The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-17
CHAPTER. XVIII.
.rnRGE FoRREsrER's pEATH.

,,lv bv Selling odd minutes between the
',+orvals of work that he could manage to
md home a budget at all proportionate in
.iza 70 that which he regularly received.
When the courier came up with the English
nails there had been stern fighting, for
although the British force was raised by
tba arrival of reinforcements from India
and England to over 5000 men, with several
batteries of artillery, it was with the great
ast difficulty that it gradually won its way
into the Kaffir stronghold. Several times
the troops were so hardly pressed by the
anemv that they could scarcely claim a
victory. aud large number of officers and
man fell The Cape Mounted Rifles formed
mart of every expedition into the Amatolas.
and had their full share of fighting. Ronald
had several times distinguished himself
especially in the fight in the Water Kioof
Valley. when Col Fordyce, of the Seventy
fourth, and Carey and Gordon. two
officers of the same regiment, were
killed. together with several of their
men while attacking the enemy in the bush
He was aware now that his secret was
known to the men. He had fancied that
searching and inquisitive glances were di-
rected towards him, and that there was
change in the demeanor of certain men of
his troop. these being without exception the
idlest and worst soldiers. 1t was Sergt
Menzies who first spoke to him on the sub
iect It was after hard days march, when,
having picketed their horses and eaten
their hastily cooked rations, the two nom
commissioned officers lit their pipes and sat
down together at a SNORT distance from the
fire.
II have been wanting to speak to you,
lad, for the last day or two There is a
story gaining ground through the troop
that, whether it is true or whether 1T is
false, you ought to know
81 guessed as much, MenZies," Ronald
said. 81 think / know what the story is,
and who is the man that has spread it. 1t
is that bore another name in England"
Eyes, that's partly it, lad"
"What namew
~ hear that you are rightly Capt Mer-
Tyn."
Eyes, that's it. Menzies, and that 1 was
tried and acquitted for murder in England"
That's the story. my lad. OF course, it
makes no difference to us who you are, or
what they say you have done. We, who
know you, would not believe you have
committed murder, much less the murder
Of q woman, if al the juries in England
said you had. Still | thought Iwould let
you know that the story is going about, SO
that you might not be taken aback if you
heard it suddenly. OF course, it's no dis
grace to be tried for murder if you are
found innocent; it only shows that some
fools have made a mistake, and been proven
to be wrong. Still, as it has been talked
about, you ought to know it. There is a lot
of feeling in the regiment about it now,
and the fellow that told the story has had
a rough time of it, and there's many a one
would put bullet into him if they had the
chance. What they say is, whether you
are Capt. Mervyn or not is nothing to any
body but yourself. If you were tried and
acquitted for this affair it ought to have
dropped and nothing more been said about
it, and they hold that anyhow a man be-
longing to the corps ought to have held his
tongue about anything he knew against
another who is such a credit to us"
1.-THE man might have held his tongue.
perhaps" Ronald said quietly; "but never
expected that he would do so. The fellow
comes from my neighborhood, and bore
bad character A fellow who shoot game
keeper would be sure to tell anything he
knew to the disadvantage of anyone of supe-
rior rank TO himself. Well sergeant, you can
only tell anyone who asks you about it that
you have questioned me, and that | ad-
mitted at once that the story was true-that
| was Capt. Mervyn, and that l was tried
for murder and acquitted. Some day l
hope that my innocence may be more
thoroughly proved than it was on the day
| was acquitted. l daresay he has told you
the whole of the facts, and | admit them
fTeely,n
well, lad, am glad you have spoken.
OF course it will make no difference, K
cept, perhaps to a few men who would be
better out of the corps than in it; and they
know too well what the temper of the men
is to venture to show it. | can understand
now why you didn't take commission.
have often wondered over it, for it seemed
to me that it was just the thing you would
have liked. But | see that till this thing
was cleared up you naturally wouldn't like
1t. Well, am heartily sorry for the busl-
ness, If you don't mind my saying So
have always been sure that you had been
an officer before you joined US, and won
dered how it was that you left the army.
You must have had sore time of it. | am
sorry for you from my heart
Ronald sat quiet for some time thinking
after Sergt. Menzies left him, and then
rose and walked toward the fire where the
officers we're sitting.
"Can speak with you few minutes,
Capt. Twentyman" he said. The officer
at once rose.
Anything wrong in the troop, Ser
geantg'
No, sir; there is nothing the matter with
tne troop. it is some business of my own.
May l ask if you have heard anything
about me, Capt. Twentyman~
Heard anything in what way do you
mean, Sergeant?"
well, sir, as to my private history"
No. the officer said, somewhat puzzled.
We'll, sir, the thing has got about
among the men. There is one of them
knew me at home, and he has told the
others. Now, that it is known to the men,
sooner or later it will be known to the Of
Ulcers, and therefore thought it better to
come and tell you myself, as captain of my
troop"
ut can be nothing discreditable, l am
quite sure, sergeant" the officer said,
kindly.
We'll, sir it is discreditable; that is to
say, lie under heavy charge, from which
am unable to clear myself / have been
Tled for it and found not guilty, but | am
sure that if l had been before a Scotch
jury it would have been not proven, and /
ieit the court acquitted indeed, but a dis
graced and ruined man.
That was the charges"
he charge was murder" Ronald said,
quietly.
Capt. Twentyman started, but replied:
Ridiculous No one who knew you
would have thought you guilty for a mo-
ment.
Il think that none who knew me init
miately believed in my guilt, but l think
mat most people who did not so know me
Delleved me guilty. / dare say you saw the