The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-23
MUMMY'S REQUEST.

CO0OlllO0 III lie, L LOOK Ddck 10 my StIug-
giles among the alluvial gravels of the Vaal
river with perhaps greater satisfaction than
the actual results would warrant. for
/ met with but meager success. Men
there were who did now and again find
diamond that recouped them for their out
lay and hard work, but instances were
rare regret to say l was not one Of
them, although for years 1 wrought
digger, barely paying my way, full OF hope
and sanguine that sooner or later 1 should
yank out stone that would repay me all
and send me on my homeward way re-
joicing.
After about four years of diamond-dig-
ging, began to feel somewhat lonely in
my domestic life. Quite unexpectedly,
opportunity served me for lettering my
condition in that respect.
1 fell in love. Stupid people have
asked, 'Who on earth could you find out
there to fall in love with ?"
My reply has invariably been, eff you
could have seen Norah Kildare your con-
tempt would have been as keen as mine
for such questions"
People at home here, in England, never
seem to understand that circumstances
provide compensation for all drawbacks
connected with them, if we only wait
their time. Circumstance had brought
Col. Kildare to the banks of the Naal
river in search of that which could recOup
himself for losses incurred by injudicious
speculation at home. His was not lone
case; there were other families, some of
them very good families, too, in all re-
spects; others, in some. but not in all.
At the time / met Norah first of all, she
was but eighteen or nineteen years OF age
"a splendid specimen of girlhoOd, tall, of
a proud bearing, though not by any means
haughty-a royal type OF blonde such
wealth of hair, and eyes "too softly blue"
wing with the heavens cerulean tint. A
capital horsewoman, fearless and there
fore graceful. Riding the widest OF horses,
she would sometimes start off on a mad
burst across the veldt, and ride for miles,
returning some hours later, with the horse
blown but tanned, guided and controlled
with nothing but a thin switch in her
hand.
The reader may smile incredulously.
Does he think exaggerate? Not bit
/ can assure him, If Norah hadn't been
a bit different to the rest of her sex, she
couldn't have stood the life we led after
we were married, forced as we were to
enter upon what some folks call more
legitimate means OF aceumulating money.
Colonel kildare-Or, as he was locally
known, 'the colOnel" myself entered
into a trading partnership. He was to re-
main behind and look after the digging
interests, while / adventured upon a trad
ing trip to the Zambesi. Norah, against
whose wishes there was no one to demur,
decided that our marriage should take
place before my departure, IN order that
should | see fit, l may accompany my
husband" The colonel broke up his es-
adjustment and went to live at the hotel
the very morning Istarted with the wagons
i had two. laden with all kinds of Kafir
truck, which included beads, wires, fancy
coiored blankets and mirrors, with which
to trade, in return for skins, ivory and
feathers.
Norah had been general favorite all
along the river; the diggers being divided
into communities, varying in number ac-
cording with the prospects held out by the
returns from the different claims. Not one
OF the camps but NOrah had visited on her
sturdy little gray mare, generally for the
purpose OF enacting the "ministering
angels" role.
Norah on this, to US, eventful morning
held quite a levee at the wagons; and
men who had rallied under her ministra-
tons, from the trying fever or the bed
where accident had laid them prone and
helpless, and who, in all human probable
lty, would be separated by unknown dis
tances from the chance OF seeing her again
long ere the time for our return from the
interior.
After a variety of adventure by food
and field, we arrived at K'gwani, a native
kraal some forty or fifty miles south of the
river Zambesi At this place we remained
some two months, making a remarkably
successful run OF trade with the hunters Of
the Moselikatze tribe, who have been very
lucky, and brought in large quantities OF
skins and ivory, together with an unusu-
ally good supply of ostrich feathers.
Being so near to the Victoria falls, |
thought il would be thousand pities TO
return southwark without first taking a
look at so famous and picturesque a spot, so
/ inspanned the oxen one fine morning,
and started for ''the falls"
No words OF mine can help TO extol the
beauty OF the spectacle which has been so
frequently described by others whose pens
have done such graphic justice in the por-
trayal OF this wondrous water-picture.
We remained for over a week at this
pleasant place, making quite a picnic of
our visit, thoroughly exploring the vicin-
ity. We were lucky in arriving at the
time when game was fairly abundant As
rule, travellers TO this far-of region COM
plain OF the scarcity of animal life.
In the neighborhood of 'the falls" there
are to be found many interesting objects;
but what pleased NOrah and myself most
were the gradually precipitous rocks and
deep ravines through which the Zambesi
courses its way eastward. These rocks
and ravines are not easily traversed, but
with discretion and pluck combined we
found our way famously, Numberless
caves penetrate the rocky sides of these
deep ravines, in some of which we found
curios sufficient TO stock half the curiosity
shops in London.
One day, having fatigued ourselves by
clambering over rocks and exploring a
cave, in which we had discovered nothing
deserving mention, we sat ourselves down
at It's entrance, while the Griqua who had
accompanied made preparations for
making tea, as an accompaniment 10 a
piece OF boiled bufialo-meat and bread.
While the Griqua was thus busy, we
amused ourselves by all kinds of surmises
as 10 the past and future of the river.
From these surmisings we were, after
awhile, aroused by Jan placing our frugal
repast before us. Having done this, he
withdrew, and started, as he advised U.S.
for the purpose OF investigating the in