Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-09-30

nappy, ana so Rlau 10 see me. Iney
were twins. / was so fond of them.
Their mother had them christened
Ruby and Pearl because l begged her
to.
Ruby rushed to my arms, and GOV.
cred me with kisses, and said: This
is because you are good and true
Then it was Pearls turn.
She was a quiet little thing.
held her lovingly in my arms, and
when she kissed me she said:
This is because you forgave.'
BY this time my tears were falling
fast, the things in the room were be-
ginning to turn round, something was
going to happen; but l seemed to be
dazed, and couldn't imagine what it
was going to be.
My father rose in alarm; there was
shouting outside: horses were gallop-
ing and rushing toward the house, and
when | heard my own dear old pony
neigh | could stand it no longer, so
rushed to the door, flung it open and
Robert, | fell right into your arms.
Then, just as was waking up some
body whispered, This is because you
are mine"
Postscript.
Oh, the dream, the dream, cannot
get rid of it. Come to me Robert, per-
haps there is yet time. l will see
Claude again. He will repent. At any
rate | will forgive and forget. Come
at once.
The last scene of all was strange
and pathetic. 1t was the old Norcross
mansion on Dartmouth street. Claude
and Robert are there with right hands
clasped: their voices are thick with
suppressed emotion and they have re-
newed the vows and the friendship of
long ago.
Norma, the peacemaker has been on
her knees. She has been pleading and
the tears are still falling fast, but they
are tears of Joy and thankfulness. The
door opens, Claude's mother comes in
and without a word takes Norma to
her heart. Then, after while, when
the time for departure has arrived, the
good old lady takes Norma's hand,
gives it to Robert and leads Claude
gently from the room.
CHAPTER ".
Containing "The Raid on the Night
gowns"
Fingo is square-built chestnut
horse with short ears, short back, long
tail and large daredevil eyes that
never falter or soften except when his
master speaks to him. He is eight
years old
Sometime ago bought him from n
Dutchman, who said he was vicious,
but we soon took a fancy 10 each
other and then | built a stable for him
in country where stables are lux
uries.
Fingo was grateful and from that
day we were brothers.
Ny store is built Of sheet iron; il is
about thirty feet long twelve feet
wide and right at the back Of it is the
stable. During the daytime ] sell COM
modities of all kinds TO the Dutchmen,
and to the tramp Kafiirs who pass the
store in long strings eastward and
westward bound across the plains of
the Transvaal. When night comes |
make up my bed on the counter, place
my rife within easy reach Of my hand
and usually sleep soundly.
Sometimes, however, when the
nights are long and | feel restless,
lie awake listening to Fingo MUNICH
ing his hay, and more than once |
have dressed myself and passed the
night in the stable talking to the
horse and carassing his silky name.
Lonesome?
Not at all.
| read q great deal and think a
great deal about horses and men and
gods.
A man must tie up to something,
even in Africa, and If there are no
stars l must hitch my wagon to some
thing lower. In this case the choice
lies between q Dutchman, Kaffir and
horse. Now Fingo is true as steel,
honest, brave and gentle, but the
Dutchmen and the Kafiirs are built
upon a lower plane.
| sometimes think | can understand
a good deal about the origin of ami
NAL Worship; at any rate, Fingo has
become to me an object of veneration
and love.
So continue to thank God that the
climate in this delightful region is so
uniformly benevolent that / very sell
dom strike Fingo, or am angry with
him at the wrong time.
This is now my third year in the
high veldt and | suppose if l had only
kept away from the bush country I
might have been there today. When
| turned trader and built me q store
made Hans my adviser and factotum.
He has remained with me ever since
and / have found out that his good
sense, his devotion and his stories are
alike uneXhaustible. One night dur
ing the winter of 1885 ! awoke with n
sense of depression and great anxiety.
At the noment | forgot what it meant,
but on consulting my chart found it
signitied the approach of hail or
snow storm, an event almost without
precedent in these parts. knew this
meant death to hundreds of cattle if
not driven into shelter, so ! called
Hans and told him that | was going to
warn the Beers and that on the NOR
row l would take trip down by the
Crocodile river and return to the
store in a few days.
Dark as it was, 1 saddled Fingo and
rode round among the farmers, Civ
ing the alarm, and on the morrow
when the blizzard swept over the prai-
ries they forgot and forgave many n
strange freak OF the man they had
christened THE Mad American"
After transacting my business /
came to the town OF Leydenburg and
there found letter from Hans asking
me to return as soon as possible, as he
wished to go and visit sick relative,
but he added, beware of the
Kloof road"
But there was no fear in the atmos-
phere at that time. so ! left Leyden-
burg that very evening, taking the
kloof road, the first few miles of
which is steady climb over what is
called the Long Rump. Then the road
passes over mountain ridge between