The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-07-11
by
COPYRIGHT IS VIC cHAPrAn

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second savage turned and began
scrambling back like a mole, but Win
ton fired again and heard the shutting
stop, as if the bullet had been instan-
taneously fatal. A shower of earth
came rafting down.
And now the faint, reflected flare
that came into the tunnel, and the
roaring from above told Winton that
the cottage was ablaze The sounds
Of shouting grew fainter. The negroes
must have been driven out by fire.
Winton raised the body of the man
nearest him and set 1t in the tunnel
in such way that 1t formed an OBJ
stacle TO anyone approaching from
the rear. He would hear the sound Of
its dislodgment If the attack were
renewed.
But the savages had had enough of
the tunnel. Winton loaded his re-
volver with his last handful of car
tridges and began scrambling after
Sam, calling in low tone.
He heard Sans distant answer, and
made his way as fast as he could along
the tunnel. Would the natives be
waiting at the other end? They could
make the distance above ground more
swiftly than they could But Winton
doubted whether their minds would
work in that manner, with plumber to
be had in every compound store along
the diamond ridge. He was right in
his presumption, for presently he saw
Sam and Shella silhouetted against
the faint light at the other end Of the
tunnel.
He caught Sheila to him fiercely.
keep up your courage, dearl" he
whispered. 1--WE are going to be free.
Stay here with Sam, while 1 go for
ward and explore"
For moment she chung to him and
pleaded with him not to expose him
self to danger, but 1t was wonderful
how brave she was. Instructing Sam
to stay with Sheila, Winton began to
creep forward along the ground.
D't in moment he saw Sam beside
him. "Afr. Garrett, III CO." said the
negro. Il guess it's safer for me,
looking like this"
That was a fact. Reluctantly-for
he would have preferred to face the
went back and al
lowed Sam to proceed upon his scout
ing mission.
All along the fields the stores were
fiercely. Against the light of
tho laanfno aop,os oo,,l1 bo caa,, tho
bodies of the savages, struggling to
carry Off their plumber. Bales Of cot
tons and cloth, blankets, packing
cases Of comestibles were being borne
IN naked black shoulders. The store
IN the compound into which the fugi-
ives had emerged was, however, al
'eady Quilted, and there were no ma
ives Immediately at hand.
1t was the old story, repeated hun
lred times in the bloody history of
south Africa, Of the untamable nature
# the aborigine reasserting itself
gainst white supervision grown lax.
Winton, a few yards from Sheila,
perceived the body of a MAJ
wing face downward upon the ground,
inside the barbed wire
which separated the compound in
which he was from that adjoining.
lie recognized II as that of Josepns.
t was pinned to the earth with two
pright spears. Death must have been
Winton's jaws clamped with a spasm
a 20. h Is htrf |
the urgent need OF eau
on, lay down again beside Sheila,
-atching Sam.
He saw the negro worming his way .
long the ground upon his stomach. |
Sam turned toward him with
n imperative gesture to lie still.
ooking up, Wlnton perceived a Kafr
entry. armed with a spear and shield, 5
q guard at the desert road behind the .
evastated and smoldering store that
ad belonged once to Kash. /
The presence of this man was omi- S
ous. II the outbreak had been con- t
1ed 10 the diamond compounds, no a
.ntry would have been set. The fact 7
his presence betokened a precon- v
rted rising, guided by shrewd
inds from outside
1t betokened something more For v
e man who had placed him there c
ust have had a personal interest in r
inton's capture. Yet Winton was II
object of hatred on the part of the s
tiyes-rather he was one of the il
ore popular among the claim-holders. o
But Winton realized only the first d
It Of the purpose, not its implica- I
ms. He watched Sam spring 10 mis- II
ct and advance boldly toward the Ii
ntry, brandishing his spear. There
Is nothing to show that Sam was "
ler than one of the marauders. He
is Just as black, and in the night he d
,ked just as feroclous as any Of
I'm. The sentry turned and looked III
Sam in inquiry. then went forward
meet him. HI
Sans muscular arm went back, and II
! spear. driven unerringly, by some It
lvistic impulse, went home through hi
, Kafirs' throat. az
The sentry dropped without q word