The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-07-01

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was no river to be seen-only long line
of pillows of what looked like the finest
cotton wool tossed up lightly with pitch,
fork.
at was the fever mist Out from
among the scrub, too, came little spirals oil
vapor, as though there were hundreds OF
tiny fires alight in it-reek rising from
thousands of tons of rotting vegetation. 1t
was beautiful place, but the beauty was
the beauty Of death, aud all those lines and
blots of vapor wrote one great word across
the surface of the country, and that word
was fever
81 had trekked from dawn till eleven
O'Clock long trek-but wanted to get
on, and then had the oxen turned out to
Craze, sending the voorlooper to look after
them, meaning to inspan again about six
o'clock and trek with the moon till ten.
Then | got into the wagon and had a good
sleep till half past two or so in the after
noon, when got up and cooked some meat
and had my dinner, washing it down with
a pannikin of black coffee-for it was diff
cult to get preserved milk in those days.
Just as had finished and the driver, man
called Tom, was washing up the things, in
comes the young scoundrel of voorlooper
driving one OK before him.
"'Where are the other oxen?' I asked.
"'Koos, he said, koos (chief }, the other
oxen have gone away. l turned my back
for minute, and when | looked round
again they were all gone except Kaptein
here, who was rubbing his back against a
tree
"'You mean that you have been asleep
and let them stray, you william. will rub
your back against stick, l answered, feel
ing very angry, for it was not pleasant
prospect to be stuck up in that fever trap
for a week or so while we were hunting for
the oxen. of you go, and you, too, Tom
and mind you don't come back till you have
found them They have trekked back
along the Middleburg road and are dozen
miles off by now, I'll be bound. Now, no
words, Go, both of you 7
atom, the driver. swore and caught the
lad hearty kick, which he richly de-
served, and then having tied old Kaptein
up to the disselboom with rein they got
their assegais and sticks and started.
would have gone, too, only | knew that
somebody must look after the wagon, and
did not like to leave either of the boys
with it at night. | was in very bad
temper indeed, although | was pretty well
used to this sort of occurrence, and soothed
myself by taking rifle and going to kill
something.
"For couple of hours | poked about
without seeing anything that l could get a
SHOT at, but at last, Just as | was again
within seventy yards of the wagon, ! put
up on old Impala ram from behind . mi
mosa thorn. He ran straight for the
wagon, and it was not till he was passing
within few feet of it that | could get a
decent shot at him. Then l pulled and
caught him half way down the spine.
Over he went, dead as door-nail, and a
pretty shot it was, though l ought not to
say it. This little incident pqt me into
rather better temper, especially as the
buck had rolled over right against the after
part Of the wagon, so had only to gut
him, fix REIN round his legs and haul
him up.
"By the time had done this the sun
was down and the full moon was up, and
beautiful moon 1t was. And then there
came down that wonderful hush that some
times falls over the African bush in the
early hours of the night. No beast was
moving, and no bird called. Not breath
of air stirred the quiet trees, and the shad-
ows did not even quiver; they only grew.
It was very oppressive and very lonely, for
there was not sign of the cattle or the
boys. was quite thankful for the society
of old Kaptein; who was lying down con-
tentedly against the disselboom, chewing
the oud with good conscience,
presently, however, Kaptein began to
get restless. First he sported; then he got
up and snorted again. could not make
1t out, SO, like fool, | got down off the
wagon box to have look round, thinking
it might be the lost oxen coming
"Next instant / regretted it, for all of
sudden heard an awful roar and saw
something yellow flash past me and light
on poor Kaptein. Then came below
Of agony from the OK and crunch as the
lion put his teeth through the poor brpte's
neck, and | began to realize what had hap
pened. My rife was in the wagon, and
my first thought was to get 1t, and l turned
and made bolt for it, get my foot on
the wheel and flung my body forward on
to the wegon, and there | stopped as If |
were frozen, and no wonder, for as | was
about to spring up I heard the lion behind
me, and next second felt the brute-aye,
as plainly as / can feel this table, I felt
him, | say, shifting at my left leg that was
hanging down.
"My word, I did feel queer. l don't
think that | ever felt so queer before. |
dared not move for the life of me, and the
odd thing was that seemed to lose power
over my leg, which had an insane sort Of
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