Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-09-20

The moon sbone brightly nm n s,een-
ing lager. Three men bowever Law
awake and cursed the moon They also
watched the poer on enard and snecu.
lated in whispers az to whether he was
asleep or only meditat,ne
ct believe he's wide enough" said
Private Jack Jennings whose tempera.
ment was pessimistic. land that he's
only watching his chance TO mt a hui.
let into one OF IFS"
"He looks a nudden-beaded sort Of
chan" said private Joe Rates. doubt
fully
The other man Law staring AZ the sky
and did not saw ANYTHING for a time
Then he. Corporal Tom Perkins. decid.
ed the matter. as was his wont,
"If YOU chaps like trudging over this
ere blessed continent OF Africa" he
observed. with your feet a-bleeding,
and your belly empty. and n Boer rid
ing behind to prod Won in the back IL
Won don't trot fast enough. well. now's
the time TO enioy Yourselves: but IL
amt my Law. lis the hignominy |
can't stand. The British lion in me
won't nut I'm with Il no how. Nov,
what | saw is this. In five minutes that
cloud will be over the moon. and then
I'm going TO make n holt for IL, I'll
reach those rocks yonder, or die in the
attempt"
Where you goes, follows" says
] latpg lnNa11N
"Ill take my chance with the rest,
growled Jennings. resignedly.
Mum, then said Tom. Wait till
you see me move. and then quit like
creased lightning.
The men lay quite stir feigning
sleep till the psychological moment
should arrive. The Boer sentry was
sitting on big stone, and made nc
sign.
These three men always hung to-
gether. If ever they got drunk II wa
In company thouSh the SoIohei' WIZ
hne sense OF Justice Always gave
Tom PERKINS the non snare oi pun
ishment on the ground that ne Wa'
the leader. ana the others wouid no
have got into mlschiei without MIN
which was certainly true, and was ac
copied by Tom as sort OF ihcohVehi
, ent honor. Thus. In the course o
! nature, they mad been taken prison
ers together, ana together were pan
ming to escape.
At last the moment came. The clouds
sailed across the moon. and for mo
!, ment there was darkness. In tina
darkness three men rose and ran
STOPPING low. The sense that the sharl
crack of a rife might at any instan
, ring through the midnight stilllne'
and be their death knell lent then
wings. and they covered the grount
: with marvellous lightness and speed.
Free" gasped Tom. as they pause,
in the shelter of a huge boulder. Al
J their WEAKNESS was forgotten, thei
hearts were full of boundless elation.
They held n council OF war az TO tn
r d,rection n, the nearest British nos,
4 hut tbev were only haunted infantr
4 Tommies and not Scotch deelstalker
}. or Canadian COWBOYS. so that thei
' knowledee Of direction was most eIe
mentarv. and thew had nj last TO deeid
10 return on their tracks and trust q
mck. that beloved mistress of the es
caped prisoner.
The dawn came and beIped them
The sun grew high in the heavens an,
scorcbed their fainting frames. Still
thew toiled on until at last even Brit
isb nluck and endurance gave way
and lust as they came TO a rocky kopj
Toe Rates flung himself down in tn
shadow with a groap.
= .Tt's no good. boys." he gasped
, "tbere's no more 90 in me. It's NOR
than twentv-four hours since I taste
A morsel and my trotters are swolle,
10 twice their natural size"
The rest threw themselves besid
him and Law easping. looking out owe
the hare interminable yeldt with lack
Iustre ewes. They were a pitiful spec
tacIe-tbeir khaki uniforms in rags
their boots worn off their feet. thei
hron,e faces wan and bapeard wifi
hunger and want of sleep.
The situation was so desperate tina
n was nearly Ave minutes before eve,
Tom Perkins found ANYTHING TO saw.
"Pity there amt some game about,
he said at last, rather vaguely.
"Game," groaned Jack Jennings
: with much bitterness. what good u