A BURGHER OF THE FREE STATE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2426, 12 September 1900, Page 69

A BURGHER OF THE FREE STATE.

J3y BUD YARD KIPLING. [All Bights EeservedJ PART IT.— (Continued ) Little Jenny Pardew's father spoke true. They gave up the keys decked with tricolour ribbons at tho bidding ot a solitary Chilian first into Blosinfontein from no higher motive, ho says, than 10 get rooms at the club. They waved Union Jacks, and those who could not go north di-covered tliat their hearts had ever beaten for progress and reform. Somewhere on the veldt ran President Steyn, babbling of foreign intervention. Behind him, more to be fcnied, wa« Ivruger, threatening death to all who bowed the knee to the invader. North, east, and we.«fc the Transvaal commando i were drawing off with i'ree State cattle because, as th°ir commandants said, the Free Slaters were cowards. Bloemfontein — and now she began to pee why — had only a lew wounded English prisoners in her. T>.e bulk weio at Pretoria, good hostages against evil treatment should that army . It was impossible that the army could reach Pretoria. But the army was Here — In the town and outside the town — a huge clay-coloured rin?-.

Blosrr.fontein ro=>e after a restless night, cLmbcd the hill by the fort, ai-.d looked down upon the tentlcss isgior.F. They were wet, silent, and sulky — bi^U-y even to Papa Fric'-r, more English than the English, smirking a crops the green veldt, proud if he could catch the eye of the humblest " officier."

'■ Well, they've come," ,=aid Allen, slipping off his coat in the press room. He had gone ouc to watch the entry of the troops and had seen the beginnings of an ugly Kaffir riot put down by the strong hand. That did not look S3 if the English had employed natives in the war. The press room was empty; the gas engine was cold, and the Kaffir piessman sat impudently on the imposing table. Allen nodded at Bergmann's portrait. "It's a peaty you're not alive, old man! Ye've done well for ray country. If there's any knowledge or device beyond^the grave ye mu-st bo now. Now, what'll we have in hand for to-day? Toie God, there's no paper, o' course. Gone like rats, all of them."

Said a voice in Dessauer's room: "You see the situation, madam. I'm only ,a special correspondent, but I have authority to inform you — 3i — that we, that is, the army, take over the paper. At least, the office, and the type, and the men. The name will not be continued."'

"JL.see," said Mro Bergmann. "I suppose it is all right. My editor has, unfortunately, gone away. He will come back when Bloemfontein is re-occupied. But now, of course, you are masters here. I suppose I can take away my private papers. i had come here for that. You see, we did not expect you here so soon."

"Vincent, of the Universal Agency, did not say that he had thrashed an exhausted -pony down the street for the very purpose of forestalling Bergmann's widov/. This was one of the occasions when the British Army condescended to act on information received.

"•I am afraid you — ah- — cannot. An officer of the staff will be here in a few minutes to seal everything." Mrs Bergmann turned white, and bit her lip. " So there is nothing further — it would only be putting you out to ask yoti to stay here."

" I sea." said Mm Bergmaim, and rose up her hands faintly folded, the mirror of affliction.

" If you will be good enough to send here as many of the compositors and so on as may be in the town I should be very much obliged. We're anxious to print a little proclamation. The men v.-ill be paid their regular wages."

He entered the pressroom, rubbing his hands joyously, and confronted Allen in green carpet slippers, green velvet smoking-cnp, faded beard, brass spectacles, and all. "Hullo ! what are you doing here?" "Just waitin' for orders. I'm foreman."

"Vincent glanced*about with suspicion.' A dusty man dropped from his horse and staggered in stiffly. It was the chief correspondent of the Tians- Atlantic .Syndicate. " Hullo, Corbett ! We've commandeered the Banner, lock, stock, and barrel — by order. You're on the FtafF, toe — by my order." "I'\c got to describe the entry, my son. They've cut us down to two hundred and fifty words." '"Nothing but official wire? going to-night. The censor told me so. Hold the fort- here while I go up to Government House and get ■the Little Man's proclamation for Brother Boer. He wants it printed in to-day's paper. He told me to organise a staff. You're jpn it." '' To-day's paper? Say, this is history,'' said Oorbctf. with deep relish. "We're making it. The Syndicate can wait." I'll hold the fort."

- "No one is to touch anything till Daubeny comes down. He'll seal up all the private papers of the office. I've broken the news 10 Mother Bergmarm, and she doesn't like it. I think we've run down the Basuto proclamation at last. Lend me your pony and

I'll appoint you v ec!itor." "Vincent stumbled out and galloped away. Corbett moved over to Hie file of the "Banner" as it lay by the window.

" H'm," he said, critically scanning tho previous day's issue. " I guess this will be about the sharpest curve any paper's ever swung. Did you — " he looked at Allen with a sniiie — " did you believe any or this stuff about our men burning and ravishing and being forced to fight under fire of their own guns? "

"My business was to set it up," said Allen, impassively, though his heart beat hard. '" Ain't you English? " " I'm a burgher of the Free State since 1850 odd. But — I was born in Scotland. You'll be an American."

" Yes, I'm an American. What do you think of your war? "

" Just about what "you'd think if ye'd seen the country ye loved and lived in clean thrown away by a tool and a liar. That's the jlittle and the long o't. Tell me, now," Alien went on huskily, " What truth is there in that."

he nodded toward the open file, " that tha English used native troops fra Injia against us ? " " Oh, it's only a lie — just as big as any of the others — about the 15,000 Russians at Sand Rifer, or the invasion of London, or your three killed and five wounded, or anything else. Have you been fed on that stuff since the war? " He looked out of the window a^ a woman in black. " Poor devils 1 Pool devils ! " The woman entered — not that pious widow - of saintly habit who had gone away ten minutes before, but a virago unchained. Gerl and four compositors followed .her. In Ilia offing, alert, uneasy, but expectant, hung a small crowd of black and halfbred boys who in time of peace hawked the paper. They watched with open mouths. "We, have come," she shrieked, "for some private letters of — of my dead husband. If you are anything like what they call an English gentleman " Corbett' s large fat facTe lit with the blandest of smiles. - ...