The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-13
RAN zIGzAG FOR HIS LIFE.
N<RRoW ESCAPE FROM RUDE IDEAS
e or norm JUSTICE

Fnrmcre IN the SOuth African hepuDnc-
An Inhabitant DIspeDaes Rude Justic
to Three Trampa Accused of Murder
The man from South Africa was smoking II
the club and moralizinR.
II suppose" said he. that when thest
tlynehers set out to hang a man they usual,
Eet the right man, hut u must sometimes hap
pen that they get the wrong onc-they are 81
dreadfuily impetuous. ! have a great deal o
personal sympathy for any man who is in dan,
ger Of lynchinR."
Personal sympathy ?"
Yes. downright fellow feeling. / have
always the fear that he is the wrong man. and
lynchinE istoo positive o proceeding altogether
He ought to have a chance-a choice Of pills
one OF which 10 poisoned. or something like
that, II there Is any doubt. OF course"
Trial by ordeal Do you believe in the
ordeal style OF trial yourself 2"
Il do" said the man from South Africa. en-
phatically. because I've seen II tested sue
cessfully."
A nj what had you done to be tried 2"
had been keeping bad company. One day
Twas trudglng along the trek in the north oil
the Transvaal. where farms are far apart. towns
unknown. and gold prospecting and pros
pectors' camps never seen. Ny blanket roll
was over my shoulder. my billy swinging from
II. and / was armed with only n stout stick.
There was nothing to cook in the billy. for my
provender had run out. and I was In fairly bad
condition and looking for some friendly farmer
for shelter and coffee. l was In q horribly
lonely part OF the s. A.. Il. The Beers up
there spent the whole long year secluded
each on his farm, rising before the sun. going
to bed with 1t. and attending the nachtmaal.
anywhere from fifty to 100 miles away. perhaps
twice a year. For absolute ignorance OF what
was going on in the big world they were worse
Nkan hohtan AID so -. az NL.i-
They did not want TO know; they never read a
newspaper. and the advent of a railway would
have set them all to trekking further away into
the wilderness. Their idea OF duty was to hate
the Uitlander and to read the Bible.
NOW q Boer is like a Calvinist he gets more
satisfaction out OF the Old Testament thar the
New. What with his lonely life and his study
OF the Mosaic law he is very superstitious. and
believes In witches and spooks and the most
direct interposition OF Providence In daily life.
These farmers refuse to destroy the Iocusts
which eat up their crops. because they look on
them as q plague sent to punish them from
heaven. You see they are better acquainted
Will the times Of Moses and Pharaoh than
their own. They are far from Judges
and law courts. and when such an
unusual thing as orime occurs on a
farm the farmer is apt to be Judge and jury
and executioner. too. for they have q horror OF
cities and stamped papers and red tape and
lawyers. and believe in the good old patri-
arehal system. Justice is swift, and there are
q few graves on these great and lonely farms
which are filled with the skeletons Of male
factors who were caught. tried. sentenced and
put out Of the way within an hour or two OF
the commission OF the deed which brought
them into trouble. II the farmer is wrong in
bis Judgment he has little doubt that fire
from heaven or q plague will speedily show
him his mistake.
1T was to one Of these farms I was hopeful
Of being debtor for shelter. Along In the af-
ternoon I came. at . drift. on two wallabers
like myself. and I was we'll aware that 1t would
be q gross insult to them not to answer their
hail a. I passed and accept their hospitality.
for they were making Q meal Of coffee and
scenes made OF mealie -four and pumpkins
mixed. and baked on the embers OF a fire OF
buffalo chips. I was glad Of the acones and
toughest looking men 1 had ever met. They
lESnsIish garrisops il Cape Colony. and. since
their discharge. had wandered about the land.
sSiy FISK sssI T fsoS t Sq Sns and Si l sssfiE srsf op SoE REo Or
They SAC they were on their way 70 the Bar.
sompany on the veidt. you '~nn'' 'n0o'e your
AZ they were going ny, way and could talk
to make . bargain with q Boer than 1, who
T E,ss 3 & e chnm atty, Ereenhorn: could not re;
rSsi have q sG BEEN vail wsiia iae stis as@tRor1s1i xe Ms MGu oa
ySsssa Wagon until rca s0 wSISb eiT sa Il. to we y BIT str TSIm a
one Of the fnest-iooEEHtnSSo old men EaiI ever aaI sa Wes
saHman some six foot three: bread. with 2 great
ing eye which commSnds . respectful greet
Ing from the most prespmptuous. He listened
/ could not anderstsnd. and. a. slt SpSnS h'" r.;
SySd ps one Alter another with no very friendly
he frqmp!s Very earpsst appeal and with a nod
Fl hiR head beckoned us indoors. We followed
Nln i es9f E LARGE Tb rSSm xd tSr n he t sPSStre IL but
6oIsshold had JUS. dinishssd eating. TIE cid
Rsctsd . BOeE Of thai, region to be to hated
SSS nsI nSg az He ,I POURED II, g 0q fo So9's and ys SSt
ne SioushoIld. save sf the head Seslft ofs s shy p aSIs 81
through on some GRAND. The ia gnS PP eit US
alone and went Into the room himself.
yhe@n.e oy WsF ths sp ri@ u mS Se eofr ssD ssp, heartily %s sys:
4tghted on q small. table In a corner and caught
the glitter on 1t Of two stones. very small but
prrintsd paper. and %i'f r rssein1 % the p }oTS al 2.
one Of those slips which the Cape authorities
q tse illegal Diamond Buyinr act that yos
are caught with rough. diamonds on Your per-
son and yithont one OF these licenses to prove
you,ROt ,tntw btOneB honestly. MY cup paused at |
my Up. for j was fascinated by the sparkling |
pebbles. and ! remained so long. / suppose. 10 |
that position that l attracted the attention OF
the ether fellows, whose backs were turned to
the little table and who slowed round In their |
ssats r see what was staring at. When they
.Wosth go said one. and then the farmer
'Ry the time. We were through supper and
We Eoer had taken US to a barn wberea couple
Ehort the diamondY, Ny feet were sore from
AnstIapped my blanket and lay down at once. |
30 did my companions. lighting their, pipes.
4 funny they should speak IL taal. which was
sNsre the kind Of men who were likely TO have
shtnGs, to talk OF not for casual ears. One
his view Of some matter and the other
70 be not very willing to see il. whatever 1t was,
q the sams light. They were still talking
nothing more, until some hours later, when /
wa, awakened by the door opening-the Beers,
n these lonelier .farmsteads. seldom lock up
theiI houses, and somebody coming In through
fhe dark and closing the door hastily behind
him Whoever i was was n~oissless after clos
TO know 4 " was one OF them. only heard for