Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-01-14

IL desirable to do so, but sufficient for my
purpose, which was to make him under
.tand that She was really no more, having
fallen into some fire. and. "a ! pnt it-for
the real thing would have been incompre-
hensible to him-been burned up. also
told him some of the liorr rs we had nm
dergone In cifecting our escape. and these
produced a great impression on him. But
| clearly saw that he did not believe in the
cport OF AyeSha's death. He believed in
deed tha. we thought she wasdead, but his
explanation was that 1t had suited her to
disappear for awhile. Once, he said, in
his fathers time. she had done 50 for ten
ycaiS, aud there was a tradition in the
country that rnauY centuries back no one
had seen her for a whole generation. when
she suddenly reappeared, and destroyed a
woman who had assumed the position of
queen. ! said nothing to this, bat only
shook my bead sadly. Alas! | knew too
we'll that Ayesha would appear no more,
1T any rate that Billali would never see her.
And now concluded Biliali, "what
wouldst thou do, MY Baboony'
May" | said. Il know not, my father.
Can we not escape from thisc ountryy'
He shook his head.
1T is very difficult. BY Nor We cannot
pass. for We would be seen. and as soon as
those fierce ones found that ye were alone.
we'll" n he smiled significantly. and
made a movement rs though he were plac-
ing u hat on lis head. "But there is way
over the cliff wheraCf | once spake 10 ye,
where they drive the cattle ont TO pasture.
Then beyond the pastures are three days
journey through the marshes. rad after
That / know not. but have heard that
seven days journey from thence Is Il mighty
river, which iloweth To the black water.
If We could come thither, perchance We
might escape, but how can We come thiti-
err"
"Billali," ! said, ''once, thou knowest. I
did save thy life. Now pay back the debt,
my father, and save me mine and my
friends, the Lions. 1t shall be "A pleasant
thing for thee To think OF when thine hour
comes, and something 10 set in the scale
against the evil doing of thy days, if per-
chance thou hast one any evil. Also. if
thou be right, and if She doth but hide her
self, surely when she comes again she shall
reward thee
my son. the Baboon," answered the old
man, think not that | have an ungrateful
heart. Well do | remember how thou
didst rescue me when those dogs stood by
To see me drown. Measure for measure
will | give thee, and If thou caust be saved
surely | VIII save thee. Listen: br dawn
tomorrow be prepared, for litters shall be
here TO bear ye away acroSSthe mountains,
and through the marshes beyond. This
will do, saying that Il IS the word of Size
that il DC done, and he who Obeyeth not
the word Of she food is he for the hyeuas.
Then when We have crossed the marshes.
L iiliN oAAlkt VI III NbAAA Wv II MANU-. 81 tIlAJ
2crciance. il good fortune 80 with We, We
may live to come to that black water
whereof yc told ne. And now, see, the
Lion wakes. and We must eat the food /
have made ready for ye."
l."O'S condition when once he was fairly
arOuSel proved not TO be so bad aS might
have been expected from his appearance,
and we both OF us managed to eat u hearty
meal. Whicn Indeed we needed bad enough.
After tris we llnpnd down To the sprtng
and bathed, and than came back and slept
~ lin til evening, when We once more ate
enough Tor five. Bi.la.i wa, away all that
day. no doubt making arrangements about
ilttCrj alsi bearers. for we We're awakened
III the middle Of the night by the arrival
Of Il considerable NUMBER OF mep il the
little camp.
Al dawn tho Oh man himself appeared,
and told us that ne had, by using shes
dreaded name, though with some Difficult.
~, Succeeded IN getting the necessary men
and two gU.uc 10 cOnduct Us across the
Swanps, and that he urged 10 to start AZ
once, III the same time announcing his in
tcA;ion of accompanying u, 50 as to pro-
tcct Il, against trcachrry. ! Was much
toachcd by taiS act OF kindness on IT," p"rt
o. t.at WY OF p2r 1a'laN toward tSJ u.
ttrly 1efenseless STRANGERS. A three-or
in his case, for he would have to return,
~SiN-day's journey through those deadly
sNyalnps was no light undertaking for a
man OF his age, but he consented to it
cheerfully in order TO promote our safety.
II shows that even among those dreadful
Amahagger-who are certainly. with thCsr
gloom and their devilish AID ferociOuS
rites. 10y far the most terrible savaccs that
ever heard of-thcre are people with kind
" hear:s. OF course selfiaterest may have
hal something TO do with il, Il may have
thought that 81 would Suddenly ~reappaar
and demand an account Of rs at his hands;
but still, allowing for all deductions, it
was p great deal more than we on *
pect undo the circumstances, and | can
only say hat | shall for as long rs | live
cherish n most aneclionate remembrance
of my nominal parent, old Billali.
Accordingly, after swallowing some food
we started in the filters. feeling, so far as
our bodies went, wonderfuliy. like our old
selves after our long rest and sleep. must
leave the condition OF our minds to the
Imagination.
Then came n terrible pull up the cliff.
Sometimes the ascent was natural, more
often ii was n Zigzag roadway cut, no
doubt. In the Grst Instance by the old in
habitants Of Kor. The AmahaCyer say
they drive their spare cattle over it once n
year TO pasture outside; all | know is that
those cattle must be uncommonly active
on their feet. Or course the filters were
useless here, 80 we had 10 walk.
BY midday, however. we reached the
great fiat top Of that mighty wall of rock,
ouu grand enough Ile Vl3W WIS from III,
with the plain OF kor, in tho center Of
which we could clearly make out the pill
Jared ruins OF the Temple of Truth. TO the
one side, and the bount.ess and melan-
choly marsh on the other. This wall Of
rock. which had. no doubt, once formed
the lip OF the crater. was about n mile and
a half thick, and still covered with clink-
ers. Nothing grew there, and the only
thing TO relieve ones eyes were occasional
pools of rain-water tor rain had lately
fallen) wherever their was n little hollow.
over the fiat crest OF this mighty rampant
we went, and then came the descent, which
IL not SD difficult u matter as the getting
up, was stu sufficiently breakn~ck. and
took us till sunset. That night, however.
we campcd in safety upon the mighty
slopes that rolled away to the marsh BE-
meath.
On The following morning, about eleven
O'Clock, began our dccary journey across
those awful seas Of swamps which | have
already described.
For three whole days, through stencil
and mire. aud the all-prevaiiing flavor %!
fever. did our bearers struggle along, till
a. length we cane To open rolliny-ground,
quite uncultiynted. and mostly t~reelesS
bat covered with game OF all sorts, which
lies beyond that dcsolate. and .,ithout
guides, utterly imprac:icahle district.
Aud here on the following morning W.
babe farewell, not without some regret, tO
oli Biliali, who stroked his white beard,
and sOiemniy blessed us.
said, "an farewell 10 thee too, Oh, Lion.
/ / <Ay ., u 80 .. ~, IN l.fN rA 1D,t A.-A