The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-05-23

a new arrival-a little Frenchman who
had come to the fields to look after
some claims In which a Persian firm
had invested. He was laughing con-
ceitedly, and stroking his carefully
waxed imperial with a self-satisfed air,
when Dirk came in, and was immedl-
ately hailed by a 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 was suddenly ar
rested by seeing Dirk make a bound at
the Frenchman, and seize him by the
throat, while his eyes fairly blazed with
passion. The Frenchman tried to
elude his grasp, and in moment Dirk
had dashed him to the floor, and was
standing over him raging with fury.
you miserable liar and scoundrel,"
he cried, If ever | hear OF you men
tlOning my wlfe's name again I'll Kill
you" Then he strobe out OF the
saloon.
a silence fell upon the company
standing round the fallen Frenchman,
and as he staggered to his feet and
skunk away into n side room, where
tie rattle of the dice went on all day
long and far into the night, no one
found so much as a word to throw
after him.
met Dirk on several occasions after
this curious episode, but, as ii by
mutual consent, we avoided the sub
lect. One night, however, when the
moon was sailing maiestically over
head and lighting up the dusty road
between 1.-The Pan" and Kimberly with
a flood of lambert light, | was riding
into camp when | heard the rapid pat
tering OF a horse behind me, and turn
ing in the saddle confronted Dirk. He
was agitated and angry, and without
word OF greeting plunged into the
subject uppermOst in his mind.
do you know, old fellow" he said
1--WE just been told by a digger an
Halls that that rascally little
F'renchman 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 a minia-
ture OF her which she gave him set IN
gold. The unmltigated liar Ii | find
time | 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 possession long,"
Don't do anything rash, Dirk" |
said. Remember, there is another to
think OF beside yourself"
"That's what it Is that bothers me,
old fellow" he replied; and then, rein
ing in his horse, and jogging along by
my side, he told me his trouble 1t
appeared his wife denied any intima-
cy with the Frenchman, but stated
that her father tried to force his at
tentIOns on her in the old days when
he was a half-starved ballet-master,
and she a struggling aspirant at a
Paris theater The miniature was a
new feature in thestory, and Dirk firm
ly believed 1t to be myth but was
bent on finding out whether it was or
not.
After while 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, " were
II shan't trouble the little French
man tonight, but let him keep out of
my way"
The next morning the body of Jules
I4acrOIN 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 a gold chain and the
swivel OF Il miniature. There was the
fresh spOOr OF a horse not far from the
door, and the bullet found in the brain
fitted Dirk 5 revolver to a nicely.
1t was rot long before Dirk was in
custody, and the case looked black
against him. His threat to shoot the
F'renchman was well remembered his
excited demeanOr in Halls bar at the
Pan, when the news OF the French
man 5 reiterated assertion of former
intimacy with his wife was brought to
hIm, was commented upon, and the
CIrcumStantIal evidence was strong.
As for Dirk himself, heutterly denied
going near the F'renchman's cabin on
the night OF the murder, and he ac-
counted for the fact that he did not
reach home Tor 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
mOOnllt night caused him to stay out
longer than he intended.
He pressed me to tell all | knew
about the matter, and | reluctantly
dld so, making the most OF his ex-
pressed determination on leaving me
not to visit the Frenchman that even
ing.
The trial dragged on until late inthe
night, and at II O'Clock. the Jury came
into court with a virdict 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.
Marx my words, boys, Sylvester's
wife Will get him reprieyed. ="
The speaker was lounging at the
counter OF the yellow Bar" in the
Transvaal Road, and his words
evoked a murmer OF sympathy.
Ever since thecOnyictiOn efforts had
been made in all directions to prevent
the dread sentence OF the law being
81 i'e' ottO' anu sylvester vile had
1 become the heroine of the camp.
| There We're few who did not believe
that he shot the Frenchman; but why
/ should ne die for an offense which was
light compared with some which Law
quite easily on the consciences OF not
a few OF the inhabitants of Kimber-
| ley?
As the hum Of approval subsidized.
some one directed our attention to
a lady walking rapidly in thedirection