Exeter Advocate, 1901-8-29, Page 3"YARN FROM
A
'THE YA D.
•s•
the real Arboretti's seheme; but he
only hung on my words with that
Mad, PuSzling intelitnaSS. I waS
treading the edge Of a doer) pit, "It
is liot to be Thursday, and so my
best and safest plan falls to the
ground, On that day he attends a
reception at au EmbassY, and re -
0:a turns i,o the hotel Di Clule for----"
just SO! Your public-7\lonkhouse,
the olct detective, sat back with the
Pregmust chuckle that always riveted
attention—your public knew about as
nitteln of ' that' affair tis the Rajah
himself; and he went away blissfully
UACQUSCiOUS that Scotland Yard had
been holding its breath for a solid
month. No, 1 shall give no name to,
the obScurerestaurant, run by for-
eigaers, ,, where the beautiful scheme
was brought to a head S Enough
that one, evening'A was supposed to
be dozing over my papes one of
the tables there. Yes.,
1 was staring
st` might and main at the gentleman
for whose appearance I liacts waitdd
week—the titan launched' upon Um -
suspecting London by a set of fanat-
ics who hoped to send a thrill shud-
dering from here right away to In-
dia,
I had na tangible pro -of yet. All
the same I was ready to stake my
hard-won reputation on the Matinct
that tingled through me at first
Sight of that wax -white, black -beard-
ed face flashed on to a mirror from
the, doorway opposite. Entering, he
sat down near the door., whispered
.for 'Macaroni and caffee, and began
rolling a cigarette, with thin, nervons
'fingers,' while—I knew—a he was ment-
ally photographing every detail in
thesroom. And—er—yes, the furtive
glance paused at myself. Good --
splendid! He was fresh from the
• Continent, beyond a. doubt; and 1—
well, it had taken inc just one hour
each day to "make up" as the for-
eigner who should have been there to
meet him, but whom we had thought-
fully prevented from doing so.
The macaroni came. Ile just tast-
ed it, shuddered, sipped at the coffee
and began smoking hard. No at-
tempt at, a signal. The situation
was exquisitely delicate. We didn't
want London to send up a roar. The
plot, and everyone concerned in it,
had to be traced home in strictest
secrecy; a false move now, and the
vile tentacle thrown out over sea by
the Anarchist octopus might be in-
stantly withdrawn. Luckily, the
newspaper could tell nothing about
the intercepted letter in cipher to
Luigi Arboreta, the clever scoundrel
who, handed across his own border a
year ago, had found a refuge in Lon-
don; the ferret -eyed correspondents
could not—and never really did—dis-
cover that this latest plot of all aim-
ed at stirring up a rebellion and hat-
red in India by murdering, on Eng-
lish soil, one of the most powerful
provincial rulers—our distinguished
visitor, His Highness; the Rajah Dhu
Djaleen.
' Minute after minute went by. I
watched him breathlessly' in the mir-
ror there: he Stared .as 'steadily- back.
No life in his eyes yet; hut --what
was lie up to? Twice he had held his
cigarette at arm's length, stared fix-
edly at it, put the lighted end in his
mouth, andblown a whiff of smoke
in three directions. - A sigh? - The.
letter had mentioned none. I had
cigarettes—but I might make a fear-
ful blunder that way. At my wit's
end, 1 looked down at my newspaper
again. Something like this stared
up at me:—
"The Rajah Dhu Djaleen reached
London late last night after his visit
to Scotland. His Highness was said
to be in the best health and spirits,
and proceeded straight to his suite
at the, Cosmopolitan I-Iotel.. It is
understood that, although the Rajah
has been received in confereace in the
highest quarters, his visit will re-
main it strictly informal one." Etc.,
etc. • ' '
In two seconds I snipped Mit the
item with my thumb, nail, held it up
as if in a yawn, and then rolled it
into a pellet. A backWard flip, and
the pellet lay near his feet. Would
he bite? For another minute I held
my breath; then—his cigarette drop-
ped. When he picked it up the pet--
letwas. gone. Yes; it was a big
bound my heartgaveat the certain-
- ty .that there sat the nian, selected to
set 'pais:Indian province ablaze and
put a big blot on Britain.- FOY a
time_ he • never moved; .then, almost,
before .I knew it, he was seated op-
posite me, and had clutched and
pocketed that paper with the danger-
ous' elimination.
"Vous etes--" he breathed.
"Arboreta!" I gave him ba,clawith
an -accent. ''Keep t6 English here. I
have been sha.dowed by Naples and
Paris detectives—dared not give you
the sign openly. • Why so late?"
"Ah! I was, followed; I know it.
It took me the week to .turn and
twist and get. to—where I ans. I
have carried twenty of the capsules,
filled with nitro-glycerine, . in the
false crown of this hat the whole
way......You are not speaking. Is: it
for to -morrow?"
"No; er—say Thursday." It
wanted A bit of saying, as his hot
breath puffed on my face. I. was
bound to risk a feeler onnly owa,ac-
count. "Why was it to be the rajah?
. They could not have chosen a worse
plase than England—London. • If
these people had but an, idetathey
would--"
"Then let it be to -morrow?" ,he
caught: my hand tightly. 'Tut I say
yes!—let it be over. It might Mean
madness for meS1 ifa,ve had the great
struggle not to droWn my senaes in
cognac- I am quite ready—I wait
for nothing saye your plan, There is
the hotel: show isle a way into it and
, it is done. For myself, I care noth-
ing.; TosmorrOW, "yes! It is 'perhaps
the last good blow we shall strike.
Mareschi, one man, will blow up
their Rajah—I alone!"
"Itush—keep calm," I whispered.
"You are mistaken; I shall be with
you; I am no more afraid than you.
Then—to-morrow!" I had to say it,
his eyes had flamed up so dangerous-
ly—and, of:course, all our ,hopes were
' based, upon -What we might glean
from this Mareschi. So far, we
were all in the dark as to the names
„and number of the plotters On this
side, "It is just. the plan we Must
consider now—to get, a way in, and
keep it. 1 waited, on ,the chance
that lie might kaow scanething at
Another pause. No; it seemed lah1y
clear that the final arrangements had
been entrusted to that deep Arboret-
a. "Well, here is our , second and
only alternative idea, ,Provided that
the Rajah sleeps at hs hotel to -mor -
row night, it cannot fail. To -mor-
row there will be cases of game,
wine and other things carried in at
the rear of the building. Maseschi,'
bend yonr head!" --and I whispered
a clever notion that had been agreed
upon days before, ao designed thathe
and his confederates could .be arrest-
ed quietly on the very scene of the
contemplo ted cattle. '
Yes, yes!'' Re simply nodded,
and was on his feet again. "I ease
not so long as I succeed. You have
.not
this ready? Thai I meet you—
where?''
Iiere Was a stiaggerel`l What could
I answer offhand. Beyond the estab-
lishment of his own identity I had
feraeLed out absolutely nothing of
value. , Where was he staying,, and
with whom? A minute to think! I
got it by calling for die .bills --settled
both; and led the way outside. I
could simply risk another throw of
the 'bait.
''.It must not fail,'I whispered.
"Suppose.I come back with you and
tails it over with,tha others?"
"The others?" he stared, vaguely:
"No, each, may, work for himself. I
shall spend my night preparing the
bombs,and—and''—with • something
near a choke— "writing td all those
"siert over there—tittle Nina and the
others. I want to he alone. At
eight o'clock I shall meet you just
here, and . you will ' have the cab
ready."
He put a hand to his forehead and
fairly walked away from me. Hurry
back to the Yard with my report—
or` follow hina on the chance of learn-
ing what we wanted before daylight?
Follow' him! He had struck along a
quiet street leading farther west. Off
I went. He was turning a corner. I
hung back d second. or so, took a
run, peered round—and almost dash-
ed my face into the wax -white one
with the black beard. Something or
other in his brain had made him
halt ,and look back, ,Before he
could properly realize, or shape any
suspicion, I had spun him around,
with an excited whisper:—
"That way --quick! 'We are seen.
To -morrow' night!''
And off I sprang in another direc-
tion. Phew! Another blunder like
'that,. and 1- might scare him into pre-
maturely attempting what he was
here to carry out.
No, ' tnere- was no real clanger!
When I left the Yard lateathat night
every possible strand of the web had
been drawn in, and His Highness was
as safe here aa he had Oyer. . beenat J
home—and, perhaps., more so. It
now only reinained to arrest the
plotters with all the proof possible,
communicate with the Continental
police, .,and deal with the organiza-
.
,tion in such a manner as—well, .as
would effectually turn the eyes of the
extreme section away from Britain
for many a- year to come.
The memorable day dawned; seven
o'clock came round at last. By half -
past, still as ArborettLI had reach-
ed the rendezvous and stood waiting
for Mareschi. A four -wheeler hover-
ed close at, hand. The driver was a
detective, a plain -clothes inspector
was boxed in under the seat in case
of emergency, and two men were
watching in readiness—one to carry
the word and one to follow wherever
we went. The mine was undermined
in every direction.
Eight o'clock! There was Mares -
chi, rounding the corner. Paling at
his eternal cigarette, he walked firm-
ly up, deadly calm—almost smiling.
. "Good! But where is—it?" I
whispered., "It" wa.4" always their
words
"Close by," he said, staring round.
'`Don't think I was afraid—I was on-
lycareful. We will step back for it,
and return here for the cab. ..Thia;
. .
•
wayt"
That was unexpected, but it , mat-
tered nothing—might lead to some-
thing good.. We should be closely
followed in any case, Not another
word passed between us, but as we
went 1 managed to scribble ori. /ay
linen cuff: "Have house searched mo-
ment we leave it." We were going
towards, Soho, as I expected; and
barely ten nainutes .had elapsed when
our' man stopped, looked im and
down. and -whispered: "Here it is!"
I just haslatiine to flick away the cuff
as he turned his key. •Next minute
I was following him up a 'dark, nar-
row staircase. -
How did it happen? 1 -Is has push-
ed open some door,' simultaneously
he turned back, with a husky .cry:
``The police! . Runrun!'' There was
no time to think; he was dashing for
the staircase, he might get away even
now. 1 just grasped the possibility
time: to grip the man 'by the
shoulder, and then --
A' rush and a scuttle, , I heard some
one say, ' "Got them both," and
found myself dragged bodily through.
the doorway. Kicking, shouting, I
tried to keep my hold on Mareschi
Ko use; hi less than a, minute I was
overpowered. T'wo cOnstables had
my arms, and a third stood holding
the door. A candle, burned on . the
mantel-shelfs I could Make out noth-
ing :else..
' You—you.. ra,w fools!" I gasped,
ready t.Zi',dance."What are you , do-
ing? Yoteve let 'him .g0,. Mareschi!
That's Mareschi, our 'num!"
. "Ire's ` safe. We've got Arboretti,
at, any rate,'' the:cloon=man says,
coolly asyou please. ' I never felt
nearer choking. For the Yard to
put- aa Giese clumsy idiots on such a
ticklish job, and without iny ,know-
ing!
"Arboretti!"- I got out. "Who
posted you ,here? Let go, will you!
I'm not Arboreal! I'm So -and -So,
of the Yard, in charge of this busi-
neSs. 'You Madmen!" ,
I burst,away—to start back in cold
horeor, 1 adMit. The Man 'at the
door dashed off his hblmets dragged
away Ids tunic, and 1 saw—no pos.
„Liam/Ian, but a sWarthy foreigner,
with teeth savagely bared, 1 reeledl
back a,gainat the wall. Heavens!,
was I dreaming? They were all three
foreigners, and I had been gent's"
Walked into this incredible trap by
the simplest— All yes( The door
half opened, and there stood our
Mareschi, a Sneer on his wax -white
face that 'I could never deacribe,
"Out of your OWD. MOUth!
thought it --I knew, when you tried
to follow me. You, A1boretti-sYmi!
you. meant to die with the 'Rajah—
with me, You shall! You shall live
just long enough to know that we
have it way of our own." .
That was it, I'll own that the bare
shock of the thing left me as nearly.
paralyzed as makes no difference. In
a breath I had given the whole thing
away, and Ma.reseld was "gone—in all
probability by a rear exit. 1 heasd
no door close; my man would hang
outside in perplexed ignorance and—
saints alive! it looked as if these
determined scoundrels, in :their ex-
tremity; had stumbled on a plan so
subtle as to balk all the Yard's man-
oeuvres! More than that; did I man
age to get away, 1 stood to risk be-
coming the laughing stock for life
• -
among' those who knewof the plot.
Thinking of that, and realizing what
might be involved, I set my teeth
and made a sudden rush for that
door, only to stumble back before
the steady barrel of a six' -chambered
Colt. My own—it had been whipped
from my pocket in the struggle. 1
faced round—two pointed knives Were
between me and the window.
"You lutist ,stand there," said the
door -num, deliberately; ' "you are
:minutes too late,- he -is well on. his
way. Failure or success tonight,
you, at least, will never go as you
came. We are sure of one blow—if
not two."
They meant. it! Hard as my brain
worked in those first few minutes I
could see no alternative for myself
whatever ,might happen outside. Did
my man Suspect something and force
the door down there, it was still one
blow and a kick against two knives
and a revolver.
ass.asaSSSarlaSS!!soSuSsa•
'CARE OF SHEEP.
RashlY seasons aro very unfavorable
fbr sheep. It is the very general be-
lief thgt, ti is on account of theaex-
cessive number of atOnlach and latea-
anal Nvorins that invade the flocks 11.1
such SCUSQU.S, I am convinced this is
not the ,explanation, writes Dr. H.
`31fillela The internal Parasites
are no more numerous in wet years
'than dry. Sheep suffer worse from
them because there are °thee unfa-
vorable coaditions. The frequent
wetting and the less nutritious gaass
lowers the vitality of the animals so
they are not able to withstand the
ravages of the parasites so well.
Sheltering from rains well
ventilated stables and grain feeding,
will be found an althost sure preven-
tative of loss. But these will not
prevent an invasion of parasites that
interfere with the thrift of the flock
whenever they are present-, it large
numbers. Keeping sheep in small
flocks, and in large fields, so that
they are not compelled to graze over
the same ground frequently lessens
the clanger of a destructive invasion.
It has beea very widely taught that
old pastures become such hotbeds of
these parasites that it is unsafe to
graze them with sheep. I do not
think this is true. Some of the par-
asite § may be carried through the
winter in, earth worms, but far great-
er numbers are carried in old sheep,
and in this way spread over the pas -
.tures in the spring. It makes no
difference whether they are newly
seeded -fields or native sods. The
best safeguard against invasion in
the lambs is t� keep them from fol-
lowing their mothers upon the pas-
•tures., This may be done by having
the lambs born early enough so they
may weaned before turning out to
graze in the spring; or with later
born lambs by separating them from
their mothers each day as they go
out- to the pastures. This can easily
be done by feeding the lambs in an
apartnient separated from the old
sheep by a creep, and turning the -old
sheep out while the lambs are eat-
ing. '•
Where none of these precautions
can he taken it will be neceasary to
give some worm medicines to pre-
vent losses. Pour turpentine upon
'salt in the proportion of .one pint to
a gallon. Keep this before the sheep
for a week. The next week substi-
tute gentian for the turpentine and
the .folloiving week a pound of dried
sulphate of iron mixed with a gallon
of bran and a quart of this mixture
given daily to 100 head for a week.
The turpentine should then be re-
peated. Tartar emetic and- santon-
ine are each effective vermifuges and
should be given daily in doses of 15
groans for a week when one of them
is employed. 'Remember that •one
treatment is rot proof against an-
other invasion. But if the flock is
once entirely freed from thein and
Placed upon a fresh pasture where
no sheep have been the present sea-
son, there will be no further trouble.
DAIRY AND STOCK. ,
It seemed we were simply waiting
for a distant explosion and shouting,
that should tell—what it told. I
was feeling faint under the awful,
strain By now Mareschi would
have reached the hotel. That candle
over there! It was burned half
down. lf—if it would only go out of
a sudden! If only—
The inspiration came without my
knowing it. My slouch hat lay near
my feet; in a flash I had picked it up
and flung it. Bash! The candle was
knocked, no 'one knew where. Sud-
deten! ,darkness! Now for life—dear
ij
A jabbered curse—a simultaneous
rush. I recollect how every hair on
my head sprang up like a red-hot Wire
as I took two stealthy strides to the
right. A hand blundered out and
gripped meN struck back convilisiye-
ly, and met a bristly chin.. One man
crashed down. They had no matches
—or feared to leave the door. One
mole -.desperate side. swoop. I made,
collided with a body, staggered away
struck at the wall, and crippled' my
hand—and suddenly remembered
something just as death seemed
clutching me by the throat. My
whistle! I always carried one.
. It was out. One deafening, piercing
signal thrilled through the house. I
made a huge bound just avoiding
their arms. I sprang from , side to
side, kicking, shouting, ,blowing the
whistle, until the place seemed a very
pandemonium. Now—now there was
a thudding at the door below—now
a crash, and shouts. One minute
more could I keep up that mad
maze, and I was safe, and had turn-
ed the trap for one into a trap for
three.
The door—the door; I heard it op-
en. Another frantic rush, and I was
struggling with the man who had
held it. The pistol went off once,
twice, flaring in the darkness, and
then, with my very last effort, I
dashed him sideways, and was out
on the landing. A glare of lanterns;
my man, with two constables, sprang
past mm One of the scoundrels lay
unconscious, another took flight, and
the third was seized as he swung up
the revolver again.- Safe! I just
waited to make sure, got .my nerve,
and went of! like a num possessed.
I reached the Strand—that I had
never thought' to see again. Noth-
ing hadhappened; people were bust-
ling along as unconsciously as ever.
A cab—the Cosmopolitan Hotel! Five
minutes later, as it swung around
the Piccadilly bend, I 'caught sight of
my chief, just about to cross the
road. I shouted to the driver, and
leaned out to whisper one word.
''Halloa, where have you been?'' he
asked. "You're white enough! Got
him? Yes, to be sure, twenty min-
utes ago, bomb and all, with just
the papers on him we wanted. The
anan's mad; he made a clean rush for
the front entrance. It was all over
quietly ill one minute. Meanwhile,"
with a chuckle, "the Rajah is not
due hi. London for another two hours
--change in the programme that was
not announced to the paper! There
were only five in it, it seems. Arbor-
eta and himself we've got, and the
other three—s---"
"Are aafe in the cells," I said.
And then, for the first time in my
life,I dropped back into the cab and
quietly fainted.
—a*
EvoLuTroN OF MAN.
•
Mrs-, Grout:Husbands are so differ-
ent from other men !
Mrs. Snapper: I know it. I said
to John last evening; Hovv the wind
blows! and he grunted and said: Did
yort 'ever know the wind to do any-
thing else ? -
Mrs. Grout; That's just it.. 13efore
you weee married to him he prob-
ably would have had no end of nice
things to say in reply,
LUMINOUS POTATOES.
The ,coMmon potato, when decant -
posing, gives light enough to read
by—a light so vivid that once a cel-
lar at Strasburg' was thought to be
on fire when shining with the phos-
phorescence of decomposing pota-
toes.
and young tender grass and clover
should he provided for poultry aS
regularly as hay for other stock.
The soft or poor heads of cabbage,
stored by themselves, are probably
the cheapest and most easily obtain-
ed green food during winter,
Ifaone is extensively raising early
chickens it will pay you to sow let-
tuce seed in a box and place it in a
warm, aumay window. The young
and tender leaves are 'easily grown,
and will add greatly to the health
and growth of the chickens. Onions
should also be grown and kept for
feeding. If chopped moderately fine,
they will be eagerly consumed by
fowls. Tobacco should also be
grown and use(1 to keep the stock
free from lice, Pull the plants be-
fore frost and hang them in. the barn
or Shed to dry. A handful of the
leaves in the nests of sitting hens
will add a great ,deal to their com-
fort and more to that of the young.
Hemp seed is useful for young and
valuable chickens, but the sunflower
IS a good substitute and. much more
cheaply raised. Peppers are a most
useful condiment during the winter
months, helping greatly in the pro-
duction of eggs through the cold
weather. A small number of plants
of the long red variety will produce
a plentiful supply, intich cheaper and
purer than the ordinary ground cay-
enne of the stores.
Beans, well cooked, either Whole or
ground, will help fill up -the list of
foods. Rape seed is easily raised,
and would be useful for choice young
chickens. Seeds of the common mil-
let, golden millet, sorghum and
broom ,corn wiIl make a variety in
the list of good, ',cheap foods. Eg3rp-
tian corn; alsind of sorghum, is val-
uable for young or old fowls. Bar-
ley, rye and oats are all acceptable
to poultry.
The extra stationery used bY the
War. Office for war purposes since
1899 has cost £105;000 hp tO date.
It takes a richer man than most of
us to stand the los a coming from
scoldingg or talking loud while milk-
ing. The tone of the voice affects
the milk pail.
A horse that is frightened by trol-
ley or other cars should be colisider-
ed unsafe and unsalable. The man
who buys such an animal runs great
risk. The rule should apply also to
automobiles.
Some corn can be advantageously
fed now to pigs that are ultimately
to be fattened. A i•ation of one-
third corn and two thirds middlings
with a tenth part, of oil meal added
is very satisfactory in connection
with pasture. If skint -milk can be
had, feed one pound of skim-rnilk for
every two to three pounds of the mix..
ture, and increase the proportion of
corn to one half of the grain fed. ,
Every farmer's wife ought to teach'
her daughters to make good butter.
No anattar ,what the girls, intend -to
do for a living, it is an honor .for
them to be able to say that they
know just how butter is made; a,ncl
the time will surely come when they
will rise up and call- their 'Mothers
blessed if they lia,ve taught them -the
noble art 'of making butter. Espe-
cially, will this rbo true if by chance
they should become the wives of far-
mers.
CROPS FOR THE 01101-IARD.
Nothing should be grown in the or-
chard which will prevent the cultiva-
tion of the trees. O'xi steep hillsides
clover is especially desirable to pre-
vent washing. It should be sown in
strips running across the hillside be-
tween the rows, and the trees given
clean duitivation until they are well
established.
f
CURTAINS OF GOLD COINS.
Sorn.e El Dorados for the Enter-
prising Burglars.
Collectoaa of coins sometimes dis-
pose of their treasures in peculiar
ways, but the young Anaeriesm lady
who recently appeared at a fancy
dress ball as "Money" Surely hit on
a novel manner in which to show the
gold and sliver pieces that had taken
her father years to accumulate. Her
helmet was possibly the best part 9f
her get-up. Golden dollars, scores
of them, connected by cha'ns of gos-
samer fineness, with here and there a
diamond or Pearl, formed this unique
headdress, which, despite its worth
and beauty, must have proved rather
weighty.
Foreign bank -notes of old date
made it frill round the neck more in-
teresting to prosaic people than the
historic ruffles affected by Queen Eliz-
abeth, and the silvery satin skirt
was festooned with long strings of
spade „guineas and foreign silver pie-
ces. The lady danced but little; she
was literally weighted clown with
money., She obtained and -deserved
the first prize at the exhibition of
fanciful dress.
A curtain i11 the window of an an-
tique residence near Leeds, .England,
attracts the attention of all behold-
ers. Few, however, recognize its
value. Long strings of seed Pearls
and oriental beads form the founda-
tion, hundreds of rare old coins and
silver pieces give to the ornament an
air of pantomimic extravagance, and
tassels composed entirely of fourpen-
ny bits impart finish to the unique
creation. The many who pause to
admire turn away "with the idea that
the coins are Mere things of tinsel
admirably manufactured td deceive
the eye.
On account of its weight and ma-
terial the curtain does not draw up
on rollers. When circumstances ne-
cessitate its removal, it ascends stiff
as a sheet of zinc into an upper
room, where a strong fire -proof safe
receives it. ,
By touching a secret button the
curtain slowly descends to the re-
quired depth, a similar button rais-
desire. This marvellous curtain' is
valued by its owner at considerably
exceptional value, , •
icetrtnieooagoaviIbnnndelissicit. te.11,00:olilfuettfsi otliie,oaujoilfbiot.ipllsfocaeipgrhowsytfi iztapeahsin, e,tetheloitalseres.daoitiwilionadnmyreyfito)- rseoienitiizetagielsyyldi.
over one thousand' guinea,s. many' of
the coins thereon fastened being of
of rare beauty, such as may not be
unless • foul play be employed;
guests lounging over the valuable
to possess one of the finest eollec-
The work wa,s done under her own
seen elsewhere. It is almost impos-
supervision, a strong mixture being
employed to securely fasten the pie -
005 . The spaces between the silver
pieces are enamelled pale blue and
cardinal, the whole forming a design
therefore the lady's eouanimity is not
A Londonlady, who may be said
disturbed when she observes her
plate of an upper set
of false teeth, 'worn by a`well-known
actress, is a golden coin, which on
account of its value and for super-
stitious reasons the lady wishes to
always have about her --hence its pe-
culiar abiding place.
FEED CROPS FOR POULTRY.
Every poultry breeder understands
the value of having a variety of
food, and that it is essential for the
health of the fowls and the produc-
tion of. fertile eggs. . Yet probably
nine -tenths of p,oultry naisera think
their duty done when they have scat-
tered before the hens some Cora and
gathered the eggs. This treatinent
may appear to fulfill
necessary obligations when fowls
can have unrestricted range through
the suinmer season. The necessity of
providing corn, sometimes with
wheat and mita, fos winter
food, is generally understood; but
if to these were added a stipply of
the other grains and vegetables we
would not, hear so much compiaint
as now of stock ''running out.''
As to the special grains .buckwheat
is one of the most valuable for the
•procRiction of egga, Sunflower seeds
should also be included in the bill of
fare. The large amount of oil they.
contain. seems to be especially valua
able fan- young, geowing • chickens,
They also give a gloss and brilliancy
to the feathers probably unequalled
by, any other food. EVem when fecl
in large quantities no bad effects fol-
low. Well-Gured green corn stalks
NEARLY ANNIHILATED.
HOW AN AUSTRALIAN roncr,
WAS CUT UP.
They Were Completely, Surprised
And Sixty Killed or
• Wounded,
Bennet Burleigh, writing from
Bloemfontein to the London 'Daily,
"l'elegraph, gives details of the disas-
ter to part of the Australiansaliet
Victorians, to ' the south of Bing-
spruit, last month. The men had bi-
vouacked Jot the ' night, having
sta.ched arms according to regula-
tions, and picketed their horses..
About 8:20 p. in. there burst , over
the still camp a wild roar. of Boer
Musketry, fired from a range of fifty
yards. It instantly swelled into a
diabolical tornado, with a savage
accompaniment of human cries, -.and,
the ear -piercing and heart -racking ,
shrieks of the maddened, wounded
horses. Without pause, the Boers
rushed in, firing their Slausers the
while, and yelling, ' "Now, you khaki;
you English—" "Hands up, ---".
but never ceasing to shoot and slay,
The groans of mangled men now
rose and iningled with the screams
of the struggling, plunging steeds.
Over 180 of the poor animals were
slain upon the lines. Half awake
and daZed, soldiers scrambled out of 1
their wrappings and ran to ,grabi
their rifles. But the Boers coverecij
the, stacks and shot , the troopers
down. The officer in command of the
porn-poms ran to cast one of them
loose and use it. He was riddleci
with bullets in an instant. -Andt
still the shouting and slaying went
forward, the enemy rushing wildly,
about the camp.
In the first rush around the horse -
lines a Hoer yelled at an unarmed
soldier who had sprung to his feet,,,
"HANDS "UPI",
The trooper complied, whereupon.
the Boer- pulled, thetrigger of his
Mauser, which was planted againstrt;
the Victorian's breast, and murdered(
him. "Oh, you coward!" roared it ,
i
wounded officer stretched upon the
ground, and, frenziedly pulling. out.
his revolver, ha fired, and stretched,
the Boer, mortally wounded, beside:,
his victim. And, still the bu1lets1
snapped and burst, for the enemyl
were using both expansive and ex -1
plosive missiles. "Never have Il
seen anything like it," said an officer; ,
to me. "The enemy's bullets flicked
everywhere, and many of them burst;
into flame, flashing about like very
brilliant fire -flies or lively will -o' -the
wisps." Some of our men escaped
by getting among the dead hOrses
and under the over -turned baggagei
and saddlery. One or two bushmen
caught loose horses, mounted, and
.rode for life towards Middleburg, and
General Beatson's camp. Others
broke away on foot, and, as best
they, could, struck north to reach the
railWay. Viljoen, within ten minutes
from the commencement of his at-
tack, brought up six harnessed hor-
ses and took alt the first of the pom-
poms. The second, which was under
a tarpaulin .was removed later, to-
gether with about 1,000' rounds of
ammunition and much small -arm am-
munition. All the rifles and stores
also fell into -the enemy's hands,
most of the lattewere burned. They
got very few horses, however, so
many having been killed or wounded.
In the morning they released Major
Morris, R. A., and all their prison-
ers. Our casualties—Victorians—
were 19 or 20 killed and 40 wounded)
The Boers were seen to remove at
least eight of their dead in a cart.;
They confessed to having sustained
considerable loss, despite the attack
having been a complete. surprise.
I-IYPNOTISED THE HORSE.
Buyer:. : Look here, you ! You said
this horse was sound, and kind and
free from tricks. The firat day I
drove him he, fell down a dozen
tidies, and he's as bad to -day.
Dealer: Um—you've been wondering
if I cheated .you, maybe ?
Yes, I have.
And the first, time yoii drove the
'loss you wondered if lie hadn't, some
tricks-, didn't you ?
Of course.
And you kept saying to yourself,
I wonder if that there hoss will tura,-
ble (10W11, eh ?
FArnQcPaylo)1y.1.thad‘'y.:'o;:::u''' hiaici on it
good. deal, 'most like ?
That's true. „
That's wot's the inatter,
hypnotised him., -See ?
100,000 bales of cotton fe(f the
La,ncashitae mills for 11 year a cen-
tury ago. A aitailar 0.1110LO-it /IOW
lasts them a day and it quarter,
a
You
•
WHAT CAUSED THE ROW.
Hoot, hoot, hoot ! rang through
the house at 2 a.m.
Great Scott ! What is that ? and
the head of the house sat up in bed
and blinked at a'gaslamp shining
through the window.
John. stay where you are. I'll
not let you go downstairs to be
killed.. Did, you ever hear ,suth
noise ?
Mamma, what is it ? came in an
agitated whisper from the next room
and then the daughter rushed wildly
into the 'parental bedchamber.
Keep cool, now. Don't: go into
highstrikes. I'm going down to sec
what that is, and he unearthed an
old muzzle -loading gun which had
belonged to his grandfather and had
been loaded for thirty years. I'll
show 'ern. Every man's house is. his
own castle—"
Hoot, hoot, hoot !
The father dropped the gun and it
blew a whole corner olf the chest of
drawers. The daughter dived under
the bed and the mother cried mur-
der at the top of her voice.
Be quiet ! ordered the veteran, as
he reached for his eetillery. Stay
where you are, ' I'll fight my way to
the front door and net the police,
If they start shooting down there
dont show „a light. I know the
house and they don't.
Hoot, hoot, hoot ! just as the old
gentleman reached the top of the
stairs. He went down like a cart-
wheel, and made ci hole hi the floor
as big as the bottom of a tub.
Did you hear my owl ? .shouted •
Willie, as he came running down
from the third storey. Got ,him in
the country yesterday, and hung him
in the dining -room ,when 1 got a hoflie!
last night. Ain't he a -beauty ?
Poor Willie ! '1Ie walks like a boy
with inflammatory rheumatism, and
the last he saw of his owl it was
flying over the barn towarda 'the
next village,
AS TO HUMAN HAIR.
The,orfllnary leqtli Of tln paly c)11
tke lead rages betWeen 20 incheS
and about a yard and a quarter.,
When, however, hair ,is kept, closely
shaved it comes persistent, and at
the.same tithe grows in".Strength and
bulk. It has been calculated that
the hair, of the beztrd grows at the
rate ot 61 inches in the course of the
year,. Thus, in the case of a mac
shaving for sixty yeaes, ovee 30 feel
of bearcrisnist have falleli before tht-
'edgeof the razor,