, 1884-04-10

brought the boat over and in ten minute,
they were back again on the other side.
Now tuke my horse up TO the house and
stay there with it. l have got to wait for a
friend and will look after the ferry for you;
and look here, Joe, lend rae your hat"
Aud away went Joe, giggling nightly at
seeing the Inkos' in his hat, with all tho
cocks feathers in it and the scarlet band.
When Joe was out of sight Hugh got into
the boat and waited. An hour had passed,
when
"Ahoy, there, ahoyi' came q familiar voice
ringing across the river, md with his back
to the newcomer Hugh took the rope in hand
and began to pull the boat across. As ho
neared the bank he gave a pull with all his
might and then, as the ferry-boat glided up
land, he turned around and faced, as be had
expected, Alan Cumnor.
Neither spoke. Hugh was as grim as death.
Alan speeches with amazement. But Hugh
leaped out and taking hold of the horSa with
one hand ard his friend with tho other led
them to the boat Alan stepped in mechan-
ically and Hugh began to pull at the rope.
Half way across he stopped.
ats a short distance, he said, pulling out
two ~revolvers, "but so much tho better for
both Of US"
Then he gave Alan one.
"Stand up,p he said, ION that end there
clear of the horse. shall stand up Mt this
end and hold the boat steady. And listen"
a plover was complaining with its monoton-
Gus cry upon the iverside-"coun that birds
cries. shall fire at the fifth.
Alan never said a word, and the plover
cried spec weet."
Zone" said Hugh.
And there they stood, the outraged hus-
band and the lover facing one another, tho
~ferryboat's length between them, while the
bird walled out the measure of their Ii YES.
Twice--three times-four times, came the
desolate cry along the water. The two III Ell
raised their pistols.
Pee-weetl
The reports were simultaneous; and then,
on a sudden, Alan, shot through the forehead,
reeled back and fell into the sw%ift.running
-iver. AMI Hugh. throwing the revolvers
into the water, took the rope again and pulled
across. He led the horse out and took it up
to the store. From the saddle-bags he took
some papers addressed to himself and read
them. As he had expected they were his
Uncle Fosters will. in his, Hugh Bontinck's
favor, and the title deeds of his property on
the Transvaal border, He put them into his
pocket aud sat down, while Joe went down
to the river.
any wife is coming OVER said he to Joe,
"but don't say l am here" And Joe giggled
prodigiously at being a partner in a joke
with the Inkos."
They had not long to wait.
"Ahoyl there, ahoyl" 1t was Florry.
Hugh watched her from tho door-she rode
up, flushed with excitement and more beau
tiful that he had ever seen her, so he thought,
and all his love came to his lips again.
my darling" he murmured, and now she
was at the door.
aA1apf ~ she rriaI ott aud 1nf In apsv.a -
her voice there stepped out her husband!
But for his arm she would rave fallen from
her saddle. As it was she bent her head
upon her horses neck and tainted. It was
only for the minute, however, and her hus-
band gave her brandy and water, and then,
before she knew it, she found herself out
with him alone upon the veldt, the horses,
like familiars in the stable, pacing along side
by side with mutual recognition.
Good heavensrn she suddenly cried.
@where did you get that horsef-Hugh was
riding Alan's-" And where is her
II will tell you by and by" said he, in a
voice so stern that she trembled with a sud-
den fear.
"You are not going to kill me, are you,
Hughf'
mo, Florry, l am quite unarmed. We are
going to the landrost's to prove Uncle Fosters
will and with that Gl2, OOO-which Alan
Gunner meant to rob me OF, knowing that
the landrost does not know me by sight
and the diamonds you have with you, you
shall go anywhere you will. But Florry," he
added, wherever you go, remember, If you
are in trouble, that you have a loving hus.
band in the farm on the Moot.
And after that they never spoke, but rode
along sid by side. At night they staid at
Carson's farm and next day reached the
lanlr0Ctfs Corson want with than, 20 ,yi4,o,,
to the deeds and to swear to Hugh's identity,
and it took but little time to have the deeds
transferred, Ger the Rc.-s wanted Richard
Fosters land and buildings and Hugh was
very glad to sell them, and so the laudrost
himself paid the money over there and then
in q check on Pietermaritsburg aud the
business was over.
Husband and wife were alone again.
"Florry," said he, "give me those dia-
monds," and she took them out and then
Hugh made them up in a parcel with the
check for 9l2,0 900 and his watch and chain
and the ring she had given him three years
before, when they were married; and he tied
them all up tightly together in q leather bag
and gave it to her.
And now, +" he said slowly and with "A sad
ness in his voice that pierced her like a
sword, "you can take this conveyance. l
and he has made everything ready for the
journey overland to Cnpetown. | will go
with you for the first three days and after
that you will find mail coaches and com
panions all the way"
"Hugh," she said, every sentence broken
with sobs from the heart, "do not send me
lway. l am not so bad yet as that would
make me. II you will take me back to the
Moot l will work with your Kaflrs on your
farm for you. But this has killed me. /
shall notlive long. Save me from being anv
worse than l am for the short time l have TO
live. No Que can do this now but you. oh,
Hughl' sho cried, and with such an utter
anguish that the mans heart in him broke
down and she sobbe1 herself to sleep in his
nrms, but knowing she was forgiven.
And he carried her to the bed and laid her
down and went out into the air. The night
passed; she in the stupor of exhaustion, he
awake with the fever of his thoughts: and in
the morning there was a spring-wagon wait
ing at the door, and with a Kahr driving
Elorry Hugh f,ole paarI Alania borsa n,aa