Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-10-04

relieved DIS IeelluRs Wutu ue ucoiu VI
the barren result Of their labors.
The next morning a somewhat un.
wonted scene was enacted outside the
main gate of the DE Beers compound.
Some 80 or 40 Kaffirs whose time WAS
up and who had gone through the final
formalities preceding dismissal, were
coming out laughing and singing and
chattering and jingling their hard earn
ed money like so many children, and
among them, as innocently festive as
any, was young Bymeby. the Pondo.
He was not carrying his dog this time.
He knew that the officials had almost,
if not entirely. forgotten its existence,
and he wisely thought that 1t would be
more prudent to let 1t sneak quietly out
among the legs Of the crowd than to re-
call it to the gatekeeper's 9 memory by
taking il in his arms
The animal had become quite attach
ed to him. and he made sure that he
would be able to pick it up without any
difficulty when he had got safe dis
tance from the gate. This he could have
done quite easily il the dog had only
been left to itself But it wasn't.
No sooner had it passed the Rubicon
almost unnoticed and shown itself in
the road than peculiar cry. something
like high tenor "coo-e-ee. rose shrilly
into the still air from nowhere in par.
tioular The heathen dog pricked up its
false ears at the familiar but long IN
heard sound and the next instant be-
tween fIO, 600 and el2, 900 worth Of
dog aud diamonds was scampering down
the road ~ fast as four wiry legs could
carry il.
Bymeby let out high pitched howl
OF rage aud horror and started off with
great leaping strides in pursuit OF the
much longed for wives and cattle and
guns that were literally running away
with the dog. The rest Joined in the
hue and cry. some for good reasons of
their own aud some for the mere fun Of
the thing. but unfortunately, just as
they were beginning to gain on the fly
ing treasure, squad Of mounted police,
coming back from their nights duty on
the Free State border, turned corner
out OF the pu Toits Pan road at trot
and barred their way.
The dog lodged in among the horses
legs and got clear away To the eager
arms Of Ah Foo, who was waiting for
it in hall ruined tin shanty about 100
yards farther down the road. The po.
lice. always suspicious Of anything like
o Kaffir emuete, ordered Bymeby and
his companions TO stop, but the Pondo
and one or two Of the others who knew
the worth Of the quarry made desper-
ate effort to get through and continue
the chase, with the result that they
were speedily run down, collared and
marched of to the tronk, where, being
able to give no satisfactory reasons for
their anxiety to catch the dog, they
were summarily fined 5 shillings each
and kicked out.
Almost at the same moment that they
regained their liberty an occurrence,
which The Diamond Fields Advertiser
described the next morning a. "a shock
ing tragedy" took place just outside
the bar Of the Central hotel. Mr.. Angus
tus Lowenfeldt had been taking few
whiskies and sodas with some friends
and was just bidding them goodby to
go and see about some important bust
ness when he happened to look across
the street and saw well dressed China
man walking mp the opposite side, with
q hairless Chinese terrier at his heels.
His friends saw his hands go up to his
collar. His fat cheeks and low forehead
suddenly became deep blush purple,
and his eyes, bloodshot AND staring,
started half out Of their sockets. Fun
bling feebly with his fast tightening
collar, he half gasped, half gureied:
"Dog-ten thou-done. by ="
And then he reeled back and pitched
sideways into the road, and before they
could get him back into the bar la was
dead
Never knew poor Gussie to have
'em before. one of his friends sympa.
thizingly remarked to another when
they had seen the remains safely on TO
the ambulance "D'you think there
really was dog there? Blethd if did.
The thing looked to me more like a
rat Come on; let's go and ave another.
It's given me quite turn.
THE END.