A Fair Colonist, etc

Front matter

_> si A FAIR COLONIST a NOVELS BY ERNEST GLANVILLE. THE LOST HEIRESS. Crown Svo, cloth extra, with Frontispiece by Home Nisbet, 3s. 6d. ; post 8vo, illustrated boards, 2s. "Mr. Glanville's tale of adventure has features which place it far above the usual level of its kind. The plot is of considerable interest, but the strong point of the book lies in its pictures of warfare in Zululand. These are painted with tbe vivid realism only to be attained by a personal knowledge of the country described."— Morning Post. ••The wealth of stirring incident and strong situations, and the easy impetuous style in which the novel is written, ea^ly countervail any objections that rise against the veri similitude of the story ; and the book as a whole is enjoyable and stimulating."— Scotsman. " It is a dashing story of the Zulu War, and abounds in strong situations and forceful characters. . . .

The heroic deeds of the rival soldier-lovers are watched with hearty interest, rising at times to excitement." — Scottish Leader. " The local knowledge displayed Is considerable, and there is enough ' love, battle, and adventure ' to furnish forth many a less conscientious caterer to youth ul curiosity."— Athenæum. " Even the veteran novel-reader may spend an hour or two pleasantly over ' Tbe Lost Heiress." The author is thoroughly familiar with life in South Africa, and his knowledge is displayed to great advantage in a story the scene of which is laid there during the Zulu War. For crisp, terse descriptions of campaign episodes he shows a considerable gift ; and the account of the death of the Prince Imperial is well and graphically told."— The Lady. THE FOSSICKER: A Romance of Mashonaland.

Crown 8co, cloth extra, with Frontispiece by Hume Nisbet, 3s. ti<2. ; post 8vo, illustrated boards, 2s. " A story of exceptional power. ... As full of enchantment as anything in romance We cannot believe that any one fairly launched on the way could put tlie book down for a minute, so enthralling is the spell the author has created." — Saturday Review. " This clever and well-written book is crammed with thrilling adventures." — Guardian. " There is enough compressed adventure to have supplied at least half a dozen volumes."— Truth. " The story is thrilling in the extreme, and it is impossible not to admire the author's descriptions of African scenery and the skill with which the most sensational incidents are made to follow each other with kaleidoscopic rapidity." — St. James's Gazette. " This story not only proves Mr. Glanville's close familiarity with South Africa, but his power to make a fine romance of the exciting adventurous kind. . . .

Chapter I

'AGR I. Where the Partridge calls Sally... 1 II. 12 III. A Game of Tennis In the Shadow 24 IV. 31 V. Ada at Bay 40 VI. A Novel Pboposal 45 VII. VIII. The Roystering Strand a football-match 51 00 IX. The Cry of the Cicada The Tikoloshe 67 73 X. 79 XI. Following the Srooit A Happy Valley The Cat and the Snake The Cattle-thief XII. XIII. XIV. 87 95 105 XV. Stock-stealing The Manager . 114 XVI. XVII. XVIII. 122 The Buffalo-hvnt 132 The Flogging of Umfaas Makanna ... 138 XIX. us XX. Amos . 150 XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. A Hot Day 102 A Quiet Evening A Visit ... IOS 170 In the Garden 182 Trouble at Twani's CONTENTS. VIII TAGS CHAPTFR 197 XXVI. Jimmie is Useful The Trial... 202 XXVII. XXVIII. 207 Mr. Gardner . Dorant again At the Seaside 212 XXIX. 219 XXX. 2'24 " The Three Sisters " Amos dismissed XXXI. 229 XXXII.

XXXIII. XXXIV. 233 A Gallant Rescue.. 240 Sally is asked a Question Makanna is angry . . . 245 XXXV. XXXVI. XXXVII. XXXVIII. 250 The Plugged Bullet A Double Crime and a Mystery Suspicions 253 259 Further Suspicions 266 XXXIX. The Cry of the Ghonya A Shot in the Nigut To the Kloof 271 XL. 277 XLI. 283 XLII XLIII. A Desperate Struggle A Ghastly End 291 XI.IV. 300 XLV. The Queen's Award Amos goes on a Mission Lost for ever 309 XLVI. 316 321

CHAPTER I. WHERE THE PARTRIDGE CALLS.

A youxg man in the bracken, a girl on a rounded knoll beneatli a few wind-tossed firs, and behind, to the west, the Surrey flats covered to the eye by a continuous forest of elms and oaks. In and out, among the yellow growth of dying bracken, went a brace of retrievers, their feathered tails waving quicker and quicker as the scont came stronger from the scattered members of a covey here marked down, and their red tongues flaming a signal of danger to the brown birds crouching low each under its own tuft. " I wish I were a man," she said, with a quick look round and up at the calm, grey sky — such a look as the caged lark makes when it half opens its wings and stoops its head as some free bird cleaves across its vision in the outer air. No man would have echoed that wish. Miss Tamplin was altogether too charming to be lost in the hideous sameness of the male herd, as she stood there tapping the smooth floor of matted pine with a dainty foot, a rich colour in her browned cheeks, and a sparkle in her eyes that proved she had a spirit in keeping with her alert and active form.

Her small, smooth chin made a bold sweep to the resolute mouth, and had it not been for a shadowy dimple at the corners, the close set of the lips would have given an unpleasant look of firmness or dis content to the face. Her glance went back to the young fellow below, then to tho dogs, and it was because she caught something of the intense interest which was visible in every action of the dogs and man, that she grew impatient at her position as a mere onlooker. It u scorned to her that women had to stand apart from the play as well as from tho business of life, and sho resented this. There was an evident bond of sympathy between the hunters, drawn from that sporting instinct which is the gift of nature, and which perhaps few women enjoy since they could not utterly sink their self-consciousness.

Right and left the dogs quartered tho ground, crossing and re-crossing, now with their muzzles low down among the roots, now lifted high to test tho air, and ever and again casting a backward glance to the intent figure behind, who, mindful of each such glance, would givo a low cry in encouragement. The brown barrels lay cradled in his left hand, and the forefinger of his right hand would occasionally seek the curve of the trigger, while his keon eyes went from dog to dog, and his foet felt a way for him. Never a glance or a thought had ho for the figure above. There was a rustling in the grass ; the leading dog stood as if carved in marble, its right foot up, its head thrust forward, and its eyes, in a blaze of suppressed excitement, fixed on a glittering spot in the matted grass. A spot of dew, maybe, lasting from tho night in this cool retreat, or rather the rimmed eye of a crouching bird.

" Good dog, Ponto ; flush him." Ponto seemed to slide forward a yard. There is a flurry in the grass, a flutter of wings, a sharp note of alarm and warning from the old cock bird, and the covey gets up. In an instant the butt is to tbe shoulder ; in the same instant there is a double report ; one bird stops in mid flight with a spray of feathers struck out, and falls limp and lifeless to the ground. Another soars high into the air to flutter sick and stricken to death at the girl's feet. She looked on it in its dying agony, with the red drops on its shining feathers, its tongue bent and throbbing within the open beak to each gasp, and the brilliant eyes wide opened. The wings beat the ground a minute, the neck turned stiffly back, the eyes closed, and tho death tremor was over. If she had not been moved at such a scene, one that often touches the most inveterate sportsman, and makes him determine for the space of one minute that he will shoot no more— well, we should have left her out of this story altogether.

"That was a splendid right and left, quick as lightning. Ah, here's the second chap"— he stooped and picked the bird up. " Fat as butter. Now, Ada, if you want a shot. I marked a bird down in that patch of white grass below there." " Nothing would induce mo to fire that horrid gun," she replied, with startling emphasis. " Poor inoffensive birds ; why can't you let them alone ? " " Why," he said, taking a steady look at her, " you wero so keen this morning about shooting something." " And now I am keen about shooting nothing." " Not even a haystack. I know how it would bo," he drawled. " Girls are always that way, they talk a lot and do a little. Now, a man does a lot and says nothing about it ; at least that's c'rect form. Hi, Ponto, Vix, come on." He shouldered his gun and swung along, going ahead whilo Miss Tamplin with a light step and head erect followed after in the narrow path, just, sho thought, in tho manner of tho savage hunter's return, except that in this instance tho hunter himself carried the burden.

Once when detained by a bramblo bush which clung to her neat skirt, she glanced at tho broad back before her with a sparkle in her eyes, and a curl of her lips. Ho was more indifferent than a brother, or even a husband grown somewhat weary of his wife, and did not offer to help her over a stile where he well might have claimed toll from those ripe lips, and been proud thereat. He lazily stepped over, sat down on tho top rail while he lit a cigar, spoke a few affectionate words to his dogs, and then continued with his gun under his arm and his hands in the pockets of his knickerbockers. Yet they were lovers, at least engaged to marry, not that he had ever made love to her. It was a family match, and they had acquiesced in the arrangement made for them, without hesitation on his part, though on hers with some reluctance, which was rapidly turning to dislike, and might end in open rebellion.

He was young yet, had not quite completed his course at Oxford, where he had made great advance in athletics and had won high renown, together with the much coveted " blue," as Rugby football half-back. Naturally he viewed the world as a football, and had a lordly contempt for men who did not play what he termed "Rugger," whilo he had no clear idea of the position occupied by women, and, for the present, treated them to chaff or to indifference. He was tall, broad, well groomed and smooth faced, with clear grey eyes and an expression which is the mark of the tin de siecle, self-possessed, cold, and decidedly unpleasant. Now that the excitement of the sport was over, he had resumed a wooden expression habitual to him, and suppressed tho enthusiasm which should overflow from the heart of a young fellow under such conditions.

The precious gift of youth is not appreciated. The young man of the time is as much ashamed to laugh aloud as his sister is if she be detected blushing. We have exchanged the spontaneous gaiety, which should rise to the lips as freely as the sparkles rise foaming to the brim in the champagne glass, for a monstrous gravity. Such was Charley Dorant, Miss Tamplin's second cousin, and prospective owner of Alwyne House and its estate, border ing the Surrey Downs. He slackened his long stride and spoke to her, raising his voice, " I say, Ada, I meant to tell you that uncle will bo down to-morrow to square up matters in preparation for our marriage some time next year. It's au awful nuisance." " Well, my dear boy," interrupted Ada, in clear, incisive tones, which might have warned him ; " if the nuisance is so great, or if our marriage is even a minor nuisance, there is no necessity, I believe, for you to sacrifice yourself."

" Eh ! I was not talking of our marriage, but of the accounts, you know. He asked me to get them ready, and, by George, I've not touched them. You're rather smart at that sort of thing. Make them straight for me, that's a good fellow." Ho turned and faced her with a smile that brightened up his hand some face. " By Jove," he continued, with an attempt at cajolery, or in real admiration, " you look well ; the exercise has given you a colour ; it has, really." Compliments, even of this lame character, were so rare from him, that she was pleased in spite of herself, and laughed a low, rippling laugh. " If you show me what it is you want done I will do my best. I had better meet Uncle Slee to-morrow, I suppose." " You're a brick, Ada. The old boy is rather a bore." He still looked at her with some delight in his eyes, and took a step nearer to give her a caress, when ho heard a partridge call, " Whec-you, whee-we-you, whee-we-you."

" Hulloa, do you hear that ? " he said, turning his head ; " that comes from the corner by the common. I wonder who has disturbed the covey. If it's that fellow Fitkin a~ain, by Jove, I'll bundle him off the place" — ho looked with a frown to a dark patch of gorse on the right. Tho soft look that had come into Ada's eyes vanished. "You know very well, Charley, that Fitkin has a right to a certain head of game." " Exactly, a certain quantity ; what I complain of is the uncertainty of his proceedings, and a fellow like that has no sense of fairness. If you give him an inch he'll take an ell. He has had full notice, too." " I have a right to some say in the matter, aud I will tell him that he need not mind you," said Ada, with a heightened colour. " Nonsense. Girls cannot bo expected to take a right view of poaching, and I'll put the case before uncle.

The way you argue on this systematic poaching by that follow really makes me tired." He strode on rather angrily, for he insisted very strongly on his rights to all game, and he could not understand why Ada took such loose views on the matter as she did. After lunch his wrath had subsided, the more readily because he did not attach any weight to his cousin's opinions ; for what, after all, did it matter what she said ? as when they were married he would naturally take the reins and she would do what other wives did — keep tho house supplied with flowers. " Now, Ada, come and square those accounts for me, and I'll give you a game of tennis this afternoon on the asphalte court ; I will indeed." He led the way into the study, and sat on tho table, while Miss Tamplin seated herself in a large armchair.

She looked up at him with a lovely little smile, for she longed to be of use, and if there had been but one-tenth a lover he would have found his way beside her. Instead, he adopted the air of a big brother. " There you are, Babs, as cosy as a cat in a rug. Now, if you will open that 'book — the long one, that's it. I want you to compare those figures on the left column with those in this book, aud if they arc right, to total them up aud enter them iu here, ' Charles Dorant, Cr.,' that's me, you know, aud Cr. means Credit." "Dear me, how interesting," replied Ada, with the faintest possible sarcasm, " and this ' Ada Tamplin, Cr.' refers to me. I see you have credited me with five hundred acres at ten thousand pounds. I think that rather a high estimate," " I did not credit you, Ada. You must ask Mr. Slee, tho trustee."

" I notice, also, they credit you with the house and three hundred and fifty acres at seven thousand pounds. I imagined we were to share alike." She fixed her clear gazo upon him. He laughed. " What a business woman you would make. Don't bother that pretty littlo head over the whys and where fores; thero will be time to discuss tho arrangements when Uncle Slee arrives. Good-bye till this evening. I must havo another go at the partridges." " Don't forgot the tennis," called Ada, in a rich voice. She heard a muffled shout in reply, caught tho bang of the door, and stole to the window to see him striding away with his dogs, who played around him. She stood there for some time following his lessening figure with a wistful gaze. "And is this tho forecast of my wedded life ? " she murmured. " Am I to be a pale shadow in tho background, self-suppressed, without individuality enough to influence others ?

Surely not," she sighed. " I wish Charley would treat me seriously," she added plaintively, as she turned to the table. Once seated, she went through her work with a serenencss and swiftness which spoke highly for her training, then sat thinking, leaning forward, with her head on her hand. As the afternoon waned sho was out on the tennis-ground, waiting for her cousin, with tea on a small table. " It will be too bad if he disappoints me this time," she said, looking round. " I can't play against myself." She tripped up to the net and made a pretence of leaping over.'' " I wonder if I could," she said. " I will try." She looked round — ran swiftly, baulked, went back with her mouth screwed up, ran again, and with a light leap cleared the tape, alighting flushed on tho further side. " Ada, you tomboy !

" She turned round quickly, to sec a stout old lady regarding her severely through a lognette, her grey curls quivering beside her red and rounded eheeks. "Why, aunty, where have you como from? I did not see you." She ran up and kissed the old lady on the tip of her nose. " Ada, I am shocked." " No, Aunt Helen, I'm sure you're not." " I am, indeed ; there is a want of repose about your movor ments which much distresses me. You should study the grand manner, my dear, which in its stately and considered dignity is altogether opposed to hoydenish actions. Walk with me to tho orchard, Ada, and I will instruct you in tho principles of correct carriage." " Another day, please, aunt. I expect Charles every minute, and he would be impatient if I were not to time." " Then, pray, dear, do not leap again.

Think how ashamed I would be if any ono were to see my charge behaving like an acrobat. I positively saw your ankles as you flew over." Ada drew her skirt back with both hands and thrust for ward her left foot, her head inclining over to study the effect thereof. " I do not," she said demurely, " see anything in an ankle that need alarm any one. Some one said the other day that the reason why English women concealed their ankles was because they had such large feet." " Ada, did any one say that to you ? " " Oh no ; I read it somewhere. Besides, my foot are not ugly, are they ? " "You're a saucy girl," chuckled the old lady, her good humour breaking through. " I was often complimented on the smallness of my feet myself. Those days have gone, and it is your turn now, my dear." " Her feet beneath her petticoat Like little mice stole in and out.

As if they feared the light." She moved slowly away, supported on her stick. " My ' little feet ' have come to the last indignity of shapeless cloth shoes. Heigho ! well, well, one cannot always be dancing ; and if they do but carry me a few days longer I shall be content." Left to herself again, Ada suddenly darted under the shelter of a magnificent copper beech, and peeped round tho trunk with a smile in her eyes. The smile was for a thrush, who had shown himself under a laurel bush, and Ada knew he would sally out if she kept quiet, for she had a love for birds, and dearly liked watching them. The bird hopped out, then hopped back, fluttered his wings once or twice, as if undecided, then skimmed to tho very centre of tho lawn, where he seized tho tail end of a hapless worm. A robin, with the red tinge deepening on his breast, took stock of the thrush and made a few lofty remarks in depreciation, while several noisy sparrows flew down to have a nearer view of tho tug-of-war.

Then a starling who, perched high on a chimney, had been fluttering his wings in a swoon of ecstasy, too overcome to do more than tell his love in a series of whispers, swooped down among the sparrows, and after him came a dozen more, each one, in a state of eager greediness, endeavouring to get ahead of the other. Just as they were all pleasantly occupied a blackbird clapped out his startling noto of alarm, and there •was a wild flutter, and scattering flight. Miss Tamplin slipped from behind the tree and saw hor cousin with a strange man, beside the little basket-work table, both of them calmly helping themselves. " Hulloa, Ada, are you there ? " remarked Dorant, carelessly, stooping to balance a lump of sugar on Ponto's black nose. " I say, Maturin, watch this dog. Now toss it. Catch." Ponto jerked the sugar into the air, caught it, gulped it down, and looked up with his head on one side.

" Oh, Ada," continued Dorant, finding that his friend was not watching the dog, " this is my friend Maturin." Ada bowed stiffly, and Maturin, who had been rather embarrassed by the delay in the introduction, responded awk wardly, proffered and withdrew his hand, coloured up, and ended ignoininiously by treading on the tail of the dog. " How awkward he is," thought Ada, with a slight curl of her lip. She was not pleased to see him, for she knew her cousin would make an excuse of his presenco to get out of the promised game of tennis. Nevertheless, she picked up her racket, and looked inquiringly at Dorant. " Have you been playing ? " asked Maturin. " No, unfortunately there is no one here to give me a game except Mr. Dorant, and I have been waiting for him." " By Jove, so you have," said Charley ; " but you must let me off this time, Ada.

I met Mat. prowling over the Downs, and brought him down to look at my new hunter. Another time, Ada." " Not at all," interrupted Maturin, quickly. " I shall be delighted to pick up the stray balls. I could not allow you to spoil Miss Tamplin's afternoon on my account." Ada smiled at him, and spun her racket to choose courts. " I don't think it good enough," said Dorant, lazily; " besides, I am as tired as a hunter, and, after all, it's no great treat patting a ball over a net." " Thank you," said Ada, with a heightened colour, which Maturin was quick to notice. " May I have the pleasure of a game with you ? " he ventured. Ada looked at Dorant, who was impatiently drumming on the table. " No, thank you ; Mr. Dorant is dying to show you tho beauties of his horse." " I do hate sarcasm," said Dorant, resenting the implied rejiroach in Ada's words — annoyed more by the tone than the words, " especially," he added, " from such pretty lips."

The pretty lips curled disdainfully, and there was a proud poise about the graceful head which would have warned a more observant lover. At dinner Maturin proved a very pleasant addition to the small company. He was fresh in his views, enthusiastic and eager, and even Dorant, who had, as usual, mounted his eyeglass and put on his wooden expression, showed some signs of healthy animation. Miss Tamplin thawed perceptibly under the magic of humour, and responded to Maturin's best sallies wilh a brilliancy that put him on excellent terms wilh himself, so that when Dorant summoned him to a game of billiards he expressed a hope that the ladies would join them. " There's a nice thing," said Miss Dorant, shaking a fat finger at him. " Join you, indeed ! Why, when I was a girl young men considered it a privilege to join the ladies."

" And so would I," rejoined Maturin, eagerly ; " I am sure Miss Tamplin sings divinely." "Oh, nonsense," interposed Dorant; "you came down purposely to have a game. This way. If Ada leaves the door open, we may rattle the balls to the accompaniment of her divine voice." Maturin looked at Ada with a mute entreaty in his glance, but she turned away, after an indignant look at Dorant, who had the door open. " Ada will sing to me," said Miss Dorant ; " and if you men choose to listen from the billiard-room, there is no house hold law to prevent you — though in my young days — well, never mind ; go on." Maturin withdrew with s, lingering glance at the graceful figure at the window, and a muttered apology about it being extremely selfish on their part. "Dear me," said Ada, turning to her aunt, with raised eyebrows ; " what does he mean by selfish ? — that implies that we arc the losers by their absence."

"That was not his meaning, my dear. He seems a very nice boy. I had no idea that colonists had any polish ; their grain, I thought, was too coarse." " There is no reason to go so far abroad as South Africa for coarse grain," said Ada, slowly. " I am sure Charley's gloss is not conspicuous. He has been positively bearish to me all through the day. Aunt, must a wife always stand out side her husband's pleasures — never share in his moments of greatest happiness — never play his games ? " " The playing of games does not appear to me to be a very high aim," replied tho aunt, quizzically. " It is tho aim of most men," said Ada, with decision. " Of course, I don't want to play football, or any othor mannish game ; but I think that if a wife is shut out of her husband's amusements, she is really shut out of his life.

Do you know why Uncle Slee is coming to-morrow, aunt ? " " To look into the estate, I presume." " He is coming down to hand me over as a chattel to Charles." " You should not talk so lightly of marriage, Ada ; it is a serious subject." "It is, aunt," said Ada, with irony, "and that is why I dislike being regarded at less than my just value. I set my price high," she added, dreamily ; " it is love, and love alone, that will buy me, and not so many acres." " Charley loves you very much, Ada, though he may not be demonstrative. What do you think of this, my work ? " Ada took from her aunt a square of delicate embroidery of the old-world pattern, when time itself was woven into tho tiny meshes. " It is lovely." " Yes, I think it is, if you hold it at arm's length ; but if you look too narrowly into it, you will note defects here and there, unequal stitches and little roughnesses.

So, if you examine love with a too critical eye, you will find the beautiful woof shot through and through with defects — hero a speck of conceit, there a coarse thread of selfishness— and by too much dwelling on these defects the beauty of tho whole is lost." " But, aunt, this kerchief is not meant for use, but love is a work-a-day article, not to be brought out at odd moments only when my lord has a saucy for a little cooing. Heigho ! " " Heigho, too, my dear. You are entering the hither end of the path full of glowing expectations. My life has not been full, my dear, but I have had my pleasures, plucked my flowers along the path, and the sweetest were not the loveliest. Love is not everything ; many put it off with tho bridal veil, and the melody of it is never felt in a great proportion of our well contented homes ; but beyond love is patience, tho divine gift, tho glory of sympathetic womanhood."

A swift wave of emotion passed through Ada, bringing a rush of tears to her eyes, and she pressed her lips to the lined forehead. In that moment she saw her aunt thread the long path of her slow life, lonely and neglected, with but a very few diversions from the accustomed track, yet amid tho awful monotony of it preserving a gentle spirit. The thought of it saddened her ; was her path to lead in the same direction ? She stole to the piano, and the old lady's busy hands were folded on her lap as she listened to the rich, resounding voice, softened to an unaccustomed tenderness by the singer's present mood. As the last note died away there was a sound from th« open door. Ada turned on her stool, her face soft and beautiful, and sho saw Maturin standing as if transfixed. His face was pale, and ho stared before him as one looking afar.