San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-02-05


though at first she and her threats had
haunted me somewhat, by degrees she
had to a great extent passed out of my
mind, which was fully preoccupied with
Stella and my fatherin-law's illness. |
started violently. How do you know
thiS?" | asked
Il know it because | saw her, Macu-
maZahn. She is disguised. she is dressed
up in baboon skins, and her face is stain
ed dark. But though she was a long
way off / knew her by her size, and
saw the white flesh of her arm when the
skins slipped aside. She has come back,
Macumazam, with all the balloons in
the world. and she has come back to dc
evil. Now do you understand why you
should trek"
YES" said, Though don't see how
she and the balloons can harm us.
think that it will he better to go. If nee
cSsary we can camp the wagons some
where for a while on the journey. Heark-
en-, Indaba-Zimbi: say nothing of this to
the Star; will not have her frightened.
And hearkcn again. Speak to the head
men, and SEE that watchers are set all
around the huts and gardens. and kept
there night and day. Tomorrow we will
get the wagons ready, and the next day
we will trek
He nodded his white lock and went to
do my bidding, leaving me not little
disturbed -unreasonably so, indeed. 1t
was a strange story. That this woman
had the power of cOnvcrsing with ba.
buons knew. That was not so very
wonderful. seeing that the Bushmen
claim To be able to do the same thing and
She had been nurturcd by them. But
that she had been able to muster them,
and by the strength of her human will
and intelligence muster them in order to
forward her ends of revenge, seemed tG
me SO Incredible that after reflection my
fears Grew light Still | determined tc
trek.
50 went into Stella, and without say.
ing a word to her of the babOon story,
told her | had been thinking matters
over. and had come to the conclusion
that it was our duty to follow her fathers
instructions to the letter, and leave Bah
van kraals at once. Into all our talk
need not enter, but the end of it was that
she agreed with me, and declared that
she could quite well manage the journey.
Nothing happened to disturb us that
night, and on the following morning ]
was up early making preparations. The
despair of the people when they learned
that we were going to leave them was
something quite pitiable. | could only
console them by declaring that we were
but on a journey, and would return the
following wear
"Thcy had lived in the shadow of hef
father, who was dead, they declared;
"cyer since they were little they had
lived in his shadow, lie had received
them when they were outcasts and wan.
derers without a mat to lie on, or blank.
ct 70 cover them, and they had grown
fat in his shaH6w. Then be had died,
and the Star, their father daughter, tsd
married me, Macumazahn, and they had
believed that | should take their fathers
place, and let them live in my shadow.
What should they do when there was no
one to protect them? The tribes were
kept from attacking them by fear of the
white man. If he went, they would be
eaten up and so on. Alas! there was
but too much foundation for their fears.
returned to the huts at midday get
some dinner. Stella said that she was
going to pack during the afternoon, so }
did not think it necessary to caution her
about going out alone, as did not wish
to allude to the subject of Hendrika and
the balloons unless | was obliged to. |
told her, however. that | would come
back to help her as soon as | could
get away. Then | went down to the ma.
tive kraalS to sort out such cattle as had
belonged to Mr.. Carson from those which
belonged to the Kaffirs, for proposed to
take them with us. twas a large herd.
and the business took an incalculable
time. At length, little before sun
down, | gave it up. and leaving Indaba-
zlmbi to finish the job, got on my horse
and rode homewards.
Arriving, gave the horse to one of
the stable boys, and went into the CEN
trail hut. There was no sign of Stella
though the things she had been packing
lay about the floor. i passed first into
our sleeping hut, thence one by one into
all the others, but still saw no sign of her.
Then l went out, and calling to a Kaffir
III the garden asked him if he had seen
his mistress.
lie answered yes" He had seen her
flowers walking towards the
graveyard, holding the little white girl