Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-09-07
protecting Arm that had shielded her

MA
She crawled out Of her hiding place
and looked around her. A great fiat
plain stretched on every side; one or
two small kopjes, covered with tawny
bushes, broke the monotony: but no
river or hill could she see anywhere.
There was nothing to guide her as to
the direction in, which she was to 60.
She was absolutely lost on the terri
BILE veldt!
Bluebell knew what that meant.
She remembered the terrible cases OF
which she had heard o: people-in one
| case it was a child--being lost on the
plain, and never heard Of again. She
pictured to herself the agony of liv-
ing death by starvation, and shud-
dered before the unknown horrors
of it.
But at least she had escaped from
what was far worse than death-un-
less her dreaded prosecutor found her
again. II he were alive he would be
hunting her now.
There was no time to lose. She
must set off at once, and trust to
Providence to guide her In the right
direction.
Bluebell looked up at the sun, the
only indication of the direction IN
which she should set her face. She
knew that Moore had been going west
ward; she would turn southwark
She took off her long cloak, for it
was now growing very warm, hung
it over her shoulder by the straps, and
began that terrible journey. She could
make no toilet. and her fast she could
not break. Already she was beginning
to feel desperately hungry.
Bluebell had begun to realize the
full horror and physical pains of her
position.
The hot monday sun beat down on
her unprotected head, giving her a
racking headache and almost binding
her. The dry red dust, covering, her
face and, as it seemed to her, every
inch of her body, and causing her hor-
rible discomfort. left her mouth and
throat parched and dry and her thirst,
was well-nigh intolerable.
ooh, God, how long can I endure it?
Have mercy and pity me! Guide me
to water!" She moaned aloud. At
that moment all she wanted was wa
ter. The anguish of thirst had swal-
lowed up all minor pains.
At last she sank down on the dry
sand, stretching appealing hands to
the ptiless sky that was as brass
above her.
IF there is no help for me, then let
me die outright, O God, before this in
tolerable anguish maddens mel"
But there came no answer from
those oppressive skies, and for the mo-
ment it seemed that God was as pitt
less as men.
Two days later small body OF
English soldiers came briskly riding
across the red, sandy veldt. They be-
longed to a Welsh regiment, and had
been pursuing a flying body of Beers
from Estcourt. They had gone fur
Their than they had intended and were
hurrying back before night overlook
them.
Halo! what have we here?" cried
young Lieutenant Preston to his COM
panion, pointing to something lying
on the red sand. He paused, and,
slipping from his horse, picked it up.
Look, Greene! a woman's slipper, and
a very small one at that
Lieutenant Greene examined it care
fully, then pointed to light, almost
indistinct mark on the sand.
That's what those Boer fellows
would call a spoor, Preston. There's
woman somewhere hereabout. Look,
there's kopje to the left covered with
shrubs Let's ride round that way.
Order the men to ride slowly"
Preston. who was in command, gave
the necessary order. The two young
officers rode quickly round by the
kopje. Both had an instructive feeling
that they were On the verge of some
discovery.
(To be continued.(