Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-02-15
Nov, Macumazahn. shut your eyes.

eyelluS. AT nrSt IL burnt me, Chen my
head swan strangely. Presently this ef
feet passed off, and my brain was per-
fectly clear again, but could not feel
the ground with my feet. Indaha-zimbi
led me to the side of the stream. Beneath
us was pool of beautifully clear water.
"Look into the pool, Macumazahn,
said Indaba-z imbi, and his voice sounded
hollow and far away in my ears.
looked. The water grew dark; it
cleared, and in it was picture. l saw
a cave with fire burning in it. Againsi
the wall of the cave rested Stella. Hex
dress was torn almost off her, she looked
dreadfully pale and weary, and her eye
lids were red as though with weeping
But she slept, and l could almost think
that saw her lips shape my name in
her sleep. Close to her, her head upon
Stella's breast, was little Tota; she had a
skin thrown over her to keep out the
night cold The child was awake, and
appeared to be moaning with fear. BY
the fire, and in such position that the
light fell full upon her face, and en-
gagged in cooking something in q rough
pot shaped from wood, sat the baboon-
woman, Hendrika. She was clothed in
baboon skins, and her face had been
rubbed with some dark stain, which was,
however, wearing off.
In the intervals of her cooking she
would turn on Stella her wild eyes, in
which glared visible madness, with an
expression of tenderness that amounted
- Il, 81
the poor child and gnash her teeth as
though with hate. Clearly she was jeal-
GUS of it. Round the entrance arch of
the cave peeped and peered the heads
of many balloons. Presently Hendrika
made sign to one of them; apparently
she did not speak, or rather grunt, In
order not to wake Stella. The brute
hoped forward, and she gave it sec
ond rude wooden pot which was lying
by her. 1t took it and went. The last
thing that / saw, as the vision slowly
vanished from the pool, was the dim
shadow of the baboon returning with
the pot full of water.
Presently everything had gone. ]
ceased to feel strange. There beneath
me was the pool, and at my side stood
Indaba-zimbi, smiling.
"You have seen things" he said.
"I have" answered, and made no
further remark ON the matter. What
was there to say? "Do you know the
path to the cavey' added.
He nodded his head. "I did not follow
it all just now, because it Winds" he
said. "But know it. We shall want
the ropes"
"Then let us be starting; the men have
| eaten"
He nodded his head again, and, going
to the men, told them to make ready,
adding that Indaba-zimbi knew the way.
They said that was all right; If Indaba-
zimbi had "smelt her out" they should
soon find the Star. Sowe started cheer
fully enough, and my spirits were SO
much improved that I was able to eat a
| boiled mealie cob or two as we walked.
We went up the valley, following the
course of the stream for about mile
then 1ndaba-zimbi made a sudden turn
to the right along another kloof, of which
there were countless numbers in the base
of the great hill.
On we went through kloof after kloof.
Indaba-zimbi, who led US, was never at
a loss; he turned up gulleys and struck
across necks of hills with the certainty
| of hound on hot scent. At length,
after about three hours march, we came
to big silent valley on the northern
| slope of the great peak. On one side of
this valley was a series of stony koppies,
| on the other rose q sheer wall of rock.
We marched along the wall for dis
lance of some two miles. Then suddenly
Indaba-zimbi halted.
''There is the place." he said. pointing
to an opening in the cliff. This opening
was about forty feet from the ground,
and ellipse shaped. 1t cannot have been
more than twenty feet high by ten wide,
and was partially hidden by ferns and
bushes that grew about it in the surface
of the cliff. Keen as my eyes were, /
doubt if should ever have noticed it,
for there were many such cracks and
crannies in the rocky face of the great
mountain.
We drew near and looked carefully at
the place. The first thing noticed was
that the rock, which was not quite per-
pendicular, had been worn by the contin-
ual passage of balloons; the second, that
something white was hanging on bush
nearthe top of the ascent.
1t was a pocket-handkerchief.
Now there was no more doubt about
the matter. With beating heart be-
gan the ascent. For the first twenty feet
it was comparatively easy, for the rock
shelved; the next ten feet was very diff
cult, but still possible TO an active man,
and 1 achieved it, followed by Indaba-
zimbi. But the last twelve or fifteen
feet could only be scaled by throwing a
rope over the trunk Of a stunted tree,
which grew at the bottom Of the
opening. This we accomplished with
some trouble, and the rest was easy. A
foot or two above my head the handker-
chief Hutfara1 in the Nuind Haporiuo, 10