Evening star., 1896-12-26
A HOT CH RISTM N las.
Author of The Track of Storm" /"
Copyright. 1895. by the Bachelor Syndicate,
Written for The Evening Star.
Part 4.
BY OWEN HALL.


Part I.
1t was hot. Good heavens, how hot 1t
was. on that broiling, roasting day far
away in South Africa. The poured
down in long yellow streams of flashing
gold. 1t blazed upon the broad, greenish-
brown billows of the veldt that seemed to
stretch away to the eastern horizon in end
less low ridges of hot earth covered thinly
with sun-dried herbage; it flashed and
sparkled on the heaped-up masses of rug
ged rocks piled one upon another. that
lowered above the right, till one
could fancy they smoked again under the
fierce heat: it lay hot and still on the
rough tangle of scattered trees and brush
wood that fringed the 5owlder-strewn slope
which led up to the gray piles of rock
that seemed to nod In the swimming at
mosphere- Yes, 1t was hot December
day; hot even for a South African mid
summer. far away on the borders of Mata-
beleland.
I had stopped for minute to rest and
look around me, and had taken the oppor-
tunity to pass my hand across my brow to
brush away some of the superf1uous mois-
ture that was trickling down my face in
continuous stream, while my rifle lea2t
against boulder at my side My other
hand was occupied in keeping in its place
the carcass of an antelope. the fruit of my
der. its long horns trailing on the ground
behind.
Il say. Hall. old man. nice seasonable
weather this for Christmas"
1t was the jovial voice of my companion
Travers that had reached me from behind
and little higher up the slope. Good
gracious. he was right, too. In two days
more it would actually be Christmas. and
here was i, as hot as baked chicken at
darky wedding. with perhaps five miles
more to tramp before could get rid of my
load.
Christmas" I shouted you don't mean
to say anybody keeps Christmas in this
weather, do your
keep it? / believe you, my boy, Why,
we'll kill the best steer We can get for love
or money. or lead, for that matter-thouSh
where the dickens we're going 10 get IL, 1
don't know-and make believe we're enjoy
ing the roast beef of old England on Christ
mas day
1 made an exclamation Of disgust: the
prospect was at the moment far from
enticing one.
'Oh. you may grunt, old fellow he con-
tinued. but you must do at Rome as the
Romans do, and / can tell you we omit
none of the ceremonies Of the season here.
except. worse luck. the girls and the mis-
tletoe."
Here 1 exclaimed: why, man, you
can't keep Christmas in this weather. The
things an outrage. Why don't you keep 1T
in july
At this point Travers descended the slope
at a bound to join me. He was a tall, ac
tive young fellow in rough and ready
costume which was not unbecoming, and
which included broad felt hat. a dark
gray jacket that formed a compromise
between a loose shirt and shooting coat,
loose trousers of the same. and leggins of
uEtanned leather that reached nearly to the
knee. He carried over his shoulders suny
IN fashion OF his own. the fellow antelope
TO the one j was carrying, and he was
laughing heartily at my face and tone of
disgust and incredulity.
oh come now" he exclaimed; "you
wouldn't have US give up our Christmas
Just because it was warm? Why, the very
Beers would look on you heathen.'
you please. of course" 1 grumbled. but
for my part 1 don't believe in a hot Christ
mas, and don't think you'n convert me to
the faith in hurry"
Travers laughed. We'll. I've seen sew
eral. and they're not such bad fun after
ALL It's a new sensation, / admit, but then
you re always coming across new sensa-
tions here; anything from a diamond mine
to nigger-rising. on the shortest notice
We have all sorts here, and most things are
hot"
lead while he was speaking, and without
making any reply L picked UP my rifle and
prepared TO follow him. We had gone but
short distance when the track we were fol-
lowing swept round a spur of the range of
rocky hills and brought a new part of its
rugged crest into sight. Travers halted alb
ruptly. and shading his eyes with his hand,
stared upward at the shoulder of the great
mass OF pfecipitouS rock that rose above us.
My eyes followed the direction of his but
could only succeed in making out some
thing dark which showed above the fringe
OF rough vegetation that came between.
After some seconds spent in carefully
watching the object. whatever 1t was that
had attracted his attention. my companion
turned away and resumed his march.
Glancing over his shoulder at me as he did
so, he remarked: There now Hail. that's
an Illustration Did you see that fellow up
there?'
Il saw something black. If that's what
you mean. but I'm hanged If l could tell
what il was
'Ah-just so: neither could 1. for that
matter 1t was niger on the lookout for
something What he was on the lookout
for 1 don't know. only it's lucky for US it
isn't you and l."
knew Fred Travers well enough by this
time to know that he was fond of Joke
and. concluding that this was one of his
tricks upon travellers. / decided to disap-
point him by taking no notice of his mys-
FERROUS announcement / made no reply
and We proceeded for some time in silence
We were still skirting the foot of the Kopje
and another turn brought US to spot
where the ground sloped rapidly down to-
ward something almost abruptly enough
to be called ravtne, through which ran
stream which, although low at the time,
had all the appearance of being subject to
considerable foods in time of rains. The
place was new to me, and observed with
all the interest Of an enthusiastic sports
man that it was just such spot might
attract wild animals in search of water. 1t
was not, however, till had stopped to get
r.
u =
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