Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-06-22

! On her hand and her fingers run through her
silky hair, now wet with the rain, she began
to review the position. 1t was evident to her
that Frank Muller would be as good as his
word. She knew him too well to doubt it for
a moment. If Bessie did not marry him lie
would murder the old man, as he had tried to
murder her and John, only this time judi
cially, and then abduct her afterward.
Bessie was the only price that be was pre-
pared to take in exchange for her unce's
life. But it was impossible to allow Bessie to
be SO sacrificed; the thought was horrible to
her.
How, then, was it to be prevented? She
thought again of going down and confronting
Frank Muller, and openly accusing him Of her
attempted murder, only, however, to dismiss
the idea. Who would believe her! and if they
did believe, what good would il do? She
would only be imprisoned and kept out of
harms way, or possibly murdered without
further ado. Then she thought of attempting
to communicate with her uncle and Bessie, to
tell them that John was, so far as she knew,
alive. only to recognize the impossbility Of
doing so now that tiss sentry was back Be
sides, what object could be servedi The
knowledge that John was alive might it is
| true, nerve up Bessie to resist Muller, but
then the sole result would be that the old man
would be shot, Diminishing this from her
mind, she began to consider whether they
| could obtain assistance Alas! it was i'm
possible. The only people from whom she
could hope for help would be the natives, and
now that the Beers had triumphed ovt the
English Qor this much she had gathered from
her captors and from Jantje), it was very
doubtful il they would dare to help her. Be-
sides, at the best, it would take twenty four
hours to collect force, and that would be too
late. The thing was hopeless Nowhere
could she's q ray Of light.
"What," she said aloud to herself, "what is
there in the world that will stop q man like
Frank Muller2'
| And then all of an instant the answer rose
up in her brain as though through an inspira-
ton:
| DEATH"
| Death, and death alone, would stop him.
For minute she kept the idea in her mind
till she was farliliarized with it, and then it
was driven out by another that followed
swiftly on its track. Frank Muller must die,
and die before the morning light. By no
other possible means could the Gordian knot
he cut and both Bessie and her old uncle saved.
If he were dead he could not marry Bessie,
and If he died with the warrant unsigned
| eAcA uilSic cOuiu HOt De executed. 1l0t was
the answer to the riddle, and a terrible one it
| was.
But after all it was just that he should die,
for had lie not murdered and attempted MFR
der, Surely if ever man deserved "a sw 1T
and awful doom it was Frank Muller
And SO this apparently helpless girl,
crouched upon the ground torn and bespat-
tered fugitive in the miserable hiding hole of
a Hottentot, arraigned the powerful leader Of
mel before the tribunal of her conscience
and without pity. if without wrath, passed
upon him sentence of extinction.
But who was to be the executionerl A
dreadful thought flashed into her mind and
made her heart stand still, but she dismissed
it. She had not come to that yet Her eyes
| wandered round the kennel and lit upon
Jantje's assegais and sticks in Kle corner. and
then she got another inspiration. Jantje
should do the deed JOHN had told her ono
day-told her, when they were sitting to-
gether i'll "The Palatial' at Pretoria-the
whole of Jantje's awful story about tie mss
sacre of his relatives by Frank Muller twenty
years before. OF which, indeed, she already
knew something 1t would be most fitting
that this tiend SHOULD be removed Off the face
Of the earth by the survivor of those unfortu-
mates. There would be little poetic justice
about that, and it Is SO rare in the world.
But the question was, would he do It'll The
little man was a wonderful coward, that she
knew, and had a great terror Of Beers, and
especially of frank Muller.
"Jantjc," she whispered, putting her head
toward the bee hole.
"Yes, missile" answered hoarse voice out
side, and next second his monkey like face
by his even more monkey like form.
"Sit down there, Jantje. / am lorcly.
here, and want TO talk"
He obeyed her, VIII grin. "What shall
| We talk about, missile! Shall l tell You
story Of the Nms when the beasts used TO
speak I.;s used to do years and years aso:'
"No, Jantjc Tell me about that stick
that LON, stick with knob on the to.. and
the hicks cut ON il. Has it not something 10
do with Frank Mullerf'
The Hottentos's face instantly grew evil.
@Yah, yah, n.issie!' he said, reaching out =
skinny claw and selling tho stick. 'Loofi,
| that big notch. that Is my father. D;l.-s
| FRANK s.lor Inn; and That next notch, tnG5 u
my mother, Daas Frank shot her; and tn
next one, that is my uncle, an old, Old man,
Baas Frank shot him, too. And these small
notches, they arc where he has beaten me
yes, and other things, too And now will
| make more notches-one for the bouse that
Is burned, and one for the old Baas Croft
my own baas, whom he is going to shoot,
and one for Missile Bessie" And without
further ado he drew from his sido very
large, white handled hunting knife, and be-
gan to cut them then and there upon the
hard wood OF tho stick
Jess knew this knife Of old 1t was Jantjes
-
little heart. He had bought ID from Zulu
I for . heifer which her uncle had given him
in lieu of hal: years wages Tho Zulu haG
got it from u man WHO came down from be-
You'd Delagoa bay. As matter Of fact it was
Samali knife, ma, fractured from soft ma
tive steel (which ta',s an edge like . razor.
and with H.. .d- ut from the tusk Of q hip
popo.amus. 10 rest, IL was about foot
long, with thr>c grooves running the length
Of the blade, aud very heavy.
S6top cutting notcHes, Jantje, aud let me
look at that knife"
He obeye |, and put it into her hand.
THAT knife would kill man, Jantje," she
said.
@Yes, yes" he answered; mo doubt it has
killed many men,"
ut would kill Frank Muller, now, would it
notr she said, suddenly bending forward and
fixing her dark eyes upon the little mans
jaundiced orbs.
sYah, YAH" he said, starting back. ut
would kill him dead Ali What thing It
would be to kill him" he added, with fierce
half sniggle, half laugh.
@He killed your father, Jantje."
"Yah, yah, he killed my father" said
Jantjc, his eyes beginning to roll with rage
"IIe killed your mother"
"Yah, no killed my mother" he repeated
after hcr with eager ferocity.
"And your uncle. lie killed your uncle"
"And my uncle, too, he went on, shaking
his Hst and twitchins his long toes as his voice
ross to O sort OF subdued scrasm- '.But hA
look, tho ends meet. He will die in bloodi He
will do soon. know how to read the circle, {"
and no gnsshed his teeth and sawed the air
with his clinched fists.
"Yes, you are right, Jautje," sho said, still
holding him with her dark eyes. "He will
die In blood, and he shall die tonight, and
you VIII kill him, Iantja"
The Hottcntot started, and turned MALE
under LIS yellow skin.
"HowF no said; "howF
Bend forward, Jantje, and vii! tell You
how" and she whispered for some minutes
into biz ear.
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