Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-07-20

protecting Arm that had shielded her
from the terrors of the night.
She eraglei out of her hiding place
and looked around her. A great nat
plain stretched on every side; one or
tao small kopies. covered with tawny
bushes, broke the mono,ony: but no
river or hill could she see anywhere.
There gas nothing to guide her as to
the direction in which she was to 60.
She Mas absolutely lost on the terri
BILE yeldt'
Blusbsll knew what that meant.
She remembered the terrible cases OF
which she had heard OF peopls-in one
case IL Was a ehiid-beins lost on the
plain. and never heard OF again. She
pictured TO herself the agony OF iiv-
ing death by starvation. and shud-
ier-d before the unknown horrors
OF 10.
HUT at least she had escaped from
shat Mas 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 OF al once. and trust 10
Proyidene. 10 guide her In the right
direction.
Biuebsil looked up al the sun. the
only indicstion Of the direction In
which she should set her face. She
knew tina, Moore had been going vest
ward: she ~orid turn southwark.
She took on her long cloak. for II
was nov growing very warm. hung
II over her shoulder by the straps. and
began that terrible journey. She could
make no toilet. and her fast she could
no, break. Already she was beginning
TO feel desperately hungry.
Biucbeii had begun to realize the
full horror and physical pains OF her
position.
The ho, MONDAY sun beat down on
her unprotected head. giving her
rackin. headache and almost binding
her. The dry red dust. covering her
face and. as Il seemed to her. every
inch OF her body. and causing her hor-
ribic discomfort. left her mouth and
throat parchcd and dry. and her thirst
Was wcii-ni.h intolcrablc.
oh. God. how long can endure II:
Have mercy and pity me! Guide mo
to water" She moaued aloud. AZ
,ha, moment all she wanted was wa
ter. The anguish Of thirst had swal-
lowed up all minor palms.
Al last she sank down on the dry
sand. stretching appealing hands to
the pitiicss sky that was as brass
above her.
IF there Is no help for me. then let
me die outright, o God. before this In
toierabic anguish maddcns me-"
But there came no answer from
those oppressive skies. and for the mo.
mcnt II seemed that God was as pitt
less As men.
Two days later n small body Of
English soldiers came briskly riding
across the red. sandy vcldt. They be-
iougcd to a Welsh regiment. and had
been pursuing a flying body Of Beers
from Estcourt. They had gone fur
thcr than they had intended. and were
hurryins 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 II up.
Look. Greene! a woman's slipper. and
a very small one at that
Lieutenant Greene examined II care
fully. then pointed to light. almost
indistinct mark on the sand.
That's what those Boer fellows
would call spoor. Preston. There's
a 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.
ITO be continued.)