The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-09

would hide him, he could go his way in
peace. So the second; so the third II the
first We're killed. or the second, the Lord,
SO they sOlemnly claimed, had pointed out
the murderers, and The others. or other,
might depart unharmed. We protested,
as men, save at a lynching, never pro-
tested before for we all knew what dedd
shots these Beers are. but the patriarch
had made up his mind and we talked use
lessly.
The boy was brought out and a ride
was given 20 him. The farmer eXpained
that he was young and an uncertain shot,
and that the hand OF the Lord would be
more clearly shown by directing straigntly
50 unshillcd a marksman. The lad seem
ed nervous, ana l had a flicker Of hope,
but | trcmbled 50 much that l doubled
if my legs would carry me 10 the bush.
The younger of my companions drew the
long straw, l the second. The other two
never ceased now to revile the Beers. who
not once needed them. The men were, by
their speech low Londoners, and TO near
the vilest of expressions, such as only
London smms can produce, poured out
on such an occasion from their foul lips.
made me feel as / never felt before-as
ii | were mated with devils.
THE word was given. II was a beautiful
morning, and the veldt uembled with dew
drops in the first sunbeams. The black
mysterious mountains in the distance were
shot with shivering shafts of light as the
sun touched their rocky peaks. The cat
tie were struggling of 10 feed. The ducks
were excitedly wabblng TO the pond. 1t
was a queer scene for an execution.
''The man walked TO the tree, turning
every few yards to shake his fist at his
judges and never ceasing TO revile them.
Twenty yards from the tree he began to
run. and at full speed. but zigzagging from
right to left in short swift lacks, 50 that
he was a hard mark 20 hit. The hoy fired;
the man ran on. The boy fired again. the
man ran on. The boy fred once more.
and the man, with a cheer, disappeared
from view.
Il think that escape gave me courage,
though-you would have felt the same-I
should have felt some relief. II the man
had fallen and saved us the ordeal. | ran
slowly to the tree and felt myself sud-
denly tit to run like dcer-desperation, |
suppose. | had sense enough to do like
the other fellow and zigzag. There was
such a roaring in my ears | cannot tell
how many times the boy fired at me, or.
indeed, IL he fired at all. / found myself
on the other side of the bluff There
was no sign of the first runner; he had
evidently decided to keep on and make
sure. AS for me, / collapsed in the grass
aud shook and sobbed.
Il heard more firing, but never saw the
other man come over the bluff After a
time l peeped back an6 saw Kaffirs with
spades digging a grave
Some months afterward / was In Jo-
kannesburg and met the drawer of the
long straw. He was looking tougher than
ever, but l had TO speak TO him. / told
him how his chum mad fallen
well, he said, with a half laugh,
fancy they got the right one. Honest
know no more than you how II was but
after we lay down that night, when we
was speaking taal SOS you couldn't twig
he wanted me to jine him in a break for
them stones. l wouldn't, for the risk was
600 much. ! went to sleep, and ! sup
pose he kept thinkin' il over until he tried
it himself was caught by the Kaffir, killed
the beggar and stead of boiling cross
veldt was so hustered he ran back to us
But they got the right one. l know. Queer,
now, blasted queer IL you come 20 think
Of il. I've dreamed Of It more'n once, and
It was queer, blasted queer
But the diamonds?
If them Beers held a post-mortem, /
guess they found EN-"