The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, May 18, 1887, Image 1
?ttB S?MTKR WATCHMAN, Established April, 1S50.
Consolidated Aug- 25 1881.]
"Bc Just and Fear not
Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's
SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 18,1887.
THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jane, I860
New Series-Vol. TI. No. 42.
K? r\t T*tr\virsAaA anil AviniT t[h<?rA ! it- .
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IN THE FIRELIGHT.
The fire upon the her.rlb is low
And there is stillness everywhere
Like troubled spirits, here and there
The firelight shadows fluttering go.
Aod as the shndows rouod roe creep,
And childish treble breaks ?he gloom,
And softly from a further room
Comes: "Now I lay me down to sleep."
And, somehow, with that little pray'r
Aod that sweet treble in my ears,
My thought goes back to distant years
And lingers with a dear one tbere ;
And as I hear my child's amen,
My mother's faith comes back to me
Crouched at ber side I seem to be,
And mother holds my hands again.
Oh, for an hour in that dear place
Oh, for the peace of that dear time
Oh, for that childish trust sublime
Oh, for a glimpse of mother's face !
Yet, as the shadows round me creep,
I do not seem to be alone
Sweet m8gic of that treble tone
Ano "Now I lay me down to sleep I"
- Chicago Fews.
fcrfl.RIDER HAGGAI
f CONTINUED.!
CHAPTER XIIL
FRANK MULLER SHOWS HTS HAND.
Presently Muller turned round. "Do you
know why I have told yon this, Om Silasr
he asked.
"No."
"Because I want you to understand that
you and all the Englishmen in this country
are in a very dangerous position. The war
is a coming, and whether it goes for you
or against you, you must sunter. You
Englishmen have many enemies. You have
got all tho trade and own nearly half the
land, and you are always standing up for the
black people, -whom the Boers hate. It will
go hard with you if there is a war. You will
be shot and your houses will be burned, and
if you lose the day, those who escape will be
driven out of the country. It will be the
Transvaal for the Transvaalers, then, and
Africa for the Africanders. "
"Well, Prank Muller, and if all this should
come to pass, what of it? What are you
driving at, Frank Muller? You don't show
me your hand like this for nothing. "
The Boer laughed. "Of course I don't, Om
Silas. Well, if you want to know, I will tell
you what I mean. I mean that I alone can
protect you and your place and people in the
bad times that are coming. I have more in?
fluence in the land than you know of. Per?
haps, even, I could stave off the war, and if
it suited me to do so I would do it. At the
least I could keep you from being harmed,
that I know. But I have my price, Om Silas,
as we all have, and it must be money down
and no credit"
"I don't understand you and your dark say?
ings," said the old man, coldly. "I am a
straightforward man, and if you will tell me
what you mean I will give you my answer; if
not, I don't see the good of our going on talk?
ing."
"Very well; I will tell you what I mean. I
mean Bessie. I mean that I love your niece
and want to marry her-ay, I mean to marry
her by fair means or foul-and that she will
have nothing to say to me."
"And what have I to do with that, Frank
Muller? The girl is her own mistress. I can?
not disposo of her in marriage, even if I
wanted to, as though she were a colt or an ox.
Yon must plead your own snit and take your
own answer."
"I have pleaded my suit and I have got my
answer," answered the Boer, with passion.
^Don't you understand she will have nothing
to say to me. She is in love with the d-d
rooibaatj? Niel, whom you have brought up
here. She is in love with him, I say, and will
.not look at me."
uAb," replied Silas Croft, calmly, "is that
so? Then she shows very good taste, for
John Niel is an honest man, Frank Muller,
and you are not. Listen to me,*1 he went on,
with a sudden outburst of passion; "I tell
you that you are a dishonorable man and a
villain, I tell you that you murdered the
Hottentot Jantje's father, mother and uncle
in cold blood when you were yet a lad. I
tell you that the other day you tried to mur?
der John Niel, pretending to mistake hiT for
a buck.! And now you, who petitioned for
this country to be taken over by the queen,
and have gone round singing out your loyal?
ty at the top of your voice, come and tell me
that you are plotting to bring about an insur?
rection and to plunge tho land into war, and
ask me for Bessie as the price of your pro?
tection! And now I will tell you something
in answer, Frank Muller," and the old man
rose up, his keen eyes flashing in wrath, and
straightening his bent frame, pointed toward
the door. "(Jo out of that door and never
come through it again. I rely upon God and
the English nation to protect me, and not on
such as you, and I would rather see my dear
Bessie dead in her coffin than married to a
knave and traitor and a murderer like
Frank Muller. Go!"
The Boer turned white with fury as he
listened. Twice he tried to speak and failed,
and when the words did come they were so
choked and laden with passion as to be
scarcely audible. When thwarted he was
liable to these accesses of rage, and they,
figuratively speaking, spoiled his character.
Could he have kept his head, he would have
been a perfect and triumphant villain; but as
it was, the carefully planned and audacious
rascality of years was always apt to be swept
away by the sudden gale of his furious passion.
It was in such an outburst of rage that he
had assaulted John in the inn yard at Wak
kerstroom, and thereby put him on his guard
against him and now it mastered him once
more.
"Very well, Silas Croft," he said at last, "I
will go; but mark this, I will come back, and
when I come it shall be with men armed with
rifles. I will burn this pretty place of yours,
that you are so proud of, over your head, and
I will kill you and your friend the English?
man, and take Bessie away, and very soon
she will be glad enough to marry Frank
Muller; but then I will not marry ber-no,
not if she goes on her knees to mc-and she
shall go on her knees often enough. We will
then seo what God and thc English nation will
do to protect you. God and the English na?
tion! Call on the sheep and the horses; call
on the rocks and the trees, and you will get a
better answer."
"Go!" thundered tho old man. "or by the
God you blaspheme I will put a bullet
through you," and be reached toward a rifle
that hung over the mantelpiece, "or my Kaf?
firs shall whip you off the place."
Frank Muller waited for no more. He
turned and went. It was dark now, but
there was still some light in the sk}' at the end
of the blue gum avenue, and as he rode away
against it he made out Bessie's tall and grace?
ful form softly outlined upon the darkening
night. John had left her to see about sorao
pressing matter connected with tho farm,
and there she stood, filled with the great joy !
of a woman who has found her love, and ?
loath as yet to break its spell by entering j
again into tho daily round of common life. j
There she stood, a type and symbol of a3
that is 1 .coutiful and gracious in this rough
world, the lovelight shining in her blue eycl
and thoughts of happy gratitude to thy Giver
J of all good rising from her heart to heaven,
drawn up thither, as it were, by the warmth
of her pure passion, as the dow mists of tho
morning aro drawn upward by the sun.
Presently she heard thc horse's hoofs; and
looked up, so that the faint light fell full
j upon her face, idealizing it and making its
! passion breathing beauty seem more of heaven
I than of earth. There was some look upon it,
some indefinable light that day-such is tho
j power that love has to infus? all human things
with the tint of his own splendor-that it
went even to the heart of tho wild and evil
man who adored her with the deep and savage
force of his dark nature. For a moment ho
paused, half regretful, half afraid. Was it
well to meddle with her and to build up plans
for ber overthrow and that of all she clung
to? Would it not be better to let her be, to
go his way and leave her to go hers, in peace?
She did not look quite like a woman standing
there, but more like something belonging to ?
another world, some subject of a higher j
power. Men of powerful but undisciplined ?
intellect like Frank Muller are never entirely j
free from superstition, however free they
may be from religion, and he grew supersti?
tious, as he was apt to do. Might there not
be an unknown penalty for treading such a
flower as that into the mire-into mire mixed
perchance with the blood of those she loved?
For a few seconds he hesitated. Should he
throw up the whole tiling, leave the rebellion
to look after itself, marry one of Hans
Coetzee's daughters, and trek to the Old
Colony, or Bechuanaland, or anywhere? His
hand began to tighten on his bridle rein and
the horse to answer to the pressure. Asa
first step toward it he would turn away to
the left and avoid her, when suddenly the
thought of his successful rival flashed into his
mind. What! leave ber with that man?
Never! He had rather kill her with his own
hand. In another second he had sprung from
his horse, and, before she had guessed who it
was, was standing face to face with her. The
strength of his jealous desire overpowered
him.
"Ah, I thought he had come after missie,"
said Jantje, who, pursuing his former tactics,
was once more indulging his passion of slink?
ing about behind trees ar.d in tufts of grass.
"Now what will missie sa}'?"
"How are you, Bessie?" he said, in a quiet
voice; but she, looking into his face, saw that
it belied his voice. It was alive with evil
passions that seemed to make it positively
lurid, an effect that its undoubted beauty
only intensified.
"I am quite well, thank you, Mr. Muller,"
she answered, as she began to move home?
ward, commanding her voice as well as she
could, but feeling dreadfully frightened and
lonely. She knew something of her admireras
character, and feared to be left alone with
him, so far from any help, for nobody was
about now, and they were more than 300
yards from the house.
He stood before her, so that she could not
pass without actually pushing past bim.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" he said.
"You were standing still enough just now."
"It is time for me to be getting in. I want
to see about the supper."
"The supper can wait a while, Bessie, and I
cannot wait I am going off to Paardo
Kraal to-morrow at daybreak, and I want to
say good by to you first"
"Good by," she said, more frightened than
ever at his curious, constrained manner, and
she held out her hand.
He took it and held it
"Please let me go," she said.
"Not till you have heard what I have to
say. Look here, Bessie, I love you with all
my heart I know you think I am only a
Boer, but I am more than that. I have been
to the Cape and seen the world. I have
brains, and can see and understand things,
and if you will marry me I will lift you up.
You shall be one of the greatest ladies in
Africa, though I am only plain Frank Muller
now. Great things are going to happen in
the country, and I shall be at the head of
them, or near it No, don't try to get away.
I tell you I love you, you don't know how.
I am dying for you. Oh! can't you believe
me, my darling! my darling! Yes, I will kiss
you," and in an agony of passion, that her re- .
sistance only fired the more, he flung his
strong arms round her and drew her to his
breast, fight as she would.
But at this opportune moment an unex?
pected diversion occurred, of which tho hidden
Jantje was the cause. Seeing that matters
were getting serious, and being afraid to
show himself lest Frank Muller should kill
him then and there, as he would indeed have
been quite capable of doing, be hit upon an?
other expedient, to the service of which he
brought a ventriloquistic power which is not
uncommon among natives. Suddenly tho
silence was broken by a frightful and pro?
longe! wail that seemed to shape itself into
the word "Frank," und to proceed from the
air just above the struggling Bessie's head.
The effect produced upon Muller was some?
thing wonderful
"Allemaehrer!" Jie cried, looking up, "it is
my mother's voice!"
"Frank!" wailed the voice again, and he let
go of Bessie in his perplexity and fear, and
turned round to try and discover whence the
sound proceeded-a circumstance that the
young lady took advantage of to beat a rapid j
if not very dignified retreat
"Franki" Frank! Frank!" wailed and j
howled the voice, now overhead, now on this .
side, now on that, till at last Muller, j
thoroughly mystified, and feeling his super- I
stitious fears rising apace as the moaning !
sound flitted about beneath the dark arch of
the gum trees, made a rush for his horse,
which was standing snorting and trembling
in every limb. It is almost as easy to work
upon the superstitious fears of a dog ora |
horse as upon those of a man, but Muller, not
being aware of this, took the animal's alarm
as a clear indication of the uncanny nature of
the voice. With a single bound he sprang
into his saddle, and as he did so the woman's
voice wailed out once more:
"Frank, thou shalt die in blood as I did,
Frank!"
"FS?XK, THOU SHALT PIE rx BLOOD."
Muller turned livid with fear, and tho cold
perspiration streamed from his face. He
was a bold man enough in a general way,
but this was too much for his nerves.
"It is my mother's voice, it is her very
words!" he called out aloud, and then, dash?
ing his spurs into his horse's flanks, he went
like a flash away from the accursed spot; nor
did he draw rein till he came to bis own
place, ten miles away. Twice the horse fell
in tl? darkness, for there was no moon? the
second time throwing him heavily, hut he
only dragged it tip with a curse, and. spring?
ing into thc saddle again, Med on as before.
Thus did the man who did not hesitate to
plot and to execute thc cruel slaughter of un?
offending men cower beneath the fancied echo
of a dead womanV voice! Truly human na?
ture is full of contradictions.
When the thunder of the bole's hoofs grew
faint Jantje emerged from one of his hiding
places, and, throwing himself down in tho
center of the dusty road, kicked and rolled
with delight, shaking all tho while with an
inward joy that his habits of caution would
not permit him to give audible vent to. "His
mother's voice, his mother's words," he quoted
to himself: "How should he know that Jantje
remembers the old woman's voice-ay, and
the wc-rds that the devil in her spoke too!
Heel ?ice! ll-?'!"
Bessie fled without stopping (ill she reached
the orango trees in front of tho veranda,
where, reassured by the lights from the win?
dows, sh?? paused to consider. Not that she
was troubled by Jantje's mysterious howling:
indeed, she was t<>o preoccupied to giv?? it a
second thought What she was delmting was
whether she should say anything about her
encounter with Frank Muller. After pausing
for a few seconds to j ?irk a branch of orange
blossom and to become herself generally,
which, not being hysterically inclined, she
very soon did, she quietly entered the boase
as though nothing had happened. Thc very
first person she met was John himself, who
had come* in by tho buck way. EU* lauglwd
at her orango blossom bouquet, and said that
it was most appropriate, and then proceeded
to embrace her tenderly in the passage; and
indeed he would have l>een a poor sort of
lover if he had not. It was exactly at this
juncture that old Silas Croft happened to
open the sitting room door and come full upon
this tender nnd attractive tableau.
"Well, I never!" said the old gentleman.
"What is the moaning of all this, Bessie?"
Of course there was nothing for it I
come in and explain the facts of the
which John did with much humming
ha-ing and a general awkwardness of mt
that baffles description, while Bessie stoo
her hand upon her lover's shoulder, hlu?
as red as any rose.
The old man listened in silence till
had finished-a smile, upon his face a
kindly twinkle in his keen ej-es.
"So," he said, "that is what you y
people have been after, is it? I suppose
you want to enlarge your interests ii
farm, eh, John? Well, upon my word, 11
blame you; you miglit have gone farthei
fared worse. These sort of things never <
singly, it seems. I had another reques
your hand, my dear, only this afternoon j
that scoundrel Frank Muller, of all roc
the world," ?ind his face darkened as he
the name. "I sent him off with a flea i
ear, I can tell you. Had I known then i
I know now I should have referred bb
John. There, there I Ho is a bad man a
dangerous man, but let him be. He is ta
plenty of rope and he will hang himselJ
of these days. Well, my dears, this is
best bit of news that I have heard for n
a long day. It is time you got married,
of you, for il is not right for man to
alone, or woman either. I have done i
my life, and that is the conclusion I 1
come to after thinking the matter over s<
where about fifty years. Yes, you have
consent and my blessing, too; and you
have something more one day before so -
long. Take her, John, take her. I have
a rough life, but I have seen somethin;
women for all of that, and I tell j-ou
there is not a sweeter or a better or a prel
woman in south ?frica than Bessie Ci
and in wanting to marry her you have sh
your sense. God bless you both, my de
And now, Bessie, come and give your
uncle a kiss. I hope that you won't let J
quite drive me out of your head; that's
For you see. my dear, having no childre:
my own, I have managed to get very fom
you in the last twelve years or so."
Bessie came and kissed the old man
derly.
"No, uncle," she said, "neither John
anybody nor anything in the world can
that," and it was evident from her man
that she meant what she said. Bessie ha
large heart, and was not at all the persor.
let her lover drive her uncle and benefa*
out of his share of it.
CHAPTER XIV.
JOHN TO TI?E BESCUE.
The important domestic events descri'
in the last cliapter took place on Dec. 7, li
and for the next twelve days or so eve
thing went as happily at Mooifontein
things should go under the circumstain
Every day Silas Croft beamed with a m
enlarged geniality in his satisfaction at
turn things had taken, and every day J<
found cause to congratulate himself m
and more on the issue of his bold venture
ward matrimony. .Now that bc came to
on such intimate terms with his betrothed,
perceived a hundred charms and graces
her character which he had never suspeci
before. Bessie was like a flower; the mi
she basked in the light and warmth of 1
love the more her character opened and i
folded, shedding perfumed sweetness rou
her and revealing unguessed charms. It is
with all women, and more especially will
woman of her stamp, whom nature 1
made to love and be loved as m:
and wife and mother. Her undoubt
personal beauty also shared in tl
development, her fair face taking a rici
hue and ber eyes an added depth and mee
ing. She was in every resect, save quo,
that a man could desire in his wife, and ev
the exception was one that would have sto
to her credit with most men. It was th
she was not an intellectuel woman, altbou;
she certainly possessed more than the or?
nary share of intelligence and work a d?
common sense. Now John was a decided
intellectual man, and, what is more, ho high
appreciated that rare quality in the otb
sex. But, after all, when one is just engag?
to a sweet and lovely woman, one does n
think much about her intellect. Those so
of reflections come afterward.
And so they sauntered hand in hai
through the sunny days anil were exceeding
happy. Least of all did they allow thc r
more which occasionally reached them fro
the great Boer gathering at Puarde Kraal
disturb their serenity. There had been ?
many of these rumors of rebellion that [6.
were getting to regard them as a chron
state of affairs.
-Oh, the Boers!" said Bessie, with a pretl
toss of her golden head, as they were sittir
one morning on the veranda, "I'm sick 1
death of hearing about the Boers and all the
got up talk. I know what it is; it i J just a
excuse for them to go away from their farn
and wives and children and idle about i
these great meetings, and drink square fae
with their mouths full of big words. Yo
see what Jess says in her last letter. Poop]
in Pretoria believe that it is all uonsense froi
beginning to end, and 1 think they are pei
fectly right."
"By the way, Bessie," asked John, 'iiav
you written to Jess telling her of our engagt
ment?"
"Oh, yes ; I wrote somo days ago, but th
letter only went yesterday. She will b
pleased to bear about it. Dear old Jess,
wonder when she means to come home again
She has been away long enough."
John niado no answcr.but went on smoldn;
his oipe in silence, wondering if Jess wouli
be pleased. He did not understand her yet
She had gone away just as he was beginnin:
to understand her..
Presently he "observed Jantjo sncakin;
about t>etween the orange trees as though b
wished to call attention to himself. Had h
not wanted to do so he would have iuove<
from one to the other in such a way tba
nobody could have seen him. His partial an<
desultory appearances indicated that ho wa
on view.
" Come out of those trees, you little rascal
and stop slipping about like a snake in a stow
wall ! " shouted John. " what is it you wan
-wages ?"
Thus adjured, Jantjc advanced and sal
down on the path as usual, in the full glare oj
the sun.
"No, baas," he said," it is not wages. The}
are not due yet."
"What is it then?"
"Ko, baas, it is this. The Boers hav<
declared war on the English government, and
they have eaten up the rooibaatjes at Bron
ker's Spruit, near Middelburg. Jouhert shot
them all there the day Ix-foro yesterday."
"What!" shouted John, letting his pipe fall
in his astonishment. "Stop, though, that
must be a lie. You say near Middelburg, the
day lx-fore yesterday; that would be Dec. ?X).
When did you hear this.'*'
"At daybreak, baas. A Basutu told me."
"Then there is an end of ir. Tho news
could not have got here in thirty-eight hours.
What do you mean by coming to mo with
such a tale?"
The Hottentot smiled. "It is quite true,
baas* Had news flies like a bini," and he
picked himself up and slipped olf to his
work.
Notwithstanding tl ie apparent impossibility
of t!ie thing. John was considerably dis?
turbed, knowing the extraordinary" speed
with which news docs (ravel among Ka tit rs;
more swiftly, indeed, than thu swiftest
mounted messenger can hear ii. Leaving
lirssie, who was also somewhat alarmed, hu
went in search of Silas Croft, and, Unding
him in the garden, told him what Jantje had
said. The old mun did no1 know what to
ma ko of the tale, hut, remembering Frank
Muller's throats, he ?hook his head.
'*lf then- t's any truth in it that villain Mut
1er has a band in it," he said, "i'll go to tho
house and see Jantje. Give nie 3 our arm,
John."
He obeyed, and, on goff ing to tho top of
the steep path, perceived thc stout ligure of
old Hans Coetzce, who lind been bis host nt
the shooting party, ami ?ling ulong on his fut
little ?x)ny.
"Ab." said old Silas, "hero is tho man who
will tell us if there is anything in it all."
"Good day, Om Coetzee, good day!" ho
shouted out in bis stentorian tone. "What
news do 3-ou bring with you?"
The jolly looking Boer rolled awkwardly
off his pony before answering, and, thro iring
the reins over its head, came to meet them.
"AUemaohtcr, Om Silas, it is bad news.
You have beard of the bymukaar (meeting)
at Paarde Kraal. Frank Muller wante
to go, but I would not, and now they
declared war on the British government,
sent a proclamation to Lanyon. There
be fighting, Om Silas; the land will run
blood, and the poor rooibaatjes will be
j down like buck."
"The poor Boers, you mean," gro
John, who did not like to hear her maje
army talked of in terms of regretful pity
Om Coetzee shook his head with the ai
ono who knew oil about it, and then tu
an attentive ear to Silas Croft's versio:
Jantje's story.
"Allemachter?" groaned Coetzee, "whai
I tell you? The poor rooibaatjes sho? d
like buck, and the land running with bl
And now that Frank Muller will drap
into it, and I shall have to go and shoot
poor rooibaatjes, and I can't miss- tr.
hard as I will, I cant msss. And when
have shot them all I suppose Burgers
come back, and he is krankish (mad),
yes; Lanyon is bad, but Burgers is woi
and the comfortable old gentleman gro*
aloud nt the troubles in which
forasaw he would be involved, and fin
took his departure by a bridle path over
mountain, saying that, as things had tui
out, he would not like it to be known tba
had been calling on an Englishman.
"John," said Silas Croft, suddenly, "
must go up to Px-otoria and fetch Jess. M
my words, the Boers will besiege Pretc
and if we don't get her down at once she
bo shut up lhere."
"Ob, no," cried Bessie, in sudden alarm
cannot let John go."
"I am sorry to hear you talk like that, J
sie, when your sister is in danger,* answ<
her uncle, rather sternly; "but tbero, I c1
say that it is natural. I will go myself. WI
is Jantje? I shall want the Cape cart and
four gray horses."
"No, uncle dear, John shall go. I was
t?oinking what I was saying. It seemed
little hard at first."
"Of course I must go," said John. "D<
fret, dear; I shall be back in five days Ti
four horses can go sixty miles a day for t
time, and more. They are fat as butter, i
there is lots of grass along tho road if I ct
get forage for them. Besides, the cart i
be nearly empty, so I can carry a muid
mealies and fifty bundles of forage with ]
I will take that Zulu boy, Mouti (medicii
with me. Ho does not know much ab
horses, but he is a plucky fellow, and wo
stick by one at a pinch. One can't rely
Jantje; he is always sneaking off somewhc
and would be sure to get drunk just as <
wanted him."
"Yes, yes, John, fiat's right, that's rigt
said the old man. "I will go and see ab
having the horses got up and the wtit
greased. Where is the castor oil, Bes;
There is nothing like castor oil for th
patent axles. You ought to bo off in an ho
You had better sleep at Luck's to-night; j
might get farthdr, but Luck's is a good ph
to stop, mid they will look after you rc
there, and 3-ou can be off by 3 in tho morai
and be at Heidelberg by 10 o'clock to-mom
night and in Pretoria by tho next aftcrnooi
and he bustled off to make tho neeesso
preparations.
"Oh, John," said Bessie, beginning to cry,
don't liko your going at all among those w
Boers. You are an English officer, and
they find you out they will shoot 3-011. Y
don't know what brutes some of them a
when they think it safe to I>e so. Oh, Jol:
John, I can't bear your going."
"Cheer up, my dear," said John, "and f
Heaven's sake stop crying, for I can't bear
I must go. Your uncle would r.cver forgi
me if 1 didn't, and, what is more, I shou
never forgive myself. There is nobody el
to go, and we can't leave Jess to bo shut 1
there in Pretoria-for months perhaps, J
for tue risk, of course there is a bit of ris
but I must take it. I am not afraid of risks
at least I used not to be, but you have mai
a bit of a coward of me, Bessie dear. Thor
give me a kiss, old girl, and come and he
me to pack my things. Please God I shf
get back all right, and Jess with me, in
week from now."
Whereon Bessie, being a sensible and em
nently practical young woman, dried h<
tears, and with a cheerful face, albeit h<
heart was heavy enough, set to work with
will to make every preparation she COIL
think of. The few clothes John was going t
take with him were packed in a Gladstoi
bag, and the box that was arranged mide
neath the movable seat in tho Capo cai
was filled with the thined provisions that OJ
BO much used 111 South Africa, and all tl
other little arrangements, small in themselve
but of such infinite importance to the tra'
eler in a wild country, were duly attended 1
by her careful hands. Then came a hume
meal,and before it was swallowed the cart w<
at the door, with Jantje hanging as usual 0
to thc heads of tbe two front horses, and tl
stalwart Zulu, or rather Swazi boy, Mout
whose sole luggage api>eared to consist of
bundle of assegais and sticks wrapped up in
grass mat, and who, hot as it was, was ei
velopcd in a vast military great coat, lounj
ing placid I}* alongside.
"Good by, John, dear John," said Bessi<
kissing him again and again, and striving t
keep back the tears that, do what she coule
would gather in her blue eyes. '.Good b}
my love."
"Cod bless you, dearest," ho said, simph
kissing her in aiiswer; "good by, Mr. Croft
I hope to sec you again in a week," and h
was iii thc cart and had gathered up the lon]
I and intricate looking reins. Jantje let g
the horses' hoads ami gave a whoop. Mouti
j giving up stir gazing, suddenly became ai
J animated being and scrambled into the ear
i with surprising alacrity;; tho horses spranj
i forward at a hand gallop and were soon hid
den from Bessie's dim sight in a cloud of dust
Poor Bessie! It was a bard trial; and nov
that John had gone and her tears could no
distress him, she went into her room am
gave way to them freely enough.
John reached Luck's, an establishment 01
thc Pretoria road that happily combined th?
characteristics of an inn, a shop and a fara
house, such as are to bo met with in sparsely
populated countries, lt was not an inn ami
I not a farm house, strictly speaking, nor was
it altogether a shop, though there was s
"store'' attached. If the traveler were anx?
ious io obtain accommodation for mau and
beast at a place of this stamp he had to pro?
ceed wariiy, so to speak, lest he should be re?
quested to move on. Ile must advance, hat
in hand, and ?u?k to l>c taken in as a favor, as
many a high handed traveler, accustomed to
the obsequious attentions of "mine host,"
has learned to his cost. There is no
such tire ;dful autocrat as your half and half
inn keeper in South Africa, and then he is so
completely master of the situation. "If you
don't ?ike it, go and be d-d to you," is his
simple answer to the remonstrances of the
infuriated voyager. And then you mus
either knock under and l:;ok os though you
liked it, or trek on into tho "unhostelled"
wilderness. On this occasion, however, John
fared v.vll enough. To begin with he knew
the owners of this place, who were very civil
people it* approached iii a humble spirit, and,
fiA'hermorc, bo found everybody in such a
stat?* of unplcasurable excitement that they
were only UH.? glad to get another Englishman
i to talk the matters over with. Not that
i their information amounted to much, how
? ever. There was a rumor of the Bronker'a
! Spruit disaster and other rumors of tho 1:1
j vestment of Pretoria, and of the advance of
large bodies of Buers to take possession of tho
pass over the Drakeusburg; known as Laing*
Nek, but there was no d? ri ?ni tc intelligence.
: "Y"i; won't g't into Pretoria," .said one
' melancholy man, "so it's no use trying. The
, Boers will just catch you. and kill you, and
! there will In.? an end of ii. You had better
I leave the girl T<> look after herself und go
; back to Mooifontein."
! Pst this w;us not John's view of the matter.
I "Well," he said, "at any rate, I'll have a try."
j Indeed, ho had a sort of bulldog sentiment
' ?.bout him that led him to believe that, if ho
j made up Ids mind to do a thing, he would do
I it somehow, unies; ho should be physically iu
j capacitatol by circumstances beyond his own
! control, lt is wonderful how far a mood of
! this sort will take a man. Indeed, it is thc
' widespread possession of this sentiment that
! has mud? England what she is. Now it is be
I ginning to die down and be legislated ont of
I our national character, and tho results aro
; already commencing to appear iu the ineip
1 ient decay of our power. Wo cannot gov
I ern Ireland, lt is beyond us; let Ireland
have homo rule ! We cannot cope with our
imperial responsibilities; iee cn em oe casi on;
and so OIL Th? Englishmen of fifty years ago
did not talk like this. Well, every nation be?
comes emasculated sooner or later, that seems
to bc thc universal fate; and it appears that
it is our lot to be emasculated, not by the
?wart of law, but by a plethora of it. This
country was made, not by governments, but
mostly MI despite of them by the independent
efforts of a series of individuals. Tho ten?
dency nowadays is to merge the individual in
tho government, and to limit and even
forcibly destroy personal _enterprise and re?
sponsibility. Everything is to be legislated
for or legislated against. The system is only
in its bud as yet. When it blooms the em?
pire will loso touch of its individual atoms and
become a vast, soulless machine, which will
fii-st get out of order, then break down, and,
last of ail, break up. We owe more to sturdy,
determined, unconvineible Englishmen jilee
Joh ii Niel than we realize, or, perhaps, should
be willing to acknowledge in these enlight?
ened days.
CHAFl'ER XV.
A ROUGH JOURXET.
The four grays wore fresh horses, in good
condition and with a light load behind them,
so, notwithstanding the \xvl condition of the
tracks which they cali roads in ?SOULh Africa,
John made good progress.
By ll o'clock that day he had reached
Stauderton, a little town upon the Vaal, not
! far from which ho was destined, had he but
known it, to meet with a sufficiently striking
experience. Here he obtained confirmation
of the Bronker s Spruit disaster, and listened
with set face and blazing eyes to the tale of
treachery and wholesale massacre which was,
as ho said, without a parallel in the annals of
civilized war.
At Standerton John was again warned
that it would be imp - ble for him to make
his way through the L"<.rs at Heidelberg, a
town about sixty miles irom Pretoria, where
the Triumvirate, Kruger, Pretorias and
Joubert, had proclaimed the republic. But
he answered as before, that he must go on
till he was stopped, and, inspanning his
horses, set forward again, a little comforted
by thc news that the bishop of Pretoria, who
was hurrying up to rejoin his family, bad
passed through a few hours before, also in?
tent upon running the blockade, and that if
he drove fast he might overtake him
On he went, hour after hour, over tho great
deserted plain, but he did not succeed in
catching up to the bishop. About forty miles
from Standerton he saw a wagon standing
by the roadside, and halted to see if he could
get any information from its driver. But or.
investigation it became clear that the wagon
had been looted of the provisions and goods
with which it was loaded and tho oxen driven
off. Nor was this the only evidence of vio?
lence. Across the disselboom of the wagon,
the hands still clasping a long bamboo whip,
! as though he had been trying to defend him
I self with it, lay the dead body of the native
driver. His face, John noticed, was so com?
posed and peaceful that, had it not been for
I the attitude and a neat little blue hole in tho
1 forehead, }*ou might have thought he was
i asleep and not dead.
j At sunset John outspanned his now flag
ging horses by the roadside, and gave them
each a couple of bundles of forage from the
' store that he had brought with him. While
they were eating it, leaving Monti to keep
an eyo to them, he went some way off and
sat down on a big ant heap to think. It was
a wild and melancholy scene that stretched
away before and behind him. Miles upon
miles of plain, rolling east and west and north
and south, like the billows of a frozen sea,
only broken, far along tho Heidelberg road,
by some bills, known as Kooi Koppies.
Nor was this alL Overhead was blazing
and burning one of those remarkable
sunsets which one sometimes sees in
' summer in Africa. The sky was full of lower
I ing clouds, and the sullen orb of tho setting
sun had stained them perfectly blood red
Blood red they floated through the ominous
sky, and blood red their shadows lay upon the
grass. Even thc air seemed red. It looked
as though earth and heaven had been steeped
in blood; and .fresh as John was from tho
sight of tho dead driver, his ears yet tingling
with tho tale of Bronker's Spruit, it is not to
be wondered at that the suggestive sight op?
pressed him seated in that lonely waste, with
no comjiany except that melancholy "kakara
kakara" of an old black koran hidden away
somewhere in the grass. He was not much
gi von to that sort of thing, but ho did begin
to wonder whether this was the last journey
of all the many he had made during the past
twenty years, and if a Boer bullet was about
to solve tho mystery of life and death for
him
By the timo that the horses bad done their
forage and Mouti had forced the bits into
their reluctant mouths, tho angry splendor of
tho sunset had faded, and the quiet night waa
falling over the glowing veldt like a pall on
one scarce dead. There was, fortunately for
the travelers, a bright half moon, and by its
light John managed to direct the cart over
many a weary mile. On ho went for hour
after hour, kcepiug his tired horses to the col?
lar as best he could, till at last, about ll
o'clock, ho saw the lights of Heidelberg be?
fore him, and knew that tho question of
whether or not his journey was at an end
would speedily l>c decided for him. However,
there was nothing for it bet to goon and take
his chance of slipping through. Presently ho
crossed a little stream, and made out the
shape of a cart just ahead, around which men
and a couple of lanterns wero moving. No
doubt, he thought to himself, it was the
bishop, who had been stopped by tho Boers.
He was quite close to tho cart when it moved
on, aa 1 in another second he was greeted by
the rough challenge of a sentry, and caught
sight of the cold gleam of a rifle barrel.
"Wie da?" (Wbo?s tNore?)
"Friend !" he answered, cheerfully, though
fooling far from cheerful.
There was a pause, during which the sentry
called to another man, who came up yawn?
ing, and saying something ia Dutch. Strain?
ing his ears lie caught the words, "Bishop's
man," and this gave him an idea.
"Who aro you, Englishman?' asked the
second man, gruffly, hcvling up a lantern to
look at John, and speaking in English.
"I am the bishop's chaplain, sir," he an?
swered, mildly, trying desperately to look
like an unoffending clergyman, "and I want
to get on to Pretoria with him."
Tho man with the lantern inspected him
closely. Fortunately ho had on a dark coat
and a clerical looking black felt hat; the same
that Frank Muller bad put a bullet through.
"He is a preacher fast enough," said thc one
man to the other. "Look, be is dressed like
an old crow! What did 'Om' Kruger's pass
say, Jnn ? Was it two '.arts or one that we
were to let through? I think that it was
one,"
The other man scratched his bend.
"I think it was two," ho said. He did not
like to confess to his comrade that be could
not read. "No, I nm sure that it was two."
"Perhaps we had better send up to Om
Kruger and oskf suggested the first man.
"Om Kruger will l>o in bed, and ho puts up
his quills like a porcupine if ono wakes bim,"
was the answer.
' Then let us keep the d-d preaching Eng?
lishman lill to-morrow."
"Pray let me go on. gentlemen," said John,
i .'till in hi?? mil?lest voice. "I mn wanted to
! preach tho word at Pretoria, and to wateh
j by tho wounded and dying."
"I AM WANTED TO PREACH TUE WORD."
;< Yes. ves." said the first man, "there will
They will ali be like the rooibaajes at.
Honker's Spruit Lord, what a sight thai
was! But they will get the bishop, so they
won't want yon. You can stop and look
ofter our wounded, if the roobaatjes manage
to hit any of us." And he beckoned to him
to come out of tho cart. "
"Hullo!" said the other man, "here ls a bag
of mealies. "We will commandeer that any-,
how." And betook his knife and" cut tho.
line with which the sack was fastened to the
back of the cart, so that it fell to the groundl'.
"That will feed our horses for a week," he
said, with a chuckle, in which the other man
joined. It was pleasant to become so easily
possessed of an unearned increment in the
shape of a bag of mealies*
"Well, are we to let the old crow gor said
the first man.
"If we don't let him go we shall have to
take him up to headquarters, and I want to
go to sleep." And he yawned.
"Weli, let him go," answered the other. "I
think you are right. The pass said two carts.
Be off, you d-d preaching Englishman:"
John did noj; wait for anymore, but laid
the whip across the horses' backs with a wilL
On the following morning, when Com?
mandant Frank Muller-having heard that
this enemy, John Niel, was on his way up
with the Cape cart and four gray horses-as?
certained that a vehicle answering to that
description had been allowed to pass through
Heidelberg in the dead of night, his state of
mind may better be imagined than de?
scribed.
As for the two sentries, he had them tried
by court martial and set them to make f orti
cations for the rest of the rebellion. They
can neither of them now hear the name of a
clergyman mentioned without breaking out
into a perfect flood of blasphemy.
Luckily for John, although he had been
delayed for five minutes or more, he man
aged to overtake the cart in which he pre?
sumed the bishop was esconced. His lordship
had been providentially delayed hythe break?
ing of a trace; otherwise, it is clear that his
self nominated chaplain would never have
got through the steep streets of Heidelberg j
that night The whole town was choked up
with Boer wagons, full now of sleeping
Boers. Over one batch of wagons and tents
John made out the Transvaal flag fluttering
in the night breeze, and emblazoned with the
appropriate emblem of on ox wagon and an
armed Boer, marking, no doubt, the head?
quarters of the triumvirate. Once the cart
ahead of him was stopped by a sentry and
some conversation ensued. Then it went on
again; and so did John, unmolested. It was
weary work, that journey through Heidel?
berg, mid full of terrors for John, who every
moment expected to be stopped and dragged
off ignominiously to jail The horses, too,
were dead beat, and made frantic attempts
to turn and stop at every house. But, some?
how, they got through the little place and
then were stopped once*more. Again the ?
first cart got on ahead, but this tune John
was not so lucky.
"The pass said one cart," said a voice.
"Yah, yah, one cart," answered another.
John again put on his clerical air and told
his artless tale; but neither of the men could
understand English, so they went to a wagon
that was standing about fifty yards away to
fetch somebody who could.
"Now, inkoos," whispered the Zulu Mouti,
"drive on! drive on!"
John took the hint and lashed the horses
with his long whip; while Mouti, bending
forward over the splashboard, thrashed the
wheelers with a sj am bock. Off went the
team in a spasmodic gallop and had covered |
a hundred yards of ground before the two ?
sentries had realized what had happened, j
Then they began to run after the cart shout- I
ing, but were soon lost in the darkness. j
John and Mouti did not spare the whip, j
but pressed on up the stony hills on the Pre?
toria side of Heidelberg without a holt
By ll o'clock they reached a hotel, or way?
side house, known os Ferguson's, and situated
about twenty miles from Pretoria. It was
empty, except fora couple of cats and a stray
dog. The inhabitants had evidently fled
from the Boers. Here John stabled and fed
his horses, giving them all that remained of
the forage; and then; once more, started on
for the last stage. The road was dreadful;
and he knew that the country must be full of
hostilo Boers, but fortunately be met none.
It took him four hours to get over the twenty
miles of ground: but it was not until he got
to the "Poort," or neck running down into
Pretoria, that he saw a vestige of a Boer.
Then he made out two mounted men riding
along the top of a precipitous stone strewn
ridge, some 600yards orso from him. At
first he thought that they were going to de?
scend it, but presently they changed their
minds and got off their horses.
While he was still wondering what this '
might portend, he saw a puff of white smoke
float up from where the men were, and then
another. Then carne the sharp, unmistakable
"ping" of a bullet passing, as far as he could
judge, within three feet of his head, followed
by a second "ping," and a cloud of dust be?
neath the belly of the first horse. The two
Boers were firing at him.
He did not wait for any more target prac?
tice, but, thrashing the horses to a canter,
got the cart round a projecting bank before j
they could load and fire again. After that
he saw no more of them.
At last he reached the mouth of the Poort
and saw the prettiest of the South African
towns, with its red and white houses, its tall
clumps of trees and pink lines of blooming
rose hedges lying on the plain before him, all
set in the green veldt, and made beautiful by
the golden light of the afternoon, and he
thanked God for the sight. He knew that he
was safe now, and let his tired horses walk
slowly down the hillside and across the bit of
plain beyond. To his left were the jail and
barrack sheds, and gathered about them were
hundreds of wagons and tents, toward which j
he drove. Evidently the town was deserted
and its inhabitants in danger. When he got
within half a mile or so a picket of mounted
men came riding toward him, followed by a
miscellaneous crowd on horseback and on
foot
"Who goes there?" shouted a voice in honest
English.
"A friend who is uncommonly glad to see
you," he answered, with that feeble jocosity
wo are ali apt to indulge in when a great
weight is at length lifted from our nerves.
?TO BE CONTINUED.!
Our State Contemporaries*
Abbeville Banner.
When the Governor of Georgia and
thc Governor of South Carolina get en?
tirely out of something to do, and when
a few of our respected daily newspa?
pers have nothing to put in their papers,
the discussion of the kidnapping busi?
ness is resumed, it is wonderful what
indescribably small matters will engage
the attention of Governors and great
newspapers Of all the small matters
that has ever received attention from
Governor or editor, we think the kid?
napping business the smallest. It
seems as if they meant to perpetrate a
joke on the public. As far as the Press
(ind Banner is concerned, the State of
Georgia is perfectly welcome to every
thief in South Carolina, and if thc
Empire State sends for them, we are
not at all particular as to the manner of
going. Thieves and other violators of
the law have been for years running to
Georgia from South Carolina, and we
would not now interfere with the pro?
cession.
Colleton Pres?.
In accordance with a call made
through the papers, the anti-stcck
law men of this parish, met in the
Court Howse Monday, to the number of
about one hundred. Hon. H. D. Pad?
gett called the meeting to order, and
on motion. Col. J. W. tlill was elected
chairman and W. B. Gruber Esq , sec?
retary. Col. Hill on taking the chair
explained in a few words, the object of
lue iU"Siiug, nuivu mao tv i aiac U?\JUCJ
to defend the law suit instituted against
them by the stock law men. It was
proposed and carried-to raise $500 ;
$200 of which was at once raised by
cash and subscription, among those
present. The chairman then appointed
committees in each township in the
parish to solicit contributions; and,'
there is little doubt but that the money
will be soon raised. Messrs Edward?
and Fishburue were chosen as the at?
torneys for the anti-stock law men, to
assist Maj. Howell, the attorney for
thc Count; Commissioners, in defending'
he suit.
Camden Journal, May 12.
We regret to learn that ex-Sheriff
Barnes, one of the oldest and best known"
citizens of tbe county, died at his home
in Eastern Kershaw on last Tuesday
afternoon about 5 o'clock. Old age ana
a generajl breaking down of the system
was thc cause of death.
According to the report made by* toe
engineers in charge of the river and
harbor improvement? in South Carolina,
it will require $25,000 more to put tbe
Wateree river in good condition for nav?
igation up to Camden. There ia now
available, we understand, $7,500,
which, added to that already expended,
sums up to $35,500.
The barley birds, one of the worst
enemies the oat crop has, have arrived
in large numbers, but thus far they
have had but few fields to prey upon as
the early oat crop is very limited, io*
deed. However, they appear to be
very obliging, and are willing to wait
until thc spring oats have headed out.
Near Boykin's depot, below Camden,
on last Saturday afternoon, Messrs. W.
F. Reed and Duncan Albert got into a
difficulty which resulted in Mr. Albert
being shot and slightly wounded in two
places-once through the upper part of
the shoulder and a glancing shot across
the stomach. We could learn no fur?
ther particulars of the difficulty. Mr.
Reed was arrested and held in bond to
answer.
Not long since a C. O. D. package
arrived at a certain express office ad?
dressed to a person who had been dead
for several months. After the lapse of
a few days the agent notified the seeder
that the party to whom bis package was
addressed was dead, and he, (the agent)
wanted to know what to do with it.
The Render replied as follows : .
4'DEAR SIR: Please hold the package
for 30 days, and if he does not call for
it please deliver it to some one whom
you know has fits, or to the druggist of
your place.19
OG last Monday night about 8 o'clock
as a storm was passing over Camden,
the residence of Mr. J. W. McCurry
was struck by lightning and set on fire,
burning it to the ground. The furni?
ture, clothing, etc., were saved, but tbe
furniture suffered terribly from rough
usage. There was no insurance on any
of the property.
The stroke of lightning was pretty
severe, but none of the family were io
the least shocked by it. In fact, they
did not know that the house was cn
fire until it w?s seen by outsiders. The
fire could then nave been easily extin?
guished, but the same old cry of "no
water" was to be heard. As a matter
of self-protection, our town will sooner
or later be compelled to erect a system
of water Works, because, as it stands
now, not one-fifth of the property in
town ba? any protection whatever from
fire-so far as the fire department is
coo cerned.
Lancaster Rest?t.
A company of Northern capitalist?
have bought what is known as the
Stevens, or Porter Gold Mine in thia
County and expect to work it on an ex?
tensive scale. Operations will be com?
menced in a few days. A large lot of
mining machinery is already at the de?
pot here awaiting transportation to the
mine. It will probably be carried to
its destination this week. The mine
will hereafter bc known, as the Dixie
Gold Mine, the name given to it by the
new company.
Williamsburg Record, May ll.
Forest fires have recently done mach
damage in the Christmas neighborhood.
Mr. S. W. Gowdy had about 7.000
turpentine boxes burned, and Mr. I. E.
Christmas lost all bis fencing.
Mr. James Epps, Sr., of Clarendon
County, who lives near the Williams?
burg linc, was greatly damaged last
week by a forest fire, which swept over
his woodlands, destroying hundreds of
dollars' worth of timber.
Greenville UTeies.
The Williamston Base Ball Club re*
turned on Friday from Anderson, flash-?
ed with a victory won there. The Rev.
Mr. Mundy, an evangelist, who is con?
ducting services at Williamston, Went
out cf his way to remark that if he had
a yellow dog which went to see a base
ball game he would kill it. As many
of the best people cf the town are in?
terested in base ball, the remark stirred
them considerably. Mr. Mundy has
not only lost his popularity as a preacher
there, but narrowly escaped an emphat?
ic demonstration of public wrath.
Clarenden. Enterprise, May 12J
Mr. S. A. Brunson, who lives near
Summerton, in thc Santee Section, tells
us that during the progress of the
storm last Friday afternoon lightning
struck one of the chimneys to his large
two-story house, nearly destroyifig it,
and knocking down considerable
plastering, also setting fire to the Op
stairs of the house. At tbs time of
the stroke be was reclining on a bench
about sixteen feet distant, his children
Were playing near, and his wife sitting
near the door. He was knocked from
the bench and the two children felled to
the Soor, and Mrs. Brunson was severe?
ly stunned. Two men who were feed?
ing iu the lot at the time were also
knocked down by the fearful stroke.
His house is considerably damaged.
We are truly glad to know that none
of his family were seriously injured
Monday night his section was visited
by a very heavy hail storm, with mach
wind and rain.
- -- ? II -? -1
The government work in Charleston,
harbor during April represented $240
OOO.