Part 7 (1/2)

Shortly afterwards Garstin was astonished to hear that his former pupil had set up a studio on his own account at St Ives, a few , painting pictures of St

Michael's Mount in assorted sizes I forget how e This is the explanation; Johannesburg at the tie Cornishman St Michael's Mount is what Mecca is to the Moslem

Garstin's shrewd disciple had his daubs framed and sent to the Rand

Here they were all absorbed, fetching prices which left an average profit of 5 each And all this ti purchasers

In 1873 rich alluvial gold was reported to have been struck in the Lydenburg district, which was then the extreme limit which civilization had reached in the north-eastern Transvaal I decided to go and trythrough Pretoria I ht I knew He advanced towardswhose wedding festivities the big circus-tent had been blon He greeted ht remarkable, as I had not known hiested that we should have a drink together He agreed with alacrity, so we adjourned to the nearest bar

”Well, Cooper,” said I, ”how are you getting on here?”

At once his face fell

”Very badly indeed,” he replied, and heaved a sigh

”Why, what is the ed”

I thought he was joking, but it was not so; he was actually under sentence of death He had gone on the spree and started painting Pretoria red some months previously When a constable attempted to arrest him, he drew a revolver and shot the unfortunate officer fatally In due course he was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead

”But, Cooper,” I queried, ”why don't they hang you?”

”Well,” he replied, ”they don't like hanging whiteout a rose-garden I understand that kind of thing, so I go down every day and attend to the work I was just taking a stroll when I met you”

”Look here, Cooper,” I said with emphasis, ”if I were you I would clear out without delay The State Attorney e his mind; some new man may take on the job a man with strict ideas Clear out while you can”

”Oh, I don't think there's any danger,” replied Cooper, but he looked uneasy

”Was it a white man or a black h”

”Then clear out while there is still time,” said I

Some rim's Rest I inquired about Cooper What Brodrick told me proved the soundness of my advice The Executive Council had suddenly awakened to a sense of its duty, and decided to allow the law to take its course

Fortunately Brodrick and soet the culprit out of gaol Mounted on one horse and leading another, Cooper rode for his life ard towards Bechuanaland, pursued by the Transvaal police However, he escaped I have never heard of hi the road I remember a locality called ”Leeuw Dooa were in almost incredible abundance As far as the eye could reach the veld was dappled with herds of these and other animals So far as I can reon journey beyond Pretoria

Before reaching Pretoria we outspanned near the winkel of a man named Jacobi, a former resident of Cradock This ithin a fewstands today I reold had been found in the drift of a river close to his house Here I had an adventure

I took my rifle and strolled down the riverbank after some reedbuck, which I had been told were to be found there I wounded a buck; it hobbled aith difficulty I ran after it, but the grass was long, and I had a difficulty in keeping the aniht Into get within view of the buck, I sprang to the top of the ant-hill, but it was hollow, and the crust collapsed underand writhing aboutout, for as soon as I got foothold on the edge it broke under ht The weather was cold, and the snakes had taken refuge in the cavity