Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-07-09


no quiet in the towns Of the border.
A large young Englishman stepped
out of the shadows and touched Phil.
lips on the elbow. Here you are" he
drawled. ITS late. but you mustn't
sleep yet, Jack. You're expected"
"What is it anyway asked Phillips.
81 don't know" replied the other,
land know at the same time that it is
something worth our while" He was
slower in his mental processes than the
American, and he now fell into deep re,
fiection. ut was Atherton who told
me to get you here. Appears that there
Is something being planned. Come
along"
They turned into quieter streets,
walked for some distance and came to
a house. The front of this was dark
ened, but there were lights at the rear
and as they approached more than one
man came out and hurried away. Bur-
ton held low conversation with some
one at the door and then returned to
find bis friend.
"They want to see you alone In
there" he explained, "and Pm to wait"
Phillips went forward. A servant
ushered him through the house and
bowed him into a lighted room. Three
men were seated around a table there
upon which lay spread a man Of South
Africa. In smaller room behind Phil
lips could hear telegraph instruments
clicking feverishly, and now and then
a message would be brought out and
placed upon the table.
London seems to be getting excited, !"
one Of the three remarked.
They did not embarrass Phillips by
too close scrutiny, but they were TAX
ing note of him. "Sit down, won't
you" said one of them, q big man.
The speaker leaned back almost shyly
in his chair and turned his drowsy gray
eyes upon another who looked like an
ex-army officer. "You state the case,
Atherton," he said.
"Hemw observed the latter. "Well,
Mr.. Phillips, I suppose you would not
be unwilling to accept Of good oppor-
tunity."
Phillips smiled grimly. "I rather need
to-" he replied.
"Ah, yes. Well, no offense, you
know, but we have been led to believe
that you are a-hem-rather q wild
young thing"
The Americans square jaw tightened,
and he arose. "You might have tele-
graphed that information" he observ-
ed.
"No. Sit down, please" said the big
man, "and hear us through" There
was a kind Of fascination in his man
ner difficult to explain.
"You know" continued Atherton, his
eyes upon the table and speaking as If
by rote, whether this country Is in a
healthy condition now. You are from
johannesburg and also know how the
uitlanders are being treated. Here in
Klerksburg we believe that war is in
evitable and that the sooner it comes
the better for US all. There are, how
ever, people who cannot understand
this situation, and they advise delay"
He nodded, perhaps uncOnsciously, to-
ward the room where the telegraph in
struments We're clicking.
"Not so very many miles from here,
at a point which your friend Burton
knows. there is camp of the border
police. 1t lies about two miles from
the frontier line of the Transvaal, and
ten miles on the other side the Beers
have also camp. Very good. Now l
need not point out to you that Africa
is like a bin Of gunpowder and that 1t
needs only spark to set 1t atire. Here
is where that spark can be struck" !"
He put his finger upon the map. Just
as this point. over the line, Is the farm
of Boer named Zwager. He Is an old
Dutch rhinoceros, ready enough for
trouble. 1t would be very easy for any
one who went there-any one who was
rather wild and irresponsible-to pre-
cipitate a quarrel. 1t would not need
extreme measures "a mere quarrel,
with perhaps a little misusage. and the
Beers there In camp would do the rest
for they would attack the border police
as certainly as we sit here. After that
some history would probably be made"
Young Phillips whistled thoughtfully.
fhar fDo rfnG " hn cold
"and not the incest job. especially see
ing that I'm an American. No; l guess
not"
The big man raised himself up from
his chair. The lamplight fell upon him
redly as he stood. tall as giant, above
the table where lay the map Of South
Africa. "An American" he said. That
is all the better. Americans are men
of our own blood. and this movement
Is for every man who knows what
progress means. 1t Is war which must
come, and in this world we must look
agly facts In the face. People who are
afraid to do this say to me: But 1t will
be too dangerous they say to me: 1T is
wrong But say to them: We must
look facts in the face. The Beers are
now arming with Mauser rifles say
to Them. My dear good people, ad.
mire your scruples, but remember the
ugly fact of those Mauser rifles. Re-
member that, and then II you agree
that war must come at last tell me
whether delay will not mean 10 times
as many lives and 100 times the treas
ure.' A united Africa; that Is my idea
an Africa free for the AnglO-Saxon
from Cape Town to the Zambezi."
The dreamy gray eyes had lighted
up; the words came faster and faster
In the glow of the great idea, and as
he spoke there breathed out OF this
man something mysterious and won
derful, as out of unfathomed depths, q
spirit which could stiffen the hearts OF
other men and drive them forward
reckless Of barriers. Young Phillips
gazed at him, and the cold suspicion
melted out Of his face.
II guess, maybe" said he slowly