Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-09-25

with which he had saved her from
more shame, but he roughly drew It
| away, as IL himself ashamed at dis
playing so much mercy. They went
| into the house, and there surprise
awaited them. Old Van Belts only
son lay on bed grievously wounded.
The farmer spoke of him with solemn
quietude.
"They Just brought him home before
you came" said the old man, who had
bled many time himself for father
his boy Mt the altar. ''rhe fighting hns
| begun. There have been one or two
skirmishes. Stephen here is badly hurt,
and one or two patriots are dead, but
for every one of ours God has smitten
three Of the invaders"
Martha did not hear the last SEN
fences. She had stepped swiftly to the
bedside, leaning over the patient
Where, Stephen-where-how-how
did you come by this?
She touched an embroidered kerchief
tied round the young soldiers arm
stained with his blood. The man OPEN
ed his eyes and smiled recognition.
Martha de Kalb." he said. you wo-
men are doing good work among the
wounded. That7 Oh. that crawled
over to when was shot down and
took from dead Englislman's neck.
You see. was bleeding bad md had
to take the first thing saw" !.
She knew It She had embroidered
1t herself. She had given 1t to Lieu
tenant venable. She drew back with
out fainting, but now with a dumbness
ut her heart that was more deathly
than her previous despair.
She was away at last. Peter. her
brother. helped her In that. He was
anxious to be done with this work-a
kind of executioner's work. Besides,
like every young Boer. he was eager to
get back to his father and the leaders
In the decisive fight which, they all
knew, must be close ut hand and show
the older heroes of the people that their
younger brothers in arms were made
Of the same stern stuff as the fathers.
The farmer had done as he promised
and given her an excellent horse, wish
ing her godspeed on what he presumed
was secret mission. Neither did any
body express fear of possible danger
for her. They knew she was veldt
bred, acquainted with the country and
a good horsewoman. Peter handed her
a revolver at the last moment. She
looked In his eyes as she took it, but
he turned away, yet she knew the
thought which was In the iron minded
Boer boys soul, and per Us. she med
itated, TINT would be best Father,
mother, brother. country and lover all
lost In one day-a traitress. spy.
Surely 1t would be best SO to do with
herself out there In the night on the
lonely yeldt.
There was but q quarter moon; Its
light and that of the stars served only
to make the solitude OF the veldt more
shadowy and fearful to n stranger.
Martha was no stranger to night In the
bush. Very often In slow OK wagons,
or in the swifter cart behind her faith
er's horses, or. as now, In the saddle
she had Travelled guideless, save for the
star marks. along long. rough tricks.
Tonight there were about her soul
darker shadows of more unhappy por-
tent than ever were cast upon the plain
to alright the wanderer
II she meant to use the money Peter
had thrust at her. she knew the safe
road to the frontier. and thence to the
colony and her school day friends. But
she did not now argue that matter.
The thought of going to Cape Town did
not enter her mind. The sight of the
kerchier had In an instant Kineu "a.
notion of seeking the English. What
were English people to her now? Her
lover dead, all England was dream.
And that dream gone, the Kissing re-
ality was before her eyes again. She
was the spy, the traitor, the outcast.
The thought Of turning the pistol on
herself came again more than once,
but she was girl never given to NOR
bidness ut any time, and now, in spite
of the stunning blows which that day
had COMPOUNDED her, the reaction, more
physical than mental, began, and in
stinctively she commenced, though al
most unconsciously. to question what
might be done. venable was dead, and
she needed comfort. To whom could
she 60 for that save to her mother, and
by what means could she reach again
old Tante's breast? How could she
turn aside her fathers wrath?
She had left the reins to the horse,
and the beast was following path
which did not lead to the frontier.
Suddenly n distant cracking of mus.
kerry made the animal prick his ears
and start. The noise which thus broke
the gloomy silence of the veldt awoke
Martha to clearer sense Of where she
was. She sat more straightly in the
saddle and listened. They came again,
not In volleys, but in the scattered re.
ports Of skirmish firing, the sounds of
many guns. There was her father,
there by now might be Peter, holding
back the invader. There, If she had
had the luck, she thought, to have been
born boy, should she be. She halted
and her eyes shone In the darkness
Why should she not be? Why not prove
to her people that she WINS, IL trai.
tress, not one with intended malice
She could shoot almost as well us Pc.
ter; she was more active than men OF
older age. For full five minutes she
remained at halt, and then, swinging
her horse off the trail, she galloped to
the right straight across country, fol
lowing no path or trek. save the sure
guide Of her native knowledge of the
land.
BY dawn the veldt was alive with
strange noises and unwonted visitors
Trumpets were calling across its grass.
es. The chatter Of steel scabbards
against spurs and stirrup irons rang
out In the quiet air. Drums were beat.
ing. The loud and sharp commands
came swiftly from the mouths of alert
sergeants. The English camp was
struck, and the first rays of the sun
glanced from the buttons and bayonets
Of the invading army as 1t formed col.
umn and marched into the heart of the
coveted land. Swinging along with the
practiced, never faltering step Of long