The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-18

cent, just above the horizon when Law
renee awoke. The stars still shone Day,
however, could not be far off. and the
hours before dawn were too chilly to per-
nit sleep. He pecked about for q few
sticks and found them Piling them to-
Sether with fingers that shook pitifully.
he tried to light little fire. but again
his hand shook SO that every one of the
matches in his box was struck in vain.
Cursing, he turned to the cone-shaped,
abandoned anthill which had sheltered
him to some extent from the might wind
and began TO roll his blanket. That was
as wet with dew as though river-soaked.
and heavy. He rolled it soldier-wise and
slung ut across his body. Then, very
stiffly. he stumbled back to the road
and cursed again as the old veldtschoen
he wore studded ON the ruts of passing
heavy ox-wagons, and his already bru,s@'
fevt were freshly tortured.
BLAST the country" he groaned. land
the man who forced me out to it.
The moon was instantly hid by massy
clouds as he spoke, and he was left in
sudden shadows. He laughed and look
ed up at the sky.
Shocking, isn't IT, he sneered NO
wonder You RIM away. OF course it is
very wrong TO curse ones father"
AS he halted, shivering, the unmistak-
able and most characteristic sound Of
lonely veldt roads reached him from the
front. He heard the creak of heavy
wheels as wagon jolted toward him,
and the clack of oxen's long horns
against the wooden yokes, the shrill,
protesting call of the voerloeper to the
leaders, ant. the rifle crack of the driv-
er's long. unerring lash. Lawrence lis
tened at first with some interest, then
with disgust, for the voices borne on the
wind were those of neither Boer nor
Englander. but of Kaffirs. In his pres
ent state of mind ne was too exhausted.
too wTetched, too desperately furious
with himself and his present state, the
punishment for the past, to desire com
pany. An utterly miserable man seeks
no worldly consolation. Like dying deer,
he hunts solitude. His stomach, how
ever, craved heating food, but, though
he might have asked for coffee from
Boer, he could not of a native.
He came to a puzzled standStill as
something entirely novel and uneXpect-
cd reached his ears. Rising above the
rumble of the wagon there now came
song. Lawrence bent forward frowning.
He felt as if intrusive strangers We're
rudely meddling with his affairs. offer
ing him advice He had felt much the
same once when he had wandered by
chance into the evening meeting of q
mission on the Rand, and a youth, lay
ing familiar hand upon his shoulder.
had asked if he We're saved. This song
of the dawn was q hymn and very well
known to him, or had been once. The
words We're not those he hal sung when
a rosy boy in white surplice, he had
stood in the choir Of the old school chap
u at home but the music--there is no
need to translate music into the Kaffir
tongues: that escaped the curse of Ba-
bel, and therein, at least, all men and
angels can Understandings converse.
From mission-trained lips there came
the hymn. sweetly breathing through
the grasses. Unconsciously Lawrence
accompanied them in English:
When other comforts fail, and helpers
flee,
Help of the helpless, then abide with me.
He stumbled off the trail and sought
to hide in the maze of shadows from
cloud and tree which strewei the plain
There was no tear in his eye. but his
throat was choked He shook with ur-
reasoning rage against the black nonen-
titles who had thus added 10 his despair
by flashing his dead innocence into mo-
mentary memory SO clearly and wildly.
He was too late and too sore TO get our
of sight They passed close 10y in the
now awakening morning. lie turned his
eyes to the veldt, but the song ceased.
and he knew they wera watching him.
The swinging oxen Numbered past, aud
the voerloeper'S cry and the lash-crack
sounded soon lehind him. but ne would
not look round. Then came pattering
bare feet and child with vile black
eyes slipped to his side and mnrlnuriEg
''baas," held up to The gaunt, bearded,
dusty, ragged, shivering Englishman a
tin cup full Of smoking black coffee. He
gulped it rayenously without speech,
and the little negro darted away with
the empty cup. For 4 minute Lawrence
stood staring unseeingly before him.
his lips twitching convulsiveiy. Ihcn
he dropped in the road, his face COW
cred by his hands and sobbet. What
matter of remorSa ana penitcnce there
might be in ;ha chemistry If his tears,
it would be hard IN tell but the shame
faced curse that sprang from his lips
as at last he rose up betrayed the Fart
his pride sustained at having fallen so
low as to excite the pity even Of naked,
half-Starved NaIir.
A mile mo u was YEARLY trIl!..2I. and
at last he came 10 the boundary line
which separates the Transvaal from
British Bechuanalalld. 4 low house
stood almost on the surveyed lines
canteen, and from its open door came
more melody. The sun was now up and
the air was already warmed. Comfort
able smells of cooking meats Griftcd
out to the roadway. and smoSn ascendcI
from the chimney in the buildings rear.
AS Lawrence stopped to reconnoltre,
shout gave witness to the existence of
company within, a joyous company.
Three, four-Nap. Hand over, you
topper
"Beastly luck. No more Nap-Hi
you. Alphonse, Jupiter. Gabre'! What
your heather name? Bring us the dice.
I'll throw you for a drink before break
fast's ready. Come, best of three
IL