De Leeuw van Modderspruit / Een verhaal uit den Engelsch-Zuid-Afrikaanschen Oorlog 1899-1900

The novella follows life on a rural frontier during a war, focusing on an aging farmer and his young son as they travel, encounter neighbors and a hungry local man, and reflect on social change. Episodes alternate vivid landscape description, domestic scenes, and conversations about the disruptive effects of nearby mines, outsider workers, and political petitions, showing anxiety over shifting values and lost traditions. Through personal memories and small incidents the narrative explores loyalty, generational bonds, and the tensions between material gain and communal independence, blending action-driven moments with contemplative passages that trace how conflict alters ordinary rural life.