Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-10-31

tue AFTERNOON. Inc DuSn seemed very
still and lonely, and 1 am bound to say
it suddenly struck me it was time to
move for the wagon. I got onto my
good nag, walked him away and pres.
emily set him into a brisk canter, which
only once slackened till I made the
camp just at sundown a couple of hours
later
81 told Angus what had seen. He
laughed and told me I had evidently
missed the spoor, although he admitted
that it was strange that Dirk had made
no sign when I hailed him, and next
morning we moved Oh rapidly, picked
up the meat of the dead giraffe and
then little later struck the wagon spoor
I had found yesterday. This we follow
ed briskly until O'Clock p. m., when
we came upon an old outspan and dis
covery No 4.
''Here was good sized water pit in
limestone formation. There were tho
remains of the campfire, and it was evil
dent from several indications that the
wagon, whose ever it was, had stood at
least two days at this spot. The kameel
doorn trees grew pretty thickly all
around, and there was a good deal Of
bush, and altogether it was sequester-
ed, silent spot. Lying by the largest of
the dead fires was an object that in
stantly Guickened our interest in the
mystery we were unraveling-the skele-
ton of man, clean picked by the foul
vultures, but apparently untouched by
hyenas or jackals. There were still the
tattered remains of clothing upon it,
and one veldtschoen-a Boer veldt-
schoen-up the right foot. I turned
over the poor bleached framework to
try to discover some inkling of its end.
AS I did so out battered from the skull
on to the sand solid Matini- Henry bull
let, slightly fiattened on one side of its
apex, manifestly from impact with
some bone it had encountered, probably
a cheek bone. A closer scrutiny reveal
ed big hole in rear of the skull just
behind the right ear.
"'By Georgep exclaimed Angus,
who was bending over me, there's been
foul play here. That shot was fired at
pretty CIOSe QUARTERS.
81 nodded, and at that instant my
Masarwa, who had been searching about
near us, picked up and brought me a
bunch of long red hair.
6" so help me God!' I could not help
exclaiming, that's from Dirk Starre-
berg's beard for any money. He has
been murdered here, that's certain. If
it was an accident, they would have
buried him. The question is, Who is
the murderer
"We hunted about, but found no
traces except the other veldtschoen and
the remains of a Dutchman's broad
brimmed hat. We outspanned for the
night and sat down to think it over and
have pipe while supper was being got
ready.
Angus I said, L don't half like
things There's some dark riddle here.
The fire I saw yesterday afternoon was
Dirk Starreberg's. 1 knew him well
and never could mistake him. And,
strangely enough, he was heading when
Hast saw him for this very spot. If 1 be-
ieved in ghosts, which don't, should
say had seen Dirk's spook. What do
you make of it all? I'm beginning to
think I'm dreaming or going dotty. 1t
beats me altogether.
WELL, returned Angus in his
quaint way, it's the most extreeordi
nary rum go I ever heard of. We'd bet
ter trek on in the morning first thing
and see what else we can discov =.
Those are Dirk's bones undoubtedly.
We must try and do something for the
poor chap, though he is dead.
81 don't know what was wrong that
night, but several times the oxen wero
startled and sprang to their feet, and
the nags, fastened up to the wagon
wheels, were desperately scared once
or twice and pulled at their reins as
though they must break them. The
dogs, too, barked and howled and be-
haved very strangely. And yet no lions
were near us. Once or twice we looked
out, but saw nothing. All Of us, mas
ters and boys, were uncomfortable, we
could hardly explain why, and the men
undoubtedly knew nothing of what !
udu seen the Ody DeIOTo.
''At dawn next morning we were not
sorry to inspan and trek, and following
the old wagon spoor we pushed On, de.
termined if possible to get to the bot
tom of the affair. All that day and the
next we toiled on, only outspanning
once or twice during the daytime and
at night by the water to rest and refresh
the oxen for few hours. At last, an
hour before sunset ON the second day,
Angus and I, who were riding ahead OF
the wagon, spied suddenly among some
kameel doorn trees the tent of wagon,
to which we cantered. Suddenly. as we
refined up, the foreclap was cast aside,
and a wild figure of a woman appeared
and scrambled down from the wagon
box. 1t was Vrouw Starreberg, but ter
ribly, sadly altered from the stout If
somewhat grim good wife had seen
a couple of years before. Her dark stuff
dress was torn and cut about by the
thorn bushes; her erst fat, smooth face,
broad though it still was, was lined and
haggard and terribly fallen away; but,
above all, there was a rolling vacancy,
wildness, in her eye that made me
fear at once for her reason. Under one
arm she clasped tightly big Bible,
and never in the subsequent days that
we were together did she once relin-
quish it. 1t seemed that some terrible
calamity had overturned her reason.
Whence come ye, George Ken
stone?' (she had known me we'll for
years. she cried in harsh, high pitch
ed scream very painful to listen to-
Take me out of this desert and back to
my home. have been cast away these
six weeks, able to move neither hand
nor foot for freedom. The man I called
husband is dead, and my servants have
fled, and the oxen are gone the Lord
knows where.
''I scarce knew how to begin with
her.
"I'm sorry, Tant' Starreberg,' I
said, ito find you in this plight. I'm
afraid there has been sad mischief, and
your husband has been shot. Is it not
so? We will help you gladly, of course,
and early in the morning, when the
oxen will be rested, we will take you
out of this place. I fear you have suf-
fered much. But how came poor Dirk
by his end? Was it the boys?'
.'At the mention Of Dirk her whole
expression changed. Her eyes filled
with q terrihle 1ipht Tn her hest days