The age-herald., 1900-08-19

been in port two days; suspicion will be aroused if I finger" 70 au
 We must be away tomorrow night You have my instructions Mind if you fail me" .saet
 T lose 1000 quid. That's more incentive than all your fine threats" lr F
 There was a shufling of feet, and one of the men walked to the front of the cave.
 Its getting daylight" he said. ''I mustn't be seen hanging about here. You'd better get away down to the coast before 1 stir. These English are all over the place.
 For half an hour I lay with both hands pressed over my heart in an agony of sus- pense, that then the Boer emerged once mere from the cave( and his echoing foot steps told me that he was walking rapidly in the direction of the town. Directly he was out of sight l crawled from my hiding place, stretched my oramped limbs, and hastened homewards, eager once more to hear the sound of friendly voices, and to relate my adventure to the Governor. I had not gone dozen yards before I felt, rather than saw, that 1 was followed Without daring to glance round I hurried ly stumbled onwards; but, before I had time to realize what was happening, was seized from behind, a huge coaxse- hand was laid over my eyes, another oyer my mouth, and to my intense horror aid dis gust 1 was gagged, blindfolded, and lifted on my feet into what appeared to be a rough cart The suffocating sensation in creased; straw-no, hay-was placed over me. Merciful heavens. Was 1 going to be smothered? But, no, after well covering me, the Boers urged the horse forward the cart rattled, and shook, and jolted un- til l lost all sense of time and place. and realized only that every bone in my body was aching, and that I was sinking into a dull, helpless sort of lethargy. The next thing I hain from beneath the hay, stood upon my feet and thrust up interminable flights of stairs At the top heard the sound of a Key turning in rusty lock, and the next moment fell face downwards on hard wooden floor. Evidently the Boer women are not in the habit of fainting, for when l came to 1 discovered three men bending over me arguing with each other as to Where would be the safest place to bury my body. l was no longer either bound or gagged; opening my eyes l looked up at three repulsive. faces bending over me.
 So great was their astonishment at my unexpected recovery that they allowed me to rise to my f ct and walk to the door without attempting to lay a hand on me- However, the biggest and coarsest looking of the three recovered himself before 1 had time to turn the handle. Wltn a couple of strides he was at my side, grasping my wrist with one huge, mud-stained hand he glanced fiercely at me. Spy, Traitress" he hiSsed. You thought we were all guarded, and that you could play the spy with impunity on this cursed island. Bah" snapping his fingers derisively in my 1ace( you are our prisoner-you- Hark! What was that! Trik guard the dcor Then turning to me- he placed his mouth against my ear and hissed; Utter one sound and your life" .e..s.5
 1 heard no more, and 1 suppose I must I senses l was alone. For some minutes I lay without moving, then slowly, shudder- lEely, l rose to my feet The room in which l was imprisoned was long and narrow, with one window nisn up in the 1oof. Except for couple of chairs, a table, and an old mattress, it was abso- utely devoid of furniture. The door was bolted and barred from the outside l Knew that the Boers were carefully guarded, and was at a loss to know how they could possibly have managed my capture. Then again, the house in which I lay imprisoned must belong to British subject, who had evidently been either murdered or bribed. Throughout the long, hot day these thoughts chased each other rapidly across my brain, but my jaiIer never once came near me. Towards night I fell asleep, ut terly exhausted. In my sleep I held an imaginary conversation with Donald the young Englishman whose acquaintance I had made on board; and in my dreams he seemed to be telling me about a friend of ms who was imprisoned in a turret and who let his friends know his whereabouts by flying his handkerchief from the turret window.
 aWoke with a start just as dawn was breaking. My dream had been singularly EiVld' and then l ramembered that Donald had actually told inc the story not many days previously.
 tpp ,,,f,,,
 the end of that time had the satisfaction o1 seeing strip of white linen futtering ln the morning breeze.
 with the dawn of the following day came hope, and l determined to force down some food in order to gain strength. I had eaten a few mouthfuls and was already feeling better, when I was suddenly star tied by the chatter of horses hoofs and the sound of loud voices raised in altercation The voices grew louder, I heard footsteps ascending the stairs, by heart leaned into my throat, and staggered to the door,
 The next moment 1 felt as if my head was spinn--e round and round, and the room seemed full of men. An hour later I was seated in a cart with Gods blue sky aboVe me, and Gods dear sunshine kissing the warm color back into my face, while l related to Donald all that had happened He told me that the man in whose house l had been found had been under suspic- ion for some months
 But the white handkerchief" I queried.
 Did not that guide you?"
 dld not see it until after I had re- ported your disappearance and obtained permission to search the house.
 Fortunately' he continued "the vessel or which you speak has not yet left the harbor. The general escaped early yester- oay morning, but his hiding place has not been discovered The skipper of the bark was suspected and party sent to search the boat; but these Boers are so willy there's no getting even with them"
 Later in the day I had the satisfaction or learning that on searching a second tune the Boer prisoner had been found in the hold of the vessel hidden beneath the ccal.
 Good Story
 John Drew gives the following as "One