The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-03
MdXWeIHS Mission.
LP. Y. Black In New York SUM-

friVate ROBERTS with him. They will
take you as far as Fort Tuli, on the,
frontier, under arrest. awaiting trial."
1t was with very different sensations
TO those with which he had ridden off
on his mission that Maxwell commence
cd his journey to Tuli. Yet though q
prisoner, and his heart filled with q
dumb despair, he held His head proudly
as he shook hands with few comrades
who babe him cheer UP. But the efforts
of his friends to give him hope were.
for the greater part, forced, for Max
we'll could not but see, with bitterness,
that even they found 1T hard to credit
his story. 1t was prepoSterous to be-
live that any other white men were in
that hostile country save the pioneers
themselves His cheeks flushed as he
overheard the remark Of one:
I'm sorry for him, for he was a
f1rst-rate sort. but he ought to have
done it heater than that. Anyhow,
they can't do anything to him. They
can't prove he took the money; but
they can't prove he did not, don't you
know"
$50" thought Maxwell. with anguish,
II shall be suspected man all my
life"
The prisoner and his two guards rode
on almost in silence. The journey to
Tuli, on the frontier, would take them
at the least three days, and 1t was not
one without danger. They did not fear
any interruption from the Matabele
warriors, for these were massed to the
north with their king, but lions and
large game abounded, and the broad
rivers over which they had to swim
their horses abounded In crocodiles. To
defend himself, therefore, MaxwelPs
rifle and cartridges, although he was
Under arrest, were not taken from
him. He knew his guards but slightly;
they were not men Of the kind he had
chosen to be intimate with, of the
ruder. least educated class in that mix
ed company Of adventurous young fell
lows.
Sergeant Wayne first broke the
dreary silence Were as gloomy and
silent as if we were all going to be
Eung." he cried. with a loud laugh.
nothing to be glum about, man!
There's nothing in the way of evidence
against you. Is there, Roberts?"
What do I know" growled the
other.
"Pshaw! you're as morose as Max
we'll here! And you ought to be happy
enough too! Got your discharge, going
back to your friends, money in pock-
er"
rs it," .growled the private. 81 wish
you'd hold your row."
NASTY. amt he, Maxwell? He'll be
better after supper and he's got some
OF that springbok meat down his
throat Finest buck I ever shot, Max"
81 thought hunting passes had been
stopped since. Jones got assegaied,
when out shooting?" said Maxwell. in
differently
Maybe they are. old man." said
Wayne, with a laugh, ''but the SER
Seant Of the guard can sometimes get
a chance to get some fresh meat for
supper. So Roberts and I managed to
skip the camp"
quickly at the prisoner but Maxwef's
thoughts were already wandering back
to his own position.
well. WELL" said the sergeant, "as
1 was saying, Maxwell, you needn't
be afraid. They can't prove anything
against you, SO no harms done, and
some day soon you can drop back and
dig up the. 4..t...
Maxwell cried out in a passion of
indignation:
DO you really think 1 had that
money!"
The sergeant looked at him with an
eye . half shsmed. half amused.
wen, Maxwell" he said. "the Beers
and the knobkerrie and the call for
help made a pretty story, especially
That cry from the night, 'Wacht cen
beetje!-but we all know, there were
no Beers within a hundred"
He stopped, for Maxwell was looking
at him. startled, curiously.
Wei, WELL" the sergeant said,
prove anything"
Silence fell on the three again. but
Maxwell was full of strange thoughts.
They camped by the side of a river
which the sergeant would not swim
before daylight, having a discreet re-
sard for crocodiles, busiest always and
hungriest at shutdown. Roberts pre-
pared Pa the deer meat for broiling.
Wayne gathered material for the fire
and Maxwell took the billies and went
down to the river, fifty yards away, to
fill them with water. The wet season
was nearly over and the river was run
ming low. Already rocks and banks of
shingly sand showed above the stream
dimly in the evening light. Maxwell
cautiously scrutNized each muddy log
and suspicious projectile, aware by ex-
perience how easily the long, still
amphibians might be mistaken for a
mud-imbedded tree trunk, but he saw
no signs and returned to camp with
his water pals. AS he approached the
other two were busy and did not hear
him. The sergeant was STOPPING over
the fire, now lighted, his back turned
to the young trooper. His coat was
thrown aside, his shirt had been dis
arranged by the armfuls of wood he
had been carrying to the fire. por-
ton of his waist was plainly seen in
the light of the flames. Maxwell looked
and gasped and dropped a billyful of
water The sergeant turned at the
CHATTER and faced him.
Whats the matter, young 'un By
George, you look whitel Is it a crocko-
dile?"
He ran for his gun in almost panic
for the pioneers held the loathsome
reptiles in greater horror even than
lions. Maxwell hard time to recover
himself and forced a laugh.
II stumbled" he said. You're aw-
fully scared of the brutes, Wayne"
"I am" said the sergeant with a
shudder. 81 was swimming the UNI
betzi alongside MacMahon that time
when he and his horse were both pulled
down. dream of it STILL
Maxwell rose after supper, when the
other two lit their pipes. If he had
been pale when he dropped the billy,
he was flushed now.
Sergeant" he said, ''if it's not
against orders, I'd like to try a shot at
those brutes before dark, if there are
any lying about on the banks"
'Of course, of course. old man." said
the sergeant, easily. There's no COM
manding officer about with bothering
regulations, and, to tell the TRUTH I'm
going to leave the pioneers anyway,
and amt worrying about any prison
ers. I'm sorry for you, Maxwell, pom
cape. why, man, I'll look the other
way. and Roberts, too! III help you,
too; by Jove, 1 will"
He spoke with almost anxious en-
thusiasm, as if he really would like to
see Maxwell take his rifle and horse