Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-04-24

her arms with a strong rein Of hippopotamus hide;
and thus he rode away, laughing, now aloud, now ST.
lently.
Presently Hendrix ceased bowling and shot a glance
at her captor sidewise. How handsome he was!-far
more SO than the lean Bottlejohn, with his crisp tufts
of wool and watery eyes. Adrian had jaws like fort
resses, and his square beard reached halfway to his
waist; it was a little tousled by her cats claws, but
hcmmel! what a fine figure of a man! Hendrika nestled
closer and uttered a little gurgle of laughter. Then
Adrian united her arms.
By afternoon they had come riding into the village
of King Bottlejohr, who reigned there over his mongre4
Hottentots and Makololos. Adrian shouted for him.
The gaping crowd parted and a yellow. weakened
man looked up from a little tunnel in the ground,
through which, lying PROSTATE, he had been inflaling
dacha smoke. He rose and came forward, his steps
staggering d~runkenly from the fumes, his eyes bleary.
That's my wife, Baas Adrian" he yelled, recog-
nizing the rider.
AZ have taken her" replied Ferreira.
Bottlcjohn wasted no words, but, pulling a knife
from under his blanket, lungcd with all his power at
the big Dutchman. The weapon pierced Adrian
through the thigh and chung quivering there. Two
little Jets of blood began to squirt, like intermittent
fountains, over the saddle-bag. Ferreira raised his
arm and brought down his riding-crop with all his
might upon the Hottentots head.
You dirty yellow monkey" Ferreira cried, spring
ing from his pony, the knife still quivering in his
thigh, "Tl teach you how TO claim my property! Do
YOU want to work for me or shall I thrash you"
"Ill work for you, Baas ADRIAN groaned Bottle
John, sitting up in the dust and rubbing his head rue
fully. How much will you give me-" he added,
hastily.
1.-TWO pounds a month" Fcrreira answered.. Mach
tigl" he continued, good-naturedly, you be a good
servant and you'll find a good master" Then, as
il by an after thought, he said, turning to the fawning
crowd:
I'm going to be your king"
Hcndrika plucked out the knife and bound up the
wound. She brought grass for a couch, collected wood,
and began unconcernedly to cook the supper in Bottle
johns hut, in Bottlejohn's pot, upon the smouldering
cmbers of the fire which she had herself lit for Bottle
john.
That is how Adrian Ferreira came to be king in
No Mans Land.
They loved him for his power, but they hated him
for their individual wrongs. He sent them north, west
ward and south, to bring back stolen diamonds from
Kimberley, to harry the focks of far-off farmers.
When they returned empty-handed he fogged them and
drove them out Of the kraal,
His strength was prodigious. Once, when the guard
ian fires had gone out in a rainstorm, and a lion,
leaning the barricade, entered his hut and dragged him
forth by the arm, he seized the name between his Jaws,
bit through the muscles and flesh, and killed the
monster.
Ferreira had two companions, Bottlejokn and the
child. Hendrika he tolerated and treated kindly. when
he was sober.
Both he and Bottlejohn were outcasts from among
-. IL Lo.L l,J ,o-. -t. Z A. ---.I
world. They were of that nomad class that traverses
the great plains, now.heard of in Kimberley, now in
Johannesburg, now hundred of miles southwark in the
old colony, picking up a livelihood by diverse means,
impelled like foatsam restlessly across the wastes.
Thus each was driven to seek the others company. AT
night they would sit side by side, boasting and drink
ing brandy. Then the Beers tongue would loosen, his
sardonic mood would lift, and he would clap Bottle
John upon the back and call him his friend. Bottle
John never contested the Beers supremacy. Once
though, when they had been drinking into the dawn
Adrian, opening his eyes from a light doze, saw
Bottlejohn inside his hut, lingering a knife. He
laughed, ard the Hottentot skunk out into the night.
Have a care" whispered Hendrika. "Some Ga,
he will kill you. A white baas will forgive. A black
man will forget. The half-breed does neither; he il
like the jackal that pretends to be dead. The hunte,
comes I'D to skin him-thcn the jaws snap. Watcl
him. and do not eat his food nor drink his brandy"
Adrian Ferreira laughed into his great beard anc
flung the Hottentot a marrow-bonc; nevertheless, h
silent lightly thereafter. To see the Tottie cringe fllet
him with pride-the pride of one who has broker
men to his service.
Adriaan's other companion, the child, was Away
beside him. 1t was a strange, weazened thing; it too
no notice of Bottlejohn, but would crawl after tn
Dutchman around the hut or into the circle Of tn
kraal, its hands and feet making strange, ~serpentin
tracks through the dust. 1t never cried; only tina
constant shutting, scraping sound indicated its pres
ence. 1t seemed to follow Ferreira through the sens
of scent, for it was blind from ophthalmia, as man
children are in the lands of the fly.
One day when Adrian was away hunting, Bottle
john came siding up to Hendrika.
; "Be off, you miserable monkey man." said Hendrix;
with lazy disdain.
: Bottlejohn's yellow face became pallid with rage.
l "Ah, take carei Don't get too proud" he sneere,