Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-11-14
THE GREAT HESPER.
BY FRANK BARRETT.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER l.
We landed at Southampton, Septem-
Der IA, 1885, and a ragged crew we were.
The Judge" Joe Brace, led the way
"a great, gaunt man. with long, long
legs, a stoop in his shoulders, and asway-
ing movement of his body and arms
when he walked, as if he had q load on
his back and long way to 60; q man
with black fell on the back of his hands,
a dark beard growing high upon his
eek-bones, and q great bush OF iron
gray hair sticking out all round his head,
and forelock hanging down over his
eve. One could see nothing OF his fea-
lures but long red nose and deep-set,
beady black eyes. His fustian jacket
was worn to rags at the elbows-and so
was mine, as for that-split in the seams
between the shoulders with the constant
strain of the laboring arms. Once upon
q time his top-boots had been black, but
now they were all the same yellow clay
color with the trousers that were tucked
into them, and just as badly in need OF
repair. .,
/ followed with Van Hoeck. He held
my arm, not TO, support, but for guild
ance, because he was stone blind. He
was thirty or thereabouts, ! believe; but
he looked twenty years older than ], who
am now about twenty-six. Though he
was Dutch by birth. he looked like an
Asiatic, being a small, dark Jew, with
all the characteristics of his people; while
I, with my fair skin, light hair, and
large frame, am pretty true in appear
ance to my modern race. He was better
dressed than any of us, for though he
had accompanied us, and roughed it so
far as board and lodging were concerned,
he had taken only financial part in the
enterprise, his blindness naturally de-
barring him from laborious part. His
clothes retained something Of their orig
inal appearance. Albeit he had worn
them day after day for eighteen months
at the least; whereas mine, what with
exposure to the sun, the sweat OF work,
rough usage, and the strange devices
employed in repairing them, were scarce
" recognizable as Christian clothing.
His face gave more sign OF strain and
fatigue than either the Judges or mine,
which might well be, seeing how great
a relief to the mind physical labor is.
There was furrow between his brows,
deep lines descending from the inner an
Gle of the eyes, pinched look about the
nostrils and fleshless cheeks, that gave
q fearful, strenuous eagerness to the
weird expression of his face. And that
expression was weird, nay, even repul-
sive. though his features were not ill
shaped, and it was due chiefly to the pc
culiarity of his eyes. Most people of dar!;
complexion, like his, have dark iris to
the eve, but his was of q steely-gray, ana
was the more noticeable because there
was the iris and nothing else; there was
no pupil-nothing but that gray patch
upon the yellowish ball of the eye: He
kept his eyes open when his mind was
preoccupied. Often, when he was sit
ting near me while / worked, ! have
changed my position that / might not
see those CHASTITY eyes wide open to an
African sun, yet unconscious OF its glare.
There was something terrible IN his
blindness.
Onr rear was brought upby the "Kid. y
The name by constant use and familiarl-
ty had long ceased to be slangy to my
ear.
Poor little Lola! she was the raggedest
and most disreputable of the lot, though
it was not for that reason that she walked
behind us; indeed, had she suspected that
to follow implied inferiority, she would
have marched ahead of her own father.
That was her character.
The child wore q ragged red flannel
petticoat, camisole that had once Deen
white, and colored handkerchief TIED
closely round her neck. She had
string Of colored beads upon her wrist
but neither hat on her head nor shoe on
her foot, Her purple black hair grew
low down ON her temple, and broke into
curls over the ears at the nape OF hel
neck, and wherever it was uncontrolled
II was matted together in thick, loose
plait that fell down to her waist, and
tied at the end with strip OF red han
mel, torn from her petticoat. She had
the prettiest little hands and feet. darE
olive skin, large but beautifully-shapec
mouth. with the finest teeth have evel
seen, and pair of glorious black eyes
full Of audacity, and betraying only toC
faithfully her wild and ungovernablI
disposition. Properly dressed land wash
edl, she might have passed for q Spanish
princess; in her present condition, Their
was no mistaking her for anything bu
the self-villed little savage she was.
The Kid had given us q deal OF trouol
had we foreseen how much, DO no
think Van Hoeck or / would have pu
In that postscript to the agreement whicl
her father, the Judge, induced Us TO IN
scribe
AeRKKNEET COPY. -,
CAPE Town. May i, 1884.
We. the undersigned. agree 20 work togetne
a long as our strength and means nolo GU
snS Ne asree 10 share IN equal parts Whateve
nrofts may arise from the epteEpnse Mlkno4