Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-07-17

prieved! The little lady has just had
d telegram from Cape Town. Three
cheers for Sylvester s Wife
doubt if the attantion was pleasing,
but the kindly jailer told me that she
smiled for the first time since Dirk's
conviction, as that cheer reached her
ears, just as she stepped into the pris-
OF on yard !.
Three weeks afterward I had occa-
sion to call on the governor OF the jail,
and as we sat in his little cool room,
discussing his Martell and smo king his
Boer tobacco, he looked up suddenly
with a troubled air, and said, "By the
bye, do you know that Dirk
Sylvester goes to Cape Town
with the next lot of I. D..
BIS (Illicit Diamond Buyers)"
Expressed my surprise, as I knew
the governor had the selecting of the
prisoners to be transferred to the
breakwater at Cape Town, and heard
that he had an idea of making Dirk q
clerk in the Kimberley Prison office.
There was little chance of his ever be-
ing free man, but it was something
that he should serve his weary years
at Kimberley, amongst friends who
could visit him, and close to his faith
full wife. mentioned this, and the
governor, stepping to a little cupboard,
turned the key and took out d little
blue packet. ~.
"Ihave had to forbid Mrs. Sylvester's
visits" he said, ssand when / tell you
the reason, I think you will agree that
I am right in sending Dirk to Cape
Town. You see, he seemed to expect,
when the reprieve came, that he would
be set at liberty; and SO did she, but
as you know, the death sentence has
only been committed to one Of inn
prisonment for life; and how on earth
they managed to persuade the Govern
or to do that, l can't tell. Well, since
that has been made plain to Dirk, he
has been a changed man. He talks
hopelessly of his future-and God
knows, poor fellow, it's dark enough!
he seems to be pining for freedom, he
says the convict dress clings to him
like searcloth, and the other day just
after his wife had visited him, saw
such queer look in his eyes that l
quietly turned over his things. At the
bottom OF a basket OF comforts she
had brought him, I found this"
He opened the packet, and poured
out before my eyes whitish powder.
"Well?' said interrogatively.
"Poison!" he briefly replied, as he
swept the powder back into the pack
ct. "And now" he added, "don't
think me hard il send Dirk to Cape
Town"
There was an unusual stir and ex-
element in Kimberly; the streets were
crowded with men and women whose
faces bespoke every kind of emotion,
from despairing rage to rejoicing
malice; whilst hither and thither
amongst the throng in the market
square rode officials in the dark blue
uniform of the Cape Civil Service.
At length there was cloud Of whirl-
ing dust in the Transvaal road; the
crowd swayed and parted, and at a
hand gallop two heavily laden mule
wagons passed through the surging
ranks, and halted for the escort to
close round.
A woeful freight those wagons bore;
load OF human misery; a company of
wretched convicts, into whose souls
the iron OF captivity had already en-
tered; a consignment of baff1ed, trapped
and forsaken seekers after illicit wealth.
Youth and age were there, and the
CALLING letters bound all together
in the links Of q common despair.
Chained as they were, like wild beasts,
some stood up, and in agonized voice
called upon friend, wife and child, who
answered not; while others, crouclllng
piteously in q corner of the rude con-
veyance, bowed their heads between
their trembling hands, and sought to
keep out the light Of a sun which had
become hateful to them.
Suddenly, I caught sight of Dirk Syl-
vester. He was sitting on the side OF
the foremost wagon, his arms folded
across his chest, and q look of eager
expectation on his finely nodded face,
thin and pale with confinement and
suffering. called to him, but he
heard not; his gaze seemed fixed on
some far-away object, and a smile
played upon his wan lips.
hurried on in advance ofthe cayal-
cade toward the Oasis, which I knew
it must pass, on it's way to the open
veldt. / remembered that the govern
Or OF the Jail had told me the light be-
fore that he had allowed q last inter-
view before the fearful journey to Cape
Town between man and wife, and that
they spoke some words in French,
which he did not understand, but
which seemed to have wonderful ef-
feet on Dirk.
AS 1 neared the gate Of the Oasis,
over which the blue-gums cast their
shade, and where the sweet trailing
flowers were in their full autumnal
beauty, I saw Sylyester's wife standing
motionless. She was attired in the
plain white dress she wore on the day
Of the trial, and also when she crowned
Dirk's hopes and rendered him the envy
of the bachelors of the Fields by be-
coming his own. Her golden hair
hoated unheeded on the lazy breath
from the distant plain; her eyes were
turned upward to the deep blue sky
above, and her lips seemed to be NOV
ing as if in silent prayer. There was
no need to tell her of the approach Of
the convict party; their coming was
heralded by wild refrain OF dismal
song chanted by, the prisoners; and
adown the startled air camethes sound
OF creaking wheels, the cracking of
whips, the shouting of orders and the
responsive curses of the mob. was
unwilling to obtrude myself on her