The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-19

her forebodings had made her. he sent her
| to bed, and as She babe him good night
she chung to him as though she would new
| er let him go. She slept but little
After daybreak Elizabeth kept an eye
toward Wcltevreden, but no succoring hoots
stirred the dust. An hour after dawn they
saw dust cloud on the Rusthof side.
| For while it drew near very slowly; then
of sudden it quickened. and at n mile
away band of horsemen burst from it, and
| rode, hell for leather. for the house.
In three minutes the Schommels and their
/ kafiirs Galloped. whooping. into the garden
| and pulled up before the door.
Their vhooping ceased suddenly at the as
| pect of the house. They had looked to sur
prise it. for Frits had far too accurate a
| knowledge Of the temper of his family to
| tell them OF his warning indiscretion.
| But Nendcrijk, with its closed door and
| heavily suffered windows. showed flut-
tering air. They drew together muttcrins
| their wonder.
Antony and Elizabeth were looking down
! on the frowsy. unhcmpt pig-eyed crew
i from an upper window, and he was asking
| eagerly which was Hans.
The man on the right of the old man."
| said Elizabeth, and threw back the shutter.
| At the sight of her the s;chommcls cried
| out with one voice. and Hans. their hui
morist sent them into hoarse bellows of
| laughter by roaring. 'Ach. My beautiful
| bride,''
Elizabeth waited till the din died down;
! then she said. What do YOU WANT
We've come for that very damned
| Rooinak of yours" said old SChommel. :.
| blear-eyed old rogue. with the brutal face
| OF n buffalo bull.
well. you won't have him. said Eliza
| beth, quietly.
| a sudden sense of un,ooked-for difficult
| ties suffused the wits of the old man. He
swore savagely and yelled: Open the
| door, you jade. open at once. or it will be
| the worse for you!'
| open the door or you'll taste my SIAM
| box before were married as well as after!'
| roared Hans.
! Elizabeths clear laugh rang out like a
| Whplash
| One cried to burst in the door. another
| to shoot the jade. another to shoot the
| Rooinek; then all suggestions were
| drowned In a storm of cursing.
In the midst Of the uproar the ingenious
| Frits slipped off his horse and. screened by
his excited family. fired at Antony. The
| bullet ripped piece out of his tunic. on
| the instant he fired back. and smashed
Hans's right arm Just below the shoulder
as Elizabeth slammed to the shutter.
The Schommel Kaffirs. headed by old
Schommel. bolted for the trees. His slow
er offspring were staring at Hans writh-
! ing and shrieking on the ground. when
| four horsemen came quietly but swiftly
around the corner Of the house. and q
! stern voice roared. Drop those rifles!'
| The slow Schon mels swung round to
| find Gerrit de Ruitieri and his three
| nephews from Weltevreden looking at them
down their rife barrels: they had acted on
| inaccurate information.
Their mouths opened slowly; then. with
| one grunt they let their rifles fall.
| There came a curse from old Schommel
| among the trees. and in a breath he was
| Gathering over the veldt. his Kaflrs after
| him.
Elizabeth and Antony ran down and UNI
barred the door, the Kaffirs ran out and
| pulled the young Schommes off their
| horses, and she had her arms round her
| fathers neck. and was kissing him.
| While the kaffirs bound the Schommeis
| they went into the house. all talking to-
| gether.
| Gerrit listened to Elizabeth's story with a
| very angry face; his nephews. with the I'M
| petuous generosity Of youth. we're for hang
| ing the Schommels then and there, but
| presently they agreed that they had better
! breakfast first and occupy their cooler hour
| of digestion dealing with them.
| Humanized by the abundant breakfast,
| they were more inclined to leniency with
! the Schommels. They were tied up one by
| one, and a stout Kaffr gave them fifty
+! lashes apiece with s1ambok.