Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-07-27

! the ulslalce, ana Une sun was Settln q
when the farm buildings of his destin-
alton appeared at last within reach.
As yet he did not dream of whole
sale rising of the natives; but, fancy
ing that the same marauding party
might be prowling around the Cum
ningham place, he wisely reconnoit-
cred before approaching too closely.
He could plainly see the front of the
house, and as he advanced he saw
what sent the blood to his heart in an
instant-the huge form of Matabele
warrior with shield and assagai stand
ing in the doorway.
He now made sure that the Gun
ninghams had all been murdered, and
he lay still behind bush, debating
on his own best course. Presently
the warrior disappeared within, and
one of the girls came out bearing a
pail of water, which she emptied, and
then quietly returned to the house,
seemingly in no fear for her life.
This aroused Otto's astonishment.
1t was not long before he saw Lotta,
the eldest girl, coming down toward
the stable, and he fastened to inter-
cept her.
She uttered scream at his ghastly
and blood-stained appearance before
she recognized him.
"Why, Otto, what has happened?"
she exclaimed.
'Where are the men? What are
those Kaffirs doing at your house?"
queried Otto breathlessly.
"Some Kaffir boys came this morn
ing to get father and the boys to go
and look at some cattle, and they all
went away. There are five Kaffir at
the house now. with guns and spears.
Mother and the children were fright
ened; but 1 don't think that they
would dare to do any harm to us, do
you? They say that they have been
hunting, and that they want to see
father"
Otto felt sure that the father and
brothers had been decoyed away to be
slaughtered, but he did not hint this
belief to the girl. He pressed his
reeling head between his hands, and
tried to think.
Did the men take their rihes?" he
asked.
"No, they left them at the house." I"
"Well, don't be frightened, but I'm
afraid the Kaffirs mean trouble. If the
men went away, of course they are
safe enough; but we had better keep
on the watch. Can you let me into
the house without those rascals seeing
me?'
"There is window at the back"
began the girl.
"All right! And get all the rifles
and cartridges you can find, and bring
them quietly into that back room.
Hurry up and let me in."
The girl ran back to the house, very
pale, but showing the nerve of from
tier training. Otto crept around to
the rear of the house, and in less than
a minute the window was raised, and
he clambered in as quietly as possible.
In the room where he found himself
We're Mrs. Cunningham, Lolita and
one of the other girls, all consider
ably frightened, but cool. There were
three Winchesters and two belts of
cartridges lying on table.
The katfirs were in the next room,
and Otto stole to the door and peeped
through a crack. There were five OF
them, as Lolita had said-big, brawny
fighting men, all with assagais and
two with rifles, while all five wore the
same decoration of white ox-tails that
Otto had before observed.
The boy had already formulated his
plan. He had no doubt that these
savages were only waiting some ap-
pointed time to fall upon the white
women and massacre them, and it was
his design to anticipate them In action.
South African women are usually
trained to handle q rifle us skill
fully as their husbands and
brothers, and these were no excep-
tion to the rule. Otto explained his
scheme, and as much of his suspicious
as he thought proper; and the wom-
en-, who instinctively looked to him,
boy as he was, for leadership, pre-
pared to assist him.
The Matabele were sitting quietly
on the floor, their weapons across
their knees, when the closed door on
the other side of the room was sud
denly thrown open, and they were
confronted with the threatening muz.
zies of three Winchesters. They had
been quite unaware of Otto's presence
i'll the house, and this made the sur
prise the more complete. They
sprang to their feet IN furry of as
constituent, just as Otto shouted over
the rifle barrel:
Drop those weapons"
Spears and rifles clattered upon the
floor, and the Kaffirs plainly expected
instant death. But Otto could no
bring himself to fire upon them il
cold blood, though he had no doubt
of their moral guilt. So he contin
ued, in the native tongue:
"Gol Get out! Don't come back
or you will be snot"
The natives filed from the door ant
started out across the veldt without
looking back till they were some fifty
yards from the house; then they
broke into trot and disappeared ovei