The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 5, 1899, Page 23

09 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, A SOUTH AFRICAN STORY BY BASIL MARNAN. o~ king to the native his ears to what ave as the mi OYD stoc msik ASON T a serg im of the roses t Nason Floyd was ten yea gray, like his mustache, gests the soldier and hard . Hluba savage—old, sturdy, erect il in the Mandileni Valley v to the trader. And aded that a Basuto imself might at any fad we better cut and We have heaps of me men. . W » her hand tight- are in Durban.” eyes sparkling. ‘‘She » shouted, as round the irls right ailer witk girl f grammar as of co ther, looking up at rectior her lov W —a_sighte aid Loo, de- r. “But why?' she asked, of gravity that overhung the whether to go before the thlessly, her face radi- istible face it was. Very t utter contemned ending with an indescrib- and tenderness a look of firm- hold name for many a mile flawless st , steeped g it again on all sides in reappear 1 frock, d down the again in a few mo- a rifle brandished toep, to the huge fight, get to work send all the water into ts, the two Macraes, hous nd run the thing ready, mother, ary. 1 wish I could send : now. ['d give anything into Sc to warn t Floyd surveys the scene ful is it. It seems almost Mile after mile the plain sh of the young grass vear's dving growth. r the mighty hills. For s of South Africa—a peaceful etween the arms of the grim and 1s3 on mass of granite, the Dra- pes as_ well r as the ey dropped from rp edge its peaks white and an sce Is that white the sky on ridge and avine and donga, and azes. And be- cing, full of breath e inte gleaming. deepening, rolling gold of the Veld flecked ses running right up to the very ng full in midheaven—warm, gentle, Up at that wavi young g ’ thought Floyd, as his thoughts went t Mount Frere, andean Irishman, haste of youth to the naturai s certainly attractive. Tall, with of the Irish, he had lived a wild, ., and a humor perhaps s and vellow hair and beard omplexion. But his face was 1y comes of experience In ro- n had seen Loo he had fallen in s before, on his arrival at Mount rs old. Both Floyd and his wife ter he boldly proposed to carry 098608320 08030530230000029200006 Floyd 1 but 16 ye and whe montt off their daughter, subject t6 the stipulation of waiting till she was older, they had no objection to offer. ‘When Scanlan came to approach Loo on the subject there was about her so disconcerting an innocence of the slightest embarrassment that he found his task more difficult even than he had anticipated. Of sighs, of tenderness, of amatory innuendoes she was serenely oblivious, continuing with avidity her occupation of eating strawberries. Now, it Is not easy even for an Irishman to make love to a girl of 16 intent on strawberries, so0 that when at last Morris screwed up his courage to the point of gas ing out his declaration, he felt savagely that it was a very lame proceed- ing. To make matters more sore, Loo had accepted it in a spirit of hilari- ous surprise, of girlish glee, whose very freedom from any shyness- de- clared her heart as yet unreached. But she liked Morris, liked him very much, and she accepted the idea of becoming his wife with an outburst of gratitude and devotion at once as careless and as rapturous as though she had received a present of a new horse. “Won't it be ripping?’ she had said to him, as she danced away up to the house, dragging him along with both hands. *“Shall I live at the Resi- dency? And may I come to the court and sit up by you when vou try the prisoners? What glorious fun we shall have, sha'n’t we?” And so she had rattled on, baffling poor Morris between the desire to kiss her into silence, and comprehension, and the knowledge that he must wait a while till the vears unfolded further the bud of her womanhood. So it was a kind of unspoken engagement that had arisen and continued to exist between the two for over eighteen months. ; But a few months previously, when Floyd and his family were spending a few days at Mount Frere, an incident had occurred which had created a violent quarrel between Scanlan and his guest. Nason had brought with him a dog—a valued and faithful hound—that insisted on accompanying its master, everywhere. To all dogs Scanlan had a morbid aversion. For, like many Irishmen who have lived lonely and wandering lives, he had in him a kind of superstition soured by an alien cynicism. Indeed, except in his genuinely gay moments. Morris was a moody kind of a man, intensely suspicious of intended affronts, unforgiving, bitter and inclined to jibe— and yet, in spite of all that, very lovable, for somehow, however nasty he might be, you always felt that deep down there was a great sensitive soul hiding wounds the world had made. Scanlan’s particular superstition was that his banshee took the-form of a dog, which, when it wanted to express itself, did so by the aggravating process of howling at night under his windo As bad luck would have it. for two nights before the arrival of the Floyds at the Residency, Scanlan had been disturbed by this howling, and had been convinced It w a banshee foretelling death or disaster by the fact that he had been unable either to see the dog at the time or trace its spoor in the morning. But about midnight, after the Floyds' arrival, the howling had commenced again, and Scanlan with his gun Liad again set out to seek proof. and this time fo find sitting in the moonlight a great yellow cur with its jowl turn- ing skyward in a dreary wail. ‘You brute!” he had muttered, and next moment a shot had rung out and tne dog had howled its I But In the morning, when Floyd discovered that his faithful friend had been so wantonly Slaughtered by his host, he would accept neither apology nor excuse—but immediately called his wife and daughter, and without further parley left the astounded and penitent magistrate gaping over his gate at the retreating figures of his gues But if the quarrel seemed for the moment to sever once and for all all chance of more intimate alliance between the two families, as a matter of fact it brought that chance nearer the realm of realization than it had ever heen hefore. For with the sudden task of self-questioning It set to Loo, it brought an answer that had flushed her ¢ cheeks with a car- nation called forth by no exercise, an answer that had brought a new light to the lovely eves, a new meaning to the lips that the same evening fal- tered their anxious questions to her mother. But in spite of maternal comforting. the quarrel did remain. And though Floyd had long ago now forgiven the act, he would not be the first to hold out the hand. ““No,” he would say, “the bounder would think I am throwing Loo at him.”" And Scanlan, like most Celts, being as obstinate a pig when twice a hand once re- his pride was concerned, declined to stretch out fused Thus it was the Basuto that Floyd found himself thinking now how impi would find his friend prepared. For Mount I're s practically a serted by all save the trader and the magistrate. The Basuto s had driven the few Inhabitants to fiee into the ed township of N'Taban- kuls ‘ross the Pondo horder. Scanlan, indeed, was the object of the decision as 1o a question of boundary having been the imme- 4 to light lonz-smoidering elements of revolt. Floyd knew that just Morris’ stubbornness that caused him to remain at his post, stead of retiring. to return with the military. He looked wistfully now toward the in the mountain, where tan the little p: rising, I Cut, a great angular *'V to Mount Frere. He would glve e fcl - able to dash in and bring the maglistrate back with < he thought of jt. He was on the point of sikilaki touched his elbow and pointed with his 11 such as might be seen {n many parts A low and The homestead at Mandileni ws of Africa. as far as concerns the disposition of its mere externals. wall of mud sods inclosing in almost a square about an acre of land, backed on the south and east by a triple row of black wattle and euw lyptus. Int nter of this area four or five large huts. grouped together, constituted the dweliln, Built of dahge, round; thatched with reed, with deep. overhanging and small windows, they presented a pi: ve turesque contrast to the ungainly architectural pioneer of civilization which, in the ape of a “‘tin shop.” reared its ugly. corrugated iron head above them. r this “tin shon,” as Flovd called it,-was of brick and iron, roofed with the corrugated stuff so much used 'in the colonies. Tt a rectangular building. with a stone stoep in front, a wool-packing shed in the rear, with its gable ends abutting. one on the dwelling houses, the other on a small hut used as a spare guest room. Beyond this last in was the stone cattle kraal, wherein some twenty draught oxen. ck brutes, with huge horns, were now moving to and fro in that \ting way which seems to possess cattle when. kraaled. tore and the low sod wall was a tennis court of gravel, Which the net was still slung: for Loo is the champlon tennis player of that part of the Transkii, Between the larger of the dwelling huts and the store was a passage built of solid logs. and loop-holed. Through fhie the girls were now engaged in rolling small casks of water as fast as they could be filled from the huge tank outside. Others, under Mr: Flova's directions, were transferring into the larger hut the contents of the pantry and the kitchen, which Jay some way down toward the southern wall. oment when Umstkilaki called the attention of Flovd to the sttt er T very ohe. seemed busy as possible, and the two Macraes came up with flushed faces and pointed to_their work. Of this Floyd was Ttlculary proud. it being his own idea. It consisted simply of four long pieces of corrugated iron which, when fitted on and clamped together, formed a perfect sheath over the thatch of each hut, thus forming a fire soreen against a flight of assegals with burning straw or grass attached. “That's right, lads.” he said, “‘we're just in time. Here they come, thick as bees And he pointed in the direction indicated by Umsikilaki. That worthy had vnished.he and his men having taken to their horses on the first alarm. The Basutos as yet, however, were a long way off. Tn the clear, keen atmosphere against the white background of the snow they looked like a_ troop of giant ants crawling down the genll\‘ slope that curved around the great elbow, whose bend encircled the northern -alley of the Mandileni. . ‘n”'"‘l'hjv( will be two or three hours yet, FaId”Floyd, and get the wires set. There's plenty to do yet. 'A% the end of another hour the yard presented a strange and curious appearance. Between the two large huts was a bullock wagon timbered tn With scantling and planks. Other bullock wagons were arranged to form. with the store and the huts. a hollow square, into which the cattle and horees were already driven. Outside of these, and between them and 1. stretched taut about 2 inches to 3 inches from the ground, were crossed and recrussed lines of barbed wire, pegged indiscriminately here and there, with pegs huving heads like reaping hooks. Thue it was that when, toward evening, the Basutos, to the number of about 1700, swept round the little homestead, the two horns of their Jong-extended line enveioping it at about 400 vards distant at either side, Flovd, standing with his wite and danghter on the stoep, surv ved the scene w a certain air of complacency. ) gt e aald o Lo, pinching her soft cheek fondl “Your 01d fol-de-lol, as you called me when vou were a tiny dot, wasn't such a dashing sergeant in the Seymour for nothing. “Will they attack to-night. dear?” sked Mrs. Floyd. “T think not.” Nason answered. ‘Besides, we are going to have a enowstorm, 1f T mistake not. in which case they certainly won't trouble us 1 the morning: but. to make sure, T will just get out the ammunition. Turning into the store with these words, he did not notice Loo’s face, jte sudden violent flush, its equally swift deadly pallor. As his back was turned the girl sprang to her mother's side, her lips parted, her eyes dls- tended. her face frightened and white. 2 “Mother!” she gasped. ‘‘Mother! what shall we do? There is no am- munition . vd's face, as she drew the sobbing girl to her arms, grew set and rigid and gray and old-looking. As her eye wandered away to the eld and that seething. savage line of blacks, her arms convulsively gath- ered her danghter closer to her breast. When., a few moments later, Floyd hmme out of the store, a puzzled 1ook on his handsome face, and a careless Ci¥hero on earth have you hid'the ammunition, Loo?” on his lips, and met that picture of despair and ?n;xlpf,ht'he truth burst on him without words, < heart wi e jce within him. and hie beart e K roaned. standing staring. blankly, numbly, in_front of him. then realizing to the full the terrific significance of the silent drama 11 sides presenting itself. o A e o Tkt o questions. Tt was so simply—so glaringly explic- able. | Tver since the quarrel he had refused to have even official corre- fhondence with the magistrate. But when the Basuto scare came, and “Bustle up, boys, ammunition and the necessary ps'ngllt for it became unavoidable, he had delegated to Loo the task of gettin se_the pride lr:x‘;x:d.l Hep had given Loo the money and instructions. it. Knd mow he could oniy siand and v ad even held his lips from asking t was ob- e He had taken it ON THE TURE BIG WINNINGS ERHAPS the bigge: made on the E ual in recen to young Fuiton, Selfa t winning ever ish turf by an in- vears is credited an ironmaster of aned up £106,000 take nothing else the bookmakers befian to calculate on the amount they wou if the depised Western mare should win. Nearly every bookmaker in the ring had in from $15 to $40 on the mare be- something like _$70,000. Cadmus only won by a head, beating, among _others, the great iron gray. horse Galindo, which was _backed to win a fortune by his owner, E. J. Baldwin. A ‘trick 'that almost fafled was nego- d lose when Cdmed 1593, Comedy w simulta opening men kept 1d all they w he most the Cambridgeshire in plunged on through the commission system, and, odds of 60 to 1, Mr. Fulton's betting until the bookmakers ted. noted coup engineered by John McCafferty—and he has a habit of ‘“‘uncorking good thing: s when he brought Queenie Trowbridge to Mon- mouth Park in July, 189 Queenic was a Webster filly, by Al- minde-Ada Lambert. In her two-year-old form she had won the Liberty stakes in Nashville. Her dam, Ada Lambert, was a g0od mare, There was no clear reason why Queenie Trowbridge should be rated as a 100 to 1 shot, but that is just what she was quoted at In the last race at Monmouth on July 9, 1892. The story of the methods adopted by McCafferty and his associates to get their money down is an oft-told tale, There were about a dozen men at the track wha acted as if they had never been on a racetrack before. When the betting began in the Trowbridge race these “‘hayseeds” wandered into the bet- ting ring and stared at the blackboards. With apparently the utmost recklessness they began betting on Queenie Trow- bridge in wads of $2 and $3. The book- makers took the change, and many of them facetiously remarked: “Here's a lit- tle supper money.” Later, when these farmer looking chaps all 4 ared to fancy Trowbridge and fore they awakened to a realization of the fact that there was “something do- ng. Then, almost simultaneously, the “book- ies” reached for their rubbers. Those who followed the money took (‘o%mzunce of the piunge on Queenie Trowbridge, and from 100 to 1 she was backed steadily gn‘wn‘unm at post time she was quoted at o1 The result of the race proved the wis- dom of those who backed McCafferty & ‘Wishard’s mare, for she won with the greatest ease. No one ever attempted to figure ont ust how much the backers of Queenie rowbridge took ont of the ring. Every book lost on the race, McCafferty and as- soclates were credited with having won over $100,000. ueenie Trowbridge carried 9% pounds and Frankie Jordau, a St. Louls light- weight, had the mount. The race was never in doubt. The McCafferty-Wishard mare led from start to finish, pur sued by Yemen, Tnnflc. Luella B, Captain Brown, Flavilla, Osric, Knapsack, Natalie 8, Vol- unteer 1I, Lindsay, Grand Prix and Clo- tho. Tod Sloan rode Osric, which finished back in the bunch. The race was at five furlongs, over the atra.lght course, and the distance was covered in :69%. A few weeks later McCafferty made an- other big winning with the same mare when she beat Nomad—which carried $27,- 000 of Dwyer's money—Yemen and On- v‘\l'ard. The distance was six furlongs this ‘dme. It was in the same year that “Pitts- burg Phil” made his famous coup with King Cadmus at Bhoegahead Bay, Mr. Smith was never able to tell how much he won on the King. He knew it was ted under difficulties when Troubadour :‘l:n the Suburban for Sam Brown in 1886. Troubadour traveled in a special car. It was found that the car was too high to go under a bridge which had to be pass- ed, and it was necessary for Mr. Brown's men to leave the rest of the string be- hind so that Troubadour might occupy the suites of apartments reserved for the horses of lesser degree. Through the great riding of devil” %‘flzymr ck Troubadour negoti- ated a mile. and a quarter in 2,07 and won for his owner a rich purse and $80,- 4‘)00. which came out of bookmakers’ cof- ers. August 18, 1887, was a great deal for the Dwyer brothers, M. F. and Phil. With Kingfish they won the Junior Champion stakes, value $18,895, the colt winning i a gallop from E.J. Baldwin's Los Angeles, ir Dixon, Magnetizer and others. K:jngflah opened at 20 to 1 in the betting and, under the heavy play of M. F. Dwyer, went to the post at 10 to 1. As if this was not enough good fortunc for one day, the Dwyers won the Cham- plon stakes with Hanover, which canter- ed away from Firenzl and Volante (now a noted sire), the gockey on the latter having a splendid view of the race from start to finfsh. The purse was $4300 and the odds in the het(lnfi ring 11 to 10. Dave Johnson must have had an ink- ling that Isaac Murphy was not in con- dition to ride when, in 1891 or 1892, he took all the money offered on Firenzi, on ‘which Murphy had the mount, and flooded the ring with Tea Tray money. Poor old Continued on Page Twenty-three. “Dare- SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1899. for granted they had been fulfilled. And now—now the; to death by that mob outside. His wife too! And his eyed little Loo! All of them. He looked out past them into the face of the setting sun that was sink- ing, red and angry and somber, beyond the great snow-banked ranges of the Drakensberg. The wind came moaning up from the south—cold, fitful, ‘with here and there a slash of sleet in it. “If only there was a chance of getting through,” he muttered ‘would all be done aughter!—his blue- hrough to the N'Taban, and bringing help! It will snow like rugs presently. They will never attack to-night.” He looked at his wife and daughter. They seemed suddenly to have changed characters. It was Mrs. Floyd now who was crying and clinging; Loo, who, upright and deflant, with her fairy elfin- face almost grim, seemed to be comforting and persuading her mother. She turned to her father as he came up—her eyes eager, yet resolute and commanding. “Father,” she sald, “I am going to N'Tabankulu; I am the only one. You must stay and look after mother; we can’t trust the Kaffirs, and the boys_don’t know the road.” “Rubbfsh! rubbish!” said Nason, sharply, angry at finding his own ;lho\:%hts so articulated, and with a sudden cold grip of fear for her at his eart. It is not rubbish,” Loo cried, and next minute her arms were around her father’s neck, and she was compelling him to meet her gaze. “Ah! you know it's not, father! Dear! don't you see it's the only way for mother —for you—for me—for all? When it's dark I shall get through. I know every stone of the way. So does Be: I shall, I shall. And it will save Yyou, and” (she was sobbing now) “l1 am so sorry about the ammunition. But, indeed, dear, it wasn't my fault. He said there wasn't enough . but he would order it and send it as soon as it came. And I was afraid would think he did it on purpose if I told you." “What do you think, mother?” asked Floyd, hoarsely, not daring to look at his wife “I dare not say 3 she replied, “though it seems the only chance As Floyd turned moodily into the store to count out what ammunition lhe):o'w s Loo slipped quietly into the hou: B ou m afraid it's the only way, mother,” sald Nason, as he reappeared in a few minutes. “There’s barely 300 rounds of rifle and about 800 revolver cartridges. Enough to stave off one rush—end then—" Floyd's P pressed the rest. By this time it was dar seen glowing all round. The; about 800 yards from the hon wmist before the wind, which w and the circle of the enemy's fires could be d drawn still further off, and were now tead. The snow was driving a white chill rising now to a gale. - 3 . she ought to go at once,” sald Mrs. Floyd, “for no horse will get later through the Gap in this snow, But, oh, Nason, do you think we ought to let her?” “It's certain death other mother—but = {s she “Here, father.” and Loo stepped out from the shadow of the doorway. “Well, I'm—Dblessed!" ejaculated Floyd, gazing at the figure in front of him. For Loo, knowing of old what a skirt meant in a snowstorm on horse- back, had discarded feminine attire, and now In a pair of corduroy riding breeches, a thick palr of stockings, top boots, a jacket of her father's and an old Seymour Trooper's hat, with a bandolier around her, a revolver at her side, and a carblne in hand, stood to attention before her father, in her face laughter and tears mingling in a touching strife for mastery. Next m?r‘n(‘nl she was in the grip of a hug that made her pant with pain and pride. “You're your father's own d: you, as I belleve he will. Isn’t . sald Floyd, "for her as well as for us, arling! You shall go, and may God help she a dainty trooper, mother?’ But Mrs. Floyd's eyes were blinded w and Loo’s lips, as she kissed her mother again and again, were not so firm and resolute and unfaltering as the brave heart within. In a few minnt and walting undc in the eyes of the mement of danger w when she As she swung hersclf into th . and Floyd led her out of the gate, he said to her: “Take her quietly first, Loo. We will give you five minutes, and then we'il make a diversion on the far side with the rockets and Sniders. The first shot vou hear, go all you know—ride through. Give me a kiss, dear. God bless you! There's a rocket In your saddle-bag. Send 't off at the p.” For one moment her arms hung around her father's neck, the next she was swallowed up in the wind drift of sleat. Dashing back, Floyd hurried with hig little party to the rear of the house, where on the eastern wall his rocket stand was already fixed. The time up, he fired half a dozen of these into the nearest group of the enemy accompanying it at the same time with a rattling volley. The effect was magical—filling the night with a_wild chorus of yells and shouts of terror, surprise and rally. They could see dim m: s of natives moving up toward the spot attacked; another flight of rockets revealed fn the mo- ment’s glare a scene of wild confusion, as though they were fighting with each other. At the e time from the stoep came the voice of Mrs. F calling: *'Sh through, dear! s through! 1 saw her turn and wa some of them are after s Loo's horse Bess, a flect bay, was ready the shelter of the cattle kraal. nemy, effectually saddled up, The snow, driying full nted all observation. The real pproach their lines. ve lot, Bertle, and then get inside a ‘ou to quar- p 3 an_out to the front. But the sno driving like a cloud across the pla 1d sight of anything was impossible. The rockets seemed but to illuminate the darknes “There’ll be no attack to-night, mother. You had better come In and lie down. For we shall want all our strength in the morning, if Loo is not back In time. 8o the night settled down. And through the storm and darknes teeth of the eriemy, rode Loo, with nearly forty fore help was reached. m ar . in the miles in front of her, be- 111, It was with a heart that beat wildly and loudly that Loo found herself getting every moment nearer the Basuto lix Would th. slon er come? she thought. Jach moment seemed w She turned to look i and_breath. There w. a whizz that made her jump in the by a great eurling snake of fire. She heard the startled ve the clashing of <hiclds and assegals. But she waited t head bent till she lay almost flat on the mare’s neck, with spurs dug home in the flanks in a way Bess had never known before, she shot like an arrow through a ring of Basutos, knocking one dewn. trampling another under faot, and vanished into the blackness bevond. Swift as she had been, sev- eral assegais whizzed past her. and she heard the shouts o a blind pursuit. Till the second flight of rockets went up she never moved her position, keeping on at that breakneck gailop. But then, she could not resist one turn and exultant shout of triumph, trusting they would see her in the second’s glare from the hou And so they did, and so, too, did the Rasutos: and her shout was answered by a yell no'less exuitant as seven or eight of the enemy dashed after her. There was no mistaking her path. The road to the Gap w the only road for the umlungi on such a night, But in such a chase numbers mattered littic till the top was reached. For uphill there was but room for one at a time on the bridle path. But on the ridge! Loo shivered as she thought how they would then spread out and envelop her. But gritting her tecth together she urged Bess on. And Bess knew this was nn capricious bidding. She knew the meaning of those ! thick-throated vells behind. and at each stride carried her beloved mistress | farther from her pursuers. ; i Through stream and ravine, rattling across the stones; swinging sound- less over the velvety turf, spurning the flying shale, swerving here from a great overhanging rock, here gathering together each muscle for a lean wck. The snow drove £ no sign of the home: ddle hissed through tl of the next 1 her face, chok- ead Suddenly r, followed of the Basutos, in the dark, on, on, they go; the snow and wind and sharp, keen hail lash- 4 3¢ o = s suit grow ing them from' behind. Up, and ever up, till the sounds of pursul ) faint yet persistent still, and in the very glow of youth within a dozen yards “from' the top Loo lifts her head and shakes her loosencd, snow drenched_curls and Jaughs aloud, and in her glee gives forth a ringing cheer. With one final bound o ess reaches the broad plateau of the Gap and_stands panti Loo swings her: off the saddle, I s the rocket in the ground and sets it alight; shakes the snow from her d_take: a drink from the flask her father had given her the last thing—then hang- ing over the ledge listens to the still approaching sound of pursuit. As she does so a slight moan reaches her ear, She looks around anxiously, to see almost at her feet, half-hidden in the bush that grows along the ridge, the pale face of her lover, Morris Scanlan. “Morris!"" she exclaims—and in a moment is kneeling by him, her flask to his Ii ! coming to warn you,” he said, ‘“but s caught here in an am- bush. They left me for dead. I'll pull through all right, though, as far as that goe: But you ““They have no ammunition. I am going to N’Tabankulu for help. But they are pursu sten!”" “Quick! Go!" s anlan, dragging himself forward on his knees and hands to the ledge overlooking the gorge leading up. to the Gap. “Go! Don’t lose a minute! Leave me your carbine and bandolier—I will hold the pass Go—go!" For one moment. Loo hesitated, then, wi kissed him, and dashed off to her hor: V' off at a headlong gallop down the pr to N.Tabankulu She was under shelter 1 Frere away to the left, she blush, bent forward, to the saddle, and went e to the plains that led pitous in w for rly the whole way. Leaving Mount swung around with the bend of the hills,drop- ping B nto a long, swinging trot. Mile after mile slipped away. The moon came stealing out. The wind f All the voices of the night bab- bled round her, but nothin, ught nothing. In front of her was only one picty . with two parts in it. Her father and m from the stoep of the old homestead, ringed ; and on the other hand, the gleamin clink and clank of saber and spurs »und, cheery face of her old fr cute rein. And Bess didn’t & t veld ad and ravine slipped by. The bounda e passed. grea and glided away Into the darkn uddenly before her dance lights of the township. Ah! how, tretched out her neck.and drew her reeking flanks up at the sight. Up the last slope they mount. To her it e pace is ter- rific. A few privates wandering from the canteen wo hat jaded beast is this staggering in such fashion. One moment 1t the camp shout a passing word to the watch; the next : few more strides. and she tumbles off at the d¢ turn to the left, a > officers’ mess-hut, rows open, and stag- in a voice that 1f rather funny sounds and a long way off, though she tries to keep it firm: “Lieute nt Hawes, the Basutos have nded the house at Mandileni, and father has no am- munition, and you are to go:at once, please. And Mr. Secanlan’s at the Gap and he is—" And then it scems to her that the officers there all begin' to waltz around her, and she, remem- bers no more till she Wakes to find her throat burning, and. old Lieutena Hawes, who had ced her on his Kneetifrom a 1g and sobbing over nd hugging her, and again: 3 n blowed if it ‘isn’t Loo! { vas an unforgettable triumph for Loo, t . They had wanted her not to return with them: but, when she insisted, they. voted her commandi officer, and - when she rode out an-hour later at the head of _fifty opers and a Maxim, she felt that life, could hardly 'hold a prouder mjoment And though it was no _recor march, that return journey, they were, as Hawes had predicted, in plently of time to pick up Scan- who, as his own presence ed and the bodies of five sutos, had safe heid the nd to relieve the Mandi- hold before dawn. In- the Basutos did not wait for the e rattle of sabers, two volleys, and the swish of the Maxim's leaden hail awoke the uneasy slumbers of the little garrison to the view of an enemy in full flight, and to the joys of a meeting too tender for my rough pen to depict. But it was Loo who, in her uni- form, presided at the breakfast later on, and who, in Teplying under compulsion to the toast in her honor, concluded it by look- ing shyly at the Motnt Frere magistrate, and calling upon him to answer her toast to a “Brother in Arm: ““She Shot Like an Arrow Through a Ring of Basutos, Knocking One Down, Trampling @nother "Under Foot.”