The Citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1903-1912, 1908-09-26

seldt and the Leydenburg gold fields |
winds through long kloof or gorge |
which. once upon time, was the |
scene OF very remarkable battle, ON |
account of the sulphurous smells from |
numerous hot springs and the weird |
electrical discharges, visible at night
between its ironstone cliffs and pin.
nacles, the kloof itself was originally
known as Satan's FireboX But later
when. In the war with the Macatocs,
the Beers were routed and one night
upwards of 100 women and children,
holly pursued by regiment of kaiirs,
fled screaming through the kloof, the
name was significantly changed TO
Petticoat pass.
But, although the pass was usually
interesting, its inhabitants were vastly
more so. between the southern gate.
way at Stockport and It's northern out.
let, near Lcydenburg, wonderfully
intelligent race Of balloons has lived
for centuries high IN among the iron
clad precipices In course of time the
white hunter came along with his
deadly rifle and occasionally picked
one OF them on the rocks, Just for the
fun OF the thing, and when the katirs
took a notion to poison them for the
sake of their teeth, then the balloons
In Petticoat pass were driven To de.
fend themselves. In "A word, they be
gan to throw stones. SO long as the
wagons and the horsemen kept NOV.
tp aIl al an "a han thnN lni
tered or stopped the whirring OF peb-
bles through the air, and occasionally
the appearance OF enormous bowldcrH
cut loose from the crags above and
shot down through the air like can.
non balls, never failed to remind the
loiterers that they were trespassors.
In their intercourse with the out
side worh the balloons made no dis
tinction between black and white until
one day an event took place that prac
tically closed the pass to the black
races forever.
At the Stockport end Of the pass
the Kaiirs began TO encroach. They
built huts and planted gardens on the
| fertile slopes near the portal. VIII
angry demonstrations the balloons pro
tested. but the Kafirs were indifferent
! to the clamor. But when the sugar
cane ripened the balloons In the nigh
time swooped down from the cragI
and helped themselves to what the!
considered their rightful share OF thu
harvest. whereupon the Kafrs. Wit
thoroughly understood the pecullarI
ties of baboon nature, played upol
them a villainous trick.
One day. In plain sight OF thei
enemies, who were watching then
from the heights above, the Katlr
brought number OF large calabashe
filed with poisonous liquid an,
placed them In a row In one of tn
gardens. Then they went through IN
form OF pretending To wash thel
faces with the stun. after which the
left the calabashcs In the gardens an
departed. Watching their opportunity
the balloons came down TO inyestgat
the business and, being unable to II
strain their hereditary impulse Ia In
itate the proceedings Of others, the
forthwith washed their faces In IN
poison and scampered away again |
short time the venom began To worl
the flesh fell from their faces, AN
finally a number Of them died in grci
agony
For many days afterwards traveller
through the kloof reported an go
traordinary state of affairs. TheI
was much excitement and iabberin
and much pltiful crying aud calling
each other from cliff to elm. ~
when the period Of mourning was ov'
the balloons settled down To busincl
the business Of war. The prcpar
tions they made for hostilitics with n
Kairs were astonishing liabOol
were summoned from far and nca
and the population in the klOof WI
soon doubled They divided thei
selves into companies under leader
They worked like beavers, aud bcfo
long huge cairns OF stones appeared
intervals along the route, and
places where the crafs rose almo
perpendicularly from the rOadw
great powders were rolled TO the ed
OF the precpices, and even ledg
: were undermined and made ready
. slide down and oyerwhelm the
. vaders
j From the day when these arranl
p ments were completed the baboo
, paid no attention whatever to VIII
men. and after two or three unf
tuna'c Kaiirs had been stoned to dca
and torn TO pieces the black race "a
T. PCttiCoat pass an extremely wi
. berth Consequently. the spidcrli
g watchers mp IN their Businesses had
, long lime to wait, but the whirliglg
time brings about it's opportunities
D revenge, even to balloons,
b Just outside the Steelp0Ort end
b the pass Max Pincus, German trad
q conducted a small store for the
r commodalion Of travellers. On
day the balloons were poisoned, N
y was riding through the kloof q
r came across a little boy babO
whose face was terribly burned by
action Of the acid The little fell
was crying piteously, and Max tC
him up in his Hrms and carried him
the store, where MaX's mother, v
IL.