The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-03-09

5SlSAS Was Il ol.AiAI1lS VI Lie ACdLC IitGlS
was still as powerful Il sinking Of the
stomach. When l halted at last. listen
ing between pants, the monster vegeta-
BILE was still mine and supper yet prob
able.
But l was lost. In daylight the I'M
accustomed traveller may easily, does
frequently, get lost by leaving the
track to examine tile bush. In the
darkness of a moonless night Il would
be madness in ordinary cases to step
off the road. AT last l found the thin
and trucking stream, which in that dry
season represented the river of other
months. and | followed it down with
pain and difficulty, now stepping in a
pool, now cracking my ankles against
the powders.
An hour brought me to the ford, but
there l was confused. The faint light
of the moon, just peeping above the
rim of the veldt, allowed me to see
dimly that the road at the drift broad
ened out to a great width. l compre-
hended that the wagons, passing in the
wet season, had each sought, according
to the drivers judgment, the safest
place to cross. In such name are
South African roads first made.
l stood at n side of the road. The
other was possibly half a mile off.
Whereabouts, then, in that of ruts
and blackness, should / seek the troop
err and, of more consequence to me, i'll
my starving condition, the duck?
While | hesitated the sound of voices
struck my ears once more not far from
me. l could not mistake who it was;
the words, "Verdamter uitlander,''
again came too distinctly across the
trek. skunk back up stream, not will
ing to stand another shot. Crawling
into a little kloof in the bank, l lay
still, like a hare, perhaps, considering
the raid On pond and barn-a fox
would be the better woodland at last
l heard the voices and scrambling
steps of the hunters returning. 1t
alarmed me afresh, however, O to
distinguish amid the sounds the roll
ing curses Of the farmer.
l waited awhile and heard nothing,
and then the thought of that trooper,
smuggling in a cozy hidden nook some
where near. preparing the duck for
supper, overpowered me, and l rose
and set out to find him, bearing my
hard won pumpkin still along.
The moon passed behind clouds, and
it became pitch dark. For a long time
l pottered about, afraid to call out, for
| knew something of a Beers shrewd-
ness and tenacity, and | felt more than
uncertain that the farmer was lodging
about, waiting a chance at me, and the
fact that his voice had been absent
from those Of the party returning
made me suspicious and nervous.
l had accidents. | fell into a pool,
and | bruised my knee badly. 1t grew
bitterly cold for that land, and the dew
fell heavily, and, above all, l began to
grow weak and sick from hunger after
that 20 mile tramp. l began to shake
and shiver, but / held CD to the pump
kin.
Then came the elimination of all my
woes. 1t began to grow darker, with q
very heaviness of black, an almost tan
gible darkness. My feet had hithert,
engaged all my attention, but l nov
looked up. The moon was high in the
sky, but there was but little of it visi
bic. A black shadow was stealing
across it, was almost completely ovel
it. 1t was in process of eclipse. Then
| gave up l-ope of finding the trooper
of finding the trek even, in the we'll OF
blackness which was near at hand, fol
l was now seeking the trooper off the
road. And Isought, it being now neal
midnight, a place to rest in and unroll
my blanket.
| stumbled along toward a solitary
tree, which l thought might keep off
some OF the dew, and by the last
flicker of moonlight l saw a man seat.
ed beneath 1t. He had his back to me
and was sitting on a stone, and
would have sworn l saw the sides of &
shovel shaped beard sticking out above
his shoulders. Something rested be
tween his knees. My conjectures jump
ed to a certainty hat it was the farm
er's gun.
l was almost upon him. l was toe
hungry and tired and weak to run.
stepped to him stealthily with almos1
hysterical despair and raised the great
pumpkin at arms height and dashed
it Oh his head with all the strength my
muscles and my desperation coult
muster between them. He seemed tt
groan and fall forward, and / turned
and staggered away, wondering dizzily
if the blow of a pumpkin could be
fatal.
Utter, horrible blackness set in, an(
the eclipse was complete when l drop
ped at last, unable to nov a step far
Their. All that night | shivered from
cold and dozed from WEAKNESS, but be
fore break of day the cold grew Sc
great that l had to move on or shiyel
to death. Somehow staggered to the
trek, though | did not know which di
rection | was going, and stumbled
along it, afraid to remain still for {
moment. | felt pretty sure, however
| was on a road, and | followed it il
dumb consciousness that it would LEAD
me somewhere, if only back whence
T. Starta6 in Eaabrapalao1