Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07

away the trooper turned to me and chuck
led comfortably. He patted the blanket roll
round his shoulders and smiled. Then L
noticed the roll was sweled in the center,
like a constructors stomach when it had
gulped hearty meal
'Oh. man. said the trooper, these ducks
were too fat-I annexed the latest. |
have frequently noticed in an unfriendly
supper TO the deserving"
But l said. rather alarmed, well go to
trouk GaiD for a certainty if we do this
sort of Thing Besides, its"
You talk like recruit" said the troop
er Kindly recollect that the Beers hate
Engishmen; therefore. the Transvaal is an
unfriendly country; therefore, foraging-
fOraging. please-is permissible. justifiabe,
according to the rules, and in every way
eminently. praiseworthy."
But pumpkin would, as You were go
ing to say, improve the stew greatly 1t is
an excellent suggestion you make, and l
have still some pepper and salt
You want me to ST.
'Sh. No my dear fellow. Just slip back
TO that barn now it's dark enough and levy
looked at the plump duck and my nos
tr1ls fancied grateful smells. L thought Of
the unCiyil Boer. and l went
/ will go on to that spruit we saw from
the road. the trooper said. land get
things ready and build fire. Bring the
biggest
1t was dark and silent, moonless and
still. l gained the barn, selected pumpkin
slipped off with il cuddled in my arms and
stepped out again almost on top of the tow
headed boy. My gaze upon him was mo-
mentary. and I fed. He also. There was
no explanation possible and 1 ran with
out a word, clinging to my pumpkin, my
supper. The child, as he darted to the
house, uttered a yell which aroused the
farm. even to the distant ducks, whom
heard qUacking ON the ponds banks, with
| "a nf pfll iDht
1t was now quite dark, and | stumbled as
I plunged along the rough road to the bed
of the stream, where the trooper was to
await me. Behind me came great scram-
bling of feet and a blether of voice. dis
tiEguished the farmers easily. 1t had a
haying note to it, which was particularly
menacing. / knew little of his language
but l was aware that he was calling on
me to stop. and probably saw me with the
clearness of night vision Boer shares with
the savage.
Suddenly there was a pause in the rush
behind, and q cessation of his yells In
moment / heard the crack of his CUNT
sounded horribly near-and a bullet tipped
over my head. / left the path then and
sought the shadows of the bush. where a
few trees aud big rocks might render my
safety more probable. Over the uneven
ground dashed painting, and heard the
shouts renewed behind me; but they SEEM
ed to keep to the road. Soon they faded
away, but l did not slacken speed and all
the time stuck obstinately to the big fat
pumpkin. 1t was within me a contest be-
tween fear and hunger. If there were "a
sinking of the heart. there was still as
powerful sinking of the stomach. When
/ halted at last. listening between pants,
the monster vegetable was still mine, and
supper yet probable.
But was lost. In daylight the unaccus-
toned traveller may easily-does frequently
get lost by leaving the track to examine
the bush; in the darkness of moonless
| night 1t would be madness in ordinary cases
thln and trickling stream, which In that
| dry season represented the river of other
months. and / followed it down with pain
| and difficulty. now stepping in a pool, now
cracking my ankles against the boulders.
An hour brought me to the ford but
| there | was confused. The faint light of
the moon, just peeping above the rim of the
| veldt. allowed me to see dimly that the
road at the drift broadened out to great