Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-30

obeyed. The good woman of the house
pitied, but had sufficient instructive
tact not to press the feverlshly agi-
tated wife to remain. The landlord
hustled about and himself saw to the
guides and horses.
In the meantime the lone traveller
took one glass of beer and sandwich
at the bar and, grabbing his valise,
made haste to catch southbound train
for Kimberley after consulting for q.
moment the timetables which explained
how one should quickest reach Pretoria
in the Transvaal.
Wrapped in cloaks, the lawyers clerk
and the tired child slept f1tfully through
the night as four horses ratified them
over the wide and lonely veldt. But
the wife was sleepless, staring with
anxious eyes into the continual shad-
ows. Shapeless shadows to the driver
and guide, shadows Of no meaning,
they were animate for her-forms and
faces Of long ago leaping to fantastic
life, forms and faces even more fam
tastic, Of future doubtful and dread
ed. Once or twice her fatigue over
came her anxiety, and she slept lit
tie. The last time she woke up with
cry for help. In her dream she had
seen q tall ladder resting in unseen
depths Of blackness, yet whose top was
in sunlight. Her husband was falling.
falling to the ladders foot, to dreadful
darkness, but she and an old man were
looking down ut him from above.
"Oh, dear Cod" she sobbed, shudder-
ing. wherever he is, whatever he has
done, blame not him, but me! pushed
him down! Ny God, pushed him
down.
His friend wyvil and he had ridden
side by side, disarmed after the sur
render. triumphant Beers. from whose
lips at intervals rose ,hoarse psalms Of
praise, rode on either side and in front
and rear. Some Of the ruder Trans
vaalians, the young and hot blooded.
were reused to high pitch of excite
ment by their victory and tainted their
prisoners, threatening them with retri-
button as outlawed raiders. The UNI
lucky uitlanders rode gloomily on. rr-
answering, In manner stunned to
speechlessness by SO Overwhelming, so
unexpected, q catastrophe. That spirit
ed DASH that daring gallop to the Rand,
that revival OF medieval chivalry which
their hot, naught rocking brains had
dreamed would be greeted by an en-
no 10, fh3c hmm III.
ating defeat half way and an ignomin-
ious procession to prison, perhaps to
the gallows. Two or three proud hearts,
ignorant OF their captors' real mind and
abhorrent of such an end, welcoming
any fate but that, made hopeless darts
for the open veldt in useless effort to
escape. These were shot down poor,
unlucky exiles from home, who had
.vainly sought retrieval Of name and
fortune on the rim ofsthe death pit.
Young wyvil stuck fast to the side of
the man whom first he had met at the
canteen on the border, the man Of d.
vers names, who had introduced him
self as Lawrence, but had elected to
Join the raiders under another appella-
ton. The wallaber, even in that short
space, had made friends, and IL he were
reticent Of his past that was no uncom-
mon thing In ranks wherein few men
stood save as last resource. Wyvfl,
himself with a past, and Corporal
Dome. now cold upon the veldt. had
;Attached themselves to one to whom
their old school and varsity traditions
were fraternally familiar. And now.
without the light hearted outcast's sup
port, Lawrence could not have finished
the dismal Journey to Pretoria. Strips
from torn shirt bandaged his face
where a Boer bullet had plowed his
cheek and cut away q portion Of his
chin. He had lost blood, but when still
miles away from their destination he
swayed In his saddle more than the
wound seemed to warrant. Wyvil press
ed close to him and thrust his arm I'M
der the others.
"Old man." said he, sis 1t bleeding
fresh r
Lawrence steadied himself resolute-
ly and shook his head. but Wyyil, him
self unscratched, looked anxious.
Look here" he said, ..that little Hol-
lander medicine man doesn't seem half
bad, you know, but he was in q hurry
when lie patched you up. ! think we'd
better get this Boer fellow to let US
drop to the rear and have the doc make
another examination. Honest, you know,
you look pretty near dead"
.sRot, old boy. Lawrence almost
gasped. ''Thank you all the same. I'll
manage to Pretoria, but It hurts-it
hurts"
Farther on he spoke again, with pain.
"Wyvil," he said, 'if they don't shoot
you, you're going home?"
sAnd you, too, hope"
Lawrence laughed, with weak grim
ness.
II Gun never go home" he said. "But
wait minute It hurts-it hurts! Why
didn't those beggars finish me quick
like Dome? Look here. I've lost my
pocketbook somewhere. There was an
address in Tiny wife"
"Old chap"
81 want you to see her-her address
is lost but can remember it. I want
you to see her and tell her that died
honorably and-and-my God, how It
Nurtsw
'.lvait unit! we are-wherever they
are taking us. What makes you talk
OF dying from a cut in the cheek? Hell
10, Look out! Wacht!"
{. 81 IL 49, L