Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-10

{ 80 liz EAN0t UlIlsUES WUlCn lDN0N00
tue garden of "The Oasis" as their place
was rightly named, would hush their vile
croaklng as Sylvester's wife trilled forth
some gay chansOnette to the accompani-
ment OF tie Brentwood which Dirk spe-
claIiy imported for her from Europe; or
sometimes the happy pair would ride over
10 picnic on the banks of the meander-
ing Modder river, and Mrs. Sylvester
would deign to astOnish us with the feats
OF craftsmanship which she could accom-
push with the pretty reVolVer-ivOry-
handled and chased with gold-which
Dirk had given her.
One night, as | strolled into the Albert
saloon for game of billiards, | found a
knot of diggers gathered around a new
aI1iYal-a handsome little Frenchman.
"ho had come to the Fields To look after
claims in which q Parisiam firm
invested. He was laughing con-
y-Jly and stroking his carefully waxed
imperial with soli-satsted air when
Dirk came in, and was Immediately hailed
by man who was no friend of his-the
manager of some ground which was al
ways tumbling into DirHs claims and
smashing his gear.
l did not hear exactly what he said. but
my attention was suddenly arrested by
seeing Dirk make bound at the French
man and seize him by the throat, while
his eyes fairly blazed with passion. The
trenchman tried to elude his grasp, and
in moment Dirk had dashed him to the
floor and was standing over him, raging
with fury.
"Nou miserable liar and scoundrel,"
be cried, ''if ever hear of your men
tlonlng my wife's name again I'll kill
your Then he strobe out OF the saloon.
a silence fell on the company standing
round the fallen Frenchman, and as he
staggered to his feet and skunk away into
side room. where the rattle of the dice
went on all day long and far into the
night, no one found SO much as word to
throw after him.
l met Dirk on several occasions after
tLis curious episode, but, as if by mutual
| consent, we avoided the subject. One
night, however, when the moon was sail
ing majestically overhead and lighting up
the dusty road between 'the Pan" and
kimberley with food OF lambert light,
| was riding slowly into camp heard the
rapid pattering OF horse behind me, and,
turning in the saddle, confronted Dirk.
He was agitated and angry. and without
a word of greeting plunged into the sub
ject uppermOst in his mind.
do you know, old fellow" he said,
''Pye just been told by digger at Halls
that that rascally little Frenchman has
been repeating his lies about being Inti-
mate with my wife in Paris before she
came out here? Not only that, but he says
he has a miniature of her which she gave
him set in gold. The unmitigated liar
II l flnd time l shall canter over to his
cabin the other side of the mine tonight,
and if he can't produce that souvenir it
will be hard for him. If he does, it won't
be in his posses ion long"
Don't do anything rash, Dirk" l said.
''Remembcr, there is another to think OF
besides Yourself"
THAT'S what it is that bOthers me, old
fellow" he replied. And then, refining in
his horse and jogging along by my side,
he told me his trouble. 1t appeared that
his wife denied any intimacy with the
Frenchman, but stated that her father
tried TO force his attentions on her in the
old days when he WAS haltstarved
ballet master and she a struggling aspi-
rant at "a Paris theatre. The miniature
was a new feature in the story, and Dirk
firmly believed it to be a myth, but
was bent on finding out whether it was
or not.
After a while he grew calner 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,V were:
Il shan't trouble the little French
man tonight, but let him keep out of my
way!V
The next morning the body of Jules La
croix was found lying on the floor of his
cabin, with an ugly hole in the left tenn
pie. III one hand he grasped tightly part
OF a gold chain and the swivel of a NINA
ture. There was the fresh spo0r of a horse
not far from the door, and the bullet found
in the brain fitted Dirk's revolver to a
nicely.
It was not long before Dirk was in Gus
tOJy, and the case looked black against
him. His threat to shoot the Frenchman
was we'll remembered; his excited de-
meanOr in HALLS bar at the Pan. when
the news OF the Frenchman's reiterated
assertion OF a former intimacy with his
wife was brought to him, was commented
upon. aud the ciTcumstantial evidence
was strong.
AS for Dirk himself, he utterly denied
going near the Frenchman's cabin on the
night of the murder, and he accounted 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
a scamper 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 knew about
the matter, and l reluctantly did so, max
ing the most Of his expressed determine
ton on leaving me not 10 visit the French
man that evening.
The trial dragged on until late in the
night, and at II O'Clock the jury came into
court with verdict of equity"
/ shall never forget the look of mute
aQOly 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.
II.
''Mark my words, bows, Sylvester's wife
will get him reprieyed."
The speaker was loungiEg at the coun-
ter of the 'IelloW Barr in the Trans
vaal road, and his words evoked a MUIR
muir Of sympathy.
Ever since the conviction efforts had
been made in All directions TO prevent the
dread sentence of the law being carried
out, and Sylyestsr's wife had become the
heroine OF the camp. There were few
who did not believe that nc shot the
Frenchmsn; but why should he die for an
ofieuse which was light compared with
some which lay quite easily on tho con-
sciences Of not a few Of the inhabitants Of
Kimberley
As the hum Of approval subsidized, some
one directed our attention to lady walk
ING rapidly in the direction Ofthe Jail. We
recognized her at once, and respectfully
saluied as she drew near. She stop.
ped for a moment and spoke 10 the fore
most man, who, as she hurried on, turned