New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-04

trek before the desert ended. And comforted
by the thought. Klaus walked on after the
wagon and returned to his blanket
The baby was certainly the most contented of
all lying IN an empty sugar box under the shade
OF the tilt, engaged in coing the soft end of the
eighteen-foot lash round and round it's chubby
arms. 1t grew fatter and merrier every day
The Vrouw rather liked it, black as it was. for
she had no children of her own.
All at once came warning shout frnrn the
voerloper. They were right on the edge of the
drift and the leaders began to pick their way
slowly down the steep bank over the loose rocks
and sand Klaus was busy putting the heavy
iron shOedrag under one of the hind wheels
while Baas JalSob, in a bad temper at having
his sleep disturbed, sat upon the front OF the
wagon. swearing at him and the other boys
for being lazy
NOW sudlng sideways over a smooth shelving
rock now plunging down over a ledge with
jar that wrenched every bolt and wheeIspoke
the heavy wagon crashed down the bank only
TO come to a dead stop at the bottom, imbed-
ded in sand up to the axles. The span were
knotted in a tangled mob of clash
Ing horns and twisted yoke rens, snufing
and paving up the sand with impatient
hoofs; instinct told them that water was there
out It was far, far below. for the last rains had
fallen many months back
Verdomte rooinecks!" ragged the angry Baas.
beside himself. Twist their tails; get that iron
spike here, Hendrik-that will make the devils
move"
But 1t was Of no use; the span only became
more hopelessly entangled. In vain Klaus dashed
IN among them. sjambok in hand kicking here
and slashing there. while Hendrix and the voer-
loper called upon the beasts by name and urged
them forward. Water they knew was there and
water they would have
THE whip! why don't you take the whip you
schems? Where is it?" roared the Infatuated
Boer, rising and glazing about the wagon.
As he went forward he stumbled over the
baby and its box, upsetting it and sending the
child rolling across the floor of the wagon,
where it lay in ball on a heap of skins crow
ing with delight People so seldom played
games with it.
The Boer thrust the empty box back against
the side with his foot and snatched up the bam-
boo whip handle. Posing it carefully above his
head in both hands, he gave little preliminary
flourish. but the end was caught in something
the brat again, curse it,
1t opened wide eyes Of pleasure at him, hold
ing up it's dmpled wrists, wound round with the
end of the lash.
With a savage oath he kicked it off the end
of the wagon into the midst of the struggling
cattle and brought the great whip down upon
them with all his force. Again and again it IN
coiIed and whizzed down with a crack like a
rife shot. cutting into the steaming TANKS of the
pIunging mob until they beloved again.
Scared and bleeding. deafened by the re-
port OF the whip and the hoarse yeus of the
men, the maddened beasts Strengthened out. and
with Klaus and the voerloper Juggling at the
leaders heads, strained painting up the further
bank of the drift the wagon creaking through
the rocky river bed behind them. and then
| trailed YEARLY forward into the dusk
| And when all was still the lizards came out of
| the crevices, only to scuttle back with a whisk
of their tails. There was water in the drift now
red water. dripping softly down between the
stones and sinking into the thirsty sand. Over