Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-24

his feet a woman threw herself down on
her knees beside him, and, seizing his hand,
pressed it to her forehead, pouring out a
torrent of words wholly beyond his COM
prehension, for, although he had by this
time acquired some slight acquaintance
with the language, he was unable to follow
it when spoken so volubly. He had no
doubt whatever that the woman was the
boys mother, and that she was thanking
him for having preserved his life. Not less
excited was a native who stood beside him.
'This is their head man. the officer in
terpreted, ''he is the boys father, and says
that his life is now yours and that he is
ready to give it at any time. This is very
gallant business, Sergeant, and I wish I
had the pluck to have done it myself /
shall, of course, send report about your
conduct. Now come to my tent. 1 can
let you have a shirt and pair of trousers
while yours is being dried"
''Thank you. sir; they will dry of them
selves in a very few minutes. I feel cooler
and more comfortable than have done for
long time; ten minutes under this blazing
sun will dry them thoroughly"
It was another two days before the sea
subsidized sufficiently for the surf boats to
bring the ammunition to shore, and during
that time the chiefs wife came several
times up to the barracks, each time bring
ing fowl as present to Ronald.
"What does that woman mean, ,Sergeant?"
one of the men asked on the occasion of her
second visit. "Has she fallen in love with
you? She yakes a practical way of show
ing her affection. shouldn't mind if two
or three of them were to fall in love with
me on the same terms"
Ronald laughed.
"No, her sou got into the water yesterday
and I picked him out, and this is her way
of showing her gratitude"
81 wonder where she got the fowl from7"
the trooper said. 'I haven't seen one for
sale in the town anywhere"
sShe stole them, of course" another
trooper said, cor at least if she didn't steal
them herself she got some OF the others 10 do
it for her. The natives are all thieves, man,
woman and child; they are regularly trained
to it. Some times fathers will lay wagers
with each other as to the cleverness Of their
children; each one backs his boy to steal
something out of the others hut first, and
in spite Of the sharp watch you may be sure
they keep up, it is very seldom the young
sters fail in carrying off something unob-
served. It's disgrace in natives eyes to
be caught thieving; but there's no dis
grace whatever, rather the contrary, In the
act itself There's only one thing that they
are as clever at as thieving, and that is ly-
ing. The calmness with which native
will tell good circumstantial lie is enough
to take ones breath away"
Ronald knew enough of the natives to
feel that it was probable enough that the
fowls were stolen, but his sense of morality
was not sufficiently keen for him to hurt
the woman's feelings by rejecting her
offerings.
"Tne Kaffirs have proved themselves
such an ungrateful set of scoundrels," he
argued to himself, "that it is refreshing to
see an exception for once"
As soon as the ammunition was on shore
it was loaded into three wagons, and on the
following morning the party started. It
was slow work, alter the rapid pace at
which Ronald and his men had come down
the country, and the halting places were the
same as those at which the troop bad en-
camped on its march up the country five
months before.
The greatest caution was observed in their
passage through the great Addoo bush, for
although this vas 90 far from the main
stronghold Of the natives. it was known that