The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-13
THE BOER'S REVENGE

fourth OF our party, had undertaken to act
as our guide, philosopher and friend and to
show us where the best game could be
bagged. After an excessively hot day we
had outspanned for the night on the banks
Of the Umtali river in MashonaIand.
We loved to hear old Dan yarn, and
what is more we knew he always spoke
the truth.
"There's only one black Sam that ever
had any feeling Of respect for, remarked
Dan, land he died 20 years ago But
there" he said deprecatingly, II can't ex-
pect you gentlemen to feel the slightest
possible interest In a nigger"
We soon disabused his mind on that
score.
II was trying to recollect, +" he resumed,
"where 1t was first met poor Topknot,
as we used to call him on account Of the
thingamy he wore on his head-Matabele-
land somewhere The Matabele had raided
the kraal where the poor devil had lived,
and cleared of every man, woman and
child they came across. Topknot only
escaped to tell the story. My partner, Jan
Ssoffel, and l had outspanned on the road
with wagon load Of goods was a trad
or In those days--and three or four boys,
when suddenly a naked, Kafflr came rush
ing into the camp half dead with fright
and foil down at my feet. 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 be my slave forever Moreover,
he said he could show me certain stream
where gold pellets such as tho white men
loved, were found In great abundance. My
partner, typical Boer, picked up his ears
at this and urged me-more for what we
were likely to gain by 1t than anything
else, fancy-to do what could for tho
niger, who was really in terrible state.
Then remembered u half empty packing
case which we had. In less time than il
takes to tell the goods were emptied cut
and the niger told to jump in"
And did her" queried Charlie, with
lazy curiosity.
Didn't hep' exclaimed Dan, with en-
phasis. How he managed to stow him
self AWAY so comfortably fairly puzzled
me, hut he did. We piled goods of all
kinds over him, and had scarcely finished
doing so when one Of my boys came run
ming up to say that the Matabele were
coming. seized my gun and pretended
to DO husily engaged In cleaning 1t. Jan
Stoifol did the same. There were half O
dozen young Matahele altogether. As I
could see by the light of the moon they
were In full war rig and looked mischie-
vous, and 1T would go hard with poor Top
knot, I thought, II he fell into their
clutches. They said they were in search
Of runaway dog of Mashona and had
traced his spoor 10 our camp. Had seen
himP one brave asked with swagger. I
said the runaway had been there, but had
passed down the road and had crossed the
river. At last our bloodthirsty visitors
took themselves offend we weren' t sorry
to see the last Of the pack"
'What became of what's his name?'
asked Jack.
Meaning TopknotP" asked Dan. "Well
for two whole days he lay hid in that pack
Ing case, and we had some difficulty in |
getting him to come out.
After that" proceeded Dan, leisurely
putting at hispipe, "Topknot settled down,
and the farther we got away from Mata-
beleland the livelier he became. His devo-
lion to myself was really extraordinary
N fact, Jan Stoffel grew quite jealous Of
It,. 0S..
!
whether Topknot had sheWn him the river
where the gold came from.
well" answered Dan, with smile,
he pointed out tho river sure enough,
tut we never got so much as grain Of
'old from Its bed. A year or two after
his there was something like famine In
he land, and trade with the niggers wes
lmost at standstill. Jan Stoffel, never
t the best of times q sweet tempered man,
ecamc british and unbearable In conse.
uence. There was decided GOODNESS 10.
ween US. One day returned from shoot
ng to find that Stoffel had tied Tcpkros
0 the wagon and was thrashing him IN.
lercifully with sjanbok. Topknot
)oked at me appealingly. What's no
one, JanS' asked quietly. Nothing
narled Jan. Then why thrash himp'
skod. Because 1t pleases me to do so,'
Q returned. Well, Jan, / think the poor
evils had enough considering he's done
othing to deserve such punishment Sup
ose you drop that sjambok.' IN see you
anged first, said he, and if you interfere
18th me III thrash your As he said this
raised the whip, red with niggers blood,
nd made as II he would strike me. I
'ized the fellow by the waist and lifting
i'm bodily up sent him crashing among
lie pots and pans inside the wagon. When
} pulled himself together, he was simply
Vid with rage, and he swore las only
Ger can swear) that he would be even
It'll Inc some day or other. I said moth
q, but out the thongs that bound Top
lot to the wheel.
For three months after that my Boer
'rtner never spoke to me unless through
eer necessity. For my part, l instinc-
7ely avoided him.
well, matters came TO head at last.
tho end OF that year our partnership
IS to be dissolved under the terms Of our
and we would then 60 our sew
n ways The end was but week off, {
d one day. remember it was Christ :
ss eve-I found myself quite alone In y
mp. Stoffel and the boys were out seek =
our Christmas dinner l looked at Z
, sky and saw tho black clouds gather II
! for a storm. Then lighted my pipe
d planted my back against u wagon
EEL TO have good think. 1 suppose
,st have fallen asleep. At any rate I n
4 o most peculiar dream, q dream which "a
UNITS me to this day. d
i dreamed that was Jonah, the chap w
os mentioned in the Bible, you knowi d,
bought stood on the deck of ship,
III the spray Of an angry sea beating
On me. ! thought the sailors all looked
upon me, and the remark n,
Q fact about this dream was that the o.
Q Of every man Jack on board was the II
a Of my partner Stoffel Then imag- h,
d that heard the sailors cry: We will a. a.
lure 1t no longeri Cast the evildoer
, the seal And with loud cry they
cd me on high and cast me with all
ir might into the raging sea. felt the -;
waves about me, and as rose to the ~ u.
face great sea monster foated toward q,
Then as 1t grippsd me by the waist ny
lrieked aloud In my agony-and awoksl
und myself saturated with rain, and
ffel, my partner, standing over me with 4
,vllish leer upon his face. IS
! tried to rise, but found I could not ~,
70. A leathern rein had been passed 'h'
CO round my body and l was securely
led to the wagon wheel. For mo- de-
" could not gasp the situation. Then he
membered how Stoffel had sworn to be col
'nged upon me. The heavens were {
n and tho min dos tt, 80,