Tales from the Old Karoo by Guy Butler

Author:Guy Butler
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780868522494
Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Published: 2018-07-06T04:11:16+00:00

‘Whenever there was nothing doing on this Outspan’, said Isaac Bowker, ‘he’d come over to Williston Heights, and they’d play together. At other times the Bowkers would all come up here to the Outspan. He had a real genius for organising concerts and dances. They’d spread a wagon sail on a clear piece of ground and dance on that. It’s amazing what music he could extract from the outspan people when there were a lot of wagons here – a German with a piano accordion, a Russian with a balalaika, an Italian with a fiddle, a Spaniard with a trumpet. And he’d get a black man with drums, and someone blowing the Kudu horn, and someone else hitting the wagon tyre with a horseshoe – But when Maisie was paid court to by Mr Robert Sephton he wilted a bit; but what girl in her right mind will stick to a poor musical policeman when a rich young farmer presents himself?’

While Isaac was talking, the south easter had come up, bringing heavy grey-blue clouds, and the smell of rain. The twilight was deepening rapidly.

‘Better come down to the homestead. We’ll finish the story there. We’ll take the old track. I want to show you the place where I heard that piano playing like old Harry in the open night. It’s rough going – the track’s almost gone now. Here! You take the horse. I’ll lead the way on the bike.’

And without more ado, the old man straddled the AJS. Before kicking the starter, he turned and said, ‘Old Prince knows his way in the dark.’

It was years since Charlie had mounted a horse. He was alarmed and delighted. This ride in the twilight – storm clouds accumulating behind him, and ahead of him a seventy-plus eccentric, urging his AJS at breakneck speed along an almost invisible track – made him wonder afresh about the nature of the world he was in. Then, losing his co-ordination with the horse’s movements, he was so banged and bounced about that he had to grab the pommel. He was forced to rein in, to get his feet back into the stirrups. While doing so he felt something evil had been shaken right out of him.

He caught up with his guide on the edge of a ridge. The old chap had switched off the engine and was standing beside the AJS, dead still in the dusk. Charlie dismounted beside him. The only sound seemed to be the panting of the horse.

‘See these big black boulders against the sky – and that twisted gwarrieboom?’

There was a flash of lightning, followed by a distant growl of thunder. Old Prince jerked violently to get free and be off. The old man had to help Charlie control him.

‘We’d better keep going. Tell you later. Change mounts!’

It was with great relief that Charlie handed over the reins. The horse seemed to be terrified of that gwarrieboom – or was it something behind it, or in it? Charlie kicked the starter, and got away from there as fast as he could.

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