The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-03-09
The NQy Of The 1GSpQSseI.
An Episode on
a Boer Farm, Showing
How Two Travellers In the Transvaal
Suffered the Loss of
Their Supper.
By P. Y. BLACK.
copyright. 1900, by P. Y. Black

when utter strangers greet with EMU
! v he%artiness and a brotherly leaping
OF the heart. | do not know that the
apparition Of my wealthiest friend
would have more lightened my spirit
and more quickly have dressed my
face in smiles than did the presence
on the roadside of that wandering ex-
trooper of the Bechuanaland border
police. He reclined, with an assured
ease and a possession of confidence
which, on that lonely veldt, so miles
from an inn in a stranger peopled
country, rejoiced me as with the near
ness of a home. A dwarfed tree afford
ed him shade, a nearly dried up pan
was not far off. His blanket was
thrown beside him, and a billy of a
convenient size reposed between the
extended military breeches.
Doubtless an extra sincerity was af-
forded to my cordial greeting by the
dainty vapors which arose from that
billy as l drew near. A hot mouthful
prevented him from doing more in the
way of invitation than waving me to a
seat on the bowlder peppered turf. 1t
was enough. My knife was handy,
n | forked from the pot by it's aid
a tenderly stewed birds wing. Our
eyes therefore sutficed for a space to
crafty any natural curiosity. our
mouths it would have been a rudeness
to interrupt. The meat dispatched,
the trooper pushed the billy my way.
and. in the absence of spoons. / drank
from it a fair share of the soup which
he promptly finished. 1t was then my
good fortune to contribute to the re-
past the last cupful of coffee in my
possession. At the pan l cleaned the
billy and filled it with fresh water,
while the trooper placed some more
fuel upon the %smoldering fire.
II fear" said l. that | have no
sugar"
This is a beast of a country" said
the trooper. II haven't had any sugar
In my coffee for three days. Come to
think. haven't had much coffee either.
Well. there is always tobacco some
how. l am e%conomizing on native"
Il have yet a pipe or two of birds
eye" l was glad to say. and with that
we fraternized.
1t was early In the day when we
slung our blankets about our shoulders
and stepped u along the lonely trek
cheerfully. for to each some compan-
ionship was that morning the most
needful thing. For nearly a week my
way had been entirely one of solitude.
SO that my own voice had sounded
st%artlingly in my ears if l had called
out to raise a chance bird in my path.
So. it appeared, had been the fortune
of the stranger. and it was now a mu-
tual delight to keep step and chatter.
He pleased me. His gray eyes twin
kled humorously, his laugh rang heart
somely. He strobe athletically for
ware with the frank front Of one who
would meet all adventures with the
confident Indifference of alert strength
and the consciousness of a will and liv-
er equally good; also. though he was
CARRIED in the uniform of a private. it
was no surprise to me to find him of
education and breeding. He was read
lily catalogued-a prodigal and an exile,
n of the South African army who
had left his past, perhaps his name, in
England. despairingly seeking a new
repute.
ut is unnecessary" he remarked
when we had exchanged names. ito
ask if you are for the Rand"
1T is the loadstone." 1 said. EVERY
body is drawing there, and for my pur-
poses. which are pretty vague, johann
nesburg is perhaps the most promising
place in South Africa"
That stretch Of road on the Bechu-
n side of the ~Transvaal-if we may
flatter it by calling it roads ter
ribly monotonous, through unwooded
veldt. sinking to dried up brooks, ris-
ing to dusty SUBMITS, YEARLY interim
nable. We met. l remember, in wei 20
miles, not a living creature-nor Boer
nor Kaffir.
We were fortunate in having cold
coffee and plenty of tobacco. and it
was not until we began to feel hungry
that, in the proper fashion of the road,
we cast about for a method of provid-
ing supper. We had not between us,
it is to be thought, a %sixpence. OF
lodging we were well assured. Our
wide bed spread all about; our blan-
kets were ready to unfold at shutdown.
But the taste Of the mornings stew
was dead upon the palate. and our
neither garments hung slackly from
the waist. We chirruped not so gladly
and began to %reconnoiter the surround
ing veldt with a yearning for the sight
of a farmstead.
1t neared shutdown when we found
what we sought, a mile and more from
the trail. a house of comforting proper
tons wrapped in an outer cloak of
woods. An oblique path led down to it,
and this we took to levy wallaber's
tribute upon the farmer. The sun sank
rapidly as we approached, seeing no.
body about, and it. was dusk when we
halted to consult by a large pond. a lit
tie distance from the house. By this
the trooper sat him down and grinned
at me.
"My Dress" he said, lis obnoxious to
the Boer, who has shot at such a uni
form before and may again. You go
rEEM~ 49,