‘I don’t keep forage for every cheating Jew of a _Smouse_ who may come to cheat me. You had better go; I don’t want to buy anything, and my dogs are very _Kwaai_ (fierce).’
‘We are not _Smouses_, Mijnheer, we are going to the bush veld for a little shooting and want to buy a few bundles of oats for our poor tired horses.’
‘And what may your name be?’ he asked, still suspecting.
‘At G----, Cape Colony? That is where _my_ parents come from, and my great grandmother was a Joubert. We must be related then, surely?’
The ice was broken, the old man came out, shook hands, accepted Keith’s tobacco pouch, filled his pipe, and assisted to outspan the horses, led the way to the stable, and, hey presto! the horses were contentedly chewing plenty of good oats. The party was invited into the house and coffee brought forth, while poor Steve had for a full long hour to explain the genealogy of his house, and hear that of the host explained; and the old man succeeded in explaining how they were related. Steve did not exactly understand the conversation, but from the old man’s use of words, such as cousin in the third and fourth degree ‘to my grandmother,’ and so forth, he thought it must be somewhere in Noah’s time that the relationship commenced. However, as the pretended relationship helped to feed the horses, he did not complain. After an hour’s good feed, the horses were once more inspanned, and, much to Steve’s relief, his new-found relative was left behind, in spite of urgent appeals from the said relative to spend the day there.
They arrived early in the afternoon at Mijnheer Stienberg’s, and were well received by the family. The old man and his wife were emigrants themselves from the Cape Colony, and belonged to the most progressive class of farmers. A good governess was kept for the boys and girls, and the farm work was carried on progressively and at a good profit.
The young men enjoyed a real pleasant social evening with the governess and the girls, who were all good musicians and had splendid voices. The young fellows, who all liked music, joined them in several songs, but enjoyed most to lie back in their easy-chairs and listen to the fresh voices of the girls singing Dutch and English ballads and hymns. Thus they occupied themselves until a late hour, after which they went to bed and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. An early start was made the next day, for all were anxious now to reach the bush veld.