The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-08

ard a shave would have increased any
farmers liking for me. Still L trusted
| to what suaYity of speech and manner
l could muster.
My disgust was then marked. when,
ten yards from the threshold. 1 was
confronted by an enormously big Boer,
with a beard cut shOvelwlSe. who bore
a rifle with {. very long barrel, and in
! formed me in Il shout that l was a
'Verdamter Uitlander." He told me
! other things. probably equally discom-
I posing, but that was all l understood.
I and between his legs peeDed out the
tow mead OF the yoUngster who had
: given the alarm-a face stretched in
! the most delightfully."- malicious grin l
! ever beheid.
I, how ever, was spurred by the
/ thought of going sunperless. and ad-
, vanceG a step With q salute. Up went
! the gun TO the Beers hip. and his abuse
/ poured faster. I VentuFed 10 speak; the
gun Went up to his shoulder. 1 retreat
ed, and 1 heard the door slam behind
! ne
The trooper was awaiting me, with
gTeaCer anxiety &c haste away than L
imagined 4lis lounge by the quiet pond
wcuid nave excited. He received ny
news very calmly.
IT'S q pity the beast wouldn't give
Us some coffee at least" ne said. but
COKE on
Very suikily I followed him through
the trees, past a rude barn. where lay
exposed. some pumpkins and other veg
etab-eS Oh 2 stone floor. and into the
shadows of the quickly falling night.
When some distance away the trooper
turned 10 ne and chuckled comfort
ably. He patted the blanket round his
shoulders and smiled. Then l nor1ced
the roll was swelleG in the center. ike
a constructors stomach when it had
gUloed a. hearty meal.
20, mani" SAID the trooper. these
ducks were too fail annexed the fat
test. I have frequently noticed in an
urfriendly land that Providence never
fails to send supper to the deserving.
But" 1 said. rather alarmed. wen
go TO trouk CjaiD for a certainty, if we
do this sort Of thing. Besides. it's
You talk like a recruit said the
trooper. kindly recollect that the
Beers hate Engiishmen; therefore. the
Transraal IS an unfriendly country;
therefore. raging-foraging, please
is permissible, justitiable, according to
the rules, and in every way eminently
praiSeWorthy.
"But pumpkin would. as you We're
going to say. improve the stew greatly.
1t is an excellent suggestion you make,
and / have still some pepper and salt
you want me to St"
Ssh No, my dear fellow. Just slip
back to that barn now it's dark enough,
and lew II.
l looked at the plump duck and my
nostrils fancied grateful smells. I
thought Of the uncivil Boer, and 1 went.
L viii go on to that spruit we saw
from the road" the trooper said, land
get things ready and build fire. Bring
the biggest
1t was dark and silent moonless and
still. l gained the barn, selected a
pumpkin, slipped off with it cuddled in
my arms, and stepped out again almost
on top of the tow-headed boy. Ny I
gaze upon him was momentary, and
fled. lie also. There was no explana-
ton possible, and 1 ran without a word, |
TO my pumpkin, my supper. (
The child, as he darted to the house,
uttered a yell which aroused the farm, +
even to the distant ducks, whom I /
heard quacking on the ponds banks,
with. 1 imagined, a note of revengeful /
delight.
1t was now quite dark, and I STUN
bled as plunged along the rough road I
to the bed of the stream, where the ,
trooper was to await me. Behind me
came a great scrambling of feet and a
blether of voice. l distinguished the
farmers easily. 1t had a baying note
to II which was particularly menacing.
| knew little of his language, but | was
aware that he was calling on me to
stop, and probably saw me, with the
clearness of night vision a Boer shares
with the savage.
Suddenly there was a pause in the
rush behind, and a cessation of his
yells. In moment I heard the crack
Of his gun-it sounded horribly near
and bullet tipped over my head. I
eft the path then and sought the
shadows of the bush, where a few trees
and big rocks might render my safety
more probable. over the uneven ground
dashed, painting. and heard the
shouts renewed behind me, but they
seemed to keep to the road. Soon they
AIDED away. but l did not slacken
speed, and all the time / stuck OBJ
itinately to the big, fat pumpkin. 1t
vas within me a contest between fear
md hunger. If there were a sinking
If the heart, there was still as powerful
| sinking of the stomach When I