San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-02-03
THE GREAT HESPER.
CHAPTER I.
BY FRANK BARRETT.

we landed at southampton, Septem-
Der IA, 1885, and a ragged crew we were.
The Judge" Joe Brace, led the way
"a great, gaunt man, with long, long
legs, stoop in his shoulders, and asway-
ing movement of his body and arms
when he walked, as if he had load on
his back and long way to go: man
with black fell on the back of his hands,
dark beard growing high upon his
cheek-bones, and great bush of IRON
gray hair sticking out all round his head,
and forelock hanging down over his
eye. One could see nothing of his fea-
lures but long red nose and deep-set,
beady black eyes. His fustian jacket
was worn to rags at the elbows-and so
was mine, as for that-split in the seams
between the shoulders with the constant
strain of the laboring arms. Once upon
a time his top-boots had been black, but
now they were all the same yellow clay
color with the trousers that were tucked
into them, and just as badly in need of
repair.
followed with Van Hoeck. He held
my arm, not for support, but for guild
ance, because he was stone blind. He
was thirty or thereabouts, believe; but
he looked twenty years older than l, who
am now about twenty-six. Though he
was Dutch by birth, he looked like an
Asiatic, being a small, dark Jew, with
all the characteristics of his people; while
l, with my fair skin, light hair, and
large frame, am pretty true in appear
ance to my modern race. He was better
dressed than any Of Us, for though he
had accompanied us, and roughed it so
far as board and lodging were concerned,
he had taken only financial part in the
enterprise, his blindness naturally de-
barring him from laborious part. His
clothes retained something of their orig
inal appearance. Albeit he had worn
them day after day for eighteen months
at the least; whereas mine, what with
exposure to the sun, the sweat of work,
rough usage, and the strange devices
employed in repairing them, were scarce
ly recognizable as Christian clothing.
His face gave more sign of strain and
fatigue than either the Judges or mine,
which might well be, seeing how great
a relief to the mind physical labor is.
There was furrow between his brows,
deep lines descending from the inner an
gle of the eyes, pinched look about the
nostrils and fleshless cheeks, that gave
fearful, strenuous eagerness to the
weird expression of his face. And that
expression was weird, nay, even repul-
sive. though his features were not ILL
shaped, and it was due chiefly to the pc
culiarity of his eyes. Most people of dark
complexion, like his, have dark iris to
the eye, but his was of steely-gray, and
was the more noticeable because there
was the iris and nothing else; there was
no pupil-nothing but that gray patch
upon the yellowish ball of the eye. He
kept his eyes open when his mind was
preoccupied. Often, when he was sit
ting near me while / worked, l have
changed my position that / might not
see those CHASTITY eyes wide open to an
African sun, yet unconscious of its glare
There was something terrible in his
blindness.
Onr rear was brought up by the kid"
The name by constant use and familiari-
ty had long ceased to be slangy to my
ear.
Poor little Lola! she was the raggedest
and most disreputable of the lot, though
it was not for that reason that she walked
behind us; indeed, had she suspected that
to follow implied inferiority, she would
have marched ahead of her own father
That was her character.
The child wore ragged red flannel
petticoat, a camisole that had once been
white, and colored handkerchief tied
closely round her neck. She had a
string of colored beads upon her wrist,
but neither.hat on her head nor shoe ON
her foot, Her purple black hair grew
low down ON her temple, and broke into
curls over the ears at the nape of her
neck, and wherever it was uncontrolled;
it was matted together in a thick, loose
plat that fell down to her waist, and
tied at the end with strip of red fan
mel, torn from her petticoat. She had
the prettiest little hands and feet, dark
olive skin, a large but beautifully shaped
mouth, with the finest teeth have ever
seen, and pair of glorious black eyes,
full of audacity, and betraying only too
faithfully her wild and ungovernable
disposition. Properly dressed (and wash
ed), she might have passed for Spanish
princess; in her present condition, there
was no installing her for anything but
the self-willed little savage she was.
The Kid had given us deal of trouble
had we foreseen how much, do not
think Van Hoeck or l would have put
in that postscript to the agreement which
her father, the Judge, induced us to in
scribe.
AGREEMENT COPY.
CAPE TOWN, May l, 1884.
We, the undersigned, agree to work together
as long as our strength and means hold out,
and we agree to share In equal parts whatever
profits may arise from the enterprise without
favor TO the more or less fortunate partners;
the said profits TO be divided at such time as
shall be decided by majority, or by lot. accord
ing 10 circumstances.
1t is further agreed that, in the event of one
partner dying, or otherwise backing out of
the concern, bis share shall be divided in equal
parts between the two remaining partners;
and should one OF the remaining two die Tor
otherwise back outl the whole lots, tools,
land, produce, etc, shall become the property
of the survivor to the exclusion Of all other
relatives, friends or claimants upon the de-
ceased. Signed JANVAN HoECK.
Jos. BRUCE, Judge.
BERNARD THoRNE.
r. Sit is understood between the above
partners that in the event of q lucky find, the
Kid shall not be forgotten.
The Kid lola BRUCE, her mark.
''The Kid has eyes in her head for to
see with, the Judge said, in urging her
claim upon our future consideration,
lend she kin use 'em as well as US in
lookin' for stones, end likewise, bein' a
female, she kin cook our meals for us;
she kin wash our shuts, end she kin sew