？　　Perhaps　you　would　like　to　pull　up

your　shirt？　　But　I've　not　quite　done　yet。〃



When　he　had　finished　he　wiped　the　whip　again；　and　put　it　back　in　his

pocket。　　He　cut　the　rope　through　with　his　penknife；　and　then　took　up　the

light。



〃You　don't　seem　to　have　found　your　tongue　yet。　　Forgotten　how　to　cry？〃　said

Bonaparte；　patting　him　on　the　cheek。



The　boy　looked　up　at　himnot　sullenly；　not　angrily。　　There　was　a　wild；

fitful　terror　in　the　eyes。　　Bonaparte　made　haste　to　go　out　and　shut　the

door；　and　leave　him　alone　in　the　darkness。　　He　himself　was　afraid　of　that

look。



。。。



It　was　almost　morning。　　Waldo　lay　with　his　face　upon　the　ground　at　the　foot

of　the　fuel…heap。　　There　was　a　round　hole　near　the　top　of　the　door；　where　a

knot　of　wood　had　fallen　out；　and　a　stream　of　grey　light　came　in　through　it。



Ah；　it　was　going　to　end　at　last。　　Nothing　lasts　forever；　not　even　the

night。　　How　was　it　he　had　never　thought　of　that　before？　　For　in　all　that

long　dark　night　he　had　been　very　strong；　had　never　been　tired；　never　felt

pain；　had　run　on　and　on；　up　and　down；　up　and　down；　he　had　not　dared　to

stand　still；　and　he　had　not　known　it　would　end。　　He　had　been　so　strong；

that　when　he　struck　his　head　with　all　his　force　upon　the　stone　wall　it　did

not　stun　him　nor　pain　himonly　made　him　laugh。　　That　was　a　dreadful　night。



When　he　clasped　his　hands　frantically　and　prayed〃O　God；　my　beautiful　God；

my　sweet　God；　once；　only　once；　let　me　feel　you　near　me　tonight！〃　he　could

not　feel　him。　　He　prayed　aloud；　very　loud；　and　he　got　no　answer；　when　he

listened　it　was　all　quite　quietlike　when　the　priests　of　Baal　cried　aloud

to　their　god〃Oh；　Baal；　hear　us！　　Oh；　Baal；　hear　us！　　But　Baal　was　gone　a…

hunting。



That　was　a　long　wild　night；　and　wild　thoughts　came　and　went　in　it；　but　they

left　their　marks　behind　them　forever：　　for；　as　years　cannot　pass　without

leaving　their　traces　behind　them；　neither　can　nights　into　which　are　forced

the　thoughts　and　sufferings　of　years。　　And　now　the　dawn　was　coming；　and　at

last　he　was　very　tired。　　He　shivered　and　tried　to　draw　the　shirt　up　over

his　shoulders。　　They　were　getting　stiff。　　He　had　never　known　they　were　cut

in　the　night。　　He　looked　up　at　the　white　light　that　came　in　through　the

hole　at　the　top　of　the　door　and　shuddered。　　Then　he　turned　his　face　back　to

the　ground　and　slept　again。



Some　hours　later　Bonaparte　came　toward　the　fuel…house　with　a　lump　of　bread

in　his　hand。　　He　opened　the　door　and　peered　in；　then　entered；　and　touched

the　fellow　with　his　boot。　　Seeing　that　he　breathed　heavily；　though　he　did

not　rouse；　Bonaparte　threw　the　bread　down　on　the　ground。　　He　was　alive；

that　was　one　thing。　　He　bent　over　him；　and　carefully　scratched　open　one　of

the　cuts　with　the　nail　of　his　forefinger；　examining　with　much　interest　his

last　night's　work。　　He　would　have　to　count　his　sheep　himself　that　day；　the

boy　was　literally　cut　up。　　He　locked　the　door　and　went　away　again。



〃Oh；　Lyndall；〃　said　Em；　entering　the　dining　room；　and　bathed　in　tears；　that

afternoon；　〃I　have　been　begging　Bonaparte　to　let　him　out；　and　he　won't。〃



〃The　more　you　beg　the　more　he　will　not；〃　said　Lyndall。



She　was　cutting　out　aprons　on　the　table。



〃Oh；　but　it's　late；　and　I　think　they　want　to　kill　him；〃　said　Em；　weeping

bitterly；　and　finding　that　no　more　consolation　was　to　be　gained　from　her

cousin；　she　went　off　blubbering〃I　wonder　you　can　cut　out　aprons　when

Waldo　is　shut　up　like　that。〃



For　ten　minutes　after　she　was　gone　Lyndall　worked　on　quietly；　then　she

folded　up　her　stuff；　rolled　it　tightly　together；　and　stood　before　the

closed　door　of　the　sitting　room　with　her　hands　closely　clasped。　　A　flush

rose　to　her　face：　　she　opened　the　door　quickly；　and　walked　in；　went　to　the

nail　on　which　the　key　of　the　fuel…room　hung。　　Bonaparte　and　Tant　Sannie　sat

there　and　saw　her。



〃What　do　you　want？〃　they　asked　together。



〃This　key；〃　she　said；　holding　it　up；　and　looking　at　them。



〃Do　you　mean　her　to　have　it？〃　said　Tant　Sannie　in　Dutch。



〃Why　don't　you　stop　her？〃　asked　Bonaparte　in　English。



〃Why　don't　you　take　it　from　her？〃　said　Tant　Sannie。



So　they　looked　at　each　other；　talking；　while　Lyndall　walked　to　the　fuel…

house　with　the　key；　her　underlip　bitten　in。



〃Waldo；〃　she　said；　as　she　helped　him　to　stand　up；　and　twisted　his　arm　about

her　waist　to　support　him；　〃we　will　not　be　children　always；　we　shall　have

the　power；　too；　some　day。〃　　She　kissed　his　naked　shoulder　with　her　soft

little　mouth。　　It　was　all　the　comfort　her　young　soul　could　give　him。





Chapter　1。XIII。　　He　Makes　Love。



〃Here；〃　said　Tant　Sannie　to　her　Hottentot　maid；　〃I　have　been　in　this　house

four　years；　and　never　been　up　in　the　loft。　　Fatter　women　than　I　go　up

ladders；　I　will　go　up　today　and　see　what　it　is　like；　and　put　it　to　rights

up　there。　　You　bring　the　little　ladder　and　stand　at　the　bottom。〃



〃There's　one　would　be　sorry　if　you　were　to　fall；〃　said　the　Hottentot　maid；

leering　at　Bonaparte's　pipe；　that　lay　on　the　table。



〃Hold　your　tongue；　jade；〃　said　her　mistress；　trying　to　conceal　a　pleased

smile；　〃and　go　and　fetch　the　ladder。〃



There　was　a　never…used　trap…door　at　one　end　of　the　sitting　room：　　this　the

Hottentot　maid　pushed　open；　and　setting　the　ladder　against　it；　the　Boer…

woman　with　some　danger　and　difficulty　climbed　into　the　loft。　　Then　the

Hottentot　maid　took　the　ladder　away；　as　her　husband　was　mending　the　wagon…

house；　and　needed　it；　but　the　trap…door　was　lef