The Washington weekly post., 1899-11-21

I AeuA EAOAN-
In the quiet air he heard the sound OF
horses trotting. The guards were gallop-
ing In 70 the troop
Again he shouted, pointing In the diree-
| ton OF the fame unconsciously With his
arm They're attacking Hartleys"
Twice he shouted, then set of alone on
MS peri'ous rice. thinking nothing OF his
own risk
A mile to his right was wagon track
leading direct to Hartley's, and for this he
made at a smart pace. trusting 10 MS
morse 10 avoid jackal holes and ant-hiIls.
reaching the read. which was dimly de-
hhed, ne salloped on until a shrill whistle
near him made him pull Up.
Edging his horse slowly s,sf the road on
to the grass. he drew up near a large
/ Dush, and listened-for well ne knew that
whistle was the warning call OF a Kaffir
% his mates.
Ihere was movement In the grass, now
here. now there. the faint sound Of soft
FOOTBALLS. to be felt rather than heard. and
he cooked his rife carefully, so that the
shaFp click should not be heard. a soft
whistle behind him was answered by one
ahead' and then even his practiced ear
Cou!u detect no movement Of his wi foes
But there was a keener sense than his,
ana leaning forward he watched his
morse ears. One was bent back the otn-
[ tf FORWARD; then both were bent forward
lCr long pause, until the animal sud
/ denly turned mis- head 20 the left
Steve glanced IN that direction, then
Z drove the spurs deep In. AS the horse
sprang forward with a snort, an assegai
Whizzed by him, and a dark figure slip
ping round the bush. shouted loud a warn
4 ms to his friends beyond A flame fash
cd out Of the dark on his right and a ball
/ sped viciously by. He turned diagonaly.
ana dark figure sprang at his reins.
/ while yet another gTipped him by the
| ankle and struck at him with a kerTie
] The blow, through the speed Of the horse.
I fell lightly on his shoulder, but an asse-
/ Eai hurried from behind ripped his coat
/ open and stung along his ribs like a red
! hot iron.
Stung into Ungovernable fury, the young
Durgher reisned his horse and freeing one
| foot dashed his foot into the face of the
/ warrior who still grasped his leg, then
I Ired from his hip al man who stood Just
| before him, the same who had clutched at
/ the reins.
/ Thrusting in another cartridge he turn
I ed MS horse again and galloped at right
I c-ASi1S ~ HIS IgIlltI course, lnuS throw
/ ing of the greater number of his assail-
ants, whose shouts came thicker from
/ front and rear A few shots were fired
after MIN, then his pursuers shouted, in
/ kafilr, directions as the flying horsemen
4 gathered to Others OF their hand.
/ On he dashed. however, veering to the
/ left the farther he went for stiu ne was
/ bent on reaching HarJley's. when, sudden
I iy, right before him there shown the glow
ing Goals Of several woods fires. Almost
B lhVoluntarily he tugged at the reins and
the sudden pause in full ga.lop nearly
\ shot MIN out of the saddle. Regalning his
/ seat ne saw there were no forms about
/ ihe hres, Dut by the nearest heap of Goals
| ne marked the dark folds OF a blanket
Ihefe were haffirs near They We're per-
maps creeping Up TO him. In an Instant
/ he made up his mind. Right through the
circle of fires he dashed, and a wild veil
OF anger and disappointment broke from
. the bushes around. A dozen balls few
| harmlessly by, harmlessly then-but well
he knew the reports would nut other
bands upon their guard-for he had ey.-
dehtIy ridden into strong force on The
/ march.
Inc horse which had carried MIN so
Wen was now source OF danger--for his
| hoof-beats would quicly he marked bv
The keen-eared natives. Still he was re-
luctant TO abandon him, though after a
hard sallop he pulled up TO consider his
position, and as he sat still there sud
denly broke out far away to his rear
the loud rattle of a vOlley, followed by
quick, Independent firing
Then far and near he heard KafFirs call
ing TO one another and judged rightly
mat the warriors were rushing back TO
join their comrades in a skirmish with
| Commandant Bonker's troop.
The young man wavered a minute he
tween duty TO his friends and the carry
ing out Of his intention to reach Hart
! leys
They can hold their own" he said
Win an obstinate look in his face. And
now is my time 10 advance while the
kafiirs have their hands full"
So he took his bearings Dy the red fare
in the sky, which was now to his Jeff
and sped on again. But he reckoned with
cut knowledge of the fact that the whole
OF Macomo's forces, some thousand men
were 'out," and twice he almost rode
into hurying bands. From the first he
escaped by his presence of mind.
Mistaking him for a mounted native
cne OF a small number who acted an
scouts, katfir asked him the cause OF
the volley firing.
"Oh-our men nave eaten up small
party OF whites-there's no cause TO hur-
~" said Steve in kaliir, urging on his
horse the time
out OF that danger he soon after fell
into worse preGicament. He had reach
ed the top of a ridge and mad drawn rein
10 blow his horse and take notice of the
direction he must follow VIXEN out OF the
grass about hlIn-out of the earth il seem
cd TO him-a score Of naked figures sprang
and hemmed him in. He trieG again 10
gallop through, but q warrior thrust his
assegai deep into the gallant horse. With
Wild, unearthiy shrek the poor Great
ure sprang into the air. staggered on a
step or tive, then rolled over
Steve vaulted from the saddle and
sprang forward pulling the trigger as
he went, and profting by the surprise
caused by his unexpected assault. he
found himself almost unOpposed. Thrust
ing the smoking barrel or his rifle into
the stomach OF one man, he dashed by
the next, and tore along the ridge at a
speed which only the hunted man Is ca
pable of. He tore through small bushes,
stumbled over rocks, and once fell with
great violence-but he was up again. stin
grasping his gun. and rushed on bare
headed, and bleeding from u wound in mis-
forehead. He had TUn a mile. perhaps
gaining on his pursuers all the time. and
then he doubled on his track and stood
still 10 regain his wind. Soon he heard
the deep breathing of 4 native then the
sound OF others running. They passed on
and he took of BIS boots so they should
not hear him IN case they had stopped 10
listen
This time he struck away down the
slope OF the hin 10 the lett, pausirg every
few yards TO listen. and now cnly anxious
10 find some safe place OF retreat against
the coming morn. when. no doubt. scores
Of sherp-eyed trackers would be search
ing for h!la.
lie was now sore frOm his wound end
from the knocks and cuts received IN his
headlong flight, and his feet growing pain
fUl beyond endurance. he sat down with
sullcn resolve TO run no farther should
he die for IL And as he sat there IKE