Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-08-31
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CHAPTER VI.-(Continued.
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At last they stopped. Some one
came up to Bluebell, and, to her i'm
mensc relief, she felt the horrid cloth
being united. The next moment 1t
was drawn from her head. and then
Night, blessed light, albeit it was only
1 faint gray dawn as yet, Hooded her
,pyes. Bluebell uttered half-sobbing
Try and looked around at her compan-
Ions, then at herself.
They were in the midst of a great
stretch of arid "karoo"-nothing but
red sand, unrelieved by bush, grass or
sign of water, stretched about them.
Around, however, rose great black
eraggy rocks, with what seemed like
i sandy ravine between, but the light
was so dim Bluebell could not be sure.
Bhe was sure of one thing: That she
had never been there before. She
sould only guess that they were about
to enter pass in the mountain which
separated Natal from the Transvaal
and the Orange Free State.
n She looked at her companions. A
aative boy" short-statured and at
tired almost in rags, with a villainous
expression, walked beside her. On the
slther side, mounted on a large bay
Horse, his dark. evil face turned to-
wards her, was Gerald Moore.
Then her eyes came back to herself.
She had on the dark gown which she
lad thrown on when she had been
aroused by the approach Of the COM
nando; a heavy tweed cloak covered
down to her feet. On the latter she
lad only the house slippers she had
out on when she left her room. A lit
tie tweed cap covered her disheveled
lair. That and the cloak, she con-
sluded, had been supplied by Moore.
She turned to him, her face like that
II one who had passed through a
fightful vigil, and come out of it pale
and worn, hollow-eyed and heart
broken. A momentary fash of her old
tourage came to her as, she saw the
sbvil look in Moore's eyes.
Where are you taking me to-" she
" tined. Are you a man at all,
that you can drag me from my home
ut such time as this, when my
ather lies dead or dying, killed by
four treachery?"
4 i took you for your own safety he
replied with a cold smile. "Oh, you
are quite safe with me, Miss Bluebell;
don't bel. raid. We are within day
Ind nights journey Of our destina-
don. Once we are safely on Dutch soil
GU shall become my wife, and then
80 shall cross over to England as soon
us may be-"
you are the worst man that God
las left upon EARTH" said the girl de-
lately. "But do you think you
= gighten me into what you wish,
Moore. l am not afraid to die,
Eli die rather than marry you.
y T. NE done your worst when you
and betrayed my poor father;
rot do me any harm now. God
s8p me against you"
1aughed insultingly.
II spleases you to think so, my
wear lady, have no objections. AS for
$lying-well, we shall see about that.
There are different ways of dying"
All the morning hours they jolted,
stumbled and bumped their way over
he rutty and uneven plain. The full
lawn broke, and the sun rose in all the
glorious majesty of day.
Then, as they entered the pass be-
tween the rocky hills, the full heat Of
The sun began to beat down upon them.
It beat on BluebelPs unsheltered head
ind gave her racking headache. Soon
The became intensely thirsty, but no
water was to be seen; but the pain and
keariness of her body was as nothing
compared to the anxiety, the fear, the
lnguish that racked her mind.
God, God, help me! There is none
but Thou!" she prayed again and
tgain. Then there came to her mind
the remembrance of Adair Rothes'
luiet, brave, strong face, and her heart
bounded. Oh, if he only knew what
lad happened, would he not try to
tave her from this awful fate?
About midday Moore called a halt
Ae came forward to help Bluebel off
der horse, but she scornfully waved
uim aside and slipped off herself.
"You can easily catch me if 1 at
tempt to run away" she said. Even
rs the words passed her lips her heart
beat high. :, $.%ssss'
Run away! Why should she not
make a bold attempt? They could not
oe very far distant from some town,
when Moore had spoken of a day and
= rights journey. And even if she
lost herself on that terrible rsckless
plain, among those rocky mountains,
better that fate than the one with
which she was threatened
Her chance was to come sooner than
the expected.
CHAPTER VII.
1T is impossible! cannot believe
IT." exclaimed Adair Rothes. "Mr.