The Atlanta constitution., 1900-07-09

scanty reddish hair and light gray. Won
| dering, near-sighted eyes: his nose was
! lons and upturned. a carefully cultivated
mustache did not quite hide wide. loose
| goodnatured mouth. He was rather a
contrast TO his companion, a slight, but
we'll built man. with a small. well-sha1ed
head. neat. small features and piercing
| black eyes set rather too closely together
| He carried himself with an air of as
! surance and an unfailing regard for the
| graceful and becoming.
IT'S an Internal nuisance to have
mother who insists on playing providence
for youi' exclaimed the stout. fair man,
| as he struck match. his enunciation was
| slightly impaired by a cigar held between p
| his teeth why does she insist on my
| distinguishing myself! I got on very wei
! in England. Just as we'll as any other
| fellow I'm not bad shot, and l can
/ waltz well enough. I'm sure when ! was
| best man at Kilfane's wedding / returned
| thanks for the bridesmaids uncommon
| well and had no end of applause. It's
! deuced uncomfortable jogging on IN that
| Noah's ark on wheels. besides having
! brace of Hottentots alongside. Very IN
! pleasant companions, too. BY Jove, l
! feel like a sort of glorifed travelling tink-
/ er Just look at that lot OF pots and pans
| kettles and cans, lashed to the frame un-
| derneath. It's all TOO eXIraprGlnaEt-
/ shouldn't mind so much II we could have
a chance of meeting some elephants feed
! Ing II would be grand to go home and
say had shot an elephant: in fact, one
| might say several elephants If you had
| shot one actually. but the knowing brutes
seem 10 have made tracks for safer quar-
| ters eh Forester
His companion had been watching the
man who was rubbing down fine brown
l.rlF Of h. grne dc Il
paw much attention to his interlocutor.
Dye hear me-" asked the latter. af-
| ter waiting a moment.
Yes yes. of course: We'll find ele
| plants and game of all sorts we go on.
| Wait till we meet this mighty Nimrod.
the elephant smatsher.' He'll show Us
no end OF sport and as you say. you are
by no means bad shot"
That's all very well. but when shall Ne
come up with him?"
"Oh. all in good time: there IS no use
being in a hurry. Come Mactier." ad-
dressing the man who seemed in author
ity. we had better press on to the place
you intend to stop at. Mr.. St. Maur viii
be wanting his dinner or his supper, and
we'll want TO make things snug for the
night first"
IT'S not far on" returned the man ne
spoke TO. with an unmistakably Scotch
accent. and We haven't done badly to-
day. Twenty miles in eighteen hours. up
hill and down dale. there's not another
span in the colony would do it
Hurry up 'Nerdompte ker,e.'" to his
men, wei get under the lee of a k0pjs
about mile and a half further, which
will shelter US from the northeast
for / can tell you the daybreaks are cold
as We travel north at this time of year
After some thrashing and much bad
language in various tongues. the unwieldy
equipped got under way and rolled slow
ly forward.
As the evening was chill the two Eng
lishmen mounted their horses and led bv
their Scotch "veturino." If we may boz
row that term. rode smartly forward into
the fast gathering gloom.
Mactier had been engaged not only 70
pilot the strangers. but to provide trans
port, COnImissariat, everything except am
munitOn and horses; II was a good plan
to save trouble. but an expensive method
of going to work. That did not matter
which. however. TO the Hon. Tom :.
Maur. for his mother. the wealthy and
ambitious countess of Marlborough, paid
the piper. with no stinted hand, hoping
her somewhat disappointing second son
might gather a respectable crop Of Tau
rcls'' among the various opportunities Of
South African life.
Forester. the secretary adviser and
nurse of the Young sprig of nobility under
his charge, rode on silently. but ST MauT,
who. having very little to say as usual.
did great deal of talking chartered Oh
to Their conductor. plying him with ques-
tions and Offering him suggestions of a
rather childish description.
Good Lord" unused Mactier. what a
'bIetherin' idiot to have such a 'comman-
do under his heel. Money must be plenty
where he comes from.
Then this elephant smasher is no end
OF a shot, pursued St. Maur. little imac-
lining the estimate his employee was form
Ing of him Did you ever speak to him?
Is he stuck-up snuff the moon sort OF
a chap"
Speak to him?" echoed Mactier. why
1 was one of mis- first friends in the colony.
WIN it must be between eight or nine
years since | met him at Natal and pret-
ty hard up he was. I've a fancy he came
from South America. | got him his first
decent bit of work as after rider to a big
hunting expedition up beyond the Drach-
enfels; after that there was no more
.>oubie. He was sought after right aud
left. and soon started an expedition of his
own, but he's a first rate fellow He
never forgets a friend: he gave me a ring
a few years back when he had not much
to part with. I'll show 1t to you when We
have any light"
Whats his name, this elephant smash
ing hunter?" asked Forester
"Oh, North. Graham North, Come, see
the lights of our party. Let's go back,
Carlo will show you how a venison steak
can be cooked in the OPEN"
st. Maur was a first rate Judge of
cooking in general and expressed his an
proval of the food set before him I'm no
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