The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-24

0oy took it frowningly. He was sniRking of that other message, the xae that had come to Joe at hi: Bore Was this from the same tcurce? and if so, what fresh i'm pertinence did it contain? He un' folded it carefully. Its folds were worn. and displayed signs of having been in the messengers possession fol some time A flush spread over hi: cheeks as he beheld the contents There were but two words, and nc signature. And the handwriting was the same as that of the other.
 Turn back" was all it said, and the curses began to roll off his ton gue in lurid flow.
 For some moments he remained staring biankly at the paper. Then be looked round for the messenger but the man was hurrying away. He saw him moving down the road at a doz-trot, his bare feet noiselessly ploughfng up the sand in his haste.
 To turn and ride after him was the work of a moment. But it was useless At his horses first stride the Kaffir moved off the road and darted into the camel-thorn bush, whfther it was quite impossible for a horseman to follow him.
 There was now nothing left but to proceed on his journey or to obey the command contained in the note There was not much doubt as to which course would be followed. Guy promptly gave up the pursuit, and spurring his horse, continued his journey. But this last incident was not without it's effect upon him. He was puzzled. What did it mean? Did Elwood fancy he was going to keep him a prisoner at the Roof Grond with an exercise-ground over the nine-rnile road between that place and Mafeking? The idea was ab- surd- It was not to be taken serious ly. And yet the internal cheek oi those messagesl
 
 The road was declining towards the Maritzani spruit. eliminating at ;ts lowest in one of those little dry sand rivers so tantalizing to the traveller Here the veldt gave way to a thick bush of luxuriant stink-wood trees with their spreading bows and rag ged foliage. not unlike the elm, tow ering over the lesser thorn-trees. while here and there vast cedars spread their flat limbs out and mel lowed the general tone to the darker hue of a western forest
 Here the road was narrow and confined. rutty with the securing oi water-courses made during the de luges of the rainy season. The sur face of the ground, too, was hard and his horses hoofs clattered upon it as the patient beast loped down with pricked ears, buoyed up by the fond. foolish hope of quenching its thirst
 Halfway down the hill the anima, darted forward into headlong gal lop. So sudden was the plunge thai Guy was almost shot over the cantle of the saddle on to the animals croup. He regained his seat, how ever, and tried to stop the mad race but for some reason the horse had taken 1t into it's head to bolt and nothing would stop him.
 Down to the white sandy drift they raced The maddened creature plunged into the dry bed of the river fioundering knee-deep in the loose sand. stumbling wildly at every step and crossed to the opposite bank. Il mounted it and breasted the opposite hill. Its rider no longer tried tc stop it, but contented himself witt sitting tight lest in the roughness o1 the road a false step or stumble should unseat him. He knew thu race would soon end. for the hill wa: steep, and would quickly take tho heart out of the worst bolter.
 And the end came far sooner thar he expected The creature's gai slackened abruptly. The poor beas stumbled, fell upon its knees. scram bled to its feet again and stood tot tering. Guy barely had time to f1ina himself out of the saddle before it: legs gave way under it again, and | fell in a heap and rolled over on it. side
 For a few moments he stood look ing down at the heaving body in sil ent wonder and astonishment. It wa! plain to see that the creature wa. in awful agony, for it's breath cam. in hoarse gasps that were almos groans. And presently, while he stil stared, there came a series of spas rnodic kicks. They only lasted a few seconds, then the body suddenly con tracted with jolt. only to be re taxed a moment later as though operated with a spring. Then tn, quivering muscles became rigid ana still, and the beast was dead.
 Here was a fine predicament. H, had already come fifteen miles of hi journey, with twenty-four still to go
 He knelt down and loosened th, ~aldta and ranoyed fhe brid1e Ts