Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-08-21

i...............s let them wander afar,
as usual, among the
richer, juicicr grasses. Paul could not.
He was doing double duty. The cattle
had to feed or lose value, but also the
house had to be watched closely lest
he We're needed there, so the perpleXed
oxen We're remorselessly kept to the
shorter grass near the farm buildings.
AS Paul now called to an obstreper-
Gus COW and again looked back at the
quiet, deserted farm there suddenly
came to his startled ears an alarmed,
excited cry from inside the farmhouse:
''Kunje verdamter! Come back!
Thief! Robber! Paul"
Paul left the oxen to their own slow
devices and dashed to the house, whence
came the angry yells his bare, freclled
legs leaping across thorns and pebbles
and rocks with a recklessness born of
lifelong disregard for shoe wear He
sprang into the main room, and there
in great, old fashioned chair sat
tall, white bearded old man, whose
pale face was distorted now with rage
and dismay. 1t was evident he was
very i'll, and it was noticeable that he
moved his head very stifIiy and his
hands still more stiflly, while his legs,
which rested on another chair, he SEEM
ed quite unable to move at all.
what is it?" cried Paul, running to
him. "What is it, grandfather?"
"The ungrateful dog! The jackal!
Kunje-robber!' the old Dom Hendrick
spluttered,. quite unable to explain by
reason of his huge Indignation.
"What is it? What has Kunje done?
Where is hep
"Shoot him! lie came in just now
and grinned and said he was going
back to his kraal-did not want to fight
the English! Shoot him quick! 1
taught you to shoot!'
"Shoot Kunie-the last servant to
stay with us!"
"He has taken my watch-it belong
ed to my grandfather-and your I'M
cles rifle and your fathers best coat!
Quick! He went out through the yard
a minute ago. There is no place for
him to hide-it is open veldt. Quick!
Shootv'
Young Paul grabbed rifle from the
wall and ran out. Certainly, 400 yards
away, there was the recreant Kaffir
Servant, n big black Swat man, walk
ing off with his masters churchgoing
coat on his back and his masters rifle
over his houlder-walking off very
serenely, because he knew that behind
him were only an old paralyzed Boel
farmer and young Boer boy. So in
dignant was Paul at the sight that he
rested his rifle-already loaded-on the
l'stone wall of the yard and took ain
and for young though he was, he wa:
still, like all Beers, q marksman ant
able to shoot straighD would next in
slant have dropped the Kaffir when hi
heart failed him. He had shot a
beasts, but man, even thieyins
Kaffir man, was something very diff
ferent. Paul raised his voice ant
shouted:
"Kunje! Wacht Elm beetle! Com,
back, or my father will lay his siam
box on your back Come, and II
J speak for your
II Kunje looked back, saw the rifle and
like springbok, took to his heels an,
Z in a moment was beyond Paul's shoot
ing skill.
z "Did you shoot?" cried the old man
"Did you kill?"
s mo, grandfather" said Paul, putin
z away the rifle. 81 was afraid to kill
4 man."
At that the old Boer who in battl
) had killed many men, black and white
4 nearly choked with wrath and SO raj
ed at Paul that the boy was dazed an
! frightened.
3 Coward" cried Dom Hendricl
afraid! You are pretty boy 10 ca
yourself Boer! You to defend you
country, you to be soldier, of whic
you have clustered so much! When
was your age, already had fought til
Zulus and shot them down! Wait til
your father gets back from Pretori;
and he will thrash you-yes, with hi
sjambok he will thrash you-when
tell him you are no Boer, but coward
WIN lets his house be robbedH'
Paul went back then to his stoli
oxen without Qor he had been brough
UP to reverence age) n word of reply
But he was heartbroken. In his ear
the insects buZzed the word Coward!
and the lowing kline booed Coward!
and the birds flying above him san
Coward" so that by the banks of tn
stream he lay down and wept, for no,
he, who had wished to be strong an
big and a good marksman, like hi
grandfather and father, able to figh
back the warliEe Kaffir tribes and til
! invading English, was Coward, COW
ard coward" who had let his ow
. home be robbed
Now, at that time all South Afric
q was in a hurly burly. The Zulu wa
2 with the English was over, but Englis
soldiers were everywhere, especially o
the Natal frontier, where bands of ii
regular volunteer cavalry were cor
stantly patrolling. The Reuter- farr
lay in the Transvaal close to Nata
8 and, as already more war was talke
: of between the Beers and the English
] Reuter-, Paul's father, was In an awl
: ward position-between two fires, as
might prove. His Kaffir servants, las
= Of all Kun1e. had left him from shee
fear Of being drawn into the fight an
Reuter- had gone to Pretoria, the cap
5 tai, to get the real facts and be advise
2 what to do. His wife was dead, an
Dom Eendrick and Paul We're lei
!. alone. The old, once grimly fightin
Boer was now helpless, so on little Par
: devolved great responsibility, whic
} his father, always proud of him, ha
yielded him with Il smile.
You are head of the family now
1 Paul" said he, riding away, "and, re
: member you are in charge-even Of til
Z we'll"
( And his father would come back fror
: Pretoria to find his son was not. fit t
2 trust. For long time Paul wept b.
the stream.
He was reused from his misery by
: great trampling Of feet of horses in til
distance and lOarse loud voices an