The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-06-24


dulge in before, Watch left them. and
walking to where l sat elevated his head
in the air, and gave vent to prolonged
howl.
What the deuce is the matter with
your dog?" asked mine host, laughing
L teituncomfortable, for his preceding
seemed unaccountable, when, turning
from me he approached door leading tc
an inner room, shifted at all the chinks,
and then began scratching UP the mud
floor under it, giving short impatient
whines and yelps.
''He wants the schoolmaster," laughed
mine host, whilst l colIared Watch and
dragged him off struggling to the wagon
where chained him up and left him
despite his mournful bowls.
My suspicious, however, were aroused
for | was always expecting the dog tc
recognize some one, and on my return
to the house asked whether there was
any one in the inner room. .. .
Yes" said the Boer: "my bows
schoolmaster has that room; he Got me
to put up the door to it expressly foi
him. / believe your dog has frightened
him, for he won't come out to see you.
Here, schoolmaster, come out. The
dogs tied up, man." But a voice from
within said that its owner felt il
and was lying down. "Zoundsp'
said the Boer, you've got i'll in a grea
hurry! What's the matter with you!
Let me i'm But the unseen school
master answered that his head had beer
aching fearfully all the day, and that now
~7th9ught little rest would set him al
rigt. =
~Fever, suppose" quoth mine host
Well, we'll leave him alone, and enjoy
ourselves without him.
THAT is spoken rightly" acquiesced
mine host. 81 tell you what, man, we
must have the schoolmaster out and see
him with the dog He's clever chap
but somehow | distrust him" With
this he knocked at the closed door. "He
sleeps well.'' he cried, redoubling his
knock, but still there was no answer
"Farnee," said the Boer then to one Of
the boys, ''run round and try if you car
see what he's up to through the little
Window
A moment after the boy opened the
closed door. "Pa," he exclaimed, s'the
schoolmaster is not there, and the frame
of the window is broken. l entered
through it,
1t was true enough. The night was
dark, and trusting to its cover the man
had escaped.
We made all search the next morning
but beyond few foot marks in the wet
ground we could find nothing. He hac
taken small bundle of clothes with hin
and whatever money he had.
And now to end my story, for it is moi
possible for me to complete it, as l car
only draw my own surmises as to the
real state of the case.
A few months ago my dog was lying
by my side at my camp fire when mar
who had spanned out close to me saun
tered over, and entered into converse
ton. After time he spoke to Watch
and tiinging himself beside him rolled
him over in play and caressed him, ther
looking up at me, he asked me where
got him, | told him the story.
Then l am right" he said 81
thought | knew that queer black mark on
his belly and the white tip to his ear
You'd seldom see two such marks on two
dogs alike in other respects. This dog
belonged to a Katfre who did the most
daring stroke of robbery ever done or
the diamond-felds. He was noted
sharp fellow, and he was noted too fol
being very fond of his dog, which is ;
good one, as you know. The ANNA
was stolen from him, don't know how
just before he jumped four splendid dia
monds from the claim he was working
in, and which belonged to friend O
mine, aud bolted. l never knew wha
became of the man or the dog, but car
see daylight now. That dog broke loose
from whoever had stolen him, and fol
lowed his masters track till he found hi.
grave and dug him up
think the explanation good one
The way in which | fill up the story is this
The man whom call the Frenchmar
| frequented some low canteen at the dia
mond-felds which was house of cal
for the Kaffres working there. He came
to know Watch's master, and, finding
him to be sharp fellow, concerted some
scheme ofrobbery with him, or entrappeC
him into some admission that hi
meant to rob his employer and bolt. HI
then resolved to follow him and rob hin
of his gains, but being fearful of the dog
determined to get the animal out of the
way. He therefore stole him, and after
wards sold him to some person who wa,
leaving the diamond-felds, his greed fol-
money inducing him to adopt this course
rather than that of killing the creature
Having perpetrated the murder and taker
possession of the diamonds he disposed
of them for money in some dodgy manner
and, always fearful of detection, trump
ed up the story he told to me, when
having bought a trap and horses, ant
having put his money in box, he deter
mined to clear out of the country. Or
finding himself detected at the Africand
er's house, however, he got frightened
and altered his plan. Burying his treas
ure in some safe place, he sold his horses
and trap, and tried to cause all trace o
himself to be lost by tramping to thu
| Ultima Thule of the Transvaal and en-
gaging himself as a tutor to Boer there
I cannot account for what he did will
the Hottentot boy he had with him, anC
who would have been almost certainly d
witness of the burial of the box, or, i
| not witness, would have known of it:
sudden disappearance. 1t was very
heavy; still a strongest man might have