Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-07-25
fortunes. When 'Manthl. away

fortunes. When M8nthlA IAN aW8y
from our house, she betook herself to
Umhlassu, who, true lover that he was.
forsook his work, picked up his
blankets, and went off with his bride to
his own kraal. Feasting and dancing
were again INDUCED in, this time,
however, by the bridegroom's relatives.
Hearing Of this, the unsuccessful
Indebbelish Indignantly demanded the
cattle back from 'Manthla's father; but
this just request was point~blank
refused. Indebbelish saw he had no
other alternative but to trudge into
town to institute an action for 'sbreach
of promise against Babba Pank. The
machinery of the native court in Maritz-
burg was in due course set in motion,
and the case appointed to come off in
three weeks, q fact we knew one
evening by the advent of Indebbelish,
who was about the most handsome
Kaf1ir we had ever seen. He came to
have q chat with Capelle, who
had favored his wooing in time
past, and was still friendly.
We naturally objected to have
our larder drawn upon alternately by
the plaintiff and defendant in the pend
ing suit, and so declined to give Indeb-
belish board and lodging. But he made
up for this by calling night after night
and smoking Capelle's tobacco.
At length the great day of the trial
dawned, and with it came the beaming
face of 'Manthla's father with his ire.
pressible "Allee right" He marched
in and billeted himself upon us for
about six days. I am not aware
whether this was owing to prolonged
litigation or to the enjoyment of living
at ome one else's expense. At all
events, when the week expired, the
6abba vouched the Information that the
case had gone against him, and that he
had to restore the bullocks, at the same
time cheerily adding: ''It's alice right,
alice right!' Nevertheless. he went
away very downcast, after another in
effectual attempt to collect Capelle's
wages in advance. Aday or two after
wards, the cattle were returned to In
debbelish with a bad grace; but Umh-
lassu gave Babba Pank eight oxen, with
a promise of the other two at some fu-
ture period; and the heart of the old
man reioicea. The sympathies of my
wife had been aroused in favor of In
debbelish, but her interest instantly
vanished when she found that "the poor,
forsaken young man." long previous to
his ''courtshipo of 'Manthla, was al
ready possessed of three wives! When
Indebbelish received back the oxen from
the babba, he simply drove them of: to
another kraal, and purchased an ebony
virgin to complete his connubial quartet.
About eighteen months afterwards, I
happened to be amongst the Saturday
morning throng on the Market Square
of Maritzburg. Hundreds of people
English, Dutch, Indian and Kaffir-
were moving about the dusty expanse
of ground, which was covered with
actioneers' stands, bullock-wagons,
sacks of produce, COWS and horses or
sale, and large quantities of the miscel-
laneous household goods which find
their way to colonial marts. At one
part of the ground, a number of Kaffir
wives were squatted alongside heaps of
tirewood, which they had conveyed into
town, and were now selling. AS I OBJ
served them, my boy Capelle suddenly
drew my attention to a woman who was
walking towards the group. She car
ried a great load of ffrewood in long
lengths poised upon her head, and q
baby slung behind her in a blanket. I
dimly recollected her face; Capelle told
me her name, and ran-forward to speak
to her. 1t vas none other than the he
roine of the love-match-poor 'Manthla!
Chambers Journal.