Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-21
BY
OLIVE
SCHREIlTER.
"A TALE OF LIFE IN THE
BOER REPUBLIC.

1 now stand to you. Have you or have
you not, did you or did you not, eat Of
the peaches in the loft?"
Say you took them, boy, say you
took them. Then he won't beat you
much" said the Dutchwoman good
naturally, getting q. little sorry for
him.
The boy raised his eyes slowly and
fixed them vacantly upon her. Then
suddenly his face grew dark with
blood.
$50 you haven't got anything to say
to US, my lad| said Bonaparte. mo-
mentarily forgetting his dignity and
bending forward with little snarl.
"But what mean is just this, my lad
when it takes boy three-quarters of
an hour to fill salt pot and when at 8
o'clock in the morning he goes knock
ing about the doors Of loft it's nat
ural to suppose there's mischief in 1t.
It's certain there is mischief In 1t, and
where there's mischief in it must be
taken out" said Bonaparte, grinning
into the boys face. Then, feeling that
he had fallen from that high gravity
which was as spice to the pudding and
the flavor of the whole little tragedy,
he drew himself up. waldo" he said,
confess to me instantly and without
reserve that you eat the peaches"
The boys face was white now. His
eyes were on the ground, his hands
doggedly clasped before him.
what? You do not intend to an
swer?"
The boy looked up at them once from
under his bent eyebrows and then
looked down again.
'"rhe creature looks as If all the
devils in hell were in it." cried Tant'
Sannie. Say you took them, boy.
Young things will be young things.
was older than you when used to
eat 'bultong' in my mothers loft and
get the little niggers whipped for it.
Say you took them.'
But the boy said nothing.
II think a little solitary confinement
might perhaps be beneficial" said
Bonaparte. ut will enable you, Wal
do. to reflect on the enormity OF the sin
you have committed against our Fa-
Their in heaven, and you may also think
of the submission you owe to those
who are older and wiser than you are
and whose duty it is to check and cor
rect you"
Saying this. Bonaparte stood up and
took down the key Of the fuel house,
which hung on nail against the wall.
walk on, my boy" said Bonaparte.
pointing to the door, and as he follow
ed him out he drew his mouth express
lively on one side and made the lash
of the little horsewhip stick out of his
pocket and shake up and down.
Tant' Sannie felt half sorry for the
lad, but she could not help laughing.
1t was always SO funny when one was
going to have whipping, and 1t would
do him good. Anyhow he would for
get all about It when the places We're
healed. Had not she been beaten many
times and been all the better for 1t?
Bonaparte took up lighted candle
that had been left burning on the
kitchen table and told the boy to walk
before him. They went to the fuel
house. 1t was a little stone erection
that jutted out from the side of the
wagon house. 1t was low and without
window, and the dried dung was
piled in one corner, and the coffee mill
stood in another, fastened on the top
of short post about three feet high.
Bonaparte took the padlocks off the
rough door,
walk in, my lad" he said.
Waldo obeyed sullenly. One place to
him was much the same as another
He had no objection to being locked
up.
Bonaparte followed him in and closed
the door carefully. He put the light
down on the heap of dung in the corner
and quietly introduced his hand under
his coattails and drew slowly from his
pocket the end of n rope. which he con-
cealed behind him.
'I'm very sorry, exceedingly sorry,
Waldo, my lad, that you should have
acted in this manner. 1t grieves me-"
said Bonaparte.
He moved round toward the boys
back. He hardly liked the look in the
fellows eyes, though he stood there
motionless. II he should spring on
him!
So he drew the rope out very care
fully and shifted round to the wooden
post. There was slipknot In one end
Of the rope. and sudden movement
drew the boys hands to his back and
passed it round them. It was an in
stant's work to drag 1t twice round the
wooden post. Then Bonaparte was
safe.
For moment the boy struggled to
free himself. Then he knew that he
was powerless and stood still.
"Horses that kick must have their
legs tied" said Bonaparte as he passed
the other end of the rope round the
boys knees. "And now, my dear Wal
do" taking the whip out of his pocket,
Il am going to beat you"
He paused for moment. 1t was
perfectly quiet. @E.-I-y could hear each
others breath.