The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-29
PET PUTTER'S FORT.
AN INCIDENT OF BOER LIFE ~ THE
TRANSVAAL.
How a Mother and son Defended
Their Home Against a Night At
tack of Zulu Rnidcrs.

The fires on the hills were The warning
The farmers were commandeered that f.,
every able-b5dled man between 16 and 60
IN the district was called 10 take his horse
his "bil ong.' or dried beef ration, hs
rine and ammunition. and proceed at once
10 the rendezvous. thence to proceed
against che fierce ard warlike Zulus. who
had again ralded the Transyaal. Farmer
Putler sSddIed up and hurried of. as his
first duty was. but first he called 90 him
PET his SON, ard solemnly spoke TO him.
''son Of mine" said The farmer-sold er,
you are not Yet man tail enough TO face
the Zulu impis in open field, but 10 your
care l give meln vrouw and your little
sister Greta and Pretorious, your bro.het-
You must, If need joe, play mans part.
for since the two gold prospectors left the
farm. al sign OF war, there is none 10
take command Of the Ka1lr servants but
you
Then PET said without brayado;
You may trust me- my father, for.
though ! be not man, still l am
Boer."
So the farmer rode away, and PET, thus
promoted TO command, withdrew INTO tht
sitting room and almost at once his trou-
bic began. His first card was to clean ana
load all firearms. These huns on Inc
walls. and some were ol1-la}t4044d and
without ammunition 10 fiji them. But
Piers eye. seeking his own pet light rifle,
which he had won in a shooting match
against ali boys of his age for many IN les
round, missed it. lie was started, Tor II
is almost criminal 20 NEEDLE win an
other mans glory-his rife, and ne sought
Pretolius TO see If that ambitious youth
had taken il down. Pretor us had IL not
and Iiet ran out 10 call Malula, native
servant, with sudden fear i'm his soul Ma
lula did not come at the call, and Pier,
with a pale face, thought for "a moment,
and then, GakIHg his old gun ana belt,
leaped bareback on a horse, without
word to alarm the family, ana rode or
unseen q q gollop He rode to the corn
field, where the native laborers should
have been working. The green corn way
ed in the wind, deserted. Not man
was IN sight lie dashed to the meadows
down the valley. whore the herdcrs should
have been with the cattle. ere, an spite OF
himself, tears sprang TO his eyes, for the
cattle were gone, ana The herders were
absent The great grassy helds were silent
as we're those of corn.
tThey have deserted us, as soon as my
father back was turned" cried PET in
dsmay "And they were not Zulus! Can
il be general rising among the Kaiiir
tribes2"
AT tttAA tAhA5uA ne tANAAlDlNAF bNiN AlN
had suill v.gor enough to ride to the top
CT a kOpje near by. From the peak he
had a view Of much country, and saw a
cloud Of dust far away, which he guessed
was made by the stolen cattle
Never mind" said Piet eff we beat the
Zuns, We shall get them back with inter
est"
Then he dug his heels into his horses
ribs ana dashed down the hiisides. He
had seen, half mile away, black fig
ure moving swiftly across the veldt. and
the sun glanced from something borne on
its shoulder-a gun, Malula. Before the
traitor servant was aware of pursuit Pet
was within 400 yards of him, Then the
haftir heard the horses hoOfs and turned.
4or a moment the black seemed inclined
to run, but changed mis- mind, as the boy
Shouted 20 him angrily. Maluia deliber-
atcly raised the stolen rife TO his shout
der. Pet threw himself from the horse,
as a bullet whistled over the vacant sad
Ole. The boy already a hunter, replied
but with but a hasty glance through his
sights. and Maluia uttered a howl and
staggered and fell to the ground struck
in the chest Piet felt a spasm of hor-
ror. Deer a-plenty had he Shot but never
Till now man, 50 that his heart for a
flash stood still and his own face was
deathhke He rode slowly up TO Malulu.
and found the Kaffir writhing in a death
agony. Piet again dismountcd and at
tempted TO offer aid, but the savage re-
pulsed him. With a look of hate ne glar-
ed at the boy and cried in his own
tongue:
Il am one but tonight come the Zulu.
and no white thing on the farm shall live.
For mine, there shall be ten deathsl"
So he died, glorylng in the hone OF a
speedy revenge, and the Boer boy leaving
hin recovered mis- new rifle and 70 le
slowly and mournfully homeward. Here
his troubled mother met him
us"
Il know" said he, and looked into her
brave face. and told her what had happen
ed and what Malulu had said of the near
ness of the Zulus.
IF my father had known it," said her
son The would not have left u.s.
He was Communicated" said the Boer
wife. 1t was his duty. Country first
always, my son."
But" said Pet in much perturbation,
my father did not think the blacks would
fly. He thought that they, Basutos, would
fight their Old enemy, the Zulu If these
come. what are we 20 do? Shall we leave
the farm and trek TO Van Bowen 50"
The Boer mother pressed her lips, with
a frown OF pride.
That was not well said, my SON" she
answered. "Oom Putter said stay" As
he obeyed his general and went, so we
shall obey him, and stay and fight till he
comes"
II was a Roman speech, Even as the
words came from her mouth, she looked
round and saw Pet well grown boy Of
Is years; Greta, child of H. little p eto-
rious and the baby-a goodiy garrison to
defend the hearth! But she saw that
hearth--she saw the dear walls her nus
band had built TO bring her home as
bride; she saw the fields he had ii led and
the barns he had raised, and seeing them.
she would have fought 10 the last Sc Gu
of her nails, like a wildcat, rather than
give them up
besides" said she hopefully, what
could The wretch AIalulu know that we
don't? The Zulus can not be near, and,
Il they are, the farmers have out their
scouts, and they say the Engll from Ma
tel ere 50 ready. Before they ach our
farm, tie Bocrs must meet III m, and sure
ly The savage shall he stricken"
Nothing more was said about deserving
the homestead. Vow Put er went about