Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-29

The fires on the hills we're the warning. |
The farmers we're commandeered, that is,
every able bodied man between l6 and 60
in the district was called to take his horse,
his "biltong." or dried beef ration, his rife
and ammunition, and proceed at once to the
rendezvous, thence to proceed against the
fierce and warllke zuus. who had again
raided the Transvaal. Farmer Putter sad
died up and hurried off as his fret duty
was, but first he called to him Piet, his son,
and solemny spoke to him.
"Son OF mine" said the farmer-soldier,
"you are not yet man tall enough to face
the Zulu impis in open field but TO your
care give mein vrouw and your little SIS
ter Greta and Pretorius your brother. You
must, IL need be- play mans part, for'
since the two gold prosoectors left the farm
at sing of war, there is none TO take com
mand OF the Kafiir servants but you'
Then piet said without bravado:
you may trust me, my father, for, though
be not a man, still am Boer.'
So the farmer rode away and Pet, thus
promoted to command, withdrew into the
sitting room and almost at once his trouble
began His first care was to clean and load
all firearms These hung on the walls and
some were old fashioned and without am
munitlon to fit them but Piet's eyes, seek
ing his own pet light rife, which he had
won in a shooting match against all boys OF
his age for many miles around, missed it.
He was startled, for 1t is almost criminal
20 meddle with another mans glory-hls
rihe-and he sought Pretorious to see II that
ambitious youth had taken II down. Pretor-
ius had 1t not and he ran out to call Malulu,
a native servant, with sudden fear in his
soul Mauu did not come at the call and
Piet with a pale face, thought for mo-
ment and then, taking his old gun and belt
leaped bareback en- u horse without woro
to alarm the family, and rode off unseen al
n gallon. He rode to the cornneld, where
the native laborers should have been work
ing. The green corn waved in the wind
deserted. Not man was in sight. He
dashed to the meadows down the valley
where the herders should have been with
the cattle. Here in spite of himself, tears
sprang to his eyes, for the cattle we're gone
and the herders were absent. The grea
grassy fields were silent were those o
corn.
"They have deserted us as soon as m!
fathers back was turned cried Pet II
diarav "And they were not Zulus! Can
be a general rising among the Kathr tribes?
At that thought he trembled but he ha
still vigor enough to ride to the top OF
kopje near by. From the peak ne had
view of much country anu sd" " NioN'
dust far away, which he guessed was mad
by the stolen cattle.
"Never mind" said Piet, "if we beat tn
Zulus we shall get them back with inter
est" .
Then he dug his heels into his horse rit
and dashed down the hillside. He had seei
half a mile away, black figure movln
swiftly across the veldt, and the su
glanced from something borne on it's shou
der-a gun, Malula. Before the tralt'
servant was aware of pursuit, Piet VIZ
within 400 yards Of him. Then the KAN
heard the horse's hoofs and turned. For
moment the black seemed inclined to ru
but changed his mind, as the boy shouted
him angrily Malula deliberately raised Il
stolen rife to his shoulder. Piet threw hin
self from the horse, as a bullet whstled ov
the vacant saddle The boy, already hul
ter, replied with but hasty glance throut
his sights, and Malula uttered howl al
staggered and fell to the ground, struck
the chest. Piet felt a spasm OF horrc
Deer a-plenty had he shot. but never t