The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-07-25
An-s-~HA-e-s-99-o-s.o&-s-s-%@-s-se%.s-s-9
! THE BORDER LINE
I BY MORTIMER 0. WILCOX.
Copyright, 1901, by Mortimer o. Wilcox.
..~e-s-..7 URING the South African

lips nuu seen inc Iolu
Reef City" shiverlng In the panic OF an
expected war. His thoughts as lie
stared out Of the car window may have
gone back bitterly to Johannesburg. to
the ridge which has made so many sor
rows, and his own failure there. Clutch
ed in the hand, however, he held tclc
gram from his partner, Burton, and
this he read: "Come up to KlcrksDurg
next train. Big thing possible here"
Around him men were arguing heated,
ly in various dialects rs to where Jou.
bert would strike first, what would
happen to the uitlanders and when II
would begin to happen. The train ran
Oh hour after hour. 1t came to stop
ut last and discharged its passengers
into the excited, questioning crowds
which filled the streets of Klcrk6burg.
1t was almost midnight, but there was
no quiet In the towns Of the border.
a largc young Englishman stepped
out Of the shadows and touched Phil.
lips on the elbow. "IIcre you are" he
drawlcd. 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,
"and know ut 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.
Election. "It was Athcrton who told
me to get you here. Appears that there
Is something being planned. Come
along"
They turned into Quictcr streets,
walked for some distance and came to
house. The front OF this vas dark
ened but there were lights at the rear
and rs 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 soc you alone in
tnere, he explained, "and Pm to wait"
Phillips went forward. A servant
ushcrcd him through the house and
bowed him into a lighted room. Three
men were seated around table there
upon which lay spread man Of South
Africa. In smaller room behind Phil.
lips could hear telegraph Instruments
clicking fcverlshly, and now and then
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. "Slt down, won't
youT' said one Of them, q big man.
Ihe 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.
HEM" observed the latter "\VeJl
MIR. Phillips, I suppose you would not
ne unwilling to accept Of a good oppor.
tunity."
Phillips smiled grimly. II rather need
to-" he replied.
"Ah, yes. Well, no offense. Won
know, but we have been led to believe
that you are a--heln-rather a wild
young thing''
me Americans square jaw tightened,
ana ne arose. "You might have tele-
graphed that information" he observ-
ed
mo. Sit down, please" said the big
man, and hear us through" There
was a kind Of fascination In his man.
ner difficult to explain.
lou Know continued Atherton. his
eyes upon the table and speaking as II
NY rote' whether this country Is in q
nealthy condition now. You are from
johannesburg and also know how the
ultlanders are being treated. Here in
hlerksburg we believe that war ia in
eVitable and that the sooner II comes
the better for us oil. There are, how.
ever people who cannot understand
this situation. and they advise delay"
lie nodded. perhaps nnconsciously. to-
ward the room where the telegraph in
struments were clicking.
Not SO very many miles from here,
at point which your friend Burton
KNOWS there is a camp of the border
police. 1t lies about two miles from
tne frontier line Of the Transvaal, and
ten miles on the other side the Boers
nave also camp. Very good. Now |
neeu not point out to you that Africa
ID IKE Din of gunpowder and that II
needs only a spark to set it afire. Here
IS where that spark can be strucl, -
he put his finger upon the map. "Juut
as this point, over the line. in tho form,
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 quarrel. 1t would not need
extreme measures - mere quarrel,
with perhaps little misusage, and the
boers there In camp would do the rest,
for they would attack the border police
as certainly as we SIP here. After that
some history would probably be made"
Young Phillips whistled thoughtfully.
Its rather too rich for u.s." he said,
and not the incest job, especially see-
ing that I'm an American. No; guess
not"
me Dig man raised himself up from
his chair: The lamplight fell upon him
fedly as he stood, tall as a giant. above
tne table where lay tho map of South
Africa. "An American" he said "rbat