?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[ho 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.