Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-02-18


casion to call on the governor of Che
Jail, and as we sat in his cool little
room, discussing his Martell and
smoking his Boer tobacco he looked
up suddenly with a troubled air and
sald,-
SPY the by, do you know that Dirk
Sylvester goes to Cape Town with the
next lot of L d. B.'s?" Qllicit Dia-
mond Buyers.)
expressed my surprise as knew
the governor had the selecting Of the
prisoners to be transferred to the
breakwater at Cape Town and had
heard that he had an idea Of making
Dick clerk in the Kimberley prison
Office. There was but little chance
of his ever being free man again,
but it was something that he should
serve his weary years at Kimberley
among friends who could visit him
and close to his faithful wife.
I mentioned this, and the COVER
nor. stepping to the little cupboard,
turned the key and took out little
blue packet.
II have had to forbid Mrs Syl-
vester's visits" he said, "and when I
tell you the reason I think you will
agree that I am right in sending
Dirk to Cape Town. You see, he
seemed to expect, when the reprieve
came, that he would be set at liberty;
so did she, but, as you know, the
death sentence has only been COM
muted to imprisonment for life, and
how on earth they managed to per-
suade the governor to do that I can't
tell. Well, since that has been made
plain to Dirk he has been a changed
man. He talks hopelessly of his fu-
ture-and God knows, poor fellow,
it's dark enough he seems to be
pining for freedom; he says the con-
yict's dress clings to him like cere-
cloth, and the other day just after his
wife had visited him, I saw such a
queer look in his eye that ! quietly
turned over his things. At the bot
tom Of the basket of comforts she
had brought him 1 found this"
He opened the pack and poured out
before my eyes whitish powder.
"Well?" I said interrogatively.
'Poison!" he briefly replied, as he
swept the powder back into the
packet. Sand now," he added,
''dont think me hard if 1 send Dirk
to Cape Town."
There was an unusual stir in Kim
berley: the streets were crowded with
men and women whose faces bespoke
every kindly emotion, from despair
ing rage to rejoicing malice; while
hither and thither among the throng
in the market square rode officials in
the dark blue uniform of the Cape
Civil Service.
At length there was cloud of dust
in the Transvaal road; the crowd
swaYed and parted, and at a hard
galop two heavily laden mule wagons
passed through the surging ranks and
halted tor the escort to close round.
A wotul freight those wagons bore,
a load of human misery; company
of wretched convicts, into whose soul
the iron Of captivity had already en-
tered; consignment Of baffied,
trapped and forsaken seekers after
illicit wealth. Youth and age were
there, and the CALLING letters bound
all together in the links of a COM
mon despair. Chained as they were,
like wild beasts, some stood up and
in agonized voice called upon friend,
Sxyifn vu,ho
while others, creuching piteously in
the corner of the rude conveyance,
bowed their heads between their
trembling hands and sought to keep
out the light of sun which had
become hateful to them.
Suddenly caught sight of Dirk
Sylvester. He was sitting on the
side of the foremost wagon. his arms
folded across his chest, and look of
eager expectation on his finely
moulded face, thin and pale with
confinement and suffering. I called to
him, but he heard not; his gaze SEEM
ed fixed on some far-away object. and
smile played on his lips.
I hurried on in advance of the
calvalcade toward The Oasis, which l |
knew it must pass on its way to the
open veldt. l remembered that the |
Governor Of the jail had told me the
night before that he had allowed a |
last interview before the fearful |
journey TO Cape Town, between man
and wife, and that they spoke some |
words in French, which he did not |
understand, but which seemed to have |
a wonderful effect on Dirk.
AS l neared the gates Of The Oasis,
over which the blue gums cast their
shade, and where the sweet trailing
flowers were in their full autumnal |
beauty, / saw Sylvester's wife stand
ing motionless. She was attired in
the plain white dress she wore on the
dav Of the trial, and also when she
crowned Dirk's dark hopes and rem
dered him the envy Of the bachelors
of the Fields by becoming his own.
Her golden hair floated UNDECIDED on
the lazy breath from the distant plain
her eyes were turned upward to the
deep blue sky above, and her lips
seemed to be moving as if in silent
nraVer