Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-10-31

At R't@t 10y " > VI St.ra sN+% CIV
stohd,y. bat Joey dns2ei 70 ,he wagon
for a tn cup. which he fills at the
stream, and raising the head of the
sorely wounded man. manages to tilt
some of the blessed liquid down his
throat
Catching sight of the neck of flask
protruG:ng from the sufferers pocket,
Joey sends some brandy chasing
after the water, and the vivifying eff
feet of the cordial is almost magical
Dysart opened his eyes, drew a few
shuddering breaths, and then man
aged to sit up. supporting himself with
one hand while he pressed the other to
his wounded side.
At sight of the blood-stained jacket
and the dark pool which discolored the
ground there were more excited Kaffir
clicks, while the poor. faithful, half
famished blacks watched their master
anxiously.
Slowly and painfully the details of
the tragedy came back to his throb-
bling and fever-parched brain. His
gaze sought the ground on either hand.
then he groaned:
Robbed, The damned hound!"
Reaching out bis hand for the pre-
cious flask, he took another gulp Of its
contents, and then made as IL he would
rise. but fell back, helpless as child.
His limbs were cramped and stir with
the nights exposure to freezing tenn
perature, and he was besides, awfully
weak from loss of blood.
But Dysart knew what must be done
IL he would save his life, and so he
whispered
strip me, Joey"
Tenderly as women the boys did his
bidding. Slowly and amid many
smotnered ordinations of pain they
got his belt and jacket off; then his
heavy flannel shirt, and a silk under
shirt-the last refusing to bulge un-
til all around the wound had been well
wetted. Then was disclosed an angry
red puncture just below and a little
to the left of the right armpit There
was a larger and more jagged wound
at the back, where the heavy-calibre
bullet had ploughed its exit, lodging
between the flesh and the clothing,
whence 1t dropped to the ground az
VI.
joey picked it up with a click and
grin Of establishment and handed it to
Richard, who coolly slid it into his
trousers-pocket. Under his directions
the wound was washed clean, and then
carefully bandaged with the silk shirt
torn into strips.
BY this time the warming sun had
done its genial work, and Dysart's legs
were thawed out. So, by dint of both
boys bracing themselves and Juggling
on his sound arm he managed to stag
ger to his feet and totter to the wag-
on, where, after much boosting and
groaning on their part and his, he
was made fairly comfortable on the
heavy mattress which covered the bed
of the conveyance. Then the wounded
man collapsed.
The days ran into weeks, and the
weeks mounted into months before
the lonely adventurer began to mend.
Fever wasted him to a skeleton: ma
laria sapped his vitality. Help there
was none within a hundred miles: he
could not stand the jolting of the wag-
on, and in his lucid moments he stern
ly vetoed Joey's offers to go for
help. He knew what that would mean
"a rush of strangers to his claim.
So there, on the banks of the Moot
river, he Fought his second fight with
death, tended an6 nursed only by his
faithful KafIirs-and won out at last!
All through those weary weeks, in
the intervals of delirium and the
tedium of convalescence, he planned
and plotted vengeance on the miscre-
ant who had robbed him. He would
chase him round the world and back
again if need be! Daily and hourly he
looked for a rush of diamond seekers
to the new field. That they did not
come proved that the unknown robber
must have kept his own counsel, and
was doubtless far enough away enjoy
Ing the fruits of his unholy spoil.
But there were enough shining
stones left on the beach TO make an
other fortune-several fortunes, in
fact-and Dysart was still rich man.
The first thing was to get to the
coast, and easily divining that the
criminal would make for the nearest
seaport rather than for Kimberley or
Fretorla, hlchard determined to strike
for Ladysmitn, at that time the near
est town whence ran the railroad for
Durham.
1t was on a bright morning late in
the South African spring when the
word was given to inspan and trek
once more, to the huge delight of Joey
and his brother. The oxen had waxed
fat over their long idleness, and good
speed might be looked for.
The little party reached Ladysmith
without mishap further than the loss
OF two Of the cattle from drinking ''red
water" There Dysart disposed of
some of his smallest stones, so as not
to excite too much inquiry, suitably
rewarded joey and the other boy with
a handful of yellow sovereigns apiece,
made them present of a new wagon
and dozen oxen, entered and proved