St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-09-06
THREE MEN IN A TENT.
An Interval OF Enforced Economy in
the wilderness in South Africa.

persdorp that are remote, solitary and
picturesque, / came upon bell tent.
There was a time when such a trifle
would have excited no curiosity, for the
nrospector was abroad in those DAYS.
and gave a semblance of life to these
solitudes that less than eight years ago
swarmed with buck and baboons. But
the game has gone, and the prospector
has made up his mind that this particu-
lar spot at least is worthless, so it knows
him no more.
Looking closer there were revealed in
the vicinity OF the tent several things
that fitted i'll with the theory that the
tent concealed a prospector A little bit
of soil had apparently been dug up; a
rough enclosure shielded two or three
fowls, and other outward and visible
signs suggested something more perman.
ent than prospector's shelter. Only a
few weeks back had explored a similar
" Mysterious canvas concealed among
the thorn trees of portion of the Gratis
Rand and had found Zulu in an adj
yanced stage of smallpox. He had drop
ped by the way on his lonely tramp to
his kraal and after living in misery in the
open for three days had been discovered
and cared for by Fieldcornet van Wyk
and District Surgeon van der Nerve,
who pulled the poor wretch through and
avoided spreading the injection. | had
evidently struck another lazaretto, and
with the spirit OF inquiry full on me, pro-
ceeded to explore. unfasteued the can
vas and peeped in. Although it was
near noon, three white men lay curled in
blankets fast asleep, two on stretchers
and one on the ground. The sudden in
trusion of broad daylight awakened the
latter. He sat up-a towzled, unkempt
hgure-dnd in the free and frequent Ian
guage of the common people demanded
TO know who the Gehenna | was and
what the ditto | wanted fell back on
a subterfuge, and said wanted match.
Before hostiites could begin one of the
sleepers on the stretcher awoke. He
gared suspiciously and iuquiringly for a
moment, then greeted me with the
"Hallo" that betokens recognition, but
he had distinctly the advantage of me.
When he had tumble out of his blankets,
adjusted his paamas, and pushed back
his hair dimly recognized through his
unwonted beard an exile from Johannes.
burg civilization. When Number 3 had
finished blinking and awaking | had
solved the mystery Of the whereabouts Of
two acquaintance whose disappearance
during a period OF prolonged hard-upness
had suggested several theories, from
sucide to fraudulent desertion.
was shown the commissariat depart
ment. 1t consisted of potatoes, beans,
mealies, onions and biltong. with a few
tins of salmon, lobster, &C., all part OF
the original supply purchased in Kru-
gersdorp.
"No," said No. l, by way OF preface to
the explanation he volunteered: I'VE
are not prospecting we're economizing
waiting till the clouds roll by. and saw
ing our clothes and our washing bills.
We've been here six weeks-at least Bill
and have. Jim joined us last week.
We have been hard up for months, with
no prospect of getting a job until things
settled down, so Bill and l put our
capital together, bought this outfit, and
here we live like Robinson Crusoes on
less than bob day apiece. Our friends
think we are on a shooting trip. You
are the first visitor we have had except
a spooney couple from Krugersdorp last
Sunday, who had lost their way. It's
the quietest holiday I've ever had in my
life, and the cheapest, and il Jim here
would give up talking about his sprees
in johannesburg in his flush times, we
should be happy as sand bows, but after
one OF those yarns, he always wants to
go into Krugersdorp, and that means
his coming back drunk and making us
jealous"
While the others prepared the II
O'Clock meal, the boss detailed the his
tory OF the novel enterprise. 1t was the
too common one Of a man in a $50 per
month situation suddenly discharged,
expanding his small reserve in waiting
for another billet, and then waking one
day to the realization that his staying
power was rapidly decreasing He and
Bill, who was similarly placed, had often
projected holiday picnic under canvas,
and now came the opportunity. Their
united capital was about SIS, and the
first week in May they proceeded to put
their project into practice. The bell tent
was picked up on Marshall Square for
35s. and COS. judiciously expended at the
second hand stalls on Market Square
supplied them with goodly stock OF
cooking utensils and other necessary
articles. The bedding consisted OF cheap
Kahr blankets and rug or two, while
the portmanteau was packed with all
their Oldest clothes, one decent suit for
town visit, and such other comforts as
could be taken without overcrowding
the space. AS it was they had been com.
PEELED to erect a rough earth enclosure
2Ssd with grass. which served as a
Foom for superfuous paraphernalia
~ atcourse,' added the boss, "our
difficulty has been to make our
pender fit in with our means. Neither
las have any income, beyond stray
sovereign or so raised at intervals. We
have only two meals day-this at noon
and supper about s o'clock. This is
forced on us by cold and economy. The
nights are so bitterly cold that we sit up
as long as possible, and get our sleeeT
alter sun.up. You calledin just at break
fast time-a cup of coffee. The last few
nights we have been compelled to drink
coffee every hour through the night, OF
we should have been frozen. 1t is expen'
sve, though we burn only one candle
and use 'Boer coal for our KETTLE
II know ten ways of cooking mealies
and dozen of making beans paatable
and though the menu isn't quite up to
Frascati standard, we are making hesf
on it, said the boss.
What about fresh supplies, such as
milk and vegetables p
"Well we don't get as much as we