The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-09-18

and Mrs. Sylvester would deign to as
tonish us with the feats OF marksman-
ship which she would accomplish with
the pretty rcvolver-ivory handled and
chased with gold-which Dirk had
given her.
One night as 1strolled into the Albert
saloon for game of billiards, found
u knot of diggers gathered around n
new arrival-ahandsom little French
man, who had come to the Fields to
look after some claims in which Pari-
sian firm had invested. Hcwaslaugh-
ing conceitedly, and stroking his care
fully waxed imperial with II self-satis-
fled air, when Dirk came in, and was
Immediately hailed by Il man who was
no friend of his-the manager OF some
ground which was always tumbling in-
to Dirk's claims. and smashing his
gear.
did not hear exactly what he said,
but my attention wassuddcnly arrest
ed by seeing Dirk make IL bound ut the
Frenchman, and seize him by the
throat, while his eyes fuirly blazcd with
passion. The Frenclman tried to eludc
his grasp, but III Il moment Dirk had
dashed him to the tloorand was stand
ing over him, raging with fury.
"You miserable liar and scoundrel,"
he said, elf ever hear ofyoumention-
ing my wifc's name again, l'llkill you!"
Then he strobe out of the saloon.
A silence fell on the company stand
ing around the fallen Frcnchman, and
as he staggered to his feet and skunk
away into side room, where the rat
tie OF dice went on all day long and far
into the night, no one found so much
us IL word to throw after him.
met Dick on several occasions af-
ter this curious episode, but, as if by
mutual consent, We avoided the sub
ject. One night, however, when the
moon was sailing majestically over
head and lighting up the dusty road
between the Pan and Kimberley with
a flood OF lambcnt light, was riding
slowly into camp when l heard the
pattering OF IL horse behind me, and
turning in the saddle confronted Dirk.
He was agitated and angry, and with
out a word OF greeting plunged into the
subject uppermost in his mind.
"Do you know. old fellow" he said.
"I've Just been told by a digger at
Hallis's that that rascaliy little
Frenchman has been repeating his lies
about being intimate with my wife in
Paris before she came out here. Not
only that, but he says he has Il minia-
ture OF her which she gave him, set in
gold. The unmitigated liar! Ii find
time I shall canter over to his cabin
the other side OF the mine tonight, and
if he can't produce that souvenir it
will be haId for him. Ii lie does, it
won't be in his possession long"
Don't do anything rash, Dirk"
said. Remember, there is another to
think of beside yourself"
That's what It is that botlcrs me,
old fellow" he replied; and then, REIN
ing in his horses, and jogging along by
my side, lie told me his trouble. It
appears that his wife denied any
intimacy with the Frenchmun, but
stated that her father tried to force
his attentions on her in the old days
when he was half-starved ballet mas
ter, and she Il struggling aspirnnt at q
Paris theatre, The miniature was O
new feature in tilestory, and Dirk firm
ly believed it to be u myth, but was
bent on finding out whether 1t was SO
or not.
After awhile he grew calmer, and
paid more attention to my entreaties
to him to proceed with caution.
On parting he shook me by the hand,
and his last words, shouted to me as
he galloped off at the turning for the
Oasis, we're
~ sian't trouble the little French
man tonight, but let him keep out OF
my way"
The next morning the body of jules
Lacroix was found lying on the floor
of his cabin with an ugly hole in the
left temple. In one hand he grasped
tightly part OF u Roli Chain, and the
swivel of u miniature. There was the
fresh spoor of horse not fart from the
door, and the bullet found in the brain
fitted Dirk's revolver to nicely.
1t was not long before Dirk was III
custody, and the case looked black
against him. His threat to shoot the
Frenchman was well remembered; his
excited dcmcanor in Hallis's bar at
the Pan, when the news of the French
mans reiterated assertion of u former
intimacy with his wife was brought to
him, was commented upon, and the
circumstantial evidence was strong.
As for Dirk himself, hcutterly denied
going near the Frenchman's cabin on
the night OF the murder, and lie ac-
counted for the fact that he did not
reach home for nearly an hour after
leaving me by saying that, feeling hot
and excited, he went for q scarhper
over the veldt, and the beauty OF the
moonlit night caused him to stay out
longer than he intended
He pressed me to tell all Iknew about
the matter, and reluctantly did so,
making the most of his expressed de-
termination on leaving me not to visit
the Frenchman that evening.
The trial dragged OH until latein the
night, and at - O'Clock the jury came
into the court with a verdict of
Guilty"
shall never forget the look OF mute
agony on his wife's face as Dirk stood
up to be sentenced to death, or the
calm, proud way in which he heard his
doom.
"Mark my words, boys, Sylvester's
wife will get him reprieved."
The speaker was lounging at the
counter of the Yellow Bar, in the Trans
vaal road, and his words evoked a
murmur of sympathy.
Ever since theconviction efforts had
been made in all directions to prevent
the dread sentence OF the law being car
ried out. and sylvesters wife had be-
come the heroine of the camp. There
were few who did not believe that he
shot the Frenchman; but why should
he die for an offensc which was light
compared with some which lay quite
easily on the conscienccs of not a few
of the inhabitants OF Kimberly?
AS the hum OF approval subsidized,
some one directed our attention to a
lady walking rapidly in the direction OF
the Jail. We recognized her Mt once
and respectfully saluted as she drew
near. She stopped for IL moment and
spoke to the formost man, who, rs
she hurried on, turned and gave a
great shout.
"Hurrah," lie cried, "Dirk's re-
pricved! The little lady has just had
u TELEGRAM from Cane Town. Three