Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-12

people to all black, were suddenly upset
| This thing which the warden had done was
what he himself had done, what many
kaff1rs had done, but white man--to an
other white man. 1t was a surprise. Slow
ly Sixpence's brain awoke to the horrible
fact that De Jough-his master, his model.
whom he had so desired to initiate, was no
better than himself. The warden looked
up at last and saw the Kaffirs bewildered.
saddened face. saddened as a dogs eyes
are saddened when IL misses something
that Is gone and cannot understand. Six
pence's ideal, was dead: dimiy and with
dull pain he felt that there was little to
choose between being white or being black
What are we to do?" the warden asked.
eW can't go back to the jail"
Sixpence had not thought of that, but
he at once understood He had escaped
hanging for manslaughter by narrow
edge, because the Kaffir he had slain had
been in the wrong, but-how could the
warden escape hanging?
ITO the kraals.'' he said. his mind re-
verting. childiike, to its affection for and
obedience to his master. He suddenly
groveIled at the warden's feet and began
to howl softly, speaking in his native dia-
lect. They shall not hang the master;
rather me, Sixpence the Bechuana- Am
j not black and of no use? But the baas,
how shall his children in the jail live with
out him? But they shall not catch us!
Know the way through the big desert,
Kalhari; / will show the baas the path
to the kraals, and my people will hide us
and protect u.s."
With a sudden, prolonged wall he recol-
lected the delights. the plenty, the COM
forts of his prison home.
''1n the kraalS," he Inoaned. I'VE Starve;
in the Jail there is plenty scof.
For a moment the warden's face bright
ened He knew as well as SixDence that
he would be hanged il caught. and he
knew that he could trust himself implicitly
to the Bechuanas guidance, but his eyes
gloomed again. Would not hanging be
better than that2 To live among savages.
from fever? Surely-some other way.
Something in the moonlight by the dead
man had drawn the kafhrs notice The
magistrates left hand lay spread on the
his murderer. On one finger cleaned dia-
nond ring. A Kaffir, dying, would have
strength TO steal a diamond. Forgetting
everything else, Sixpence passed the reins
again to his master sitting on the ant
heap, thinking, thinking in a panic of fear
ard doubt SiXpence dropped by the body
and seized the dead mans hand Duly,
the warden, watched him. sNd as light
ming flash reveals the hidden things,
a sudden lurid thought banished the mist
from his brain and showed him what TO
Go. He considered rapidly. The convict had
brought his horse to him and met him on
the road
No one had seen them together that night
save the magistrate. and he could not tell.
1t could all be explained, easily explained.
to the authorities. In his coat pocket he
lett HIS IpNOlNeI-d lllllt
but quite. quite big enough. Sixpence knelt
by the body. The warden sprung upon
him and grasped him by the shoulders,
that the black man looked round at him
in dumb Amusement.
"Baas angry" he asked. like child.
Then the look in the warden's eyes terri
fed him.
''BaAs. The Baasr' he walled. But before
the wall died on his tongue the pistol had
cracked close to the nipple on his black
breast. and he fell back beside the mssis-
trate. In his hand he grasped the ring; De
1ough seized the blood stained knobkerry
and put 1t beside him. Then the white man
leaped upon his startled horse and galloped
away.
"A simple ending he thought, with a
horrid chuckie- "Of course, he murdered
the chief for the diamond; of course, COM
ing home L found him rif1ing the body; he
resisted and / shot him. The poor beast
well. it's only Kaffir.'
In the moonlight, face up, they found
SiXpence, when the guards from the Jail
came down the kopje His face was not
distorted at all, but rather the reflection of
panied surprise, as he thought. in the
moment of dying, that he had been de-
ceiVed.