The Penn's Grove record., 1897-04-02
THE Beers REVENGE,

There were iOur Oh hs III canP
my two chums, Charlie and Jack As
auth, Just fresh from the University
of Oxford. and myself. We were on
n shooting expedition, and old Dan
Solomons, the fourth of II party had
undertaken to act rs our guide, pllilos-
opher and friend and to show us where
the best game could be bagged. After
an excessively hot day we had out
spanned for the night on the banks OF
the Umtuli river, in Mashonaland.
We loved to hear old Dap yarn, and,
what is more, we knew he always
spoke the truth.
"There's only one Kafir that ever
1 had any feeling of respect for" re-
marked Dan, sand he died 20 years
ago. But, there" he said deprecat-
ingly, ~ can't expect You gentlemen
to feel the slightest possible interest in
a Kafir."
We soon disabused his mind on that
score.
81 was trying to recollect," he re-
sumed, "where it was / first met Top
knot, as we used to call him on ac-
count OF the thingamy he wore on his
head, in Matabeleland somewhere. The
Matabele had raided the kraal where
the poor chap had lived, and cleared
off every man, woman and child they
came across. Topknot only escaped
to tell the story. My partner, Jau
Stoffel. and l had outspanned on the
road with a wagonload of goods
was a trader in those days-and three
or four boys, when suddenly II naked
Kafir came rushing into the camp,
half-dead with fright, and fell down at
my feet. 1 managed to make out
from what he said that he was flying
for his life before the dreaded Mata.
belle. He begged for my protection
and promised to b. my slave forever.
Moreover, he saii he could show me
a certain stream where gold pellets,
such as the white men loved, were
found in great abundance. My part
ner, q typical Boer, pricked up his
ears ut this and urged me-more for
what we were likely to gain by it than
anything else. l fancy-to do what l
could for the boy, who was really in a
terrible state. Then I remembered a
h~alf-empty packing case which we had.
In less time than it takes to tell the
goods were emptied out and the Kafir
told to jump in."
Sand did he?" queried Charlie, with
lazy curiosity.
"Didn't hei" exclaimed Dan, with
emphasis. Chow he managed to stow
himself away so comfortably fairly
puzzled me, but he did. We piled
goods of ali kinds over him and had
scarcely finished doing so when one of
my boys ame running mp to say that
the Matabele were coming. l seized
my gun and pretended to be busily en-.
gagged in cleaning it; Jan Stofel did
the same. There were half a doZ3 an
young Matabele together. As l could
see by the light of the moon, they
were in full war rig and looked mis-.
~chievous, and it would go hard with
poor Topknot, I thought, if he fell
into their clutches. They said they
we're in search of a runaway dog of a
Mashona and had traced his spoor to
our clmp.-SHad | seen him., one
brave asked with q swagger. 1 said
the runaway had been there, but had
passed down the road and had crossed
the river. At last our blool.thirsty
visitors took themselves of-anl We
weren't sorry to see the last of the
pack"
"What becime of what's. his-name?'
asked Jack.
"Meaning Topknot?" asked Dan,
"Well for two whole days he lay hil
in that packingcase, and we had some
difficulty in getting him to com,
cut"
".After that" proceeded Dan, leis
urely, putting at his pipe, ''Topkno
settled down. and the farther we go
away from Matabelelaud the ~livelie
lo became. His devotion to mysel