Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-07
how feel that there had been q sad mis-

| hoss.''
Dalston sat erect looking down upon
| the shining hair where the sun fell on
| the waving coils, and q strong passion
| of love swept through him. He could have
| caught her up to the saddle before him
and ridden madly away.
Instead Of doing anything so foolish
he said through his mustache. In
| deep growl. show 10 your To-
ther?''
:He is well. and must thank
you also for sending him on at once to
my care.''
"He would go. Miss Rsth. We were
obliged to send him on at once, other
wise he declared he would drag himself
into the saddle and ride to yon.''
"He WAS always strong willed,' she
said simply, "but there was wisdom in
his action. For have already laiied
! him to sleep, after he told me all about
/ his escape. How can / ever repay
| you?'
| Prepay me!' he broke out passion
| ately, " bile his eyes cleaned with the
| fire of hope within him, but quickly rs
! it famed 1t died away. Her start of
| surprise at this exclamation told
| him the opportunity had not yet ar
| rived.
Repay me, Miss Rath, by numbering
| me among your frisnds,'' he said in his
solemn way.
"Ab, that will, and as first slight
token of my friendship l will have you
| dismount aud have dinner with me, and
all your men as we'll. -
She said this aloud to the n IN with
smile of welcome that brought back an
instant response in loud chorus of
| thanks.
"Bess her little heart said al old
| warrior in a voice so gruff that he
could not soften it, ''she does not know
| what laundering appetites we've got. l
could eat her myseif.'
"Hush, you old fool.
Mary heard and laughed softly,
| storm of ha- ha- has ripped out with the
| suddenness of a thunderclap, and the
men hummed with subdued delight as
they off -suddled.
Ii Is a gracious gift with some women
that they charm without effort. The
men had been prepared to admire her for
the ride she took that night to warn
Sirayo, but now they worshipped her.
There was one man whose face was not
the brighter for her presence. Dalston
followed her swift, graceful movements
with yearuing glance, but there was
no smile in his eye. He resented the
| gayety of his men and he scowled when
one of his brother officers gaily offered
his services to Miss Rath. For him the
bitterness of it was that she was uncon-
scious of his pain, and even added to il
by ordering him off to fetch water from
the well, where he would be unable to
watch her.
As he marched off with his stiff mill
,ary stride. a bucket in each grasp, his
men were hard set 10 keep from laughter
at the evident reluctance with which he,
the young lieutenant who had accom-
panied the troop, was making himself
useful aud trying to set about his task.
A blesbok newly skinned, hung from
ths fork of a tree, and this, Pala, the
Zulu girl, proceeded to cut INTO joints.
"where did you get the buck from,
Miss Rathf'
81 shot it,
"You did,. Great is Dianua of Kopie
Alleen! Did you find the creature
asleep?''
"Yoh,' exclaimed Pala with a snort
of supreme contempt. missy shoot
him in de hind leg as he run, and Carlo
caught him..
"By Jove, Miss Rath, you surprise
me. You know you don't look like that
sort of girl. Excuse me Tor saying so.
but you puzzle me, you are SO out Of
keeping with the surroundings, the con-
ditions, don't cher know and he
smiled vaguely. :You know what i
mean
Mary smiled. "Yes. suppose 1 do,
Capt. Blaine made the same remark.
and il rather surprised me.
. y loS Ia hdn ua
turned up safe and sound last night.
Singular thing he went on, uncon-
scious of the effect his words had pro-
duced. "who should he meet wnen COM
ing into camp but the very man who
murdered him-tried to murder him [
mean. By Jove. We clean forgot to ask
you if you had seen him.
..seen whom?' asked Mary, bewil,-
cred but still keeping her face over the
fire. 1t had turned white and was now
rosy red.
"Why that rascal, Rowe. He de-
serted you know, and Blaine told us he
was coming towards kopj Alleen.'
mo, [ have not seen him. Is Capt.
Blaine ali righ,?" she asked steadily.
"Weli, rather groggy, and run down
you know, but he'll be rs fit as ever
soon. What an accomplished young
lady you are, Miss Rath, the odor from
the vension is delicious. Does 1t require
any stuffinR d we think. Pity we've no
port wine and black currant jelly. I've
peeled the pumpkin, what shall do
now:''
:Peeled the pumpkin said Mary,
Mortified, :why you silly boy, you We
cut of all the part fit to eat and left US
with the worthless SEEDS She laughed
merrily with heightened color and
sparkle in her eyes, for the news he
brought was welcome.
The "ssiliy boy searched for his eye
glass, which needed TO give effect to his
wounded feelings. 1t was not the wreck
of the pumpkin he felt, but the indig-
nifty of being called boy by lovely
woman. Missing the moral support of
the eve glass he capitulated at once TO
the humorous side OF the affair.
'Don't laugh any more, pray, but 20
off and help Captain Dalstan bring in the
wnter. He is very lazy over It,
Pala would have been there and back,
boiled the water. and made the coffee in
the time.''
Soon the feast was spread md the men