The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-06-04


Lifting the knife on high, for o moment
she held it glittering in the moonlight,
then plunged 1t into her own breast and
fell headlong 10 the ground.
1 sprang over the wall and ran 10 her.
She was not yet dead. Presently she
opened her eyes, and Isaw that the mad
moss had gone out Of them. 1aH.9
"Macumazahn, she said, speaking in
English and In thick, difficult voice,
like one who half forgot and half remem-
bered, 'Macumazahn, I remember now.
have been mad. Is she really dead,
Macumazahn?'
"Yes," said, she is dead, "and you
killed her."
ri killed herl" the dying woman
faltered, "snd loved her. Yes, yes-I
know now. became brute again and
dragged her to the brutes, and now once
more am woman, and she is dead,
and killed her-beoause loved her so.
killed her who saved me from the
brutes. l am not dead yet, Macuma-
zahn. Take me and torture me to odeath,
slowly, very slowly. 1t was jealousy Of
you that drove me mad, and I have
killed her, and now she never can for
give me-"
"Ask forgiveness from above" / said,
for Hendrika had been Christian, and
the torment Of her remorse touched
me.
81 ask no forgiveness" she said.
"May God torture me forever, because l
killed her; may become brute for
ever till she comes TO find me and for
give mel only want her forgiveness" :"
And wailing in an anguish Of the heart
so streng that her bodily suffering
seemed to be forgotten, Hendrika, the
Baboon-woman, died.
went back to the kraals, and, wax
ing Indaba-zimbi, told him what had
happened, asking him to send some
one to watch the body, as I proposed to
give it burial. But next morning 1t
was gone, and found that the natives,
hearing Of the event, had taken the
corpse and thrown 1t to the vultures
with every mark Of hate. Such, then,
was the end of Hendrika.
A week after Hendricks death l left
Babyan kraals. The place was hateful
TO me now, 1t was 4 haunted place.
sent for old Indabs-zimbi and told him
that was going. He answered that it
was we'll. THE place has served your
turn" he said; "here you have won that
joy which it was fated you should win,
and have suffered those things which it
WAS fated you should suffer. Yes, and
though you know 1t not now, the joy and
the suffering, like the sunshine and
storm, are the same thing, and will rest
at last In tho same heaven, the heaven
from which they came. Now 90, Ma
cumazahn."
l asked him II he WAS coming with
me.
"No," he answered, "our paths lie
apart henceforth, Macumazahn. We met
together for certain ends. Those ends
are fulfilled. Now each one goes his
own way. You have still many
years before you, MacumaEahn; my years
are few. When we shake hands here 1t
will be for ths Last time. Perhaps we
may meet again, but it will not be in
this world. Henceforth we have each OF
us friend the less"
"Heavy words" said
"True words" he answered.
Well, have little heart TO write Of |
the rest Of it. i went, leaving Indaba-
zimbi in charge Of the place, and max
ing him present OF such cattle and
goods as / did not want.
Tota I, OF course, took with me. Fort
unately by this time she had almost re-
covered the shock to her nerves. The
baby Harry, as he was afterwards
named, was fine, healthy child, and /
was lucky in getting respectable ma
tive woman, whose husband had been
killed in the fight with the balloons, TO
accompany me as his nurse.
Slowly, and followed for distance by
all the people, l trekked away from
Babyan kraals. My route towards
Natal was along the edge Of the Bad
Lands, and my first nights outspan was
beneath that very tree where Stella, my
lost wife, had found us as we lay dying
OF thirst. ."l.
/ did not sleep much that night. And
yet was glad that i had not died in the
desert about eleven months before. /
felt then, as from year to year have
continued to feel while I wander
through the lonely wilderness OF life,
that / had been preserved 10 an end. /
had won my darling's love, and for a lit
tie while we had been happy together.
Our happiness was too perfect TO endure.
She Is lost 10 me now, but she is lost TO
be found again.
Here on the following morning bade
farewell TO Indaba-Eimbi.
Goodbye, Macumazahn," he said,
his white look at me. Good
bye for awhile. / am not Christian;
your father could not make me that.
But he was wise man, and when he
said that those who love each other
shall meet again he did not lie. And ],
too, am wise man in my way, Macuma-
sahn. And / say 1t is true that we shall
meet again. All my prophecies to you
have come true, Macumazahn, and this
one shall come true also. / tell you that
you shall return to Babyan kraals and
shall not find me. tell you that you
shall journey TO further land chan
Babyan .traals and shall find me. Fare
we'll" and he took pinch Of snuff,
turned, and went
OF my journey down to Natal there is
little 10 tell. Imet with many advent