Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-08-27
The Secret ~
Of the Well
dow . Boer Boy Proved to His
Grandfather That He
Was No Coward.
A STORY OF THE TRANSvAAI.
BY p. Y. Black.
A STORY OF THE TRANsvAAL
BY p. Y. Black.

r-'-'-'-'-" TITLE PAUL REUTEB
! !: !: !: !: !: ]: ! Z: ! !; !: !:
n was busy with his herd
Of wide horned oxen
far more busy than usu
al. The cattle wondered
- why on earth he did not
fi let them wander afar
as usual, among the
richer, juicier 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 were needed there, so the perplexed
oxen were 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. freckled
legs leaping across thorns and pebbles
and rocks with a recklessness born OF
a lifelong disregard for shoe wear. He
sprang into the main room, and there
In a great, old fashioned chair sat q
tall, white bearded old man, whose
pale face was distorted now with rage
and dislnay. 1t was evident he was
very Ill, and 1t was noticeable that he
moved his head very stiflly and his
hands still more stiftiy, while his legs.
which rested on another chair, he SEEM
ed quite unable to move at all.
"What is ity cried Paul, running to
him. what is 1t. grandfather"
'The ungrateful dog! The jackal!
Kunje-robberw the old Dom Hendrick
spluttered, quite unable to explain BY
reason Of his huge Indignation.
"What is It? What has Kunje donef
Where Is heT"
"Shoot him! He 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! I
taught you to shOet!"
"Shoot Kunje-the last servant to
stay with us"
HE has taken my watch-it belong
ed to my grandfather-and your un-
cle's rife and your fathers best coat!
Quick! He went out through the yard
minute ago. There is no place for
him to hide-it Is open veldt. Quick!
Shoot!
Young Paul grabbed rife from the
wall and ran out. Certainly, 400 yards
away, there was the recreant Kaftir
servant, big black Swazi man, walk
ing of with his masters churchgoin8
coat on his back and his masters rifle
over his shoulder-walking of very
serenely, because he knew that behind
him were only an old paralysed Boer
farmer and young Boer boy. So In
dignant was Paul at the sight that he
rested his rifie-already loaded-on the
stone wall of the yard and took aim
and (for, young though he was, he was
still, like all Beers, marksman and
able to shoot straight would next In.
slant have dropped the Kafir when his
heart failed him. He had shot at
beasts, but man, even a thievine
Kaffir man, was something very DIFF
ferent. Paul raised his voice and
shouted:
"Kunje! Wacht elm beetle! Come
back, or my father will lay his siam.
box on your back! Come, and I'll
speak for your
Knnje looked back, saw the rife and.
like springbok, took to his heels and
In u moment was beyond Paurs shoot
ing skill.
"Did you shootT' cried the old man.
"Did you kill?"
mo, grandfather" said Paul, putting
away the rifle. II was afraid to kill
man."
At that the old Boer, who In battle
had killed many men, black and white,
nearly choked with wrath and SO rail.
ed at Paul that the boy was dazed and
frightened.
"Cowardw cried Dom Hendrick
afraid! You are pretty boy to call
yourself Boer! You to defend your
country, you to be a soldier, Of which
you have clustered so much! When
was your age, already had fought the
Zulus and shot them down! Wait till
your father gets back from Pretoria
and he will thrash you-yes, with his
sjambok he will thrash you-when ]
tell him you are no Boer, but coward,
who lets his house be robbed"
Paul went back then to his stolid
oxen without Qor he had been brought
up to reverence age) word Of reply
But he was heartbroken. In his ears
the insects buzzed the word Coward"
and the lowing kline booed Coward!
and the birds flying above him sang
"Cowardp' so that by the banks Of the
stream he lay down and wept, for now
he, who had wished to be strong and
big and a good marksman, like his
grandfather and father, able to fight
back the warlike Kaffir tribes and the
invading English. was coward, cow.
ard, coward" who had let his own
home be robbed.
Now, at that time all South Africa
was In hurly burly. The Zulu wal
with the English was over. but English
soldiers were everywhere, especially on
the Natal frontier. where bands Of ir-
regular volunteer cavalry were con-
stantly patrolling. The Reuter- farm
lay In the Transvaal close to Natal.
and, as already more war was talked
of between the Beers and the English.
Reuter-, PauPs father, was In an awk
ward position-between two fires, as Il
might prove. His Kafflr servants. last
81 all Kunje. had left him from sheet
fear of being drawn into the fight, and
Reuter- had gone to Pretoria, the CAPT.
tai, to get the real facts and be advised
what to do. His wife was dead, and
Dom Hendrick and Paul were left
alone. The old. once grimly fghtins
Roer was now helpless, so on little Paul
devolved great responsibility. which
his father. always proud Of him. had
yielded him with q smile.
~ hn IN IN