Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-05-17
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THE ALTERNATIVE
A story of the South African
War.
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"The question at ISSUE" Charles
Shaefer said quietly. lis between this
and that"
'This" was man, a native black
South African runner He lay fat on
his back in the little valley. his unsee-
ing eyes wide open, motionless save
for an occasional twitching of the mus
cles, his life blood trickling through
the hastily applied bandage which con
cealed the bullet wound in the head
The man was silent. except when his
parched lips moved in the inarticulate
mutter of delirium.
Charles Shaefer, Reuters special
correspondent in the Transvaal, did not
allow his eyes to linger long upon the
piteous black figure His gaze revert
ed to that small package of pa
pers, evidently of great Importance,
carefully wrapped in a waterproof COW
ering which he had drawn from his
breast pocket.
Now that we are reduced to two
horses only" he went on, his eyes
shifting for moment to the carcass of
third horse which lay dead some 20
yards off, land seeing that we are in
the enemy's country, probably "a hours
ride from the nearest well of water,
and that this niger is a dead weight
on our hands
"You surely don't dream of abandon
ing the poor deyilY' Tom Barker broke
in.
Shaefer glanced uneasily at his COM
panion. Barker was puzzle to him,
poor man of distinguished literary
ability, young, but already a success as
journalist, yet occasionally betraying
vein of sentimentaiity altogether out
Of place In connection with his friend
of Teutonie origin. Shaefer had had
inconvenient experience Of this "too
English" popularity more than once
during the three months enforced i'm
prisonment in Ladysmith, from which
they had just escaped with the invalu-
able help of the negro runner.
''You wouldn't leave him here to
die?" the Englishman persisted.
Shaefer rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Hes sure to die soon In any case"
Il don't think so. If we can get him
on my horse and carry him a bit out of
this
Its out of the question, Barker.
He cannot walk, and these two horses
are already tired out, and we cannot
possibly do it.
Besides, the horses are my proper
ty," continued the German. Il had to
pay big price for them in Ladysmith,
cent encounter with the Boer outposts.
l must get my dispatches in at the
nearest telegraph station. It's 40 miles
off yet, and | suppose you want to get
yours in, too for the London T. !
reckon on selling these beasts when we
get safely over the Tugela river and
don't propose leaving one behind" And
the Germans eyes cleaned angrily, his
voice thick with passion.
whats the life of a niger runner
WORTH" he growled.
Hes a man, anyway" Tom Barker
retorted. Suppose l refuse to leave
the fellow?"
'sThen"-and now Shaefer became
ominously cool-'I shall again be fore
ed to remind you that your horse is my
property. | go, and the horse you ride
goes with me. You can come or not, as
you please"
Barker turned pale. 'That is the
choice you offer me? Then l say you
are blackguard"
"And l say" indifferently, that you
are fool. Come, viii you mount?"
NO" furiously.
The Reuter- correspondent shrugged
his shoulders.
Have it your own way" he said.
you'll be food for the Beers before
morning" And, gathering up the reins
of the second horse, he prepared to
jump into his own saddle But here
Barker sprang upon him suddenly.
mo. you don't" he cried. You shall
leave me one horse, you brute though
it were a hundred times your prop
erty."
"Stand off" the German cried
Tom Barker's answer was to close
with him silently, and there ensued
trial of strength the issue of which
seemed for several minutes doubtful
The men were not badly matched.
Shaefer was little heavier, but he
was older by 10 years, and Barker's
1.-THE body had known an English pub
lie school training. The result of the
fight seemed uncertain, when the Ger
man suddenly loosed his hold and fell
back, leaving the reins of the second
horse almost in the others clutches.
But Barker, raising his head and about
to seize the reins, found himself COW
cred by his antagonists revolver.
'Now. perhaps" the German CORE
spondent observed, "you will listen to
reason. know you haven't got a gun
on you, my friend. / know something
Of your strange English character.
There is nothing like being ready for
any emergency that may arise"
Tom Barker, under the covering re-
volver, stood erect and mute. To ar
que further with a man prepared to
commit murder on behalf of horse
and few news dispatches of no great
Importance would be simple waste Of
breath.
Keeping the muzzle of the revolver
pointed full at Barker's breast. Shaefer