The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tales of South Africa, by H.A. Bryden

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Title: Tales of South Africa

Author: H.A. Bryden

Release Date: June 20, 2010 [EBook #32914]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

Tales of South Africa, by H.A. Bryden.

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TALES OF SOUTH AFRICA, BY H.A. BRYDEN.

CHAPTER ONE.

THE SECRET OF VERLOREN VLEI.

It was not until my second season's hunting with Koenraad du Plessis
that I heard of Verloren Vlei, a place I am never likely to forget. Du
Plessis was a Transvaal Boer, descended, as his name implies, from that
good Huguenot stock which, after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes,
made its way to the Cape to replenish the Dutch settlers. The French
language quickly died out in South Africa, mainly from a stern
repression; yet here and there, all over that vast land, you may see at
this day, in the strong and stubborn Boer breed, plain traces of the
French admixture. Du Plessis bore about him very certain indications of
his ancestry. He was shortish for a Boer, very dark of complexion,
keen-eyed, merry, alert, vigorous and active as a cat.

Nineteen years ago, the north and east of the Transvaal, and the
countries just across the border, were wild and little-known lands,
still teeming with game. I was wandering through this region, hunting
and exploring. The gold-fever had recently broken out, and as I
understood something of mining and geology, I put in a good deal of
prospecting as well. It was a vagrant, delightful existence, and I
thoroughly enjoyed it.

Du Plessis and I met first in the north of Waterberg. I found him an
excellent good fellow; he took to me; and we quickly became great
friends. We trekked along the Crocodile River together, crossed it
before it takes its southerly bend, and, for the whole of the dry winter
season, hunted in a glorious veldt abounding in game. So excellent a
comrade had I found the Boer, and so well ha