The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-02-20
By P. Y. BLACK.


The fires on the hills were the warn
ing. The farmers were Communicated
that is, every ablebodied man be-
tween 16 and 60 in the district was
called to take his horse, his ''biltong'
or dried beef ration, his rifle and am
munition, and proceed at once to the
rendezvous, thence to proceed against
the fierce and warlike Zulus, who had
again raided the Transvaal. Farmer
Putter saddled up and hurried off, as
his first duty was, but first he called to
him Piet, his son, and solemnly spoke
to him.
s'Son of mine," said the farmer sol
dier, ''you are not yet man tall enough
to face the Zulu impis in open field,
but to your care give mein vrouw and
your little sister Greta and Pretorius,
your brother. You must, if need be,
play a mans part, for, since the two
gold prospectors left the farm at the
sign of war, there is none to take COM
mand of the Kaffir servants but you"
Then Piet said without bravado:
"You may trust me, father, for,
though 1 be not man, still l am a
BOer."
So the farmer rode away, and Piet,
thus promoted to command, withdrew
into the sitting room, and almost at
once his trouble began. His first care
was to clean and load all firearms.
These hung ON the walls, and some
were old fashioned and without am
munition to fit them. But Piets eye,
seeking his own pet light rifle, which
he had won in a shooting match
against all boys of his age for many
miles round, missed it. He was star
tied, for it is almost criminal to meddle
with another mans glory-his rifie-and
he sought Pretorius to see if that ambi
tious youth had taken it down. Preto
RUS had it not, and Piet ran out to cal
Malula, a native servant, with sudder
fear in his soul.
MaIula did not come at the call, anC
Piet, with pale face, thought for {
moment, and then, taking his old gu1
and belt, leaped bareback on a horse
without a word to alarm the family
and rode off unseen at a gallop. HI
rode to the cornfield, where the native
| laborers should have been working
The green corn waved in the wind de
serted. Not a man was in sight. HI
dashed to the meadows down the val
| ley, where the herders should hav
| been with the cattle. Here, in spite o
| himself, tears sprang to his eyes, TO
| the cattle were gone, and the herder
| were absent. The great grassy field
were silent as were those of corn.
| "They have deserted us as soon a
my fathers back was turned" erie,
Piet in dismay. And they were no
Zulus! Can it be general rising anon
the Kaffir tribes?''
| At that thought he trembled, but b
had still vigor enough to ride to the to
of a kopje near by From the peak b
had view of much country, and say
cloud of dust far away, which b
guessed was made by the stolen cattlt
"Never mind" said Piet; IF we bea
the Zulus, we shall get them back wit
Interest"
Then he dug his heels into his horse
ribs and dashed down the hillside. b
had seen, half mile away, black ii:
ure moving swiftly across the weld
and the sun glanced from sOmethin
borne on it's shoulder-a gun, Maluli
Before the traitor servant was avail
of pursuit, Piet was within 400 yaro
of him. Then the Kaffir heard Il
horses hoofs and turned. For a IN
ment the black seemed inclined to ru
but changed his mind as the boy shou
ed TO him angrily. Malula deliberate
raised the stolen rifle to his shoulde
Piet threw himself from the horse {
bullet whistled over the vacant sa
+ die. The boy, already hunter, reptile
, with but . hasty glance through h
sights, and Malula uttered howl al