The record-union., 1897-08-23

through BasutuIand that some white
Medicine man" was destroying every
Basutu that went down on the way to
Kruger's farm, and that the whole dis
tance, from the little fiat-topped hill TO
the mountains, was white with their
bones.
| The consequence was that most of
Mosheshe's warriors were dreadfully
frightened and avoided going in that
direction.
| Nevertheless, the daring Boer soon
| got surprise, which showed him
| forcibly how precarious was his posi-
| ton.
Twelve young bloods, who wished to
curry favor iwth the King, banded
themselves together and swore they
would kill the killer. They had heard
| of his tactics from those who had es-
capped from his bullets; so they took no
risk o advancing by daylight, but
started out stealthily, under cover of
the silence and darkness of night. I'm
heard and unseen they reached Abel's
| f1at-topped hill and hid themselves
away among the bushes and powders
on the slope.
At the first signs of dawn, they saw
<1DCi HIdAiilS MS way along the ilSou VI
the slope by the foot of the rock ledge.
Soon they saw him go on his knees,
and then down fiat on his face Abel
was drinking at a little spring, whose
cool water boiled up in the midst of a
pond or basin as clear as crystal.
| As he lay there, face downwards.
drinking, he noted in the water the re-
| Election Of the blue sky overhead and
| Of the green leaves overhanging the
edges Then he became aware of some
thing else, and saw to his horror that
his days We're ended. The black faces
of dozen men were glaring at him
from the bottom of the mirrorlike pool.
with assegais poised ready to strike
him. He never stirred from his posi-
ton. He believed that his hour had
come, but in the same instant he
thought of a ruse to escape by.
We'll, you've got me at last" said
he, and l know you won't spare me,
neither will l ask you to do so.''
'Ha, ha. We've got you safe this
time said they. "and Wen pay you
for all you have done to u.s."
We'll" said he, do me one favor
before l die. 1 have loved always the
wide, free veldt and the sky. Take me
up on the hilltop and let me take one
last look at Gods beautiful world be-
fore you kill me. Besides" he added
quickly, my clothes will be useful to
you, and you had better kill me naked
for if you stab me now with your asse-
gals you'll make them full of holes" +"
Now he said these things while still
lying face down over the water, watch
ing their fierce countenances reflected
from it's depths.
quite right you are" shouted they.
Come up on the hilltop, then, and
strip So one of them took up his gun
and went before, while the others, clos
ing in around him as he arose, escorted
him up on the table land, their ready
spears pointing at him from every side,
as they ascended by an easy way Ar
irving on the fiat hilltop, he gazed
around, as he had asked, at the beau
tiful world, and then commenced to
disrobe. First taking off his hat, he
gave it to one. Then his neckerchief
he gave to another, to third his pipe,
to a fourth his tinder box and flint and
steel. Another got his knife, and an
other his coat; another his shirt, and
SO on, till he had given something to
watching him, while the others were
busy like children with their just ac-
quired presents. They thought they
had him safe, now that he was stripped
Of all except his trousers and boots He
noted their self-confdence with salts
faction. Taking off one of his long
boots, therefore, with great delibera-
tion, he handed it to one of the three
| rIa@ A.,I fI,n
remained-one on his right hand and
the other on his left. Now he was
standing quite close to the edge of the
cliff, where there was a sheer drop of
about eighteen feet He took off his
last boot with the same deliberation as
the other; but just when he was TAX
ing his foot out of it, he gave 1T a
mighty swing, striking the heavy heel
of it in the mouth of the would-be re-
cipient, at the same time knocking over
with his other arm the one who was
expecting the trousers.
One bound carried him down over
the rocks. A yell of disappointment
burst from the throats of his outwitted
captors. The hurried but ill-aimed as
segais flew after him. but none of them
touched him; for he ran around under
shelter of the rocks and none of them
dared to follow him in his jump, but
ran down by the easy way by which
they had brought him up Then they
were too late, for Abel got around to
the western side of the hill, mounted
his horse and began to pick them down
with his gun he had strapped on the
saddle. When they saw how things
were going against them, they scat
tered over the hillside to hide from his
bullets. But all day long he sought
them out. Yet one fellow lay so well
hidden that Abel unsuspectingly went
into danger and started when an as
segia whizzed past his head But this
lurker got shot, too. and by night the
whole twelve left their bones to be add
ed to the rest.
Some of them, after getting their
presents of wearing apparel. had put it
on. and did not perhaps have time to
take it off afterward for Abel sent a
bullet through the breast of his own
coat when he shot the Basautu who
wore it. His shirt. too, had a hole
through it. His gun and pocket articles
he found where the warriors had
dropped them on the very spot they
had stood in when he jumped down.
That night we may be sure he didn't
rest easy. fearing lest another party
might put in their appearance. But
| they left him in peace for a few days.
However they We're bent upon taking
him. dead or alive.
After escaping from two or three 9TH
| er nocturnal attempts. he was advised
by a commandant of burghers to leave
the farm for time and go with his