Old Hendrik's Tales

by Arthur Owen Vaughan

“Ou’ Wolf was always such a big fool,” protested the eldest boy, with the wondrous contempt of his years; “such a fool to let that Ou’ Jackal best him every time, like he did.”

“Well,” admitted Old Hendrik with a grin, “Ou’ Wolf he might ha’ look out a bit mo’ p’r’aps, when he come near Ou’ Jackalse. But den, I tell you, darie Ou’ Jackalse is yust dat slim dere ain’t no slimmer. If you want to keep ahead o’ him you’d ha’ to get up so early dere ain’t no time to go to bed, an’ den you’d on’y see his heel dust away yonder. Look dat time when Ou’ Jackalse got Ou’ Wolf into goin’ a-sheep stealin’ wid him. What ’ud you want mo’ fairer dan dat look at de start? An’ den what about de finis’ of it?

“Times is been a lot better many a time dan dey was den. De rinderpest was gone a’ right enough, but de game was mighty sca’se yet, an’ if Ou’ Jackalse want to live on meat he hatto go mostly stalkin’ roun’ farmers’ kraals for sheep. But him bein’ doin’ it on his lonesome he ain’t had so much luck as he tink he’d like to have. One kraal specially he yust would like to get into, an’ dere he tink he’d have de biggest feed of his life. It’s a’ right to get into it some night an’ fill hisse’f up to de eyes wid meat, but dere’s de mawnin’ after—dat’s de trouble. De mawnin’ after de man’s a-goin’ to find out what’s happen’, an’ he’ll get his dogs an’ hunt for de one dat did it. An’ Ou’ Jackalse he’s a-goin’ to be too full o’ feed to be hunted dat nex’ mawnin’. Huntin’ ain’t a-goin’ to agree wid him at all dat nex’ day.

“But he wants dat feed, an’ he don’t want to get ketched—dat’s two tings; an’ he tink, an’ he tink, an’ study, but it all come back to de one ting; he’ll yust hatto rope Ou’ Wolf into de game if he’s a-goin’ to do it at all.

“Well, he raunge about, an’ he dodge about till at last he see Ou’ Wolf a-comin’. Den he turn his back to him an’ make like he’s a-slinkin’ an’ a-stalkin’ ahter sometin’. Dat set Ou’ Wolf a-wonderin’, an’ he sit down an’ watch Ou’ Jackalse a-stealin’ an’ a-feelin’ troo de bushes till he’s most out o’ sight. ‘Tell you what,’ ses Ou’ Wolf to hisse’f, ‘darie Ou’ Jackalse is ahter sometin’ good, I know. I’s better watch him an’ see if dere ain’t sometin’ in it for me too.’

“So up he get an’ stalk on ahter Ou’ Jackalse; an’ Ou’ Jackalse he don’t let on but yust keeps on a-walkin’ an’ a-baulkin’ till he comes to where he can see dat kraal he’s a-wantin’ at. Dere he get behind a big stone where Ou’ Wolf ain’t a-gun’ to see him till he step out right alongside him.

“Ou’ Wolf he keep on a-stalk an’ a-stalkin’, till all in a eye-open he find hisse’f rubbin’ ribses wid Ou’ Jackalse, an’ he’s dat ’stonish dat he ketch his breaf, an’ he don’t know de fust word to say.

“But Ou’ Jackalse open on him wid de biggest wide-open smile. ‘Oh!’ ses he, ‘so dat’s you, is it? An’ you stalks me like dat, does you? By de jimminy, I al’ays did say you was about de slimmes’ ole takhaar on de veldt. Well, dat’s good, dat is, to ketch me like dat; an’ now you’s foun’ me out I s’pose I’ll ha’ to own up. Dat is de kraal I’s a-gun’ to get de big feed outo’. But I don’t mind anyhow; dere’s enough for de two of us, an’ forty times over if dat’s all. An’ to-night’s a-gun’ to be yust de right night as well.’

“Ou’ Wolf he’s dat shamed at bein’ ketched like dat, an’ dat glad o’ gettin’ off so good, dat he sit right down an’ talk growly to save his feelin’s. ‘Ho! you ses dere’s enough for de two on us, does you. Dat’s how many?’

“‘You count ’em when you sees ’em by’n’by,’ ses Ou’ Jackalse. ‘You wait here till it ’gins to get night an’ den you’ll see de sheep yust make darie kraal white. An’ fat!—dey’s yust so fat dey waddles.’