Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-05-02
hAXNELL'S MISSION.
New York Sun.

of the commanding officers tent His
cheeks were flushed and his eyes shone
with the light of gratitied pride
Il have chosen YOU" said the officer, lin
spite of your youth. not only because of
the speed of your horse and your own ac-
tivity and zeal, but because of the charac-
ter you have gained while in the service of
the company. It is not 10 every man Of
the pioneers l would trust 10 sovereisns
in gold. And, look here. young man. Far
rel's death by fever left vacancy among
the sergeants. I'll say no more, except
that in the company a sergeant always
stands chance of becoming lieutenant.
l trust you. Maxwell. You understand
your Orders?''
Gross two rivers going due north; then
head for a big kopje which | Will see from
the bank Of the second river; there / shall
find Lieutenant Adairs camp, get re-
ceipts, and return"
Exactly; you will get there shortly af-
ter nlghtfal Remember, you viii have no
danger from wandering Matabeles, if Lo-
bengula keeps his promise OF truce UNTIL
Adair hands him the money. As 10 anyone
else. there is no; soul in Newfoundland
save the Matabeles and ourselves.
wouldn't send you alone if it were other
wise The real fact is, | can tell you,
there have been deser,ions and discomfort
lately. and II don't want to risk losing
any money at the hands Of some man who
might be tempted TO ride of with it,"
The youngest trooper of that audicious
band. who, in insignificant numbers,
marched Il few years ago rlght into the
country OF the most dreade4 katiir King
in South Africa, the ferocious Lobengula.
rode off on his mission with glad ana
proud heart. This was his chance but he
f5lt he had earned IL. and, as his horse
bounded through the long grass and
breasted the waters of the rivers, Max
wells imagination was picturing glori-
Gus future of which tina, day should he
;he beginning. There was scope, indeed,
for dreams. gazing on that rich and meas
ureIess |veldt. which could fatten count
less herds which could yield incalculable
store Of grain, whose river beds were
sandCd with gold. Another India? on
other Give? Who shall read the dreams
of youth?
So heetly sped his horse that the messen-
ger had crossed the first river and was in
sight of the second. beyond which he could
already see the "kopje." or hill. which
was his destination. before the sun quite
disappeared on the western rim OF the
vedt. Il was, however, darkening, an
kopje was merging swiftly into the gray
shadows of evening. when suddenly from
the tan grass to his right came a loud call.
1t was not the noarness of the voice,
though that was s,artlmgly close that
brought Maxwell TO "a sharp halt. II was
the fac THAT it was "A civilized voice-as
distinctly observable from a Kafir cry
a. could be, and voice also that seemed
In distress.
''Wacht cen beetle" (wait little.
It was the cry of a Dutchman, a boer.
and tamazed the courier so that he rein
cd in his horse What he thought would
a boer be doing alone in that wild land,
hundreds of miles from his Transvaal set
Elements? At any rate. II he needed help
"Wacht cen beetle came the call again,
but sharply. commandmgly. From the
denser shadow than Of any fleeing cloud,
and the beat Of horses hoofs Maxwell,
in the dusk. saw only the vague outlines
Of a rider swiftly approaching Suddenly
something CLEANED in a parting ray OF the
sun and the pioneer realized that long
rife was pointing at him. With cry not
of fear. but anger at having been deceived
by that first call for help. the youth whip
ped his revolver from its hostler ana fired
at the still shadowy horseman. At the
same instant he pressed his knees TO his
horses TANKS and the brute plunged for
ward-too late. The couriers attention
had been so concentrated on his right that
he had not noticed another apparitlon
stealing upon him from the left As the
horse started forward a strong arm clutch
81 the reins and forced it back, while an
other. welding a knobkerrie, struck Max
we'll from his horse.
Without a word the two strangers leap
cd from their horses. and, bending over the
body. rihed it of it, money belt, contain
ing the golden burden. Not until that was
done did they speak, and although the
first man had called to the messenger in
they spoke in English.
Il hit too hard, I'm afraid" said one.
Hes not gone, is hep
Not he" said the other; the night air
will bring him around soon enough. Have
We got all?
ITS slowed snusly in the belt which
have. Safer there. There is no time to
divide w now Picket the young uns
horse beside him. We can't leave that
running loose
They did so. and soon the sound of their
paIIoning horses was again smothered in
tho thick rank grass as they rode OF, as
swiftly and mysteriousIy as they had
come.
The moon was up when the heavy dews
from the cloudless sky and the night wind
of the veldt brought back 10 Maxwell his
lost senses. He staggered to his feet, aud
for a long time he stood looking at his
impatient horse, and pressing his throO-
birg head in a vain effort to remember
what had happened 1t was not until he
had clambered into the saddle. and his
hand had wandered to his waist. round
which his money belt had been and found
that gone. that the full strength of his mis-
fortune was understood The mission
cor,ided to him had failed, and he was
disgraced-robbed like any greehhorn
Robbed? A sudden horrible thought pa!ed
his checks. Would the commander of the
.xp.dition believe his story? The officer
himself limited that the trust would have
been a temptation to some. and-he had
no wound to show. save "a paltry lump on
his head: no proof. no witness that he had
been attacked at all. In doubt and misery,
he rode back to camp with a sore heart
and hanging head.
49,. L.. ~. f.nnl Tie pnf herring Of OIL