The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1903-02-20
A STORY OF THE
BOER CAMPAIGN
IN NATAL[<[

By II. B. Mackenzie

~AS IA SuiiCuS W CARRY ucI away JIG
fore her pursuers could reach her? Sh'
might be drowned. Although she coult
swim. her clothes would be an almos
t~nsuperable obstacle. But death b!
such gentle means would be preferable
to the fate before her.
They were Just about to plunge into
the water when C%hipanga gave a sud
den cry. Bluebell's startled eyes, fol
lowing Moore, saw his horse suddenly
stumble in the water. Moore made 9
desperate effort to keep himself up;
but as the horse, endeavoring to re-
gain its footing. made another blum
dering step, his rider was thrown clean
over his head and disappeared.
He is drowning! Run, run! Help
him." cried Bluebell. She hardly
knew afterwards what wrung the cry
from her. whether it was real horror
at the accident that had happened to
her prosecutor or the sudden wild con-
viction that the chance had come to
her.
In a moment Chipanga mad plunged
into the river. He was holding the
reins of Bluebell's horse, and endeav-
oring to draw him after him; but the
animal resisted, lifting up his forelegs,
and Bluebell breathed an agonized
Thank God"
The next instant she had slipped
from the horses back and was rum
ming with incredible speed up the
bank.
The grass was so long that 1t stood
above her head, but once she got ont
Of 1t she was in a short. stubbly un-
.dergrowth OF grass. Without looking
back. hardly breathing, she few on.
1t was SO dark that she felt sure in
a few seconds she would be beyond the
sight Of her enemies.
On, on, on! stumbling over tufts Of
grass, plunging into bushes, tearing
out again, not knowing with
er she was going. hardly caring, only
to put a distance between
herself and the hateful fate that had
SO nea Bluebell was hardly
able to draw breath. 1t came In Sob
bling gasps from her dry and parched
lips.
Her ears were strained to catch the
sound of her p%ursuer's horses hoofs,
or at least a shout. No sound came,
and presently she ventured to slacken
her speed. What had happened?
Could the mar have been drowned?
But she had to think of herself.
She must find some hiding place for
the night at least. Though she was
warm, painting and perspiring with her
run. she knew that present.
|y it would be intensely cold. She had
loosened the heavy cloak which COW
cred her almost to the heels as she
ran, and carried 1t on her arm. She
dared not drop it, though 1t impeded
her flight, for that would give her pur-
suers q clue.
She was on the sandy plain at last.
where walking was at least less un-
even than OF the dry grass. Suddenly
she saw before her a little hillock; it
might have been an ant hill from it's
size and appearance. Bluebel1 was soon
at 1t. It was not an ant hill, but the
deserted hole Of an ant bear. as she
discovered. She crawled into 1t. It
was dry and warm.
"They will not find me here" she
thought. Even If they followed on
my tracks, they could not see the bear
hole in the dark"
She threw herself on the ground
she could hardly sit upright, SO small
was the hole-and for the first time
faced her position. She had no food.
and no means of procuring any. She
was lost on a painless veldt not know
ing where the nearest wagon track
was. Wholly ignorant Of her wherea-
bouts as she was, what was to become
OF her? II she could not find her way
to any human habitation she must in
evitably die of starvation.
The girl bent her face on her clasped
hands. and surely as earnest a prayer
as ever rose to the ears of the AL
mighty Father assembled from that
strange hiding place.
"Oh, merciful Father. Thou who art
able to save Thy children when they
cry to Thee, grant me Thy help now!
| commit myself to Thee. There is
none other to whom I can go. Help
me, help me, for Thy Sons sake!"
Strange to say, sleep came to her
presently: and in that deserted bear
hole, in the midst Of a lonely and des-
olate veldt, alone in the world, as 1t
seemed, Bluebell Leslie slept soundly.
She awakened suddenly. 1t was a ter
rible sound like that Of distant thun-
der that broke her slumber. Bluebell
sat up, shivering with an uncontrolla-
BILE terror. for she had heard that
sound once before. and knew what it
was.
It was the distant roar OF a lion.
She crouched down in her hiding
place, shaking from head to foot.
What II the terrible king OF beasts
should discover her "spoor" and trace
her to her shelter? The thought Of
the horrible death that would then be
made Bluebell's flesh creep
and her blood turn cold.