Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-05-11

waiting half way for somebody to stop him
: and prevent breach of the peace.
"Oh, Miss Croft.' cried out woman in
the crowd, who, like jess, had been trapped IN
Pretoria while on flying visit, IF you can
get a line down to my husband at Maritz-
burg, to tell him that am well. except for
the rheumatism, from sleeping On the wet
ground; and tell him to kiss The twins for
me-
Il say, Mel, tell those Boers that we will
give than ID good hiding yet. when
Colby relieves us sung out jolly young
Englishman in the uniform of the Pretoria
carbineers. He little knew that poor Colley
kind hearted English gentleman that he
was-was sleeping peacefully under six
feet of ground with Boer bullet through his
brain.
Now, Capt. Mel, if you are ready, we
must trek" said one of the Beers, in Dutch,
suiting the action to the word by catching
the near wheeler a sharp cut with his riding
sjambock that made him jump nearly out
of the traces.
Away started the horses with . plunge,
scattering the crowd to tho right and left,
and amid q volley Of farewells they were Off
upon their homeward journey.
For more than an hour nothing particular
happened. John drove on at a fair pace, and
the two Beers cantered along behind. At the
end of this time, however, just as they were
approaching the Red House. where Frank
Muller had obtained the pass from the general
on the previous day, one Of the Beers rode up
and told them, roughly enough, that they
were to Outspan at the house, where they
would get some food. As it was past o'clock
they were by no means sorry to hear this, and
accordingly John drew up the cart about
fifty yards from the place and they proceeded
to get the horses out, and, having watched
them roll and drink, proceeded to the house.
The two Beers, who had also off-saddled,
were already sitting on the veranda, and
when jess looked inquiringly toward them.
one of them pointed with his pipe toward
the little room. Taking the hint they entered,
and found Hottentot woman just setting
some food upon the table.
Here is dinner; let us eat it." said John;
goodness knows when we shall get any
morep and, accordingly, he sat down.
As he did SO the two Beers came in, and
one of them made some sneering remark that
made the other look at them and laugh in
sultingly.
john flushed up. but took no notice In
deed, he thought it safest not, for to tell the
truth, he did not much like the appearance of
these two worthless. One of them was big,
smooth, pasty faced man, with a peculiarly
villainous expression of countenance and n
prominent tooth that projected in ghastly
isolation over his lower lip. The other was
small man, with a sardonic smile and a pro.
fusion Of black beard and whiskers on his
face, and long hair hanging Oh his shoulders.
Indeed, when he smiled more vigorously than
usual, his eyebrows came down and his
whiskers advanced, and his mustache went
up till there was scarcely any face left, and
he looked more like great bearded monkey
than a man. This man was a Boer Of the
widest type from the far borders of Zout-
pansberg, and did not understand word Of
English. jess nicknamed him the Wider
beeste, from his likeness to that ferocious
looking and hairy animal The other man,
on the contrary, understood English perfectly,
for he had passed many years Of his life in
Natal, having left that colony on account Of
some little indscretion about thrashing KAT
frs that had brought him into collision with
the penal laws. Him jess named the Uni
corn. on account Of his one cleaning tusk.
The Unicorn was an unusually pious man,
and on arriving at the table he, to Johns as
constituent, gently but firmly grasped the
knife with which he was about to cut the
meat
"What's the matterlr said John.
The Boer shook his head sadly. "No won
der you English are an accursed race, and
have been given over into our hands rs the
great king Agag was given into the hands of
the Israelites, so that we have hewed you to
pieces. You sit down to meat and give no
thanks to the dear Lord" and he threw back
his head and sung out a portcntously long
Dutch grace through his nose. Not content
with that. ho set to work to translate it into
English, which took a good time; nor was the
rendering very finished one in the result.
The Vilderbeeste grinned sardonically and
put in Q pious "Amen," and then at last they
were allowed to proceed with their dinner,
which, on the whole, was not a pleasant one.
But then they could not expect much pleasure
under tho circum stances, SO they just ate
their food and made the best Of bad job.
After all, it might have been worse; they
might have had no dinner to eat