Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-12-07


grown boy OF 10 years; Greta, child
of IL; little Pretorius, and the baby
a goodly garrison to defend the hearth! !!
But she saw that hearth-she saw the
dear walls her husband had built to
bring her home as bride; she saw
the fields he had titled and the barns
he had raised, and seeing them, she
would have fought to the last scratch
of her nails, like wildcat, rather than
give them up.
Besides" said she hopefully,
'what could the wretch Malula know
that we don't? The Zulus cannot be
near, and if they are, the farmers have
ont their scouts, and they say the Eng
lish from Natal are also ready. Be-
fore they reach our farm the Beers
must meet them, and surely the saw
age shall be stricken
Piet had an idea as he stood in
the broad yard looking at the house,
the chickens came clucking about him
in their search for food.
All day he worked busily, leaving
his mother to the children, and by
nightfall he had prepared n fort to
Withstand siege. Two or three times
during the afternoon he had slipped
off to the top of the kopje, where he
could look afar, but each time he came
back, having seen nothing but the
rolling veldt. They had supper, and
again Piet slipped away and came
back, but now with grim fare.
Mother" he whispered, "from the
west 1 heard the war song of the
Zulus. 1t came family with the wind.
In the direction also of Van Boeven's
farm the skies are red, and if go at
dark fear 1 shall see the flames rising
from their barns"
The mother gathered her baby tight
in her arms for moment, and then
quietly asked her eldest:
''Are the guns cleaned and loaded?"
Eyes" said Piet, ''and, mother, if
you approve. we must leave the house.
1t is too big and rambling for US two
to protect"
''Leave the house?"
''Not very far" said Piet, and ex-
planned.
In that land of few dwellers, space
farm buildings were quite widely scat
tered, and Farmer Putter had built
his cowbyres and pigpens and 80 on
proper distance away from his house
walls. All the afternoon Piet had been
marching, laden with packages and
bundles, between the house and the
out buildings. Now, when it was dark,
he put out all the lights of the house,
and the windows and doors were
stoutly barred.
Where are we going to sleep?" the
children asked, l,accustomed to rise and
lie down with the sun, and Piet an
swered ch eerfnily: I'm the chicken
coop"
The children, at first astonished and
incredulous, were delighted when they
discovered that their brother meant
what he said, for the sight of the
chickens feeding had given the boy
the necessary idea. If the house were
too big, the coop could not be accused
of that fault About the rocky kopje
stones were plenty and more conven-
lent than wood. Therefore, Piet had
aided his father in building solid af.
fair to shelter the many fowls. 1t was
stone, and high and roomy. Piet, dur
ing the afternoon, had made on each
side, by careful removal OF stones,
loopholes, and carried to the henhouse
the more precious articles in the house,
with all the ammunition and guns.
Now the chickens, squawking, were
ruthlessly turned out, and the little
family went in, the youngsters gig
Cling. The door which Piet had
strengthened was closed, and the gar
rison prepared. Vrouw Putter was
not without experience in wars
alarms. She looked round with a
brave smile.
"Well done, Piet," she said, and
calmly began to examine tn. guns,
while at the same time quieting the
children. who, now in the dark and
disturbed by such preparations, began
to be afraid. Agan Piet slipped away
to the kopje, and when he came back
he said: FLAMES are rising from the
Van Boevens, and the war song is
coming near"
'Loud?" the vrouw asked, briefly.
Not very, her son answered, pill
ing rocks against the door.
"A detached party" said his
mother, quietly. 'If the Lord Wills
it, we will protect our own"
And she made them all kneel down
and pray, and then sing psalm.
1t was fitfully moonlight night in
the dry season, and chilly. White
clouds pursued the moon after hiding
it and leaving the veldt in darkness,
then passing on and flooding the land
with silvery beams. For long time
alwas very still. At last Piet, peer
ing out of his loophole to the west,
saw shadow among the shadows, and
this shadow moved and glided aud
came swiftly up the slope on which the
chicken coop stood between the house
and the trees by the river. 1t was
followed by another and another and
another and another, coming on like
wild ducks in a v or wedge. and from