WWfWPT"" lttliAW0A8TR DAlLt INTKtLlGBirOEBilBATtTKDAT, PEBllUAKt i:48G0; - --i'ft - - .:(' v -,.- " 1 SSjr ' l .-- '-f" rr f'f f-rf """ "rii:--- .r -rt' g J Hi f 11T ra- pjt K 1 m m- ll f , ut 1& it M Is IMMMSM , 1, E 1IM1 H1MA1D. jMKjr people," said Mr. Carsen, when aba aiMruur was done and we bad kissed ach ether before them alt ''my people, ,'Macutnaaahn and the Star, my daughter, im uwnua nnd itc. te lira In ena If kraal, te eat et ene bowl, te share ene fertnne tui rney reacn me grave, ueai f'pen, my people, you knew this woman," .ad. turning, he pointed te Hcndrika, t r-aU malum hv lis. ha1 Iren 1m) Ollt of v tfcn nriaea IihL "'"' lit'.. . !, t.r " celli n littln ' ttag of bead men, who formed tlie prim .t'Wre court of Justice, and after the f ash- i; ten of natives had squatted themselves in .A a, circle en the ground in front of us. 6 ii'We knew her: she is the white babyan IWOman; BI10 is JienuriKu, uiu wiij :i- v ant 61 the Star." .&,, "Yeu Knew ncr, saiu air. iireen, tft' "but you de net knew ncr aitegetncr. r Stand forward, Indaba-zimbi, and tell si' 41.. knAr.lAnr1inl. r-jiilm nlvillt. nftt rilcrht. til i? the hut of Macumaahan." )Jf Accordingly old Indaba-7imbl came forward, and, squatting down, told his Yi "jnevlng tale with much descriptive ferce i,. ft.' and man v cesturcs. finishing up by pre- jrducing the great knife from which his E'fa? watchfulness had baved me. -j" Then I was called upon, and in n few (&" brief words substantiated Ins story; in ETkT deed mv face did that in the sight of nil B$& tacn. Sfew Then Mr. Carsen turned te Uendrika, fV who steed in sullen silence, her ores 4S fixed upon the ground, and naked her if jjvr be had anything te say. She looked tip boldly and nnswered: "Macumazahn has reblcd me of the t$leve of my mistress. 1 would have J,V robbed him of his life, which is a little i; thing compared te that which I have ;Cjf lest a. his hands. I hare failed, and I SWf am berry for it, for had I killed htm nnd S"v left no trace the Star would have forget ten mm nnu Biione en me ngnin. "Never," mm mured Stella in my ear; but Sir. Carsen turned white with wrath. "My people," he said, "you hear the words of this woman. Yeu hear hew she pays me back, me nnd my daughter whom she swears b1ie loves. She mya that she could have murdered a man who has dene her no .evil, the man who Is tGe husband of her mistress. We saved her from the babynns, we tamed JJf Is hew she pays us back. Say, my Hif people, tvhatrewnrd shall be given te berr "fj?. "Death," said the circle of indunas, A pointing their thumbs downwards, and vs-all the multitude beyond echoed the yWd "Death." "twain," repeaieu me ncau muuna, adding: "If you save her, my father, we Ball! 1 !. . 1 , I. ..( .v l(f...ill. CI.. f y WUI Diay nut ,vtvil uui unu uuiiiia. tjiiu 'p.isa babyan woman, a devil woman; ah, fip T8! we ,lave ''card or such ocrerc; let "f ner no Biain neiore sue werns inoreovii," sS Then it was that Stella Bteftpcd for- ffW ward and begged for llcndrikn's life in , .as- Diuving lerms. ene pie.iueu me aarngery t- i&M the woman's nature, her long service, gi and the affection that she had always jKJjF 'ihewn toward herself. She Bald that I, 7- wnose life had been attempted, forgnve KlfSjiker, and she, my wife, who had nearly MLi'."7hiuin luft- n v.tilm. tiyif'.rr. alinliin. tnnili ebride, forgave her; 1st them forgive her ualse, let her be sent away, net Blaln, let net her marriage day be stained with US klnn.1 r&S? Nnivlipr fntlinrllfttennl rn.iililr nnnnpli. P.fjfer he had no intention of killing Hen- W.jiUlKa. ltiuced, he had already premised : ',;' het te de re. Tin I thn Dennln wir in ft ?idi(Icrcnt humor, they looked upon lien- i zj' utiku ue uuuvii.auu wuiiui iiuve lern iier v" te pieces there and then, could llioylnne Kfej had their way. Ner were matters mended JL'-vbylndaba-zimbl, who had already gained KS3 ,, great reputation for wisdom and magic lta the place. Suddenly the old man fose St JS'h Ami H.t It.. ... 1.... .1 . 1 I. ; -s euu ujiiuu ijwiiu uu iiiiijaBaiujii'ii Hfil't'Cll, vxgf "'h'H meiii in uui urjiiiriiiu hi uncu or uuacniei weuiu come ei u. At last matters get very bad, for two of the indunas came forward te drag her off te execution, nnd it was net until Stella fairly burst into tears that the sight of her grief,' backed by Mr. Car Car eon's orders nnd my own remenstrances, carried the day. All this while Uendrika had been standing quile unmoved. At last the tumult stepped, nud the leading indium called te her te go, premising that if -ever she tihewed her face near thu kraals lift again she should bohtabbed like a jackal. mtff. j.ueu uemiriKa npeice 10 eiena in u low KM voicein English: fvV 4T).nM 1... ,l.rt. 1.M1 ... l. i.rL ' a;ih; ,(Jb iiciu iwu uu. uiiaiii.'b.i. uui '-j -tnrtrtrnM Willimit ... I.. !,..- 1.1. ,.11 " . ......vuv lull iirtu.u niiuil go mad and Iwcoiue a Ixibyan again.' ItiSi. Htclla did net answer, nud thev loosed R, her, She stepicd forward and looked nuuuuiin.d wiih a Maruei naie. inen fe alie turned and walked naht me. nnd as .vAtrV AllA IMSUtll wllleiv.r.i.1 n linti.'n .1imt. I.. SS&- my ear, that, being literally tiam.lated. P means, "Till another moon," but which rgK? has the same significance as the French B2 Mnii rnrntr." It frightened me, for I knew she meant that she had net done with me, and saw that our merer was miMilaced. Seelnir 1 Inv fn nlinimn tin. t .. inifllit f.... ..... .-f "w v..uiu nnu auu d..iivi ilum IIU, & aim as sue passeu iihuiiu-ziuhh, witn a knife from hU hand. When slie hud gene about twenty paces she halted, looked long and earnestly en Stella, gave one loud cry us of nuguisli, and fled. A few minutes later we baw her far away, bounding up the face of an al most perpendicular clilf a cliff that no body except herself and the balxxins could possibly climb, "Loek," said Indaha-ziuibi in my ear, "leek, 3Iacumazahn, there gees the babyan frau. Uut, Macumazahu, she will ceme Kick again. Ah. why will you net listen te my words? Ilave they Erf net always been true words, Macuma- rahn'f" nnd he shrugged his shoulders e& and turned away. J" Fer a while I was much disturled, but t't any rate Uendrika was gene for the f!Xr present, and Stella, my dear and lovely sr'wife. was there at mv side, nml In lirr jftfe,' smiles I forget my fears. Kfc Fer the rest of that day, why should I priv it nr. .. .r. ". EjiX wnioei it.' mere are tilings tee hapiiv Ev.. and tee sacred te be written of. t7& A4 In.t T 1....1 If i...!.. ' 1:4.1 I.M- tffi found that rest, that perfect joy which ;Swe sceic te continually and be rarely fel clasp. CHAPTER XI. WONDEIt If many mnrried couples are quite as happy as we found eunselves. Cynics, a grow ing class, declare that few illusions can survive a honey 111 0 en . "Well, I de net knowabeutit,for I only married once, uud can but Efteak from my limited experi ence. Hut cer tainly our illusion, or rather the great '.OtUi of wldch it is the shadow, did sur vive, us te this day it survives in my t r But coespKte happiDMfl Is net allowed la tbb) world eren for an hour. Thrm days after our wedding Mr. Car ob had fctreke. It had been long Im pending, new it fell. We came Inte the center hut te dinner nnd found him ly ing speechless. At first I thought that he was dying, but this was net se. On the contrary, within four days he recovered his speech nnd some power el movement. But he never recovered hh memory, though he still knew Stella and sometimes myscl f . Curiously cneugl he remembered little Teta best of til three, though occasionally he thought that she was his own daughter in her childhood, nnd would nsk her where her mother was. This Rtate of affairs lasted for seme seven months. The old man gradually grew weaker, but he did net die. Of course his condition qtilte pre cluded the idea of our leaving Dabyan Kraal till all was ever. This was the mero distressing te me liecause I had n nervous presentiment that Stella was in curring danger by staying there, nnd nlse because the state of her health ren dered it desirable that we should reach a civilized region ns Boen as possible. At length the end came very suddenly. We were sitting ene evening by Mr. Carsen's bedside in his hut, when te our astonishment he sat up and spoke. "I hear you," he 6ald. "Yes, yes, 1 fergl ve you. 1'oer woman I you tee have suffered," nnd he fell back dead. I have little doubt that he was address ing his lest wife, seme vision of whom had flashed across his dying souses. Stella, of course, wns overwhelmed with grief at her less. Till I came her father had been her sole companion, nnd there fore, ns may be imagined, the tie lo le tween them wns much closer than Is usual even In the caRO of father nnd daughter. Se deeply did she mourn that I began te fear for the effect ujkh her health. Ner were we the only ones te grievc; all the nativca en the settlement culled Mr. Carsen "father," nnd ns n father they lamented him. The air re sounded with the wailing of women, nnd the men went nbeut with bowed heads, saying that "the sun had set in the heavens, new only the Star (Stella) remained." Iudaba-zhnbl nlone did net mourn, lle said that it was best (hat the Inkoes should die, for what was Ufa worth whet one lay llke a leg? more mere more ever, that it would have been well for all If lis had died sooner. On the following day we bipried hhn In the little graveyerd near the water fall. It was a wid business and Stella crlsd very much, In splte of nil I could de te comfort her. That night as I sat outuide the hut smoking for the weather was het and Stella waslylngdewn inside old Indnba zimbl came up, baluted nnd squatted at my feet. "What is it, Iiidaba-sslmbl?" I said. "This, Macuinaznhit. When nre you going te trek towards the coast?" "I don't knew," I answered. "The Star Is net lit te trnvel new; we must wait awhile." "Ne, Macumazahu, you must net wait; you must go, and the Star must take her clinuce. Slie is hi long. It Is nothing. All will be well." "Why de you sny se? Why must we go?" "Fer this reason, Mnuuiiinzahii," nnd he loeketf cautiously round and Sxike low. "The baboons have ceme hack in thousands. All the mountain is full of them." "I did net knew that they had gene," I said. "Yes," he answered, "they went uftcr the man Inge, all but ene or two; new they are back, all the baboons in the world, I think. 1 saw a whole clilf black with thorn." "Is that nil?" I said, for I Haw that he had something behind. "I nm net nf raid of a pack of baboons." "Ne, Macuma:'.alm, It Is net nil. The babynn-frnu, Uendrika, Is with them." New, nothing had been heard or Been of lleudiikn since her expulsion, and though nt first sliu nnd her thteats had haunted me somewhat, by degiees nhe hail te a gieat extent passed out of my mind, which was fully pieeccupled with Stella and my father-in-law's illness. I stalled violently. "Hew de you knew this?" 1 asked. "I knew it becmitte I baw her, Macu mazahu. She is disguised, shu is dressed lip in balioen skins, nnd her fnce is stain ed dark. Hut though she was ti long way off I knew her by her size, and 1 saw the white flesh of her arm when the skins slipped abide. She has ceme back, Mucitniazuhu, with all the baboons in the world, and she has ceme back te de evil. New de you understand why you should trek?" "Yes," I bald, "though I don't bee hew bhn and the baboons can harm us. I think that it will be better te go. If nec essary we can camp thn wagons some where fera v liile en the journey. Heark en, Indnha-zimbl: sny nothing nf this te the Star; I will net have her frightened. And heat ken ngalu. Speak te the head men, and bee that wntcherH aie set all mound the huts and gardens, and kept theie night and day. To-meriow we will get the wagons ready, and thu next day we will trek." He nodded his white loci; and went te de my bidding, leaving me net u little disturbed unreasonably be, indeed. It was n btrauge story. That this woman had the power of fomenting with ba lloons I knew. That was net be very wonderful, seeing that the llubhmcn claim lobe ablotedothoBaiuo thing, and blie had been nurtured by them. Hut that bhe had been uble te muster them, and by the btieiigth of her human will and intelligence muster them in order te forward her ends of levenge, seemed te niese incrcdible that after reflection my fears grew light. Still 1 determined te trek. Se I went into Stella, and without say ing n word te her of the ImIkxui btery, told her I had been thinking matters ever, and had ceme te the conclusion that it was our duty te fellow her father's instructions te the letter, and leave Bab yan Kraals at once. Inte all our talk I need net enter, but thu cud of it was that she agieed with me, and declared that bhe could quite well manage the jeurney. Nothing happened te disturb us that night, and en the following morning 1 was up caily making preparations. The despairef the eople when they learned that we were going te leave them wns something ipiite pitiable. I could only coiihelo them by declaring that we were hut en a journey, nud would return the following ear. "They had lived in the bhadew of her father, who was dead," they declared; "ever bince they were little they had lived in his bhadew. Ue had received them when they were outcasts nnd wan derers without n mat tolieen, era blank it te cover them, and they had grown fat in his bhadew. Then he had died, and the Star, their falher'sdaughter, had married me, Macumazahu, nud they had believed that 1 should take their father's place, and let them live in my bhadew. What bheuld they de w hen there w ns ue ene te protect them? The tribes were kept from attacking them by fear of the white man. If he went, they would lie eaten up," uud m en. Alas! there was but tee much foundation for their fears. I returned te the hutsat mid-day te get some dinner. Stella bald that she was going te pack during the nfternoen, se I did net think It necessary te caution her about going out alone, as I did net wish tnulhule ti IhiiMihiis't of lleudriL-n nnd thn baboons unless i was obliged te. I told her, however, that I would come back te help her ns isoen ns I could get nway. Then I went down te the tin tin tive kraals te sort out such cattle ns had liclengcd te Mr. Carsen from these which belonged te the Knfllrn, for 1 proposed te take them with us. It wns n large herd, nud the business took an Incalculable time. At length, n little before sun down, I gave It up, nnd leaving Indnba timid te finish the job, get en my horse nnd rode homewards. Arriving, I gave the herse te ene of the stable Iniys, and went Inte the cen tral hut. Thcre was no sign of Stella, though the things bIie hnd leen packing lay about the fleer. I passed first into our sleeping hut, thence one by ene Inte nil the ethers, but still saw ue sign nf her. Then I went out, and calling te a Kaillr In the garden asked him If he had seen his mistress. He nnswered "yes." He had Boen her carrying flowers walking towards the graveyard, holding the little white girl my daughter as he called her, by the hand, when the sun btoed "there," nnd he pointed te a spot in the horizon where it would have been nbeut an hour nud n half before. "The two dogs were with them," he added. I turned and ran towards the graveyard, which was about n quarter of n. uiile from thu huts. Of course there was no reason te be anxious evidently she had gene te lay the flowers en her father's grnve. And yet I was anxious. When 1 get near the graveyard I met ene of the natives, who, by my orders, had liecn set round the kraals te wntch the place, and noticed that he was rub bing his ejes nnd yawning. Cleat ly he hail been asleep. I asked him If he had seen his mistress, nnd he answered that he had net, which under the ciicuui stances wns net wonderful. Without stepping te reproach him, I ordered the man te fellow me, nnd went en te the graveyard. There, en Mr. Carsen's grave, lay the drooping flowers which Stella had been carrying, uud there in thu fresh meld was the soer of Tela's vcldschoen, or hlde slipper. Hut where were they? I i an from the graveyard nnd called aloud at the top of my voice, but ue an an Bwercame. Meanwhile the native wns mero profitably engaged lit tracing their spoor. He followed it for about n hun dred ynrds till he came te a clump of mimosa bush that was situated livtween the bticnm and the ancient marble quar ries just above the waterfall, and nt the moutlPef the ravine. Here he stepped, and I heard him give n htnrtled cry. I rushed te the spot, passed through the tiees, and saw this. The little open space In the center of the glade hud been thu scene of n stiuggle. There, In the beft earth, were the murks of tlirce hu man feet two shed, one naked Stella's, Teta'aand llcndrikn's. Ner was this nil. There, close by, lay the fragments of the two dogs they were nothing moie nnd ene baboon, net yet quite dead, which had been bitten In the threat by the dogs. All round uu was thu 6ioer of iitimhcrlcHH baboons. The full hoirer of w lint hnd happened flashed into my mind. My wife and Tela had been carried off by the baboons. As yet they had net been killed, for if se their icmulus would have been found with these of the dogs. They hnd been carried off. The brutes, nctlng undcrthodliectlenof the woman monkey, lleniliikn, had dragged them nway te some secret den, theie te keep them till thev died or kill them! Fer n moment 1 literally staggered bo be neath (he terror of the shock. Then I loused myself fiem my despair. I bade (henatlie run and nlaini thu people at the kraals, telling them te ceme armed, and bring me guns and ammunition. He went llke the wind, and I tinned te fol fel low the spoor. Fer a few yards It wns plain enough Stella had been dragged along. 1 could hee where her heels had struck the gieiiuil; (he child had, 1 pru muued, been eairied at leabt thorn were no inaiks of her feel. At the water's edge the bpoer vanished. The water was shallow, uud they had gene along in it, or at least Uendrika and her Mctiins had, in elder te obliterate the trail. I could bee where a mess giewn stene had been freshly turned ever in the water bed. 1 ran along the bank home way up the ravine, in thu vain hope of catching n bight of them. Presently 1 heaid n bulk in the cliffs abeve me; it was an swered by another, and jthen 1 saw (hat beeres of baboons were hidden about among (he rocks en either side, and were slowly swinging (heiusehes down te bar the path. Te go en unarmed as I was would be useless. I should only be tein te pieeeH ns the dogs had been. Se I turned ami lied back toward the huts. Aa 1 drew near I could bee that my mes senger had reused the settlement, for natives with spears mid keriies in their hands were miming up towards the kraals. When 1 reached the hut I met old Indaba-zimbl, who were a very beri beri eus face. "Se the evil has fallen, Macumnrnhu," he bald. "It has fallen," 1 answered. "Keep n geed heart, Macumazahu," he said again. "She is net dead, nor is the little maid, and before they die we shall find them. Kemcmber this, Heudiika loves her. Shu w ill net hai m her or al low the babynns te harm her. She will try te hide her nway from you that is all." "l'ray Ged that we may flud her," I groaned. "The light is going fast." "The moon rises in three hours," he nnswered. "We will search by moon light. It is useless te btatt new;"bee, the nm binks. I,et ua get the men together, eat and make things ready, llnmha gachle. Hasten hlewly, Mnrumnzahn." As there was no help I took hisndiice, I could eat no feed, but I packed some up te take with us, and made ready ioes uud a rough kind of litter. If we found them they would scarcely be ablu te walk. Ah! If we found them! Hew hlewly the time passedl It seemed hours lief ere the moon rose. Hut nt last it did rise. Then w e started. In nil we were nbeut n hundred men, but we only mustered live guns between us, my elephant recr nud four that had belonged te Mr. Car Car seu. CHAPTER XH. E gained the set by the stream w here Stella had been taken. The natives look ed at the tern fragments of the dogs, and nt the marks ei vio lence, and I heard (Ua VvVSrV i "-hi nni-iirillgiu Jwjlv ' vach ether that VUlMwW ' whether the Star wiWwy lived or died they would net rest till they had exterm inated every bihoen en Habyan's peak. I echoed the oath, and, us nl;all be been, we kept it, Webtait'vl en aleii'X the stieam, fol lowing the bpoer of the baboons as we best could. Hut thu stream left no sxer, nnd the hard, nwkv bans bin lit'l enu we wanaerea en. ah nignt we wandered through (he leuely moonlit vol vel vol leye, blartling the silence into u thousand echoes wi(b our erica. But ue answer JN mmMr m,KMk m'tejSfj Kr 't rivy i cfttnotetnem, xn rain our eyes acarcnert the sides of precipices formed of water rlvrn rocks fantastically piled ene upon Anether; In vain we searched through endless dells nnd fern clad crannies. Thcre was nothing te lie found. Hew could we expect te And two human Mugs hidden nway in the recesses of this vast stretch of mountain ground, which no man yet hnd ever fully ex plored? They were lest, nnd in nil hu man probability lest for ever. Te mid fro we wandered hopelessly, till nt last dawn found us footsore and weary nearly at the spot wheuce we had started. We sat down watting for the sun te rise, nnd the men nte of such feed as they had brought with them, nnd sent te the kraals for mere. I sat upon n stone with a breaking heart. I cannot describe my feelings. Let the reader put himself in my posi tion and crhnpfl he may get seme Idea of them. Near nie wns old Indaba zlmbl, who sat staring straight before him ns though he were looking into space, nnd taking note of, what went en there. An Idea struck me. This man had boine occult power. Several times during our adventures be had prophe sied, nnd in every case his prophecies had proved true. Ue it wns who, when we escaped from the Zulu Impl, had told me te steer north, because there we should find the place of a white man who lived under the shadow of n great peak that was full of batxxms. Perhaps he could help In this extremity nt any raw It was worth trying. "Indaba-zluibi," I said, "you say that you can send your spirit through the doers of space and see what we cannot see. At the least I knew that you can de utrange things. Can you net help me new? If you can, nnd will save her, I will give you half the cattle that we have here." "I never said anything of the sort, Macumazahn," he nnswered. "I de things, I de net talk nbeut them. Neither de I seek reward for what I de like a common witch doctor. It Is well that you have asked me te tise my wisdom, Macuinnzahn, for I should net have used it again without being asked no, net even for the sake of the Star nnd yourself, whom I love, for if be my spirit would have been angry. In the ether matters I had a part, for my life wns concerned as well as yours; but in this matter I have no part, nnd therefore I might net iibe my wisdom unless you thought well te call upon my uplrit. However, It would have been no geed te aslc me before, for I have pnly just found the herb I want," nnd he produced n handful of leaves et u nlant thai was unfamiliar te me. It hud prickly leaves, shajcd very much j like these of (he cqmmen English nettle. "New, Macumazahn," he went en, "bid (he men leave us nlone, nnd then fellow ine presently te the little glade down there by (he water." I did be. When I reached the glade 1 found Indaba-zimbl kindling a small fire under the bhadew of n tree by the edgoef the water. "Sit there, Macumazahn," he Bald, pointing te n slone near the fire, "nnd de net be surprised or frightened at any thing you pee. If you move or, call out we Khali learn nothing." I sat down nnd watched. When the flre was alight and burning brightly, the old fellow stripped himself stark naked, nnd, going te the feet of the peel, dipped hiins'elf in the water. Then he came back shivering with the cold, and, lean ing ever the little fire, thrust leaves of the plant I have mentioned into his mouth and began te chew them, mutter ing as he chewed. Most of the remaining leaves he threw onto the fire. A dense stuoke rese from them, but he held hij head In (his smeke nnd drew itdewu into his lungs (ill I saw (hat he was exhibiting every bigu et MirTocatlen. The veins in his threat and chest Bwelled, he gasped loudly, and his eyes, from which tear were streaming, seemed mi though they were going te btart from his head, l'rcn- ently he fell ever en his Bide, and lav senseless. I was terribly alarmed, and my first impulse was te run (e his assist ance, but fertuna(ely I remembered hij caution nnd hat quiet. Indaba-zimbl lay en (he ground like n person quitedead. His limbs hnd nil the utter relaxation of death. Hut as 1 watched I saw them begin te btiffen, ex actly as though rigor mortis had bijt in. Then, te my astonishment, I perceived them ence mere relax, mid (his time there nppeared upon his chest the btain of decomposition. It spread nnd spremli In three minutes the man, te all appear mice, was u livid corpse. I bat amazed watching this uncanny Bight, and wondering if any further nat ural process was about (e be enacted. Perhaps Indaba-zimbl was going le fall le dust before my eyes. Ah I wntched 1 observed (hat (he discoloration was be ginning (e fade. First it vanished from the extremities, then fiem the large! limbs, and lastly from the trunk. Then hi turn came the third btage of relaxa tion, the second stngoef stiffness or rigor, and the first btage of uf ter-death collapse. When all these had rapidly succeeded each ether, Indaba-zimbl quietly woke up. I was tee astonished te speak; I simply looked et him with my mouth open. "Well, Macumazahu," he baid, putting his head en ene bide like a bird and nod ding Ids white lock in a comical fashion, i"it is ull right; I have been her." "Soen who?" I said. "The Star, your wife, and the little maid. They are much frightened, but Unharmed. The babyan-frau watchci them. She Is mad, but (he baboons obey her and de net hurt (hem. The Star win . Bleeping from weariness, se I whispered in her ear and told her net te be fright ened, for you would Boen rescue her, nnd that meauwhile bhe must seem te be pleased te have Uendrika near her." "Yeu whispered In her ear?" I said. "Hew could you whisper in her ear?" , "Bah! Macumazahn. Hew could 1 Bccm te die nnd gdretten before yeui eyes? Yeu don't knew, de you? Well I will tell you ene thing. I had te die tc pass the doers of space, as you call them 1 had te draw all the healthy strength nud life from my liedy in order te gather power te speak with the Star. It was a dangerous business, Macumazahu, for if I had let-things go n little further they must have stepped se, and there would have been an end of Indaba-zimbl. Ah, you white men, you knew se much that you think you knew everything. Hut you don't! Yeu nre always blaring at the clouds mid can't see the things that lie at your feet. Yeu hardly lieliove ine new, de you, Macumazahu? Well, 1 will jihew you. Ilave you anything en you that the Star has touched or worn?" 1 thought for n moment, nnd said tha I had a lock of her hair In my pockel peckel pockel lieok. Ue (old me (e give it te him. I did be. Going te (he lire, he lit (he lock of hair in (he flame, and let it burn (e ashes, which he caught in his left hand. These ashes he mixed up in n paste with the julce of ene of the leaves of the plant I have spoken of. "New, Macumazahn, bhut your eyes," he said. I did se, and he rubbed his paste en my eyelids. At first it burnt me, then my head swam strangely. Presently (hisef feet jiassed off, and my brain was ier feclly clear again, but I could net feel the ground with my feet. Indaba-zimbl led me te the tide of thu stream. Hcucath us was a ioel of lieautlfiilly clear water. "Loek Inte the m, Macumazahn," said Induba-zhubi, and his voice bounded aoiiew nnu inr away in my eats. I looked. The water grew dark) It cleared, nnd In it was a picture. I saw a cave with a flre burning in it. Against the wall of (he cave rested Stella. Her dress was tern nlmest off her, she looked dreadfully pale and weary, nnd her eye lids were red ns though with weeping. Hut she Blept, and I could nlmest think that I saw her lips shape my name in her sleep. Clese (e her, her head upon Stella's breast, was little Tetnj she had n skin thrown ever her te keep out the night cold. The child was awake, and appeared te lie meaning with fear. Hy the fire, nnd in such n position that the light fell full upon her face, nnd en gaged in cooking something In a rough pet Bhnped from weed, sat (he baboon woman, Ueiidrika, She was clothed In balioen skins, nnd her fnce had been rubbed with some dark stain, which was, however, wearing off. In the intervals of her cooking she would turn en Stella her wild eyes, In which glared visibte madness, with an expression of tenderness that nmeuntcd te worship. Then she would stnre at the KKr child and gnash her teeth ns though with hate. Clearly she wns jeal ous of it. Hound the entrance arch of the enve peeped nnd peered the heads of many baboons. Presently Hcndrlka madun Blgn te ene of them; apparently she did net speak, or rather grunt, in order net te wnke Slelln. .The bruls hopped forward, and she gave it a sec ond rude wooden pet which wnB lying by her. It took it nnd went. The last thing that I Baw, as the vision slowly vanished from the peel, was the dim shadow of the baboon returning with the iet full of water. Presently everything had gene. I ceased te feel strange. Thcre beneath me was the peel, and at my slde steed Indnba-zlrabI, smiling. "Yeu have Been things," he 6aid. "I have," I answered, and made no further remark en the matter. What wan there (e nay? "De you knew the path te the cave?" I ndded. He nodded his head. "I did net fellow it nil just new, liccause it winds," he Bald. "Hut I knew it. We shall want the ropes." "Then let us be starting; the men have eaten." He nodded his head again, nnd, going te the men, I told them te make ready, adding that Indnba-zlmbi knew the way. They said that was all right; if Indaba zimbl had "smelt her out" they should been find the Stnr. Se we started cheer fully enough, nnd ray spirits were 60 much improved that I was nble te eat n Iwlled mealie cob or two as we wnlkcd. We went up the valley, following the ceurse of the stream for nbeut a tuile; then Indaba-zimbi made a sudden turn te the right along another kloef, of which there were countless numbers in the base of the great hill. On we went through kloef nfler kloef. Indaba-zimbl, who led us, was never at a less; he turned up gulleys nnd struck across necks of hills with the certainty of n hound en a het scent. At length, nftcr nbeut tlirce hours' march, we came te n big silent valley en the northern" slepe of the great peak. On ene eide of this valley was n series of stony kepples, en the ether rese a Bhecr wall of rock. We marched along the wall for n dis tance of seme two miles. Then suddenly Indaba-zimbi halted. "There is the place," he said, pointing te an opening in Iho cliff. This opening was nbeut forty feet from the ground, mid ellipse shaped. It cannot have been mero than twenty feet high by ten wide, and was partially hidden by ferns nml bushes that grew about it in the burface of (he cliff. Keen ns my eyes were, I doubt if I should ever have noticed it, for there were many such cracks and crannies In (he rocky face of the great mountain. We drew near and looked carefully at the place. The first thing I noticed was that (he rock, which was net quite per pendicular, had been worn by the contin ual pnssage of baboons; the second, that bemcthing white was hanging en a bush near the top of the ascent. It was a pocket-handkerchief. New there was no mero doubt about (he niaUcr. With ft beating heart I be gan the nscent. Fer (heflrst twenty feet it was comparatively easy, for the rock shelved; (he next ten feet was vcrydlfll cult, but still pessible te an active man, nnd I achieved it, followed by Indaba zimbi. Hut the last twelve or fifteen feet could only lie scaled by (brewing n repe ever (he trunk of a stunted tree, which grew at the bottom of the opening. This we accomplished with fioine (rouble, nnd the rest was easy. A feet or two bove my head the handker chief fluttered In the wind. Hanging te (he repe, I grasped it. It was my wife's. As I did be I noticed the face of a baboon peering nt me ever the edge of the cleft, the llrst baboon we had Been that morn ing. The brute gave a bark and van ished. Thrusting the handkerchief Inte my breast, I set my feet against the cliff nnd bcrnmbled up ns hard as I could go. I knew that we had no time te lese, for the baboon would quickly alarm the ethers. I gained the cleft. It was a mere niched passage cut by water, end ing in :i gulley, which led le a wide open space of seme sort. I looked through the passage and saw that the gulley was black with baboons. On they came by the hundred. I unslung my elephant gun from my shoulders, and waited, calling (e the men below te ceme up with all pessible speed. The brulca streamed en down the gloomy gulf to wards me, barking, grunting and show ing their huge teeth. I waited till they were within fifteen ynrds. Then I fired the elephant gun, which was leaded with slugs, right into the thick of them. In that narrow place the report echoed like a cannon shot, but its wund was quickly swallowed in the volley of pierc ing human sounding groans and screams that followed. The charge of heavy slugs had plowed through the number of the baboons, of which nt least a dozen lay dead or dying in the passage. Fer a mo ment they hesitated, then they came en again with a hideous clamor. Fortunate ly by this time Indaba-zimbl, who also had n gun, wns standing by my side, oth erwise 1 bheuld have been tern te pieces liefore I could reload. He fired both bar rels into them, and again checked the rush. Hut they came en again, and not withstanding the apH'.irauce of two na tives with guns, which they let off with mere or lessbttecess, ue should haielieen overwhelmed by the great and ferocious npe.s had 1 net by this time succeeded in I reloading the elephant gun. When thev were right en te us 1 llrcd, with even mere deadly effect than before, for at that distance every blug told en their lung line. The howls and bereams of rage and fury were new something inconceiv able, One might hae thought that we were doing Initie with a host of de mons; indeed in that light for the overhanging arch of rock made it very dm k the gnashing snouts and bomber glowing eyes of the njies looked like these of devils ns they are repro repre ben ted hy monkish faney. Hut the last shot was tee much for them; they with drew, dragging some of their wounded with them, ami thus gave us time te get our men up the clilf. In a few minutes all were there, and we advanced down the passage, which presently opened into a rocky gulley with shelving bides. This gulley had a water way at the bottom of it; it was nbeut a hi.udied ynrds long, and thosjepus en either bide i era topped uy preeiHMHis cutis, l toettra at tnea slopes; they literally swarmed with b- boons, grunting, harking, screaming, nnd beating their bfcasts with their long arms In fury. I looked up the water way; along it, nccempanlcd by a mob, or, as it were, a gunrd of balxxms, came Uen drika, her long hair flying, madness writ ten en her face, and in her arms was the senseless form of little Teta. She baw us, and a foam of rage burst from her lljw. She screamed nleud. Te me the sound was a mere Inarticulate cry, hut (he balxxms clearly undcrsloed i(, for (hey liegan (e roll rocks down en (e us. One bewlder leaped past me nnd struck down a Kaffir behind; another fell from the reef of the arch en te a man's head nnd killed him, Indaba-zimbl lifted his gun te sheet Hcndrikn; I knocked it up se that the shot went ever her, crying that he would kill the child. Then I shouted te the men te ejien out and form a line from slde te side of the shelving gulley. Furious at the less of their two comrades, they obeyed me, and keeping In the walcr way myself, together with Imlalm-zimbl and the ether guns, I gave the word (e charge. Then (he real ba((le began. It Is diffi cult te say who fought the mero fiercely, the natives or the baboons. The Kaffirs charged along the slopes, and as they came, encouraged by the screams of Uendrika, who rushed te nnd fro hold ing Iho wretched Tote before her as a shield, the apes .bounded at them in fury. Scores were killed by the assegais and many mere fell licncnth our gun shots, but still they came en. Ner did we go scat bless. Occasionally n man would slip, or lw pulled ever in the grip of a baboon. Then the ethers weulu fling thenibclvcs upon him like dogs en n rat, and worry him te death. We lest five men In this way, and I myself received n bile through the fleshy part of the left nrm, but fortunately a natire near me asscgaled the animal liefore I was pulled down. At length, nnd all of n sudden, the baboons gave up. A panic seemed te seize them. Notwithstanding the cries of Uendrika they thought no mere of fight, but only of escape; some even did net nt(cmpt (e get nway from the asse gais of the Kaffirs, they simply hid their horrible facps in their paws, and, moan mean ing plteeusly, wnited te be slain. Uendrika baw Hint the battle was lest. Dropping the child from her nrras, bIie rushed straight at us, n very picture of horrible insanity. I lifted my gun, but could net bear te sheet. After alt she was but n mad thing, half npe, half woman. Se I sprang (e ene side, nnd she lauded full en Indaba-zimbi, knock ing him down. But she did net stay te de any mero. Walling terribly, she rushed down (he gulley nnd (breugh (he arch, followed by many of (he surviving baboons, and vanished from our bight. CHAPTER XlJt. HE ITOHT was ever. In nil we had lest beven men killed, and s e v e r a 1 mero were b e v erely b i t ten, while but few had escaped without Bonie tokens whereby he might remem ber what n ba boon's teeth nnd cluws are like. Hew many of the bnites we killed I nover knew, because we did net count, but it was a vast number. I should think that the s(eck must have been low about Babyun'u peak for many years afterwards. Frem that day te this, however, I have always avoided baboons, feeling mero afraid of them than any beast that lives. The path was clear, and we rushed for ward up the water-course. But first we picked up little Teta. The child was net in a swoon, as 1 had thought, hut par alyzed by terror, be that bhe could scarce ly speak, Othorwlse she was unhurt, though it took her many a week te re cover her nerve. Had she been elder, and had Bhe net remembered Uendrika, I doubt if she would have recovered it. She knew me again, and flung her little arms about my neck, clinging te me se closely that I did net dare te give her te any ene else te cairy lest I bheuld add te her terrors. Se I went en with her in my arms. The fears that pierced my heart may well be imagined. Should I find Stella alive or deatlr Should I llnd her at all? Well, we should seen know knew know new. We stumbled en up the Fteuy wa-ter-ceuise; notwithstanding the weight of Teta, I led the way, for suspense lent me wings. New we were through, and an extraordinary bcone lay before us. We were in a great natural amphithea tre, only it was three times thoslze of any amphitheatre ever shaped "hy man, and the walla were formed of precipitous cliffs, ranging fiem ene te two hundred feet in height. Fer the rest, the space thus inclesed was level, studded with park-liku trees, brilliant with flowers, nnd having a stream running through the center of it that, ns I afterwards dis covered, welled up from the ground nt the head of the open space. We spread ourselves out In a line, bcarching everywhere, for Teta was tee overcemo te be able te tell us where Stella was hidden away. Fer nearly half an hour we searched and searched, scanning the walls of reck for any pos sible opening te a cave. In vain we could llnd none. I applied te old Indaba zimbi, but bis foresight was at fault here. All he could say was tint this was the place, and that the "Star" was hidden boniewhere in ncavd, but where the cave was he could net tell. At last we came te the top of the amphitheatre. Theio liefore us was a wall of rock, of which the lower parts were here and there clothed in grasses, lichens and creepers. 1 wnlkcd along it, calling at the top of my voice. Presently my heart steed still, for I thought 1 heard a faint answer. I drew nearer le the place from which (he sound beemed (e come, and again called. Yes, (here was an answer in my wife's veice. It seemed te ceme from the rock. I went up te it and searched among the creepers, but still could find no opening. "Meve the btene," cried Stella's voice, "the cave is bhut with a stone." I took a spear and prodded nt the cliff w hence the bound came. Suddenly the spenr sank in through a innsi of lichen. I swept thu lichen aside, revealing n ltewlder that had been rolled Inte the mouth of an opening in the rock, which It fitted se accurately that, covered as it wns by thoeverllunging lidbcu, it might well have escaped (he keenest eye. We dragged the liewlder out; it was two men's work te de it. Beyond wns n narrow, water worn passage, which I followed with n beating heart. Pres ently the passage opened into n small cave, Ehaped like a piekle bottle, and coming te a neck at the top end. AVe passed through and found ourselves in n second, much larger cave, that I nt ence recognized ns the ene of which Indaba zimbi had bhewn me n vision in the water. Light readied it from above above hew I knew net and by it I could eee n form half bitting, half lying en seme skins nt the top cud of the cave. I rushed te It. It was Stella! Stella bound with strips of hide, bruised, tern, but still Stella, and alive. She saw me, she gave ene cry, then ns I caught her in my arms bhc fainted. It was h&DDv indeed that bhe did net faint viiiB? m Before, for bM km mm ter tee i of her veica I de Mt bsUera-we abetdd ercr have found that rwihlngly htdiea care, unless, indeed, Indaba-aitabl'sBiass-lo(en which be blessings) had corns te our assistance. We lore her te the epes air, laid bar beneath the shade of a tree, and cat tt , bends loeso from her ankle. Aa wa went I glanced at the cave. It waa ex actly as I had seen it in the viateB. There burnt the Arc, there were the rade wooden vessels, one of them still half full of the water wldch 1 had teen tha baboon bring. I felt awed as I looked, and marveled at the power wielded by a savage who could net even read and write. New I could see Siella clearly. Her face was scratched, nnd haggard with fear and weeping. Her clothes were al most tern off her, nnd her beautiful half was loose nnd tangled. I sent for water, and we sprinkled her face. Then I forced n little of the brandy which we distilled from peaches nt the kraals between hel lips, and she opened her eyes, and threw ing her arms about me clung te me as little Teta had done, sobbing, "Thank Qedl thank Ged!" After a while she grew quieter, and 1 made her and Teta cat n little feed from the store that we had brought with us. 1 tee nte nnd was thankful, for with lh exception of the mealie cobs I had tasted nothing for nearly four-and-twenty hours. Then she washed her face and hands, and tidied her rags of dress as well ns she was able. As she did be, by degrees I drew her 6tery from her. It eccmed that en the previous after noon, being wearied with packing, she went out te visit her father's grave, tak ing Teta with her, and was followed there by the two dogs. .She wished te lay seme flowers en the grave and take farewell of the dust it covered, for as we had expected te trek early en the morrow she did net knew if she would find n later oppeitunlty. They passed up the garden, nnd, gathering seme flowers from the orange trees and else where, went en te the little graveyard. Here she laid them en the grave as we had found (hen, and (hen sitting down, fell into a deep and sad reverie, such as the occasion veuld naturally induce. While Bhe bat thus, Teta, who was a lively child nnd active ns a kitten, Btraycd nway without Stella observing It. With her weut the dogs, who had also grown tired of Inaction; a while passed, and suddenly she heard the dogs barking furiously nbeut 150 yards away. Then sne Heard iota scream, and the clogs nlse yelling wiih fear and pain. She rese and ran ns 6wifily a3 she could (ewards (he spot whence the sound enme. Presently she was there. Before her in the glade, holding the screaming Teta in her arms, was a figure in which, notwithstanding the' rough dlsguise of baboon skins and coloring matter, she had no difficulty in recogniz ing Uendrika, and all about her were numbers of baboons, rolling ever nnd exer in two hideous heaps, of which the centers were the two unfei tunnte dogs new in process of being rent te frag ments. "Uendrika," Stella cried, "what does this mean? What are you doing with Teta and these brutes?" The woman heard her and looked up. Then she saw that she was mad; mad ness stared from her eyes. She dropped the child, which instantly flew te Stella for protection. s Stella clasped it, only te he hciself clasped by Uendrika. She struggled fiercely, but it was of no use the babyan-frau hud the strength of ten. She lifted her and Teta as though they were nothing, and ran off with them, following the bed of thu stream in order te avoid leaving a spoor. Only the ba boons who cameiwitli her, minus the one the dogs hnd killed, would net tnke te the water, but kept pace with them en the hank. Stella said that the night which fol lowed was mere like a hideous night mare than a reality. Slie was never Able te tell me all that occurred in it. She hnd a vague recollection of being borne ever rocks and along kloefs, whileareund her echoed the horrible grunts and clicks of the baboons. She spoke te Uendrika in English nnd Kallir, imploring her te let them go; but the woman, if 1 may call her be, seemed in her madness te have entirely forgotten these tongues. When Stella spoke bhe would kiss her and stroke her hair, hut shu did net seem te uudcibtnnd whu.t it was shu said. On the ether baud, she could and did talk te the baboons, that seemed te obey her implicitly. Moreover, she would net al low them te touch either Slellu or tha child in her arms. Once ene of them tried te de se, and bhe seized a dead stick ami struck it se heav ily en the head that it fell beiiscle-is. Thrice Stella made an attempt teccnpu, fei-fcumetimes even Hciuhika's ginntbtieiigth waned nnd she had le tet them down. Hut en each oc casion shu caught them, mid it was in these struggles that Stella's clothes were be tern. At length before daylight they reached the cliff, and with the first bleak of lighF thu ascent began. Uendrika dragged them up the Mist Btagcs, but when they came te the precipitous place she tied thu btrips of hide, of which she had a supply wound round her waist, beneath Stella's arms. Steep as the place was the baboons ascended it easily enough, springing from a knob of rock te the trunk of the tree that grew en the edge of the crevasse. Uendrika followed them, holding the end of the hide rein in her teeth, ene of the baboons hanging down from the tree In assist her ascent. It was while she was ascending that Stella bethought her of letting fall her handkeichicf in the faint hepe that soma searcher might sce it. Hy (his time Uendrika wns en a tree, ami grunting out orders te the baboons which clustered nbeut Stella below. Sud denly, these seized her and little Teta, who was in her arms, and lifted her from the ground. Then Uendrika abeve, aid ed by ether balloons, put out all her great btrength and pulled the two of them up the rock. Twice Stella swung heavily against the cliff. After the second blew bhe felt her benses going, and was con sumed with terror lest bhe should drop Teta. Hut bhe managed te cling te her, and together they reached the cliff. "Fiem that time," Stella went en, "I remember no mere till I woketoflnd myself in a gloomy cave resting en a bed of skins. Jly legs w ere bound, and Uen drika bat near me watching me, .while round the edge of the cave peered the heads of theso herrible baboons. Teta was still in my arms, and half dead from terror; her means were pitiful te hear. I bpoke te Uendrika, imploring her te re lease us; but cither she had lest all under standing of human speech, or bhe pre tended te have dene be. All 6he would de was te caress me, and even kiss my hands nnd dress with ex(ravagant signs of affection. As she did se, Teta shrunk away closer te me. This Uendrika saw and glared be savagely at the child that I feared lest she was going te kill her. I diverted her attention by making signs that I wanted water, and this bhe gave me in a wooden bowl. As you saw, the cave was evidently Ilendrika's dwelling place. There are bteres of fruit in it and seme strips of dried flesh. She gave me seme of the fruit aud Teta n little, and I made Teta eat some. Yeu can never knew what I went through, Allan. I saw new (hat Hendrika was quite mad, and but little removed from the brutes te which she is akiu. and ever ;!...: UZ. T"'- .B5-?"-1...V i.'it.';'iia-..:v1 ,
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