WILL HE WIN HER?

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 53, 3 July 1880, Page 4

WILL HE WIN HER?

BY JAMS GRANT. '

Chapibe -XXXV.

By the endearmrati I had been obliged to lavisbjon her^ I had deluded the poor Griqua girl into trusting as well as loving m: Wat I tte pur* and earnest lover the high-bred English' girl thought m; It seemed tojm© that I was only, pro, . tracting my li|e at the expense of my honor, and sbmy mental , misery m creased as the' w#eks of October stole •wearily away. „ " In the end, howtver, I began fo hay« a brotherly Reeling for my gehtU savage — «ever A warMer oue ; yet she filled iae with an undefinable fear, for I knew that if once abandoned,' in "her wild^def--' paif she would kill herself or mil, or -both, if she had an opportunity.. 'I grew ennuye'd and sick pf. _ her hourly pre■ence, thou gh « ifhe *war ; thankful r if *E parmitted hereto .kiss c ,eyen . .my hand, ■which she usea to do with a liearing.of respect and love that minglvd gracefully wilh pride. In my moments of sadness and reflection, the poor girl would often ask me, tenderly^ and lovingly, .m her strange;; •of t language"^ ; ' ; V ' ?l *■* - J -* ' " O£ what a» c you thinking ?" "Why do you ask ?'.' __ " You are so vory sad "and silent— well, of what ?" "Ofyoa," I would.v repljr, ; and,: then ( feel shamo for the "flattering "falsehood that brought a flush of joy tojier olive cheek, and a strange light m her soft and beautifulc*yes.> ; .j.v. .. '\', \~ j- : ,v;or I was hot, howtver, .suchy a bad fellow ai I then believed' myself to be. Times there were wheu I thought of •peaking to her of religion— of endeaTouring to teaShlhßrssomethihg-'of the ' trinity, and of the God of Christians ; but how was I to plungftviinto the mystery of the logical metaphysics ? and how bring before an ignorant an d •unlettered girl such holy puzzles, as those which bewilder and iet by the «ars the most learned m. the land. \ (li I ihruhk from the.) iitfiki'i JBesidesp •wti it not better to Lave her m ignoranoe than bj enlightening her seek to cbnfounnd and" disgrace myself? Great terror I had of the return of Sandillij Ikhew^tho otious and. peri-, lous tasks he ibvsd/er^»ct me. to: parform, and so felt a growing anxiety for a speedy departure. Thus I panl«d with an. emotion of clamorousfalar^iii my heart to be gone. ; • After tlie arrival of th# 12th, or, or East Suffolk Regiment, from th« MauritiHs, and the ' victorioifs'-affair^f iha Water Elojf— though I knew . nothing of it— r mounleo; St/aff ees arriv«d frequently mrssager from Saiidillito Vojfga*. 3 G^eat events were evidently on the tapis, and tho ferocious old savage who had me m cuStody now Tiewed me with such peculiar aversion and milignity, -I^felt ; arms were provhfgiuccessful, "and knew ' that, but for the protection of Sandilli and the presence „ jMariqua,^ hf would soon have made short work with. me< ■,■■•''■'-.? : : - : - ' . : - ■•. ,■ One morning — oh, I shall never never forget it 2— about daybreak, a deserter from the Cape Mounted Rifle Regiment—^Jan Cupido, one of, thegame rascalr 'wlo 1 '-■■• assistefl Mark* ' Shairkeigh m the abduction of Clarice aud her •istir^arriveiat, .therjmissio^iary station vrith a message for Tonga. Whence he had co me, of whether about me, ttknbw not : but his message or tidingi, whatever they wef e7*"seemed to excite the greatest interest among my Caffra gaolers. . . . His horse he i; had''Mfe M the*gate7 } accoutred and bridled, ,vrith his double-, barrelled regimental ( rina * li'a¥gingifi its" usual place by a bucket and sling to the right side of the_ r s.addie._,Jlej. > .c was a golden opportunity, and not a moment to bo lost. I looked at Mariqua ; sitierfwas: liotind asleep on a?^fiuchjp6 sjcinjg. j Hc»r;oltv« , cheek was resting on her tapered olive arm— her long lashesi teemed- sealed' j over his eyes. Poor thing ! she looked yery innocent, with a pet tawn antelope nestling beside her. D^i-k though she wai, Mariqua was indeccinbeautiful, aid •Pmelthere are who might have loved her. I gave her a farewell glance ; for an instance an emotion of compunction came pfi&i'vi^. •ffi^»eS^sliwJ ?^we'r secure, my ammunition and-iiheiiateli^fc, with 'which I was resolved ■cle j ave4o- ' tho teeth, of the first^ Caff re" ? who disco vered or^ opposed ■iinrel y-v' '. ; '^■- ; ' _, - " :< . Opening ther windbwi softly;! slipped; outside, ands .dropped ■■ 'lightly tb -the* •ground, a fall Pf .only seven fe*et«pr so,? A gap m the hed^e of prickJy pears and geraniums'^ fdrniiDgttne compound' of the housei favoured my further efjcii, r Itnd while I panted raih«r than breathed, 1 crept ; rounfl' Id o wh r erelthe horse stood^pawirig the earth, impatient; ■ Of a feed. : ; ; ; ; ■ . •■-.Y*-ni '*&jMJ%i My blood seemed to boil and my reins to tingle, so great wa» my excitement as I seized -the -double -bridle, fprabg ; upbn' . his back, and though without spurs, urged the well trained anu mal to a furious g«Uqp, I^ctw; not and cared not m what so. that I placed a comfortable distance.— some o<?d§ at lea*febetween i ;mjse.if |and^the jaienof pldtyoi?ga v<l ;i, C, ' y- -aw But I ha^c^rcely rid4e,nVtwo , hiinr^ deed yards Defbreliiieiji l^ a wild,; and, wailing cry^ft^s^j^e^owejrf 'Mari ? qua, anq a pang snot through ,/inyhea.rt M X recalled^ ho^Fj. oj^n t ._. a ''sh«!''* ! haii.. threatenedttOj destroy Tierself 'if -she, /tt;*.^ eyer abandoned.^jf-mel;.. tat h^f if ihe raised ifc again—was drowned m r the fiend-^ke'yej^^pf others, as the man of Vonga rushed like furious tp .their arms and horses. hp-A iv*. ■ : L-.a..:i: a >-.■■■■ At last I was armed, mounted, ■at Jiberty, and, free^ftoi make. ; a»<struggle. man to man for "'the life that heavtn, had given me. , : -'.- The memory of Brume Kasteel's fate and a terror of being subjected tbscrni'ev thißg similar, added wings to my flight a»d keennes»^t6 n< my I a&sp>i3p^at the' thought of being retaken.' ' pompxinc^, tion for leaving mymoc^ \eife' X^ha'd > now none. I rodet-pn, on,*;]Bilindly on, though thiS^tJapfe llrfle^Voi'se was' far' from fresh ; but to lighten the.vwgight. he carried, .^.l^fcl dIE sraoV trn^ew aWtfy* the Tfllisi of his late prpprietor, taking care to c|rop it infold^M*fiwaier,4est, jf found, itiEiwgk^erJe^ ; tg. jindicater ; mj^ track. 1 ■■■"■• - 7 r' -.-■.- / aii --^ : Th.i»|wai^p>rhaps a ttseles?preca\itioa

as the cotintry was so open that for a tim» Iw^;,di«jiMyTißib]e to . those who -wef 6 jiow, leaving the J^oratiati station In Hot, Haste, , with hQriie, r[ anS spear, and gun^to pursue m^^^,; 1 '' I rode on blindly, lon^mg for iH/sltei and the ifriendly,'j>bs6unity/'or : jpiig^t: but the time as yet fi was only sunrise, and I had a long, anil too "'probably s perilous day before me. , , .■<.. ... ; 1 had) the start of my pursuer'a a few miles ;. but their^Horses;.were,f|i^isli from, the stall,:. /w£ile mine., was^ weary and I kneV" that the daffres_ would* follow any track or .trail J left with deadly instinct and .uniii;&arylng feu'acijry .; '"';_ I readied the cover of. a thick grove of trees —rchestnuts ands minloSas-^aud made* the! horse pursue for more than a mile :th« bed ''of -: runnel >!tliao. traversed the road, ,sb that all trace of his hoofs •^myjfcrail— sho'vild'be.brpkeS off* 13inbittinghim, I knee-haltered hi m, relaxed the saddle girth; and slinging the rifle ovex my should^'r'craai^d into^ thiejk -. trje'e at some distance,' there, to * conceal.ljnyself m case of the'- th'icket ' being; ; as' 1 expected kurrojißded 'and ;searchedi> Ib that case,! I nad resolved toJpermit the horse to jhe; wMhput/^resistance) and woulql be only, topXh&^J^ if v l Escaped undiscovered oh my. perch.' , : jHjgh up am^ng the'brdif^hesT should be quite unseen, iand fr<6m -thence' J bbuld see all around me 1 and'bslb'w. 'The".life I had. led for,, some years (I( p^st~as' : j a trader with" the 1 GifPreai'and 5 a condplete knowledge 'of -6f made me leave no precaution untried to baffle them. ! ;. < ; i 'th\-\n >'i& : > . ' ; ";;j ; On examining the, rifle rbqch barrels proved to] be lpaded r ,and : capped ; thus, I had^ tw;o :.sliiDis_more tha».my_ forty rounds^ Vhich I now toojjcrfromvtheir paper wrappers and pr#parM_fojr service. They were .-luckily. ,Gro v T.ernment ammunitipn, and^suited' 'exactly' the 1 regimental rifle of the sable-'Jantlupido. How wildly ,.beat,my t hear t li as' l ,aat up there amon'g^the fere'eh* foliage" and yellow flolwers pf f a, greats^niimosa,. listening intert'tly 5 -W 1 - eVefy J sbtin'd^and 1 ev<sry moment expecting toTsea the ferocious^afffe^led-Br 1 Wngar* HiSsing throjigh their, T'W.hitel:tee.thi ..%gd, yelling like |unohaine4 ?T demons— come craßhing'>mbng.tne~-*iroe.s..at^^|uil.^pße4 > with musket and, assQgaii ana ; ,X could imagine the whoft^f triuinp)a^and Exultation with which they wbufd greet the discovery of my horse/ and 1 the clojs^ihve'stigation of the vicinity, ' that wbuldat once be instituted:'' - "-'• But alljremainpd, .still,.,. I heard^only the wild : pea ti ng r bf m'y I , &e^t id'' anH the chattering dc^slmTl~moiffkey7 swhpidojrbtlesiii^wbnderecll at jnytTadoptibn of fiis habits; and in-vasibn ; bf< his sylvan retreat... As: time passed3on,^and^n6pnlv;dre^ nigli, 1 wks pleased to find, by the direction injwhi^^^Whftddws «felU itbat I bad by a fortunate chance'/ 'inHtlie. first energy o f flightj taken' the nprbper direction Ttowards the south' west.<-',To: aid my lonely steps, I had n'onf ho pockety compass, asinthe days --when l c had iny^ waggon and'teariiito iivsparin for ithe road and putspaun -when- we halted.- ; I passed 4he entire-day-wit-hout-food.-I felt only -thirst, foiri tlie^ebcdifement and anxiety I endured wore greaf. The runnel gurgled sweetly and-pleasantly below the] trejß^injjWhiCjhil sat-rrjcoioliitf looked, and an^^ng,.fas f i|.s Ml cur^ rent glided smoqtlil^ ov.er: ; the, / brown pebbles, [and under th'e v 'broad' green leaves, the y.ellowr gourds, the scarlet flowers, and long, reedy grass-that-bor-dered it;] but-jl diredjaot 7ft descend to quench my thirst. T~ A zebrii came to drink— a- large and beautif uliy-Js'trteaked'bne-lrand ;Ii e^nvied the long, jdeep dmughtijthe. animal -took till suddenly his; ey^>caughtisightvpf my saddled uorse that was grusing near.a.nd then he fled from the spot.—- — — ■ Ifv3t& on adjacent tree! lfi clpmlcl -seeftthafc a colony pflbeosihacljlodg^d thefnMlv^Si and I lonjgod for some of their . spoibrr the hpney—^but had no means of -smoking them lout. 'U. With (Some^dry graissfi^ilcould have done so ; but to firejil-wpuld; haye co.sb'me a ball 'cartridge,-and lack 6f '£hat t'artidge.in-: some . future coutingency might cost mylife. ■- - - Eveuing;^ej^ Qy^t'U© oYening; of:, an interminable day as it scejne.4:to. i m:<3,.>; but 1 entlured with all patienoe and hope, trusj,ij}ginthafcithi%3was.jjbjit .the fortunate! begining of a happy end^. and thinking jover the two liues-f ronl-' Macbeth " withyj^high/ JE hadjp|t;en consoled mysglf in* tho perilous times, alrea^..4uoted .'■;—..• - — v r^ v j «,i Y^C'bmeiwLatr-TopTn'e mayi Time andjlhs hpiirjruifthroiigbjitheiro.ug'a- > _£_ esfcdaj^iy. ■..-.» i-iu-.ivj^A So the lagging-hours - passed-onr-the shadows greWj;deeper-initho.ilea!y, grove and I veßturscf to leave niyjlqftjr/perch at last. I . ' '.Y..Z i iHiiWhile|l'avingjniy/face;.ajnd -head>in-jthg run!nfelul:jdrank as the tliirscy duly Van drink. :T.the.njr^,bbjßd / -, > doVi}n : .niy,^iiossfl with turfs of "dryj karpspi gr^ssj jtheaniv XQal^'asJfresh.npw.after^ ffest* b'ii Ip^.e^jcarefjilly, 'to ,hi f s. tvap-i pings — to bride,, girtqf?, arid stirrup-.le.a-.! thers i siung^.my,~.,rifle{,to, i saddle, and mounting s.et forth/ guided; ohjiy ib.y t^ie last amher f flush (Of'dayliglit i that: lingered m jthe bejpnl|^heVimdulai-! ing, range of iiills >. ,v^iiich lat the end of the' v p|ain „rpß* u p^qaej.ji t^a'g,a^n]B.i th^e lightlike: the dick blue. waxes o£.a, pc, Dtpfied J(ea, ;. , •, ; , f .j' r s .- p , AU night Xrpde tpwards_ those, hills, and saw them rising in ' aiagnitud.e,^^ fore me. j bver_the^ wild, karoo -I . tnu herds of antelopjg§ were .SQourr ing ; once or twice a paj^ : of / .o^tricii^s i a .flock of bustards, and a>-don^efyjb| par, tridges passed me, bujf.iibtliing :Ji^gtile was visible under the clear bjrigb!t'stars of th» scjuthera t er6sß.',. and ! my, ear coild detect np s oufdd b| hbpf s l ,; ' 'tEb ugh , T J sometimes d,ianfc'urited and. placed . Bpiy ear<cloaej t^' tliftgr'oiund jt6 listen^ r j , „ i,| radejhQp#f uUy 1 yin, aud £(s yet'withr out Any $esir© foj* , fopd ox sleep.^nd without much'lehsatibn of '^arifiSss' ; hut I kne% tMt fbba «hd.'^l^mbw tbb tf Q^ld becbiig^jjre j&itig rie^c6 s^ities on the s morrowVAnd c"buld : I provide a ; my rifle/ and thereby summoning I r knew 1 * not what ene!mf t fr»mMh#-'iie^reift •thiCksfor Woof, •r*Bt#^ wiW^§^ 'x l 'Y ™ As pale dayHeht^be'gati^b 2 iteal f {ini greeßL ; waßtp w*s ( seen ''tp* f he ''Iprangled ssvitti-iflowfevftfia 'stujdcrea^Ueire And there ■nithihe f lovely J Ww? 'the gatfdy yellow bjlosbm v tf r b'f whlell Mr^thi^fa Ivorite of|tH'e-g4ra«^^ Wkf %aM&Wfi air with iperfume. J