Chapter 5 Summary

A fire starts on De Beer's property and sweeps across the dry pasture, even jumping the river via the reeds, to burn sections of Mehring's farm. Jacobus tries to take credit for putting out the fire, but Mehring suspects it just burned itself out. He surveys the damage. His favorite location in the third pasture is scarred badly. He surveys the damage done to the willows and reeds. Finding no unburned place to lie down, Mehring proceeds to the farmhouse. He rests on the couch and thinks of Antonia and Terry. Mehring dejectedly thinks he should write a letter, but he knows he won't. He hears Alina, the servant in the other room, and gets some bread to eat. He realizes that the house is wasted. The true value is the land itself.

Mehring thinks more of his son and girlfriend. She has...