1900-06-02 — Page 5

BRIBING THE BLUES.

Perhaps no mas perfect setting for a revival of the ever papilar comedy or tragedy of Love's young gram could be found than the banks of the per at Camford. The day was unusually ward for the month of March, the ft breezes whispering promises of the coming summer, and the glad sun shining benignly. from rise sel, in a perfectly cloudless sky.

Bataan and a maiden, who had met far eno yeyond the bounds of the town to be safe frammi rurious eyes of the idle undergrad, paid no wtation to the beauties of nature. They negde. not the young green corn so glad to E-ear Gout its shroud of snow inte, ne sath warish of Spring. Neither did they notev debght the tender buds just ready to burst in fuller life, nor the grey-green catkins that ine such graceful pendants on the still brown hege, mr the yellow Len: lilies and the gan geuse that fumed so vivid a contrast to the soft azure of the distant heavens. With lacie proverbial egoisin they thought but of themselves, and out of a surcharged "brain the mah spraketh.

They talked of his coming honours, of his assured degree, of the sang living that was waiting for him when his term of clerics piebation should be at an end. She pictures the 'gla future of two minds win: but a single thought, two hearts that beat

as it.

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 1900..

Tradesmen. here are very accommodating

ht?" he queried lazily, "Oh, damned accommodating-not to say pressing till they have got you into their clutches," returned Gerald, testily. The sub ject was not a pleasant one.

"Abl And then they became even more pressing, eh?" laughed the stranger,

+

"Then they put the screw on as you see, said Gerald, waxing communicative under the influence of several whiskies."

"And ben indulgent parents have to be ap ppated to ?"

"In my case, parents indulgent or otherwise, are a negligible quantity, Retired Army ficers have not much to spare for the necessary expenses of their unfortunate offspring at college.

And one must do as others do, ch, or be altogether out of the swin?"

You have no rich relations who would help you out of a light place?"

"I have a beloved uncle roiling in noncy who would be very glad to kick me out."

Then you are practically on your beam ends at this montent ?"

"I am afraid that that's about the figure, if these sharks are not speedily satisfied."

The stranger lighted a fesh cigar-Gerald's cigars were excellent. Then he took a long pull at his whiskey. He appeared slightly

nervous,

She de lingeringly upon the hope ttter Beir tharringe they would devoteer?" he asked. themselves heart and soul to good works, and as A natural consequence, live happily ever afterwards.

He covered sacarly on the approaching sruggle that was to he fought out some few weeks later on the Thames, and of his being chosen to fill a vacancy in the Varsity boat caused by No. 5 having elected to throw his weight to the fiercer struggle that was going' on in South Africa

"Amal the coach says that if I work the hange will be all for the benefit of the crew," remarked the young man, beaming with gratified pride. So you bet, Joan, my muscle shan't be allowed to grow flabby or my nerves amstrung when both are wanted for the honour of the Varsity,"

Rur, Gerald," obiectel Joan, with some anxiety, won't the training for the race inter- fere considerably with your sending? Think how much our future depends on your taking your feglur. You say your uncle has threatened to stop supplies if you fail"

Gemak waureat He had a rooted aversion to facing the unpleasant, and always preferred turning down ang anvenient side path to avoid the dread alte mative.

Ul, it will be all right," was his optimistic response-a fomula be invariably used and which was based upon the fact that it cnerally Fell in the lot of some unfortunate person to

make it all right to him,

Do not think me a croaker, dearest," con- tinued Joan, but if you only know the daily misery of my life as a resident governess, and cond longue te ecstasy with which I look for was to helping you in your glorious work, you will forgive my foolish fears."

"Yes, yes. Of course, Joan," said Greald, hastily. He hated just as much to hear that Jom was unhappy as feel the pinch of worry on his own account. But when Inni curate at Slow cum-Bodges, waiting for the living to ful sarany-the dear old recta is ninety three, you lenow--all your past discomforts will seen like a dicam."

Dear old Gerald" responded foàn, with a fook of fondest affection.

And so they parted. Gerald for an hour's practice in a gig pair under the severe

arching eye of the Varsity coach, Toan to the refractory papils and the superci lous parents who combined to rendered her

rary life well-nigh unbearable.

in the early hours at the morning, when Bastily dressing for chapel, Gerald Hungerford would experience sound slight twinges of un- easiness and remorse. Sent up to Camford by A capricious uncle, he knew that his stay was uncertain, and that it behoved him to make the most of the ortunities which an unwanted outbreak of good temper had afforded him. But, unfortunately, athletics were more to his taste than hard reading. As one of the crew of the Camford buat he felt that the eyes of the world the sporting world--were on him, and vanity held na nimportant place in his composition. When in the 'Varsity boat, straining every nerve and sinew to cracking point, the paths to glory seemed long and arduous. Still the glory, did shine brightly at the far end, and the wild cheers of the moltitude greeting the victorious crew seemned already to ring in his ears.

At such moments he forgot his pressing debts, his short-lived pangs of regret for wasted time, his annoyance at loan's minor miseries so continually poured into his cars. But when he was shut up in his rooms with his books, these things pressed heavily upon him. Then he recognised to the full the unpleasant fact that should the amount of his liabilities become known to his uncle, his stay at the University would be short indeed. All hope of the fat living at Slow-cum-Podger might be for ever abandoned, and Joan, his dear little Joan, would have to continue her daily drudgery an underpaid governess, while her youth and beauty were slowly consumed in the thankless "struggle.

Hungerford was sitting alone in his room one dull, dreary day, his elbows on the table, his head supported in his hands, his books before him, but his thoughts far, far away. Apile of envelopes, their contents too obvious for thems to need opening, lay beside him, and at that moment fife was appearing to him about as black 125 it is possible to pain! it. A sharp knock aroused in from his painful thoughts. With a sigh of positive relief be pushed his books away, sprang up and opened the door to confront a perfect stranger.

[

"Mr. Hungerford, I presume," observed the new-comer. Here is my card. I am the bearer of an introduction from a nutual friend Mr. Rhys-Jones. You know him well?"

"What, old Taffy I cried Gerald, his spirits rising rapidly at the prospect of a lengthened interruption to his studies. "We were at Marlborough together. How is the dear old chap?"

"Quito well," replied the stranger: "But I am afraid l'intrude at an awkward time. You were reading,"

"Not a bit of it," rejoined Gerald, hastily, "I have plenty of time to grind. Can you do a whiskey and soda? I have a very decent cigar to offer you, so make yourself as happy as possible in that armchair, and we can have

chat about Taffy and old times."

a

i

Gerald raised his bands as though to depre- cate the dread denunciation. He half stag: gered back, like one in fear of an impending blow, and awoke to find himself still by his own elbow, and Joan's letter, which had slipped fireside, the pile of duns on the table at his from his hand, lying on the rug at his feet.

With the excitement of the dream still upon him, he despatched a telegram.

"Acceptance rescinded. Utterly decline the dirty work."

To render assurance doubly sure, he wrote a letter to the same effect.

The race was rowed, the race was won, and Cauford had scored another success.

or double or treble lines of them, followed by "Your very loving Molly. These were Tom the words, "Ever your sweetheart, Alice," or say's letters from the farms of England and the Alice's wross alike, in very bold, thick writing. It seemed to me that all the Mollies and servants' halls of her cities.

And their kisses were so hearty and abundant that they stood out on the veldt, and were not to be passed unseen-though it did seem like sacrilege to notice them,

Dear rosy Molly, in your gown of print, and your flower framed cottage in Derbyshire, never make your kisses any smaller, and do not complain that they spend their mere wasted Kather be skeletons on the desert veldt. proud that you thus have sent to Africa the best things it has got-your brave lovers and your steadfast love.

1

As Gerald, elated with the glory and honour of victory, and oblivious of duns and disaster, was dressing for the customary dinner, a letter, brought by special messenger, was placed in in his hand. He opened it and read as follows: Dear Alice, in your starched cap and apron, as i see you meeting the postman' at your that ao Varsity man could be bribed to sell a "Dear Hungerford,-I had a bet with a fellow

master's door in London, let me supplement race, We ascertained that you were the hardest the whisper in your heart by saying that Tom- my deserves the four lines of tender crosses up of both the crews, and, consequently, the

that look like a battalion of cup ds, marching host open to temptation. Your wire won me

thousand pounds. As I am entirely in- at the bottom of your letter. He is rough and debted to you for this sum, and I owe dirty now, and he knows his comrades apart you some compensation for giving you a from one another more by the stains and rems of their tunics and trousers than by their all- bad quarter of an hour. I beg your accept ance of £500. Then we can cry quits. You alike, grimy, blistered faces. But he is a go! will not find me to return the money, as I gave fellow-brave, tireless, patient, uncomplaining, you an assumed name, and, morcover I am painfully sober just now, and true as steel fa

his sweetheart. You would perhaps think it strange if I clears had taken such a satisfactory turn

out of the old country tomorrow."

Paardeberg battle ground is wonderful to see. were to offer you assistance in this little mal for Gerald Hangerton, for his creditors, and it suggests Things

pandemonium--the wreck of The earth is all Gerald stared.. "You!" he ejaculated, half for Joan, that the first-named abreasly saw him- nature by delirium tremens

self installed in the comfortable living of Slow-slit with trenches, and the trenches are in pleasant surprise, baif in indignation.

I am prepared in place 500 at your discum-Podger. He fell upon that dinner with a littered with trunks, backs, tins, cartridge wonderful appetite, and wondered how he could clips, cartridge wrappings, broken rifles, posal," said the stranger.

shelter cloths, physic and spirit battles, old ever lave dreamt of quailing before the mild, blue, watery eye of No. 4.-Advocate of India. letters written in Dutch, shells, bullets, wasted food, bags and sucks, harness, tools-goodness knows what not. Behind the first trenches stand the ruins al scores of vehicles. Of some that were burned by shells only the ironwork and the tyres remain. There are buck wagons, ambulances, spiders, Cape carts, gun carriages, and covered farm wagons, all broken, torn, dix. membered, and ofter singed by fire.

As I passed across the river I came upon two mountains-of what, do you think? One of compressed hay and one of oats. And both were out fire, being burned by some men of the Warwickshire Regiment, by order of the Field Marshal, who has no wagons to bring away the precious food, and does not mean that the Buers shall get it. Awaiting the torch, was another great hillpek made of u thousand boxes of biscuits. And seventy mile ahead our horses and men were on half-rations, or less.

Gerald stared still harder. "Pare phil anthropy? he asked.

Well, primarily Bul there is a little matter in which you can materially assist me, if you are so inclined.

I thought so," said Gerald, with a shot,

AFTER A BATTLE.

dry laugh."Don't beat about the bush, old | THE RELICS AND REFUSE OF MODERN WAR. man, What is it?"

it is a matter of great importance to me that Oxbridge should win this race said the strange, looking attentively at the end of his cigar. Of course, I know that Camford is the fitter crew by a long way. Still, liule accidents will happen to the best of, crews sometimes, and thought that perhaps you--"

A great unth burst fruni Gerald's lips. "You neas that you want me to sell the race!" he exclaimed.

The stranger shrugged his shoulders. 15 there any need for counsely calling a spade a spade "the inquired.

Did Khys Jones know the object of your visit when he sent you here?" asked Gefald, white with rage.

My good fellow, reflect a moment. Is this a matter one would be likely to proclaim on the botisetops "

Gerabl tore in halves the cand that the man' And given him. There's the door," he said. When you see Rhys jores again tell him from me that he had better be a little more particular in the choice of his acquaintances."

The visitor took up his hat. "My address is the Metropole, London," he said, nodding a farewell. Perhaps I shall hear from you later on."

The door slammed behind him, and Gerald.] was left alone with his passion and bis un- pleasant reminders of pressing debts. Almost mechanically he opened the letters, All the same monotonous demands, couclied

most peremptory terms for imme diate payment. A pale grey envelope dropped from among the pile. Gerald, which a sinking heart, tore open It contained a note from joun, which rap

in the

..

1 am dismissed from my situation. Mrs. Ellis accuses me of flirting with her sona horrible but I was so angry that I said things. I had better not have said. I am thrown almost penniless epou the work now, and have no references. Oh, Gérald, when is all this wretchedness to end ?"

(BY JULIAN RALPH).

"Even the coming butterflies are the colour

of khaki, as Tommy Atkins remarked when

he saw his first swarm of locusts.

There is an exception to the rule, as was proved by the next living thing I saw. It was a secretary bird a yard in height, as heavy as a big turkey stately bird holding himself proudly and stalking along with noble strides as he glanced about him for a breakfast of snake. He was black and white. Partridges and many snipe-like birds fluttere: out of our road, and, presently, I saw ahead of me a cloud, swarn of vultunes sharing in as thick as if they had been moilis. As I drew neator I noticed that the bulk of each one's body was very great. On the ground-where there were wo score waddling about-they seemed ever larger. They marked the outer edge of the great and horrid field of carnage. Many dead horses lay on the veld, and these birds were eating some and perching on the backs of

others.

Foul, ruscous, ugly beastly Birds are these They were to be my constant companions for three days. I was ao see ludreds upon hun- dreds of them, and never once, by day, fail to See then. Yet there were not enough of them to make away with all the food that war had given them. Toward the end of the ride the ghoulish birds thinned out, but the dead horses and oxen multiplied.

THE-VULTURES' FEAST.

I am told that a British officer who would not take a pin for his own use will steal like an Albaniauto feed a hungry horse-and all our luxes have been hungry of late, and many a gentleman has looted forage. It must be, thun, that our officers feel as do about this slaughter of horses in this war. Between battles a dozen deadly forms of disease, seize them, and they have to be flung aside, and left to die in the dust. And in battle their legs are snapped off, Gerald, exhausted, sank down by the table their bodies torn, and their heads are shattered and buried his face in his arm. Fate sened and there is nothing to do but to leave them to the aasvogels, as the vultures are called. against him. Open disgrace and Joan's des

There is no time, in battle, in shoot them. pair on the one side. Secret dishonour and

Let the anti-crucly people at home rave as his down self-contempt on the other. Which they may, there are other things to think of

Then he buside humanity in the heat of great battles.

have ever seen, none has compared to this view But of all the pitiful, heartrending sights of hundheds upon hundreds of dead and dying horses on this 100 miles of war's promenade The poor beasts had done no man any harm

was it to be ?"

The struggle was a long one. raised a white face, all drawn and haggard with the mental conflict. He hurriedly penned the word: "I accept your offer addressed the cover to the Hotel Metropole, and, without giving himself time for further thought, des- patched the missive that was to cover him with disgrace and shame for all time. Gerald Han gerford did not feel much disposed to face his fellow man with the stain of treachery still fresh upon him, 30 he remained. miserably brooding over the fire.

But however terrible the tragedy in his heart, it was a tragedy that must be played out in solitude, where there was no human eye to gaze upon it. He must meet the world and look it in the face as though he were the same Gerald Hungerford of yesterday, and not the treacherous despicable cur le knew himself to be. He felt that he was changed outwardly as well as in his inmost soul; he fancied, rightly or wrongly, that his friends eyed him askance and watched him covertly, as though conscious that he was an object of suspicion. He earned the praises of the coach for his fine form and his powers of endurance, but the praise covered him with a shame so deep that the virulent abuse hurled at some of his companions in the boat seemert by contrast a worthier and more desirable thing.

When the morning of the race arrived, and he rose heavy-hearted at the prospect of the despicable part he was pledged to play, he felt that he would gladly"Aing himself into that river which was to be the scene of his base treachery He walked with the crew down ti the landing stage as a criminal, might walk to the scaffold. He saw, in a dazed way, the crowds that lined the banks; he heard, as n confused babel of sound, the cheers of the multitude.

"You look pretty ghastly, old chap" re- marked No. 4. "What is it? Care of funk?" Gerald made on angry reply, and noted that the man locked astounded. But there was no time for further parley. They all tumbled somehow into their places in the beat, the signal was given, and they were off.

It was a close thing till the finish. The c cited crowds cheered on to victory first Cam ford and then Oxbridge as the least advantage fell to one or to the other. Then suddenly the

Camford crew, answering to the stroke's splen

did spurt, shot ahead, and a tremendous shout went up that Camford must win. But Fortune, with one of these turns of her wheel that bring decreed disaster to the most confident of victory, otherwise. No. 5 fell forward over his oar, the swing and rhythm of the stroke, was lost, the other boat crept nearer and nearer, came along side, then, with a mighty effort forged ahead and in that moment the race was over. Ox. bridge had won by half a length.

in fact, each one had been a man's reliance-

and to see them tattered by shell and then tipped open by vultures, often before they were in one's breast. They had not deserved and dead, was enough to snap the tenderest chords held at understand their horrible ill. luck. For some reason, hundreds had dragged themselves to the main road, and then had died either in the track of the wagons or by ile side.

HORROR ON HORROR'S HEAD.

But the worst horror was to come when I

approached close upon the last battlefield, only twenty-four hours after the fight at Driefontein. On this field not nearly all the horses were yet dead. On the contrary, as I came up beside the prostrats body of a beautiful steed it would slowly and painfully lift its head and turn apen me a pair of the most pleading, woe-stricken eyes, full of a hunger to know what I could do for it. And all I could do was to drive on, for I had no firearms--even for my own protection, deep in an enemy's country, where we had put no single armed man to guard the route of our supplies and reinforcements

My companion used to turn and look back at these dying horses only to find that they were still straining their sad eyes after the cart, Then he would say," "He is looking at us yet. Oh, it makes me ill Look! he is staring at us like a guilty conscience. What can we do? I wish we did not see such things."

For my part, I would rict look behind. Heaven knows, it was bad enough to see ahead where horses stumbled and fell from weakness, while the horrible aasvogels swept in circles over them, eager to rend their living flesh, Oxen, too, were lying everywhere, with straight, stiff legs silhouetted against the veldt. They looked like the toy animals that children make out of round potatoes with wooden matches for legs.

AN ARMY'S BISCUIT LINS.

Such is war.

·Such is what must be endured by Tommy, by his generals-ay, and by the Duke of West- blanket, ere this, and six feet of the veth for minster, who has been glad to borrow a

his bed.

All the places on the veldt are alike, but they have different names. At one spot in the monotony, called P. plar Grove--and eter- nally to be known as a battlefield-we met a Kule band of Engineers, labouring along with heavy wagons, loaded with telegraph wire and tools. They were setting up the field telegraph and repairing what had been set up, and knock- ed down by our huck wagons at night.

"You are the first civilians to make this jour ney," said an officer. "The enemy is all about us, and we have tut guarded the route. Those hills ahead are full of Boers. They cupped a cart and horses there yesterday, and they have been sniping us as our men have passed along the road.

OUR FRIEND THE ENEMY.

We outspanned and cooked breakfast, and the-little caravan disappeared over a ridge be side the dangerous kopjes. On the instant that we thought ourselves alone there sprang up, as if out of the earth, a Boer and his grown up son both on horseback, and both making straight for us. They came, and stood by our camp fire and looked us over, and they went to our cart and examined its contents. Then they advised us how to go on to the army by the shortest way, beside their hostile kopjes. And presently they rode off and lingered at a dis- ance, watching us. They were a dirty, well set-up lithe pair, who sat their fine horses like centaurs. We took a route they had not re- commended, dodging their kopjes, and soon overtaking and passing the Royal Engineers. Again we were alone upon the veldt:

After this we met many Boers, who always made straight for us. Each time we gave ourselves up for lost and made up our minds to go to Pretoria without resistance. But all these Boers were fence-straddling wretches who pra tended to be glad we had come, and were sure very kindly, but the British had stolen their to tell us that the Boer Army had treated them hens and turkeys-and to whom should they make out their bills 'As a matter of fact, every one of them had sold live stock and forage to our Army, and been generously paid, and the thefts of which they complained were trivial- even if their stories were true.

The whole vista was covered with the itself. Its front racks were tailing out into transport, and it was like a majestic army in

being inspanned. The noise of the bellowing long queue and trekking away. The rest were

negroes, of the thing and cracking of the of the beasts, of the barbaric yelling of the enormous whips, an if the jolting and creak ing of the wagons was a din as difficult to deseth' as to forget.

On a side' rond we drove past a mile of this, extraordinary train of food, and then entered the great valley in front of Bloemfontein, And lo for at least four or five miles before as the vanguard of the transport still reached-away We had not seen half of it until then. Guards at five paces apart lined a portion of our route. Cavalrymen in large forces dashed along past us. Full companies of infantry kept slow pace with the wagons, in other places.

In time there came to be but ong road, dark. wess fell, violent thunder, lighting, rain burst upon the weldt, and at a mile and a half an hour we crept all night long towards Bloemfus tein to the incessant teme of the stacking, air- slitting whips and the tigerish yells of the vast mouthed negroes.—Daily Mail,

CHRISTIAN OF DENMARK: THE BEST-LOVED KING IN

EUROPE.

The Danes, as a nation, are democrats. Their country is too small for class di-time- ions, they will tell you, smiling good hum. uredly the while, as if well content that it should be this. And strange to say, the most thoroughgoing democra among them is the King himself. There is not a Sovereign in all Europe who is more loved and respected by his subjects than King Christian; indeed, the relations between him and them are in many respects quite ideal. They look on him as a father, though, rather than as a mler, as a wise and experiented counsellor, one to whom they can ever turn for guidance when dificaties arise. They do not always take his advice, it is true; on the contrary, as often as not they receive it with caving, and tell him roundly they will have none of it-that they will follow their own devices in fact, And the King, when he hears this, only smiles and shrugs his shoulders; fur he knows full well that, Sooner or later, his people will come round to his way of thinking Meanwhile, he pays not the slightest attention to what they may say or do, but just arranges maiters as he thinks best for the country at large. For, as most democrats, he is heart more the a touch of a despot, a kindly and benevolent despot, it is true, and he would as soon think of flying as of allowing the freaks policy, or throw his kingdom out of gear.. and fancies of party politicians to influence his

Englishmen who visitenmark often profess themselves quite scandalized at the unconstitu tional state of things they find there. Why, 250 years ago, we cut off our King Charles's head for doing precisely what your King is doing now," one of them exclaimed, the other day, after listening to an account of the way in which the Danish kingdom is governed.

"Ah! yes! so you did," replied his Danish host with the utmost non-chalance. But then, you see, your King Charles was not lar; whereas our King Christain is the inst popular man in all Denmark."

popo.

"Is that a reason why he should be allowed to trample on popular rights, to set at defiance the wishes of his people's representatives, and tevy what axes he chooses?" demanded the Englishanan, all aglow with virtuous indigna- tion.

WHAT THE KAISER CAN DO.

In an illustrated character sketch of the Gar man Emperor in The Young Man for April, we are told that he has written a public prayer and conducted a chois. He can cook as well as he can cat. He can play chess, paint pictures, or draw caricatures. He has learned enginesting and studied electricity. Though he can only use one arm, he can shoot game for four hours the rate of two a minute. He has over a hundred titles, and is an admiral in three of the biggest navies. In twenty-five years he has shot 23,000 head of game. He changes his dress a dozen times a day, has a dozen valets, and a wardrobe wonh 40,000. He works every day from 5 am to 7 pm. He can write a song as well as sing it, can manage a yacht as well as he can ride a horse. He can conduct a religious service as well as a bishop. He can commiand a fleet as well as an army, a ship as well a regiment. He is king, e- peror, author, musician, dramatist, traveller, choir-conductor, sportsion, singer, and there is nothing, from rocking a cradle to ruling an empire, of which he is not a master. He is the Royal Jack-of-all-trades, with the pride of and the power of a Cesur, le is the modern William the Conqueror. Before he had been on the throne two years, he had dismissed the foremost slatesman on the Continent of Europe.

AN ELEPHANT KILLED BY A

TIGER.

-"old Shikari " writes from Mymensing: In my varied and fully ling experience of shikar, I have never known, or heard, of a tiger having killed, a full-grown elephant of over 7 feet in height! Arcordingly I was faily staggered to hear from any hend mahout that one of sowarry elephants had been killed by a tiger! I confess I found it very difficult to belleve the report, and was rather inclined to think that the elephant had died from some other cause, and that the mahoots, in order to screen their own neglect, had cooked-up this story. I pools-poobed the iden altogether, and gave the bearer of this starting hubber to understand that was not to be easily imposed upon, but would investigate into the matter personally on the spot. And as my arrangements for a small shout with a few local friends to the foot at the Cave Hills had already heen made, my vishing the place where the elephant was reported to have been killed dia not in any way interfere with my plans, but on the contrary, suited me admimbly. While in camp. I went over to the spot with the friends" who had joined me, and we were all surprised to see the scene which met our eyes. The place where the, remains of the poor ele. phant lay shewed plainly that, a hard strug- gle had gone on there between the elephant and the tiger, or a couple of tigers, for ought we know: The high grass jungle where the elephant was hebbied and let loose at night for grazing, was trodden and trampled to an extent of about forty square yards. The elephant, as said before, was hobbled, and therefore could not run away from its 29sail- ants, and its cries of distress and shrill trum.

potings were heard by the villagers, a couple of miles off. The rope hobbles were still on its legs, and the half-severed ear and the holes on the skin of its neck plainly indicated the altacks of a tiger, and left no doubt in my nind that the poor harki had been cruelly done to death by a pair of tigers, which must have tackled her from both sides at the same time and buried their fangs deep into her jugular veins, and finished her off quickly. The skin did not seem to have been injured much, and it laid like a ' pall' or rather a tar "Yes, surely the best of reasons," replied the paulin, covering up the whole skeleton de- Dane, stolidly, "We are very proud of our cently! With a line of twenty-four elephants King: he is the handsomest old gentleman in

we tried to drive this elephant killer out of the Europe, and he has the best manners. It is surrounding jungles, buteur beat was unsucces- quite a picture to see him with his beautifulful, the jungles were too thick and extensive. daughters. Then, we trust him implicitly, the malicats were also rather nervous and (Now, if i remember rightly, you never did unwilling, and I am afraid this killing of the trust King Charles.) We know that his one elephant by a tiger will have a demoralizing effect on the nerves of the mahoots in future; wish is to do what is best for us all, and we have faith in his judgment. Thus, whenever and will interfere with, cur shoot in heavy there is a dispute between him and the Rigs.

covers after tigers so we left the elephant dag, the great mass of us take up our stand by enter in his glory till the next cold weather, his side; for we know the chances are that he is

when we hope to find the jungles more prac- in the right, and they are in the wrong, Ofcourse licable for a successful beat.-R. Times. we should be very glad if he could reconcile himself to the idea of choosing his Ministers from the ranks of the party that are in a majo. rity in the House: But he cannot, it seems, and we are not going to let him be worried about the matter any more. He is an old man, you see; it is natural, therefore, that he should abject to changes," t

Strange to say, although the King of Denmark of his subjects are democrats too, the Danish is a democrat, and the overwhelming majority Government is, and has been for years, Con- servative. And this in spite of the fact that for every Conservative there is in the Rigsdag there

are inore than ten Democrats!

Auctions.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

No. 273.

Tale of Crown Land by Public Auction, to be held at the Offices of the Public Works Department, on

"HE following Particulars and Conditions of

TUESDAY, the 5th day of June, 1900, at 3 R., are published for general information.

By Cummand,

F. 'H. MAY, Acting Colonial Secretary. Colonial Secretary's Office,

Hongkong, 26th May, 1900. ̧

Doab

Particulars and Conditions of the letting

All sorts of odd little stories me told in Cupen SO GLAD!

hagen with regard to the kindly, if somewhat Near Driefontein we came to the ranch

free and easy, terms on which King Christian house of a German family named Mulke, and

lives there with his subjects. For instances, went in and had the inevitable coffee with them. There was a Boer ambulance doctor spiriting ber of workers were standing on the Esplanade

one morning-it was during a strike-a aum about in the hall-a man attached to the Gerdiccussing their rights and wrongs. The men man corps and afraid to go out and join his

were excited strong language was the order But of people, as I understood the case. Cause the Mulkes were very glad the British of the day and just when passion was at its by Public Auction Sale, to be held on Tuesday, had come as they would have been if the height, the King was seen approaching. He the 5th day of June, 1900, at 3 P.M., at was walking, and as usual, without a single the Offices of the Public Works Department, by Badrs had come instead, And, of course, the

guard. Let us as the King wint be Order of His Excellency the Officer Administer rest of the monotonously sickening humbug thinks," called out one of the crowd.In, Ja" ing the Government, of One Lot of CROWN gery of their talk, and this was it :

was the reply from all sides; and in a moment | LAND, at Ma-Ti, Kowloon, in the Colony of the men were close around him, with flushed Hongkong, for a term of 75 Years, with the faces and eager eyes,

option of renewal at a CROWN RENT to be fixed by the Surveyor of Her Majesty the QUEEN for one further term of 75 years.

PARTICULARS OF THE LOT.

it wor

"Ve is Lon Roppers here in preakfast yes- terday morning," said Mrs. Malke. "vos so clad to see him. And, my ain't he little to be so glever and great? And ye hat here der Brince of Deck and

writter of news. babers named Hands and der Count Gleichen. Vot is your name I said, and he s id Gleichen, und 1 said, 'Not der Graf, berhaps, and he said, 'Yes, I am Der Graf!' und he vos in tny kitchen. All of dem vos in der kitchen. My! such a lot of grade beople to be in my house! Und der lirince of Deck said, 'I vill show you a bicture of your Kaiserin, and it is in my wagon. Und he vent owd und came again back und stuck his head in der kitchen window und said to my daughter, "Tell your can'd find der photo- mother I am so sorry graph of der Kaiserm," Vos it not nice for him to dake so much trouble? My he is so tall as der top of dat blcture which hangs by.der top of dat door."

We camped at Driefontein, beside a branch of the Australian hospital-famed as the most excellent of army hospitals Next day we were just behind the British as they swept the kopies for Boers, and that evening we came upon Lord Roberts's transpart, which deserves a longer article than this solely to itself. And yet it Where there lad not been a battle there had † must get but ■ kodak snapshot and be done been a camp, and where there were no signs of with. camping there were almost sure to be the fur. rows and the junk of war. When we found gin bottles and three-legged, pot-bellied iron kettles When we saw only shiny biscuit tins the size. we knew we were where the Boers had camped. of little trunks we needed not to be told that we stood where there had tested an army that had fed on only one biscuit a day but had gone on complainingly on, well content with being led by the greatest wizard of war since Napoleon

Everywhere, alag, blazing objects, gleaming like ton-weights of crystal, littered the slovenly face of the earth. They were great army biscuit tins. Cartridge shells, bully beef tins, tattered conts and trousers torn from wounded bodies, cartridge papers, shrapnel shells and shot, trenches, lille forts with crowns of sand bags these, also, grew familiar as household orna ments.

THE TRANSPORT ARMY,

In spite of the convivial aids to conversation, they soon found that they had exhausted the subject of Old Taffy. Rhys-Jones had never been remarkable for many brilliant quafities, and the life of an idler about town had not served to develop the very few he possesed.. There was a lengthy pause before the visitor changed the subject, His eyes had wandered to the tell-talo envelopes on the table.

"You have remarkably enug quarters," he pbserved:

Are all Varsity

to be the whale "Quite artistic. men as luxucious in their surroundings? You see I have been all my life in the colonies, and Hon't know much about these institutions."

Gerald winged. The luxuries alluded to were the cause of many of those cursed blue onvelopes. The stranger saw the involuntary movement and smiled slightly,

Gerald, as be stumbled up the landing stage. looked half dead and ghastly enough to excite the sympathy of the byitanders. Some was indeed audibly expressed for him in terms so hearty that he shrank in utter self-loathing and abasement. Only No 4 looked him full in the oyes with a contempt that showed that one man at least knew him as he was.

"Poor chap Case of over training," sald a kindly sympathiser,

voice. This man is not ill, ha le a➡

Do not be deceived, cried a loud, resonant

the British soldier's idol, little Bobs.

THE GIRL HE LEFT BEHIND HIM. -

Wherever there had been a British camp one found a great litter of little bits of wilting paper, avery tenth pluca marked with allue of x *****

The King greeted them in his usual good. humoured fatherly fashion, and inquired what was wrong. They promptly unfolded their grievances, setting fortis in telling language how they were living on the very verge of star- vation, whereas their employer were just roll- ing in wealth. They asked for higher wages, shorter hours, and all the recognized items of the nineteenth-century labour programme..

Na of Saic.

How-

In

LOCALIT

Jagd

Lot

No.

1

Lots Marth.

Houndary

Measuremonts,

E.

3.

W

it. f. AL

Contents In

Animal Reas

[676 GTA $30 98.0 7,58739 844-

PUBLIC AUCTION.

King Christian listened to them very patient. ly, though a whimsical look came into his eyes when they spoke of starvation; for, judging by their faces, a better fed set of workers than those of Denmark it would be hard to find. In that part of the world I never yet saw man, woman, or child who looked hungry. Ai length, when they had quite finished their tale, his Majesty took the matter in hand, and set to work to question them in a way that showed at THE once that he was quite as well acquainted as they were with the whys and wherefores of their By Order of the ROYAL DANISH CONSULATE, strike. He pointed out to them frankly where. in he thought they were in the right, and wherein they were in the wrong.

FRIDAY, the 8th June, 1900, Ha proved

nt NOON, on BOARD,

to Sell by PUBLIC AUCTION;

Undersigned has received instructions

.on

to them clearly that their employers posed; THE Danish Barkentine no means so riċit as was popularly supposed; proved to them, too that the granting of higher wages and shorter hours would spell rain for | Danish lndustry,

First we came upon a great plain, alive with oxen, and, further on, an orderly array of acreș The men defended their position, of course; saw another huge herd of agen, and anothering the case with them from all possible points of buck wagons. A few miles further along we and for a good hour the King stood there argu field full of wagons in mathematical array of view-much as some popular professor Rach of these masses of transport wa

wp supposed might argue with a pack of intelligent but un- of the uply

rensonable students, He did not make a single On we rode, and oily

I'mounting a ndgo we saw concert, it must be confessed; none the less, he the entire valde before us thickly covered with and thy parted on the best of friends and with transport wagons-hundreds upon hundreds of the heartiest expressions of mutual goodwill them and sixteen times as many hundreds of Indeed, the men alliageded, og fie went on his oxca and an army of blacks and their conduc way, that there was not in Europe, another tors never saw so many wagons, and I be King worthy to be compast with theirs,——~P.M. love I never anw a tenth part of so many oxen, Gazsite.

"FRANZ." 358 TONS Rro,

with all her GEAR, ANCHORS, CHAINS, SAILS, &c (Except Provisions) as she now. lies in this Harbour. cription to be at Buyers Risk at the fall of the The Ship with all Faults : Errors of Des Hammer.

PAYMENT: Cash at the fall of the Hammer. The Ship can be inspected Daily from Morn lug till Sunset

A Steam-launch will leave NEW PEDDARS WHARF, on the Day of the Auction, at 11.30- AM, to convey intending Purchasers m

FAUL BREWITT Auctioneer, Hongkong, sist May, 1900,

Page 5Page 6