Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-07


how it got there do not know.
s,I almost wish. 1t was dark again." the girl
said with little laugh: ''in the dark you seem
to me the Sergeant Blunt who came justin
time TO save US that day the farm was attacked;
but now 1 can see you cannot recognize you
at all: even your eyes look quite different in
Il fiatter myself that my .get-up is very
good" Ronald laughed. Il have had some
difficulty in keeping up the color. Each DAY
before starting we have gone TO your hres and
got fresh charcoal and mixed 1t with some
grease we brought with us and rubbed 1t in
afresh."
But your hair; what have you done TO your
hal.?"
Ronald told her the source from which he de-
rived his wig and Mary Armstrong had dlfn-
Guilty in restraining herself from bursting out
into merry laugh. Two or three of the Fin
goes had by this time returned, and IN 1ew
minutes all had gathered at the spot. hreta
listened to the reports of each of his men.
There was then a short consultation. Then he
came uD to Ronald. -
zone of nv men has found place that will
do well" /" be said. at is time we were going"
One of the Fingoes now took the lead; the
others followed. quarter of an hours walk
up the hill, which grew sleeper and sleeper
every step, brought them to a spot where some
masses of rock had fallen from above. They
were half covered with the thick growth OF
brush and sod. The native pushed one OF the
bushes aside and showed a sort of cave formed
by great Slab of rock that had fallen over the
others. Kreta uttered an expression OF ap-
proval Two of the nativos crept in with their
assegaIs in their hands In two or three n MIN; M
utes one of them returned with the bodies OF
two puff adders that they had killed. These
were dropped IN among sIme rocks.
You can go in now, hreta SAID. Inere
are no more of them"
Ronald crawled IN first. and helped Mary
Armstrong in after him. The natives followed.
Kreta came in last carefully examining the
bush before he did so, TO see that no twlg was
broken disarranged. He managed as be
entered to place two or three rocks over the
entrance.
&c, ha
Joined the others. 1t was of ample size to con-
tain the party, and was some four feet IN
height. Light came in in several places be-
tween the rocks on which the upper slab rested.
at could not be better, Kreta. even if it had
been made on purpose. 1t was lucky lndeeu
your fellow founu it,"
I'VE found two or three others, the chle1
said. but this best"
1T is lucky those men came in first and
found the snakes" Mary Armstrong said, "for
we have not got here the stuff we always use in
the Colony an antidote, and their bite is al
most always fatal unless that can be used in
time" Ronald was aware of this, and had, in
deed. during the nights march had snakes
constantly in his mind, for he knew that they
abounded in the hills. One of the Fingoes had
taken his station at the entrance, having moved
the upper stone the chief had placed there. so
that be could sit with his head out of the open
ing. Half an hour after they had entered the
cave he turned round and spoke to the chief.
THE Kafirs are hunting" kreta said. Lis
tenIng at the opening they could hear distant
shouts. They were answered from many points,
some of them comparatively close.
The news is being passed from kraal to
kraal," Ronald said; they will be up like
swarm of bees now, but search as they will they
are not likely to find us here. Do you think
they will trace us at all Chiet?"
They will find where we stopped close to
kraal." kreta said; the dead leaves were
stlrred by our feet; after that not find too
many people gone along path; ground very
hard; may find, sometime, mark of white
woman's shoe; but we leave path many times
and after carry no find at all. Mountains
very big, much bush; never find here"
The chief DOW told his follower to replace
the stone and Join the others, and that all
should be silent. Sitting with his ear at one of
the openings. he listened to the sounds in the
woods; once or twice he whispered that Kafirs
were passing close, searching among the bushes;
and one party came so near that their words
could be plainly heard in the cave. They were
discussing the manner in which the fugitive
had escaped and were unanimous in the belief
that she had been aided by the followers of
some other chief for that an enemy should
have penetrated into the heart of the AnIatolas
did not strike them as possible.
The argument was rather which of the other
chiefs would have ventured to have robbed
Macomo, and the opinion inclined to the fact
that it must have been Sandilli himself, who
would doubtless have heard, from the messen-
ger sent over on the previous afternoon to in
form Macomo. of the return of the band with
a pretty young white woman as captive.
Macomo had doubtless been drunk, and San
dill might have determined to have the prize
carried off for himself
to the talk, but when they had gone on Kreta
said:
GOOD thing the Kafirs have that thought,
not search SO much here. Search in Sandillis
country. Perhaps make great quarrel between
Macomo and SandilH. Good thing that"
As the day went on the spirits of the Fingoes
rose, and in low tones they expressed their de-
light at having outwitted the Kaffirs.
No footsteps had been heard in their neigh
borhood for some time. and they felt sure that
the search had been abandoned in that quar-
for Toward all a a nd
as soon as it became dark the stones at the en-
trance were removed and the party crept out.
Mary Armstrong had slept the greater part of
the day, and Ronald and the Fingoes had also
passed portion of their time in sleep. They
started, therefore, refreshed and strong.
1t took them many hours of patient work be-
fore they arrived at the edge of the forest on
the last swell of the Amatolas They had
been obliged to make many detours to avoid
kraals, and to surmount the precipices that
often barred their way They had started
about in the evening, and it was. they
knew from the stars, fully o'clock in the
morning when they emerged from the forest.
Mary Armstrong had kept on well with the
rest; her feet was extremely painful, but she
was now strong and hopeful, and no word of
complaint escaped her. Ronald and the chief
kept by her side, helping her up or down diff.
cult places, and assisting her to pass through
the thorny bushes, which caught her dress and
would have rendered it almost impossible for
her to get through unassisted. Once out of the
bush, the party hurried down the grassy slope
anu Inen kept on a mile 1he
chief now gave long call. 1t was
answered family from distance; in five
minutes the sound of a horses hoofs were
heard. and in short time the Fingo who had
been left in charge of it galloped up with
Ronald's horse. Mary Armstrong was sitting
on the ground, fo- she was now utterly ex-
nausted she could no longer keep her feet, and
had, since they left the bush, been supported
and half carried by Ronald and Kreta. She
made an effort to rise as the horse came up.
Please wait moment, will not be above
two minutes" Ronald said; "but 1 really can
not ride into Williamstown like this"
He unstrapped his valise, took the jack
boots that were hanging from the saddle, and
moved away in the darkness. In two or three
minutes he returned in his uniform.
II feel civilized beng again. he said,
laughing; "a handful OF sand at the first stream
we come to will get most of this black off my
face. i have left the wig as a legacy to any
Kaffr who may light upon it. Now will Shift
the saddle few inches further back. think
you had better ride before me, for you are COM
pletely worn out, and 1 can hold you there
better than you could hold yourself if you were
TO sit behind me-" He strapped on his valise
shifted bis saddle, lifted Mary up, and sprang
up behind her.
"Are you comfortable?" he asked.
Quite comfortable" she said, a little shyly,
and then they started. The light was Just be-
ginning to break in the east as they rode out
from the clump Of trees. They were not out of
danger yet for parties of Kafirs might be met
with at any time until they arrived within
musket shot Of King Williamstown. The Fin
goes ran at pace that kept the horse at a sharp
trot. 1t was very pleasant to Ronald Mervyn
TO feel Mary Armstrong In his arms, and to
know, as he did, how safe and confident she
felt there; but be did not press her more closely
than was necessary to enable her to retain her
seat, OF permit himself 20 speak in softer or
tendereT tone than usual
IF we should come across any of these
scoundrels, Mary" he said presently, do you
take the reins Do YOU think YOU can sit steady