San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-18

was Killed. mat the girl ultimately
married the survivor, but after the birth
of child gradually pinned away and
died upon The grave of the dead man,
whose name was supposed to have been
Jack.
However this might be, there was GER
tainly mound like grave at the fork.
The hyenas had commenced all around
it years ago, digging for the contents.
but some one. report said Hitges) had
filled up each hole with large stones as.
fast as they were made, until the I'M.
clean beasts had given up all attempts.
In the end Jacks Flat had acquired a.
bad name, and any one passing it after
dark hurried their passage little to get
away from its eerie locality. When Hit
GEES daughter began to draw lovers,
things approached crisis. Every now
and then some young man, whose char.
acter for yeracity was beyond doubt,
declared that ON returning from Hit
ges' during the night they heard and
saw things unspeakabie. Each told a
different tale, but all agreed in the hor-
ror of it. ' fE .ea
The young men began to cease their
visits, and at length, as the lady showed
no preference, only one continued to pay
his weekly call.
being that one, it is necessary to say
something about myself.
was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and
early became an orphan. My aunt strug-
gled to keep me and give me that school,
,nh oil 1alN
until at thirteen years of age went as
cabin boy on board ship bound for
Algoa Bay, where one of their black
southeasters drove our ship on shore, a
complete wreck. Refusing another ship,
/ wandered into the interior, and know
ing the use of tools through my aunt's
husband, who was a carpenter, served
short apprenticeship to wagon maker,
then worked as journeyman until had
saved enough to set up on my sole ac-
count, and in my twenty-fifth year found
myself established in business, with a
house, garden and shop of my own, in
the village of Drowsy Dorp. l had
four spirited horses and most of the fix
ings for an Africander, all wanted was
a wife, and Hitges' daughter seemed to
fill the bill. | was not such pushing
lover as some of the other suitors, for it
was my desire to watch the girl and be
assured that made no ruinous mistake
in the most vital act of my life, and did
not at the time experience any of the
frightful incidents which had so closely
followed my rivals. But one dark night,
some time after | had become the sole
pretendant, my turn came.
1t is the custom of the South African
Beers to eat their heaviest meal at about
ten o'clock at night. This is owing to
the warmth of the climate and the flies,
which are both largely got rid of about
that hour.
In consequence spark" does not see
| much of his attraction" until approach
| ing eleven p. IN, and then short half
| hour is all that time allows for purposes
of lovemaking, =
Necessarily, l always staid to supper,
and then for little chat after it, hating
to go, for. before me was lonely ride of
! twenty miles in the dark, dismal brush,
Whether it was because appeared to
be her last chance or because acquaint-
ance had made her appreciate me better,
| Katarina began to be very gracious
to me. Her face lighted up when ar
rived, and she seemed to cling to me
when left. v
For myself l had found her indus.
trious, clean, intelligent and good TEN.
pered, so my affection grew apace; be.
sides, and above all, she was handsome
woman. had separated from my love
with great hopes, for I had received my
first parting kiss and request to return
soon, two things which Cape girl does
not give unless she means them.
1t would be almost daylight when
arrived at the village. The night was
dark and the time just upon "thae wee
sma' hours ayant the twal." My ride
would have been an unpleasant one to
greenhorn, but although l was some.
times followed by a pack of hyena
wolves or jackals, and once shot leop.
ard which sprang at me from the side of
the road, and also knew that l was tax.
ing chances largely in my favor of
meeting a lion on the stalk, l had no
thought of danger.
My head and heart were full of hope.
full and successful love. So fear was
lava" Suddenly the fact that | was
entering the narrow part of the kloot
and approaching Jacks Flat struck
me. l admit never passing the grave at
the fork but l felt doubt and an ex.
pectation, not so much from actual dread
of the unknown as from the fact that
many of my rivals who had been scared
were old comrades of mine, having