The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-29
b P. 2. BLACK.


:S.4..:A:z-1.: 80
The fires on the hills were the warn
ing. The farmers were commandeered
that is, every ablebodied man be-
tween Is and 60 in the district was
called to take his horse, his "biltong"
or dried beef ration, his rifle and am
munition, and proceed at once to the
rendezvous, thence to proceed against
the fierce and warlike Zulus, who had
again raided the Transvaal. Farmer
Putter sadd!ed up and hurried OF, as
his first duty was, but first he called to
him Piet, his son, and soleinnly spoke
to him.
.sSon Of mine," said the farmer SOL
dier, "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 sister Greta and Pretorius,
your brother. You must if need De,
play mans part, for, since the two
gold prospectors left the farm at the
sign Of war, there is none to take COM
mand Of the Kaffir servants but you"
Then Piet said without bravado:
"You may trust me, father, for,
though be not q man. still am a
Boer."
So the farmer rode away, and Piet,
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
munition tu fit them. But PETS eye,
seeking his own pet light rife, which
he had won in shooting match
against all boys Of his age for many
miles round, missed it. He was star
tied, for it is almost criminal to meddle
with another mans glory-his cifle-and
he sought Pretorius to see if that ambi-
tious youth had taken it down. Preto-
RUS had it not, and Piet ran out to call
Malula, native servant, with sudden
fear in his soul.
Malulas did not come al the call, and
Piet, withsa pale face, thought for q
moment, and then, taking his old gun
and belt, leapef bareback on a horse,
without word to alarm the family,
and rode off unseen at gallop. He
rode to the cornfeld, where the native
laborers should have been working.
The green corn waved in the wind de-
serted. Not man was in sight lie
dashed to the meadows down the val
ley, where the herdcrs should have
been with the cattle. Here, IN spite of
himself, tears sprang to his eyes, for
the cattle were gone, and the herdcrs
were absent. The great grassy fields
were silent as were those Of corn.
.They have deserted us as soon as
my fathers back was turned cried
Piet in disrnay. "And they were not
zulus! Can it be general rising among
the Kafflr tribes?"
At that thought he tfembled, but he
had still yigor enough to ride to the top
Of kopje near by. From the peak he
had view Of much country, and saw
q cloud of dust IA, away, which he
guessed was made by the stolen cattle.
s'Never mind" said Pet; 'if we beat
TIE Zulus, we shall get them back with
interest"
Then he dug his heels into his horses
ribs and dashed down the hillside. He
had seen, half mile away, black fg-
ure moving swiftly across the veldt.
and the sun glanced from something
borne on its shoulder gun. Malula.
Before the traitor servant was aware
Of pursuit, Piet was within 400 yards
Of him. Then the Kaffir heard the
horses hoofs and turned. For mo-
ment the black seemed inclined to run
but changed his mind as the boy shout
ed to him angrily. Malula deliberately
raised the stolen rifle to his shoulder.
Piet threw himself from the horse as
q bullet whistled over the vacant sad
die. The boy, already hunter, replied,
with but d,hasty glance through his
sights, and Malula uttered howl and
staggered and fell to the ground struck
in the chest Piet Felt spasm Of hor-
ror. Deer a-plenty had he shot, but
never till now man, SO that his heart
for fash stood still, and his own face
was deathlike. He rode slowly up to
Malula, and found the Kaftir writhing
in death agony. Piet again dismount
ed, and attempted to offer aid, but the
savage repulsed him. With a look Of
hate he glared at the boy, and cried in
his own tongue:
: II am one, but tonight come the Zulus,
and no white thing on the farm shall
live. For mine there shall be ten