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"With eagerness, scarce concealed, to complete everything as soon as possible, he rode down next evening with Eve, to show her the site of their future home. When they arrived at the spot, Harry was greatly surprised to see that the mound of stones was untouched. On questioning the teacher, he was told the men had been engaged, but that when they had been made aware of the nature of the work they had to do, nothing could persuade them to perform it, and threats were of no avail against the superstition with which this grave was enveloped. A warrior witch doctor had been buried there, and all who slept beneath this tree never slept there again-so said the natives. This grave was one of the most sacred resting places of their religious leaders, and one and all absolutely refused to lift a finger towards desecrating it, affirming they would rather suffer death than assist in dismantling the tomb. 'Surely,' pleaded they, 'the baas would not compel them to remove these stones when he knew how great a man lay buried there?' But the baas thought otherwise; he required that place, and no other, for his future home. 'Really,' said he to Eve, as they discussed the affairs of the day across the dinner tables, I believe these kafirs wish to frighten us. What's in this nigger's grave? -an old shrunken body, crumbled, maybe, into dust long years ago! As she seemed to agree with him, in spite of the fact that my father sided with the natives, affirming that it would only cause trouble if the tomb were disturbed, Harry determined to have his own way.

"The natives, however, stood aloof-even after a most heated interview between Harry and the chief of the tribe. The latter, when he realized that the former was not to be moved by any arguments, earnestly entreated the hot-headed youth not to commit so wanton a deed, ending up his appeal with a covert threat that woeful luck would descend on the head of him who dared disturb the old witch doctor's last resting place. The chief besought Fulton to choose another site, but the more the white-headed unlakhsa entreated Harry, the more determined the latter became to build where he wished.

"At various times we had chatted over

native superstitions, and it was evident that neither Harry nor Eve had much sympathy with them; they could neither comprehend nor even tolerate them. Both were very young-that is the only excuse for them. In the end Harry told the chief he was going to build where he wished, and if his (the chief's) people would not render assistance, well, he would get others who would. The old chief gravely saluted, but, with shaking head, added that the lad would rue the day he performed such a sacrilegious deed.

"When matters had reached this acute stage, Harry opened his heart to me, and asked me to use my influence with some of the neighboring chiefs to procure labor. To his utter amazement, I counselled him to refrain from the rash deed, and to take the old native's advice. Never seemed anyone so upset as poor Harry was that morning. 'Oh, fiddle-sticks!' retorted he, 'you surely do not credit these old wives' fables? Has my own chum even given over his faith to witchcraft?'

"No; I have not,' I replied, 'but I have not been born, and lived from childhood, amongst the natives without adding my amen to friend Shakespeare, when he says, "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy," and one thing I do know, and that is that a native will not brook interference with the objects of his superstitions; so better leave them alone. Take my advice, and don't disturb the old heathen. Let his bones crumble in peace.'

"Alas! would that he had listened to the reasonings of all around, but, in the first fierce fire of love's ardour, he determined he would not be balked. He contrived to hire some Hottentots, who had no scruples about witch doctors, under whose power they had never come.

"Fulton, now that his mind was made up, soon had the ground levelled, and, during my absence on a hunting trip, he made substantial progress towards the completion of his future home. Well, to make a long story shorter, the house was at last finished and furnished-the latter operation an easy task for two such loving folk as Eve and Harry. As far as the eye could judge, the cottage was an ideal abode for

the happy couple, who were married at the time of the next Nachtmaal. Moreover, I noticed that their bedroom was situated just over the spot where the grave had been. 'Sleeping on the top of the miserable old scoundrel,' as Harry mockingly laughed, 'will make our slumber all the sounder.' "The wedding festivities passed off with great success, and, the honeymoon trip over, the young people took up their residence in their new home.

"During the first night-so Harry related to me next morning-he awoke suddenly out of sleep with a fearful start. It seemed to him as if a spear point was pressing against his throat. Gasping for breath, he opened his eyes. All was clear as daylight, for the harvest moon's rays flooded the room, and he clearly saw the figure of a huge Matabele warrior standing over himself and his wife. The expression of ferocity on the murderous and scarred face was enough to shake Harry's courage for the moment, and all he seemed capable of doing was to observe that the gaunt creature was motioning him to go away orthe unmistakable action of the spear showed him what would follow.

"Harry, however, was no coward, and he attempted to push away the weapon. To his amazement, he grasped at nothing. Eve awoke at this moment, and when she saw the apparition clothed in its warlike paraphernalia, and observed the motions of the death-dealing instrument, she shrieked aloud with terror, aroused the servants, and then fainted away. Harry jumped out of bed, searched the house within and without; the servants, thoroughly scared out of their senses, swore that the baas had been mistaken-no one could possibly have entered the building.

"Poor Harry was at his wits' end, for it took him several hours to bring Eve out of the swoon into which the fright had sent her, and he was dumfounded when he discovered that her story of what she had seen was identical, to the merest details, with his own experience. Eve firmly declared she would not live another day within the house-until the mystery was solved she would remain with her own people. Harry's obstinacy, however, was never greater than then, and he swore he would get to the

bottom of the trick which had been played upon them by some of the natives.

"Harry accordingly drove his wife over to my father's house, and, after explaining what had occurred, announced his intention of returning to his own home and living there until he had made it free from ghostly visitants for Eve's sake.

"Ere Fulton left for his own farm, I begged of him to remain with us, but without avail. 'If the niggers thought they would frighten him with such a trick,' he persisted, 'he would soon disillusion them. That was his home, and an Englishman's home was his castle. He would bore a hole through anyone who came prowling round his bed at night-time.'

"That night Harry slept with a loaded revolver ready for use. 'Hanged if I'm going to be stabbed by a damned nigger,' said he, 'but, by Jove, what a blood-curdling countenance the old bounder had-awfully funny, I couldn't catch hold of his spear. Well, tonight, I won't ask questions; I'll shoot.'

"Nothing happened until Harry had been asleep for some time-for several hours, he thought-when he was again awakened with the same sensation. The spear point seemed to be driven relentlessly home. He opened his eyes, and, with a herculean effort, wrenched himself away from the weapon, grasped his revolver, and fired with deadly aim at the figure. The sound of the shot broke the spell, even as did the shriek from his wife on the previous evening, and the apparition disappeared as he leaped out of the bed. The natives, hearing the sound of the shot, rushed in, and found Harry glaring around, completely overcome with amazement. 'Where was the old warrior?' At such a short range he could not have missed, and still more puzzling was the absence of the slightest trace of blood!

"The whole incident was too mystifying for words, especially as Eve had about the same time experienced the same horrible sensations which Harry passed through at his home. It was most extraordinary, but every night for a week he enacted the same scene, and always when he had been asleep for a few hours; he had the same impression of being stabbed in the throat, and, on awakening, saw the same grim figure going

through the very same threatening movements. Time and again he fired at the figure until the side of the room was punctuated with bullet marks, but with no success-the warrior ghost vanished as he jumped out of bed.

"As a last resource, he tried to remain awake, but the eerie experiences of the past nights had so wearied him that the strain was becoming too much for him, and in despair he asked me to sleep in his room the next night. His pluck would not allow him to acknowledge himself beaten, and, although consideration for his wife should have made him surrender and submit to fate, he swore he would not.

"I've never been beaten yet,' said the plucky fellow, 'and I'm going to solve the mystery, even if I die for it.' When a lad at college, way down south, I remember learning a quotation which I always associate with my dear chum: 'Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat'—for me it is the only solution of the mysterious episode in my life.

"Whilst riding over to the fated homestead, I closely questioned Harry concerning the details of the apparition, and he recounted his weird experiences with a certain amount of cynicism I did not like. It seemed to be playing with death.

"We retired about the usual time to rest, and kept our revolvers close at hand in case of emergency. I do not know how long I had been asleep, but this much I recall-that I awoke with a start, feeling vaguely that all was not as it should be. Never shall I forget the scene which greeted my eyes as I opened them. Even now I plainly see the huge, gaunt, spectral

shape of the fully-clad warrior witch doctor towering over Harry, who was vainly trying to keep the deadly spear from his throat. For the moment I was paralyzed by the sight and unable to exert myself, the next, I saw Harry suddenly reach for his revolver. I did likewise, and we both fired simultaneously, whilst I hurled myself at the figure, but struck nothing more solid than the air. The figure had vanished. Half-dazed, I stood lost in bewilderment, then my eyes fell on Harry. He lay across the bed, very still, very quiet. I called to him by name, then shook him, but without getting any response.

"The room was now full of servants, whom the double report had brought at great haste, to see what the baas had done this time.

"Still dazed somewhat with the events of the evening, I turned to attend to Harry. At first, I thought only that the horror of the fright had caused him to faint away, but when I picked him up I received a shock I can never forget. He was dead, his open English face holding a look of fixed intense agony, and in the throat a gash-such as is made with an assegai thrust-trickling blood.

"A further sorrow awaited my arrival when reaching home. The shock had been too much for Eve; she had passed away the self-same hour that poor Harry was taken."

The mystery is a mystery still, and the memory of that lonely grave, far removed from civilization, ofttimes comes back to me when at early morn I cycle afar from the haunts of man, away from grimy, dusty Johannesburg, into the clean new veldt of God's own country.

At the Turn of the Road. S. E. KISER, IN "CHICAGO RECORD-HERALD."

The road that seemed so long at first is coming to an end,

The inn which we have sought to reach is just beyond the bend;

The way behind us stretches far, and strewn along its length

Are graves in which they lie who lacked our luck or will or strength.

Before us lies another way that winds and stretches far,

And there high hills and lonely miles and pleasant valleys are;

And many who are strutting now, without a pang or care,

Will be among the ones who fail for want of courage there.

Before we start upon the road which branches to the right

Beyond the inn where we shall have our lodgment for the night,

It will be well, perhaps, to give a thought to those who fell,

And ask if we were always fair when straining to excel.

The Perfect Man.

BY ADELBERT CLARK.

The man who loves his fellowmen,

The same, his God doth love; His character is true as steel

And fixed as stars above.

And everywhere he finds a friend
Among the high and low,
And men respect and honor him
Wherever he may go.

The children find in him a friend
That fills their life with joy,
And with his hugs and kisses, they
Can each wrong act destroy.
He knows that life is but to love,
And love is highest life,

And he who walks with God each day

Can baffle every strife.

The world soon reads and finds that he

Is every inch a man,

And in his every walk of life

They see God's holy plan.

There's honesty, and pity, too,

And charity for all,

And there's an arm to shield the weak

And lift them when they fall.

The man who lives through life unloved,
Will find his pathway lone

And scattered o'er with dying flowers

That should have decked his throne. He'll find that he has wandered where

The things of evil are,

Since love is life and life is love,

Man's true and guiding star.

EDITORIAL

ALUED PRINTIN
TRADES UNION COUNCIL
CEDAR RAPIDS

THE RAILWAY CONDUCTOR, PUBLISHED MONTHLY AND ENTERED AS SECOND CLASS MATTER AT THE POST OFFICE IN CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa.-Subscription, $1.00 per year.

C. D. KELLOGG, EDITOR.

A. B. GARRETSON AND W. J. MAXWELL, Managers, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
W. N. GATES, Advertising Agent, Garfield Building, Cleveland, Ohio.

Our

If any member of the Order knows of a subject better suited for an editorial for January, 1909, we would like very much to have him tell it to us. If we don't write what anyone thinks we ought to write, just please tell that to us also—and if we DO write what is desired and appreciated, we would not object to having that told to us also. However, we are not fishing for either vegetable or flowery bouquets, but will try to tell some plain, unvarnished facts.

It isn't perhaps best for one to be continually looking at the doughnut and never at the hole, but we opine that such gazing is better than to be continually looking through the hole. Therefore we think it is well at this time of the year particularly to look conditions squarely in the face, or perhaps to take an inventory, or strike a balance and compare it with the one we struck off a year ago. This is a good year to do that, because it is the year of our national convention, and if the members have been doing their duty by their Order they have taken a few minutes off occasionally to study the needs of the Order which have made their appearance since the last convention. In the nature of things, this is liable to be an evolution of the two years which have passed since the Memphis convention. We do not mean to say that there

Order.

are any laws on the statute books which need overhauling, but these are strenuous times in which we live, and members should be constantly on the watch for a chance to better the laws which govern.

We note, by the letters in the Fraternal Department, that the old question of a "Home," "District" representation, Article 27 of the Mutual Benefit Department, relating to "Relief Fund Assessments," etc., and a permanent headquarters for the Order, similar to the one to be built by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in Cleveland, are still uppermost in the minds of the members. We have full faith that all these questions will receive full and earnest consideration at the coming Boston convention. They may not all be settled definitely at that time. We hardly think they will be, for the settlement of some of them involves human limitations in the adjustment of problems relating to conditions of life which will probably not be very materially changed as long as "the world stands."

We think there is cause for congratulation in the substantial growth of the Order numerically, for despite the fact that during the last two years the country has been in the grasp of a very severe panic, or business depression, our membership has increased over four thousand, and twenty-six

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