The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-20

squarely into the schoolmaster, who
was to take the place-temporarily-oi
the regular teacher, who had broker
his leg. Wat shifted impudently anc
would have walked past, but John dc
Jough put out a hand to stop him-pu1
it out with difidence, hesitatingly, al
most as an inferior might do.
1T is time for school, Master
Thoms," said he.
Il am not going to school today"
And tomorrow
Not tomorrow"
MAY 1 know why?"
Wat looked to one side and another
rather abashed, and then insOlently al
the young schoolmaster.
white men," said he, should not
be taught by-by black men,"
He ran away and did not see the
flush of anger and sorrow that red
dened de Jough'S olive cheeks. The
schooImaster looked after him for q
second and then slowly proceeded TO
open the school.
This happened in Natal, where are
many men of different races-Engiish,
Dutch descendants, Portuguese, Ma
lays. descendants of the coolies brought
in old times from the East Indies as
plantation workers, and kalfirs. So
there are many social ranks ard
grades. Wat was an English boy,
brought out to the colony when baby.
and, as the English rank highest in
the country and never would think Of
mingling Intimately with the other
races, Wat being only u years old, bad
a rather exaggerated idea of his own
and his peoples worth.
Jan de Jough was not a black man,
though his skin was dark. like most
Italians. He was the descendant of
long. long ago had owned the country
before the Englishmen took It as the
spoil Of war, just as America today has
come into possession of the Philippines.
Mr.. de Jough was downhearted. Most
of the boys were of English PaTentage,
and if Wat, their leader, rebelled, he
foresaw n falling Off in attendance and
the consequent loss of his position-his
first stepping stone He was right; the
boys, small as they were. We're impu-
dent and unruly. and Jan dismissed the.
school deSpondently
Meantime Wat, for sufficient reason,
did not go straight home: he doubted
his reception by his mother might not
be altogether cordial and appreciative
1t was hot, as it usually is on the coast
OF the Indian ocean. One advantage
the heat brings to the boys is that one
can go swimming any day almost all
the year round. Wat, wondering along
by the surf, soon felt the sun oppres-
sive, and, when he came to a cove
which he and his chums knew we'll as a
swimming place, where the surf did
not break too violently, ne naturally
came TO the conclusion that a bath
would be a good thing to break the
lonely monotony of the morning. He
was. like most boys in warm countries.
q first rate swimmer, and he had no
hesitation in plunging into the huge In
dian ocean, even when quite alone i
He left his clothes on the beach. near
some rocks, without fear of pilfering
wanderers, for the cove was some dis
lance from the town, and a spot where
few ever wandered. He ran in with a
dash, paused to catch an incoming
breaker just at the right moment be-
fore It broke, dived beneath its crest.
swan vigorously under water for a |
minute and came up putting and blow |
ing on the glorious swell of the waves, |
with the sun glowing down upon him 1
in warm hearted approval
Wat turned on his back and let him |
self be rocked luXuriouSly One mo-
ment he would be lifted up so that he |
could look far out TO sea, or inland at !
the vast extent of greenery. and the
next he was down in a great hollow |
With nothing before his eyes but the I
cloudlesS blue above, and the CLASSY
waters reaching up at his sides like
precipitouS mountains
-'Poof-oof-ow," cried the bow. This
is better than a stuffy schoolroom. with
a low burgher making you study the
idiotic history of the country He had
a cheek to think he could teach Eng
lish boys. l wish he was here. and I'd
teach him TO swim. Wouldn't 1 duck
him? Oh, no, Certainly not"
He was like fish; he reveled and