The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-25


 lContinued.)
 But Mary had broken through her babiSual reserve, and went on with a freedom she could never have dis played a few weeks earlier. She no :anger blinded herself to hr anxiety for him s
 And what about you?" she asked. For the moment she did not care what he might think of her. She knew she loved him, although he no longer cared for her.
 Ferman gave a short laugh.
 .1-oh. shall be all right. shall be in the fighting line-my proper place, where I am accustomed to be-"
 'The freebooters?" questioned Emily sharply.
 -Tes; the freebooters."
 The rest of the way to the mission wes passed in silence. There were a hundred and one questions Mary was anxious to ask, but now something held her silent The thought of her recent temerity rather frightened her. The danger with which they were threatened was far less to her at that moment than the thought that she was to be separated from her hus- band
 With Emily it was different. She was thinking of the trouble itself. She remembered the old bloody days when fighting had been almost part cf their daily lives But then it had been native war. This was far more grave. Ferman held silent. He had said all he intended to say, and was content
 At che mission he left the two wo- men and turned back towards the farm, striding away through the trees amidst the maze of kraals, threading winding course home.
 His serious eyes took in the sights through which he passed, and he viewed them with fresh interest The vrouws. squatting about their kfaals. with their little. chocolate-hued off spring playing about their feet, be- :. came sobjects of tender pity, while he listened to their smiling greetings as he passed What might the forth coming days bring for them? Many. many times in his life he had seen whole Kaffir villages running with 1 blood But these had been the re- suit of war fought on equal terms. The threatened danger now he knew to be of a different nature. These i people, in their native state, could not hope to combat a lawless invad- ing force of white men successfully. He felt that disaster was inevitable; vet he knew that he must strain ev- cry nerve to help them. That he could have them he did not dare to hope, but that he had the power to help them he was we'll aware. And he would exert that power to the ! utmost
 Yet his thoughts were not wholly ' sad His news from John verricker ! had brought him a wonderful satis- faction The old mans labors were bearing fruit He spoke hopefully of his mission; and he knew that the old Scotchman was no dreamer. Then there was something else which touched the more personal side of his life He did not dwell upon it too much. but it brought him a feel ing of exaltation which no success Tn any other direction could have done He still carried with him the recol- lection of the look he had seen in Marys beautiful eyes when she had expressed her fear for his safety.
 The sun had dropped below the horizon by the time he reached the farm His time for dreaming was over; there was work to be done.
 Guy Chalmer arrived at the Rooi Grond, and delivered his letters to Joe Schumann. He did not wait, but went straight across to his hut among the ruins. Here he changed his saddle to the back of a fresh horse one he had purchased to replace tho