Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-10-02

Hello, Jack; where have YOU turned
up froms" said.
From Zululand. SIR"
'And who are all these?'
| My mother and sisters'
| 1t was evident something had been
wrong at home, and there was the result
but | was anything but angry at seem
Master Jack again, especially as | was
rather In want of girl to help in the
house, for my own mother was getting
old, and not quite up to the work, though
she would not admit it. On LOOKING
| more closely al Tim, noticed he seemed
dreadfully thin, and asked when he had
food last
Three days ago. sir" was the answer
We'll, go down to the huts, and get
something at once You can apply to the
magistrate and get the girls registered
afterwards, and when have heard your
story"
When he came back again, having evil
IDENTIFY amply made up for his long fast. |
made him sit down and take up his story
where he had left off
"When you said i mustn't 90, sir. I
made up my mind that if | saw my father
again, | would run away That evening,
everything happened that had occurred
on the previous nights. The snake was
there when | came home, and my father
appeared as before, only adding to the
former sentence of Get up early and &c,
the words, 1T is the last time When |
awoke and found his snake opposite me,
| said, I am off, but it did not move,
nor would it until l had taken my spears
and sticks, put on my leopard skin dress
with the wildcats tails, and was ready to
start, when it glided out before me- | made
straight for the Tugela' (the boundary
river, (which reached in the afternoon,
but waited till it was dark to cross 1t
wasn't pleasant swimming over the hole
where l had seen SO many of our men
drown in the great battle, and the alliga-
tors quarreling for them, but | was afraid
to ask for the white mans boat, as l had
got no pass.
when | reached the other side made
direct for our kraal, walking the whole
night; but when it dawned, | was still
some distance off, and did not dare to go
on, for fear of being seen; so l crept into
clump Of bush, and lay there all day I
saw several people pass-some that | knew
and just at dusk company of soldiers
came up and sat down under the bush
where was. | soon learned from their
talk that they had been sent to destroy
some village for sorcery: you know what
that means-killing every living thing,
men, women ana children, even cats and
dogs sparing nothing. They were going
to remain about here, some said under
this very bush, until near dawn, and then
surround the sleeping kraal. Luckily for
me, they saw a better looking clump a
few hundred yards away; and all the
Won tn irI+
make it as comfortable as possible, while
their seniors sat and talked Judge of my
feelings when | heard that it was my own
home they were going to; and my uncle,
now head of the kraal, who was accused
of sorcery! Not that cared much about
him: he was bad man, and had got all
my cattle as a reward for fighting on
the other side, but my mothers
and sisters were there also. l lay quite
still, long after the supper star had come
out. and the soldiers had all gone to their
fires, thinking what | should do. 1t is so
hard to escape when everybody is on the
lookout for you, and all the fords into the
colony are guarded. After time, [ got
up and stole away. 1t was not necessary
to crawl or take much care for the bright
freight in which the men were sitting
prevented their seeing anything outside
Of its glare. The great danger was at
home. If the dogs heard or smelt me, l
knew they would rouse every body, and
then all would be lost. At last, | got
close outside the kraal-fence opposite our
hut where my own mother and sisters
slept and lay and listened. Was my
uncle in or not9 OF course all my moth
ers were his wives now. The people were
not all asleep, though some were, and all
the hut doors were fastened; but | could
hear them talking in our hut, women's
voices, and at last | distinguished my sis
ter's. You know Umxakazi" (another
refugee who hau come to me about the
same time he had). "Well, he used to be
her lover, and often came at night, and
called her out by initiating the tjtihoy0
plOver when it is disturbed. | knew all
about it, though | always pretended not
to hear him, and now | made the same
signal. Once, then long interval, during
which | could not hear my sister speaking
again. Had she fallen asleep. [ repeated
it, and after few minutes listening the
voice said, Mother, did you put that bun
die of sticks away that you fetched this
afternoon? You know how old Umteteva
steals No, didn't, my child Then
I'll go and do it, and | heard her unbar
ring the door, and knew she had recog-
nized the call She came out and walk
ing to the private entrance through the
kraal-fence, stood still | croaked like a
frog, and then she took down the blocks
of wood which fastened it, and came on
until she saw me- and said in a low tone,
'UmXakazi?' | answered, No, it's me,
Umkungu Who is in the hut?' No one
but ourselves Where have you come
frOm?' Go back and tell our mother |
am here. | have come from the colony
on important business; and take care You
don't wake any one She turned
back, and I followed to the
door of the hut, and, when | made out
that they understood who it was, went in.
In whisper told them all that had hap
pened; and we consulted what was best
to be done 1t would certainly be quite
impossible to get clear off that night, and
probably not easy the next one, with the
country all disturbed. By this time, sen
tinels had no doubt been placed all
around; and it was too dangerous to at
tempt to get through their circle; but l
knew a place on the river, abont a quar-
ter of mile off, where did not think
we could be easily discovered, and which
| thought we might reach. They told me
my other two mothers were away helping
to make beer at a neighborlng kraal, anu
| had little conjunction IN leaving the
others to their fate, particularly as to DIS
turb them was to prevent our own escape
got them to hunt up every bit OF food
/ there was. and after making a good meal,