Wie gaat er mee naar Engeland varen?
Darcy turned a quizzical eye on Elizabeth. “The first two lines of a Dutch children’s song; these are the English words—
White swans, black swans,
Will you sail to England with me?
“The song is about people, black and white—of all types.Engelandin Dutch sounds similar toangelland,which meansheaven.”
She kissed Darcy gently on his cheek but then stepped quickly back, embarrassed by her forwardness in the presence of the others of their party.
“My apologies, William, I didn’t mean to be so indiscreet. But is this not truly heaven—to be so remote from society, to be able to enjoy Nature in all her Glory, unsullied by brick and mortar!”
Harshita lit a cooking fire, over which she hung a large pot and kettle, and began to prepare their supper. She had muchexperience of camp living, having marched with Sgt. Monogan in India. Maria was minding the Monogans’ boy and walked down to the lagoon’s edge to show him the swans—these were completely unafraid of people and sedately swam by, showing not the slightest interest in the pair.
The peace was abruptly broken by a deep rumbling that came through the ground all around them. Mr. Garby and Sgt. Monogan ran to the cart to retrieve their muskets.
“Wild cattle!” shouted Garby. “They are extremely ferocious and may become aggressive. Stay still! Harshita, build up the fire—they dislike smoke and may leave us alone.”
Suddenly, a scream rang out from near the lagoon. There, surrounded by a herd of some forty horned beasts, was Maria clutching the child, who, due to the fright of being encircled by such large animals, burst into tears. Maria was beside herself with fear; she had nowhere to go, every route back to the camp was blocked. Sgt. Monogan raised his musket.
“Stop!” cried Elizabeth. “Shooting a beast will only stir them to anger. Cows are curious creatures; they only seek to make sense of Maria’s trespass on their territory. Do you wish them, and that bull now come up, to turn their attention to us? Sergeant, do you know how to kill a bull with one discharge of your musket? Surely you never had the opportunity in India, where all cattle are sacred. And Mr. Garby, you know unless your shot pierces the skull or the spine, even if mortally wounded, a bull will continue to charge.”
“But the child, and poor Maria—even by accident, they could be trampled.” Darcy turned to Elizabeth. “And what do you propose?”
As he feared—Elizabeth, who never retreated from a challenge: “We raised cattle in Hertfordshire, though not as wild and fierce as these. I shall retrieve Maria.” Darcy made to protest, but she turned abruptly to him and also directed herself to Sgt. Monogan and Mr. Garby. “Black cattle, such asthese, have poor eyesight—they have difficulty focusing but are excellent at detecting movement. They are led by smell. You, gentlemen, are male, the same as the bull. Your scent may tag you as competitors. Whereas I’m female”—she blushed—“I should be safe from his temper.”
Elizabeth began to walk slowly towards the herd. “Stop! This riding habit is too wide; it drags on the ground. If I were to hold it up, it makes my profile very wide—the cows, or even the bull, may see it as a provocation, such as that of a matador waving a scarlet cloak.” She turned to the men. “Gentlemen, if you could avert your eyes, I must remove my skirt. Pshaw, don’t be missish; you’re all married men—I wear pantaloons beneath, which preserves my modesty.”
Thus attired in spencer and pantaloons, Elizabeth once again walked towards the cattle. Constant movement in the herd made it difficult to follow Elizabeth’s progress. The cows jostled each other to get close to the stranger in their midst, tossing their heads, their horns occasionally striking another cow, who would push back or hurriedly retreat if they were of lower rank. All the while, Elizabeth spoke softly to them and to Darcy, watching apprehensively from the camp.
“I keep my face down and do not look at them directly, for their eyes are to the side, whereas ours look ahead. As such, if they see two eyes close together, they would think me a predator, for only wolves, tigers, and other hunting beasts look directly forward. If cattle see only one eye, they assume it’s prey like them, of no consequence.”
As if by magic, the cows stepped out of her way. With much lowing and some pushing and shoving between them, they cleared a path ahead of Elizabeth and, though approaching closely, never so close as to put her in danger. If they came too near, due to the constant shuffling within the herd, she would stop, waiting until the animals settled.
For Darcy, helpless to assist her, it seemed as though timestood still. He watched her: so calm, so relaxed, though never once did her attention waver. Finally reaching Maria, Elizabeth took the child from her and then told the girl to clasp the back of her jacket, following behind. Slowly, as before, Elizabeth returned to the camp, Maria trailing like a duckling waddling behind its mother.
The herd, the object of its curiosity gone, all turned and, as suddenly as they had come, thundered away. The bull, looking to where the cows went, reluctantly followed.
Maria ran to Ann’s arms, and both girls, crying and tearful, found comfort in their embrace. Harshita came running up to Elizabeth and took her child, holding it tight to her. Sgt. Monogan came up to console them both.
“Thank you, ma’am,” his voice cracked with emotion. “Harshita and I are once again in your debt.”
Elizabeth only nodded to them. She looked to Darcy. “I must make myself decent, sir. I apologise for my immodesty.” She entered the tent, removed the spencer, and slipped on her woollen day dress. “William, could we walk?”
She placed her hand on his arm, wishing they could embrace, but even here, in the wilderness, she must adhere to the rules of propriety, the emergency now passed. They walked some distance away, careful of where the cattle had gone, but giving themselves some privacy from the camp. All at once, Elizabeth burst into tears.
“I’ve never been so scared in all my life. Poor Maria—a cow could easily, by mischance, have knocked her to the ground; the little boy could have been trampled. Did you see how they kicked at anything, real or imagined? I was so afraid I should come too late!”
“And you, weren’t you frightened for your own safety?”
“But she’s only thirteen. Her experience of the world is limited to the town; there’s nothing she could know of black cattle. I, having been raised in the country, am accustomed totheir size and belligerent manner.”
Darcy held Elizabeth in his arms. Once again, she thought only of others, even to the detriment of her own safety. Moreover, to render assistance to another in need, she chose to ignore the rules of society. He clasped her hands and gently kissed the tears running down her cheek. “My darling Lizzie, you make me so proud. There’s no other woman who compares to you. Come, I’ve dried your eyes. I believe the mutton ragout Harshita has made is almost ready, and we’ll soon be called to dinner.”
A table had been set up for the company. The conversation was subdued until Elizabeth, resuming her role as hostess, complimented Harshita on the fine dish, which was extremely savoury, and the men for the speed and efficiency with which the camp was established. Then, turning to Mr. Garby, she asked about the origin of the wild cattle.
“Two bulls and five cows were brought from the Cape by Governor Phillip in ‘88. As is the way of beasts, they escaped and found their way here. The grass was sweet with plenty of water. The natives use cool fires to clear away the scrub, leaving rich grass near the ponds and streams. As you see, the cattle multiplied—possibly some three thousand in this area alone.”
