Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-03-13
THE STRANGE STORY
OF
Allan Quatermain'S Wife
BY III. RIDER HAGGARD,
AUTHOR OF "SHF," KING SoLoMoN'a
Miles, JESS" CLEO
PATRA,' ETC.
A NEW AFRICAN ROMANCE.
CHAPTER XIII.
WHAT HAPPENED TO STELLA.

The fight was over. In all we had
lost seven men killed, and several more
were severely bitten, while but few had
escaped without some tokens whereby
he might remember what a baboon's
teeth and claws are like. How many OF
the brutes we killed / never knew, be-
cause we did not count, but it was a vast
number. / should think that the stock
must have been low about Babyan's
Peak for many years afterwards. From
that day to this, however, | have always
avoided balloons, feeling more afraid of
them than any beast that lives.
The path was clear, and we rushed
forward up the intercourse. But first
we picked up little Tota. The child
was not in swoon, as / had thought,
but paralyzed by terror, so that she
could scarcely speak. Otherwise she
was unhurt, though it took her many a
week to recover her nerve. Had she been
older, and had she not remembered
Hendrika, doubt If she would have re-
covered it, She knew me again, and
flung her little arms about my neck,
cIinging to me so closely that / did not
dare to give her to any one else to carry
lest should add TO her terrors So l
went on with her in my arms. The
fears that pierced my heart may we'll be
imagined. Should find Stella alive or
deadP Well, we should soon know now.
We stumbled on up the stony water
course: Notwithstanding the weight of
Tota led the way, for suspense lent
II
an extraordinary scene lay before us.
We we're in great natural amphithea-
ter, only it was three times the size of
any amphitheater ever shaped by man.
and the walls we're formed of precip-
itous cliffs, ranging from one to two
hundred feet in height For the rest,
the space thus inclosed was level, stud
ded with parklike trees, brilliant with
flowers, and having stream running
through the center of it, that, as | after
wards discovered, welled up from the
ground at the head of the open space.
We spread ourselves out in a line,
searching everywhere, for Tota was too
overcome to be able to tell as where
Stella was hidden away. For nearly
half an hour we searched and searched,
scanning the walls of rock for any pos
sible opening to a cave. In vain, We
could find none. / applied to old In
daba-zimbi, but his foresight was at
fault here. All he could say was that
this was the place, and that the Star
was hidden somewhere in a cave, but
where the cave was he could not tell.
At last we came to the top OF the amphi-
theater. There before us was wall OF
rock, of which the lower parts were
here and there clothed in grasses,
lichens and creepers ! walked along
it, calling at the top of my voice.
Presently my heart stood still, for |
thought | heard faint answer ! drew
nearer to the place from which the
sound seemed TO come, and again called.
Yes, there was an answer in my wifes
voice. 1t seemed to come from the rock.
/ went up to it and searched among the
creepers, but still could find no opening.
Move the stone, cried Stella's voice,
''the cave is shut with stone"
l took spear and prodded at the
cliff whence the sound came. Suddenly
the spear sunk in through a mass Of
lichen. ] swept the lichen aside. reveal
ing bowlder that had been rolled into
an opening in the rock, which it fitted SO
accurately that cred as it was by the
overhanging -nen, it might we'll have
escaped the keenest eye. We dragged
the bowlder out; it was two mems work
to do it. Beyond was a narrow, water
worn passage, which / followed with
beating heart. Presently the passage
opened into a small cave, shaped like
pickle bottle, and coming to neck at
the top end. We passed through and
found ourselves in a second, much larger
cave, that ] at once recognized as the
one of which Indaba-zimbi had shown
me vision in the water. Light reached
it from above-how know not and by
it I could see a form half sitting, half
lying on some skins at the top end Of
the cave. rushed to it. IL was Stella!
Stella bound with strips o. hide, bruised.