The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-01
(Continued.l

come to arrange about the cattle that | he must pay for her. Doubtless if
 she is so fair, it will be whole herd.'' This was too much, even for MT. l Dove,
 How dare you talk so you heathen
 hussies?" he gasped. Where is the | white man?"
 "Teacher,, she replied with indigna- | tion, and drawing herself up, why do
 you call us bad names? We are re- l spectacle whomen, the wives of one
 husband. as respectable as your own, l although not so numerous. or, so we | hear from Ibubesi. If you desire to
 see him, he is in the big hut, wonder, with our youngest sister, she whom
 he married last month. We wish you good-day. as we go to hoe our lords | fields. and we hope that when she 1 comes, the Inkosazana, your daugh- | ter, will not be as rude as you are, for
 wish to do?' Then wrapping her blan- ket round her with a dignified air, the l offended lady stalked off, followed by her various sisters"
 AS for MT. Dove, who for once in his l life was in towering rage, he cut his | horse viciously, with the sjambox or hippopotamus-hidew whip which he car | ried, and followed by his guides, gal lOped forward to big hut in the cen ter of the kraal.
 Apparently Ishmael heard the sound | of his horses hoofs for as the mission ary was dismounting, he crawled out | VI thC 'DCG-1OlS OI tuc upOn HIS | hands and knees. as a Kaff1r does fol- loed by a young woman in the light est of attire, who was yawning as though she had just been aroused from sleep. What is more, except for the color of his skin, he was Kaffir and nothing else, for his costume consisted of skin moocha such as the natives wear and fur kaross thrown over his shoulders. Strengthening himself, Ish- mael saw for the first time who was his visitor. His jaw dropped, and he uttered an ejaculation that need not
 be recorded. then stood silent. MT. would not allow him to speak. How do you do, sir?" Ishmael jerked out at last You are an early visitor, and find me somewhat unpre- pared. If had known that you were coming would-' then suddenly he remembered his attire, or the lack of 1t, also his companion who was learn ing on his shoulder, and peeping at kaross tightly about him, he gave the poor girl a backward kick, and with a Kaffir oath bade her begone, then
 went on hurriedly: T. am afraid my customed to, but among these poor heathens I find it necessary to con- form more or less to their ways in order to gain their confidence and um-affection. Will you come into the hut? My servant there will get you
 some tywala (Kaffir beer)-I mean some amasi (curdled milk) at once, fast"
 MT. Dove could bear it no longer. "IsEmael, or Smith, or Ibubesi-| whichever name you may prefer,4 he broke out, ''do not lie to me about truth, which refused to believe when my daughter and Nonha told it me. You are a black-hearted william. But
 yesterday you dared to come and ask Rachel to marry you, and now I find that you are Hving-oh! I can not say 1t, it makes me ashamed of my race. Listen to me, sir. If ever you dare to set foot in Ramah again. or to speak to my wife and daughter, the Kaffirs shall whip you off the place. Indeed" he added, shaking his I am an older man than you are. were it not for my office I would give you the thrashing you deserve
 At first Ishmael had shrunk beneath threat of violence reused his fierce nature. His face grew evil, and his long black hair and beard bristled with wrath.
 prayer snuffling old humbug," he said savagely, flor if you stop much longer I will make you sing another tune. We have sea-cow whips here, too, and you shall learn what a hiding means, such a. hiding that your own family won't know you, if you live to get back to them. Look here, I offered to marry your daughter on the square. and I meant what I said. I'd have got rid of all this black baggage, and she should have been the only one. Well, I'll marry her yet, only now she'll just take her place with the others. We are all one flesh and blood, black and white, ain't we? I have often heard you preach it. So what will she have to complain of?" he sneered. 'She can go and hoe mealies
 As this brutal talk fell upon his ears Mir. Doves reason departed from him entirely. After all he was an English gentleman first. and a clergyman aft erwards: also he loved his daughter, and to hear her spoken of like this was intolerable to him, as it would have been to any father. Lifting the sian bok he cut Ishmael across the mouth so sharply that the blood came from his .lips, then suddenly remember ing that this deed would probably mean his death. stood still awaiting the issue. As it chanced it did not, for the man, like most brutes and bull lies was a coward, as Rachel had all ready found out. Obeyhg his first impulse he sprang at the clergyman with an oath, then seeing that his two guides, who carried assegais. had ranged themselves beside him, checked himself, for he feared lest those spears should pierce his heart.
 You are in my house, he said, wiping the blood from his beard, "and an old man, so I can't kill you as would anyone else. But you have made me your enemy now, you fool, and others can. I have protected you so far for your daughters sake, but I don't do it any longer. You think of that when you time comes."
 My time, like yours, will come, when God wills" answered MT. Dove, unflinchingly; mot when you or any one else wills. I do not fear you in the least. Still, I am sorry that I struck you. it was a sin of which l repent I pray that you repent
 Then he mounted his horse and rode away from the kraal MafoOti
 When MT. Dove reached Ramah he only said to Rachel that what she had heard was quite true, and that he had forbidden Ishmael the house. Or course, however. Noie soon learnt the whole story from the Kaffir guides, | and repeated it to her mistress. TO l.. Eafla. h Q