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


Tood aside 7 crept stealthily upward,
sometimes slipping, sometimes crawling
ON hands and knees, often, pauslnS TO
listen. but all was still save for the rip
pling of the water below. AT last the cry
rang out again, l was on the right track!
NV breath came quickly from suppressed
AGITATION. but still crept forward and
inward. Twas near to the rocky summit
Of tbe hill now. Suddenly heard low
moaning. Ipaused, then stealthily APP
preached the spot whence it proceeded.
II was SO dark under the brushwood
that l could see nothing, and
nistol and rifle would alike have been
useless in case of danger, but ] had un-
unsheathed my hunting-knife and held it
in nv hand. There was rustic, rush
and the next moment | was rolling in
mortal struggle with some fierce creature
down the hillside. l gave it one des-
perate thrust with my knife, and
wrenching myself loose i heard my
enemy crash through the bushes until a
veil of pain and rage mingled with the
thud of heavy body falling on some
projection that had arrested its down
ward course. This time knew that the
cry was from some animal in distress.
Scrambling to my feet l lit my lamp,
and by its feeble ray | CROPPED my way
along the track of the creatures fall,
until saw, caught on a tangled mass
of roots and trees that had been torn
away in some long past storm from
whence they grew, the shape of large
gaunt dog, the picture of famine apd
despair. Blood was trickling from a
deep wound in his side, and blood was
dripping from his jaws where he had
been lacerated by the thorns and stones
as he had rolled through and over. AS
the CLEAN of my lantern caught his hag-
gard eye he raised his head and fixed on
me a look of defiant woe and desolation
which shall never forget.
Then | spoke to him and the defiance
and staunch the blood issuing from the
wound had inflicted. At that moment
| realized the agony animals must often
feel at not being able to speak to US.
That dog had story to tell, and could
only look at me with his pathetic eyes,
and | felt sure that he was dying. M
Pulling off my coat and shirt, | tore
the latter into strips, and bandaged his
wound as well as | could. l placed the
lantern beside him so as to convey the
idea to him that meant to come back,
and as | carressed him before leaving
him he licked my hand.
Then, taking the sound of the water
for my guide. | made for the ford as
quickly as | could.
When l reached the impromptu en-
campment of the Beers, | found them
in great excitement. My story served
only to bewilder them, but they ac-
guessed in my proposition that we must
try to save the dog, if only to endeavor
through him TO fathom the mystery
which still clung to my adventure.
TWAS near dawn now, and suggested
that two of them should accompany me
when | returned to the dog, whilst the
others should return to the farm and
arrange some sort of litter on which the
poor beast could be removed from where
he lay to quarters. more likely to con-
duce to his recovery.
BY the time my two companions and |
reached the scene of my nights work
the day had broken, and the heavy mist
was beginning to rise.
The dog was still alive and wagged his
tail feebly in acknowledgment of my
presence. He seemed better after he
had Tapped some water which l brought
for him in a pannikin / had borrowed
from one of the Beers, and out of which
they had been drinking coffee which
they had brewed to keep up their spirits
during their midnight watch. .
l then proposed to my companions
that we should search the spot where ]
had first encountered him, forit appeared
10 me that he must have been a self.
constituted guard of something, which
suspected would prove to be a corpse.
Acting on this suggestion we toiIed
through the brushwood until, close tc
the foot of the rocks which crowned the
summit of the hill, we at last discovered
spot where, half buried in the earth,
lay the Wondering form of a Kaffre.
The body had evidently been buried
carefully, but the ground had been
scratched away, doubtless by the pool
dog. The skull of the corpse was beaten
in, apparently by some heavy instru-
ment, and there were old stains of blood
on the shirt. My companion told me
that the path through the wood was 9
little used shortcut on the road to the
diamond-ields, and our supposition was
that the poor fellow had been murdered
aid robbed on his return from working
and perhaps from pilfering diamonds
there. If so. his love for riches had cos
him dear. There was nothing on him
to identify him by.
As soon as the men came with the lit
ter we got the dog en- to it, and took hin
TO the Beers house, where | undertook
his cure. my host having hospitable giver
me an indefinite invitation. After find
ing thatit was only Kaffre's corpse tha
was in question, their interest as to trac
ing the murderer ceased entirely. and
went by myself with spade to cover UP
the remains of the poor fellow. My in
terest in the dog amused my host great
ly, but must say that they tolerated the
Inconvenience that / gave them in a mos
amiable manner. 4 .wi s ~
The poor animal recovered much more
quickly than | expected, and becam,
greatly attached to me. AS soon as h,
could run about tied him up whenever
ne was notin my sight. for once caugh
himin the act of making off to the poort
4 NJ L. 4 \