Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1900-05-02

are rooI. .omt. VIII you noun
/ NO" furiousIy.
| The Reuter- correspondent shr
| his shoulders
Have IL your own way" he
You'll be food for the Beers b
morning" And. gathering up the
OF the second horse. be prepare II
| iunp into his own saddle. But Il
| Barker sprang upon him sudde =
| NO. You don't he cried. You $ =
| leave me one horse. you brute. tho !
| il were a hundred times your pA n
erty" :,
stand off," the German cried.
Tom Bankers answer was to clD
with him silently. and there ensued
trial of strength the issue Of Will
seemed for several minutes doubtfT
The men were not badly matche4
Shaefer was a little heavier. but
was older by Is years. and Barken
1.-the body had known an English puaN
lie school training. The result OF
fight seemed uncertain. when the g /
man suddenly loosed his hold and
back. leaving the reins of the Sect
horse almost in the others elutchs
But Barker. raising his head and abe. L
to seize the reins. found himself &
cred by his antagonists revolver. -
Now. perhaps" the German corr
spondent observed. ..yeu viii listen
reason | know you haven't got a ga
on you. my friend | know sorRethfn
of your strange English character
There is nothing like being ready fol
any emergency that may arise"
Tom Barker. under the covering re-
yolver. stood erect and mute. To ar-
que further with man prepared to
commit murder on behalf of a horse
and a few news dispatches of no great
importance would be simple waste of
breath.
Keeping the muzzle of the revolver
pointed fun at Rarker's breast. Shaefer
jumped into his saddle. and. Selling the
reins of the other horse, he started =
at sharp trot As long as Barker re-
manned in running distance the Ger
man occasionally looked back to be
sure he was not followed. In five min
utes he was hut speck in the distance
on the South African veldt. Its your
own fault, remember. if you lose your
life and fail to get your news in Mon
days London T." was his final
greeting as he disappeared over the
crest of the nearest kopje, turning to
his right.
When he had disappeared, Barker
looked around him, reviewing the stu
alton. 1t was not a very cheering
prospect that met his eye. Two hills.
or kopjes. of some thousand feet rose
to the right and left. and he could see
the setting sun on the horizon between
them far beyond on the veldt. The
day had been intensely hot.
Il don't know what the deuce to do
now" thought Barker. As If in answer
to the question the wounded guide roll
ed over ON his side, making an effort to
rise.
where's Mass Shaefer?" he said.
looking around him in surprise.
Barker gave the negro a drink of
brandy mixed with water from his eau
teen, and the man presently seemed to
revive sufficiently to sit up.
Barker laughed grimly. Hes gone
down the path leading to the Tugela
river. leaving us both here in a nice
mess" he said. The darky rubbed his
ddhd oNGl Ills ~ eS " SdlilN anu tucu
gazed steadily along the road ahead.
''Yo' say he go long the right trail?'
muttered the man.
Yes" replied Barker.
Then he's sure gone wrong. That
right trail leads down to the Boz camp.
suide Il safsf Slowly
1t was too late now to warn the Ger
man correspondent He was far out of
sight by this time.
When Tom Barker and the negro
guide, the latter resting against the
the hut of friendly Kaffir just before
sunrise the next morning, they could
obtain no tidings of the German. But
they received a rude welcome and q
rough shakedown from the long suffer
Ing Kafiirs. who had during the war
learned to respect the English race.
The next day Tom Barker, with a new
guide. started off once more for the
British camp on the Tugela. They |
it at sunset the next evening,
and Barker reported himself to the |
officer, who was glad TO |
get news of the beleaguered army in |
Ladysmith. and. although Tom Bari r |
begged for party to go out in scar. b |
IF the lost German correspondent, / ie
stern general steadily refused to listen |
to his request.
And heaven only knows to this hour |
what did become of the wretched |
Shaefer. There were many rumors
Some said he was shot as a spy by a
Boer commandment. but his fate re-
mains as unknown to his employers
md the world as does that Of many |
another whose life story lies buried
With them deep in the grassy breast of
he South African veldt-New York
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