Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-02-12

tier.
A week before Phillips had seen
the Gold Reef City" shivering in the
panic of the expected war. His
thoughts, as he stared out the car
window, may have gone back bitterly
to johannesburg, to the ridge which
has made so many sorrows, and his
own failure there. Clutched in the
hand, however, he held a telegram
from his partner, Burton, ald this
read: Come up to Klerksburg next
train; big thing possible here. "
around him men were arguing heat
edly in various dialects as to where
Joubert would strike first, what
would happen to the Uitlanders, and
when 1t would begin to happen. The
train ran on hour after hour; it came
to stop at last aud discharged its
passengers into the excited, question
ing crowds which filled the streets of
klerksburg. 1t was almost midnight,
but there was no quiet in the towns
of the border.
a large young Englishman stepped
out of the shadows and touched Phil
lips on the elbow. "Here you are.
he drawled. cts late, but you
mustn't sleep yet, Jack. You're ex-
pected."
'What is it, anyway?" asked Phil
lips.
81 don't know" replied the other,
'and know at the same time that it
is something worth our Wilde" He
was slower in his mental processes
than the American, and he now fell
into deep reflection. "It was Ather-
ton who told me to get you here.
Appears that there is something being
planned. Come along"
They turned into quieter streets,
walked for some distance, and came
to a house. The front of this was
darkened, but there were lights at the
reaS and as they approached more
than one man came out and hurried
away. Burton held low conversa-
tion with some one at the door, and
then returned to find his friend.
They want to see you alone in
there" he explained, "and I'm to
wait.
Phillips went forward; servant
nshered him through the house and
bowed him into lighted room.
Three men were seated around table
there, upon which lay spread n map
OF South Africa. In smaller room
behind Phillips could hear telegraph
instruments clacking feverishly and
now and then a message would be
brought out and placed upon table.
London seems to be getting ex-
cited" one of the three remarked.
They did not embarrass Phillips by
too close scrutiny, but they were
taking note of him. "Sit down, won't
you" said one of them, big man.
The speaker leaned back almost shyly
in his chair, and turned his drowsy
gray eyes upon another, who looked
like an eX-army officer. "'You state
the case, Atherton," he said.
"Hem," " observed the latter. "Well,
Mr.. Phillips, | suppose you would not
be unwilling to accept of good oppor-
tunity."
Phillips smiled grimly. 81 rather
neeu 10, ne replied.
''Ah, yes. Well, no offence, you
know; but we have been led to be-
lieve that you are, a-hem, rather n
wild young thing"
The Americans square Jaw tight
ened, and he rose. "You might have
telegraphed that information, he
observed.
'No; sit down, please" said the
big man, 'and hear us through. :"
There was kind of fascination in his
manner difficult to explain
''You know" continued Atherton,
his eyes upon the table and speaking
as if by note, whether this country
is in healthy condition now. You
are from johannesburg, and also know
how the Uitlanders are being treated.
Here in Klerksburg we believe that
war is inevitable and that the sooner
1t comes the better for us all. There
are, however, people who cannot un-
derstand this situation and they advise
delay" He nodded, perhaps uncon-
sciously, toward the room where the
telegraph instruments were clicking.
Not so many miles from here, at
a point which your friend Burton
knows, there is camp of the border
police. 1t lies about two miles from
the frontier line of the Trausvaal, and
ten miles on the other side the Beers
have also a camp. Very good. Now
need not point out to you that Africa
is like bin of gunpowder and that it
needs only spark to set it afre. f ere
is where that spark can be struck"
He put his finger upon the map.
"Just at this point over the line is
the farm of Boer named Zwager. He
is an old Dutch rhinoceros, ready
enough for trouble; it would be very
easy for any one who went there, any
one who was rather wild and irrespon-
sible, to precipitate a quarrel. 1t
would not need extreme measures-a
mere quarrel, with perhaps a little
misusage. and the Beers there in camp
would do the rest, for they would at.
attack the border police as certainly
aa we cit here. After that some his.