The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-12-05


to do it. Beyond was narrow. water
worn passage, which followed with a
beating heart Presently the passage
opened into small cave, shaped like a
pickle bottle, and coming to a 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 I know not-and by
it could see form half sitting, half
lying on some skins at the top end of
the cave. rushed to 1t. 1t was Stella!
Stella bound with strips of hide. bruised,
torn, but still Stella, and alive.
She saw me, she gave one cry, then as
l caught her in my arms she tainted. 1t
was happy indeed that she did not faint
before, for had it not been for the sound
of her voice do not believe we should
ever have found that cunningly-hidden
cave, unless, indeed, Indaba-zimbfs
magic Ton which be blessings) had come
to our assistance.
We bore her to the open air, laid her
beneath the shade of tree, and cut the
bonds loose from her ankles. As we
went glanced at the cave. 1t was ex-
actly as / had seen it in the vision.
There burnt the fire, there were the rude
wooden vessels, one of them still half
full of the water which l had seen the
baboon bring. felt awed as I looked,
and marveled at the power welded by a
savage who could not even read and
write.
Now 1 could see Stella clearly. Her
face was scratched and haggard with
fear and weeping, her clothes were al
most torn of her, and her beautiful hair
was loose and tangled. sent for water,
and we sprinkled her face. Then l
forced little of the brandy which we
distilled from peaches at the kraals be-
tween her lips, and she opened her eyes,
and throwing her arms about me chung
to me as little Tota had done, sobbing:
THANK God! thank God!'
After awhile she grew quieter, and !
made her and Tota eat a little food from
the store that we had brought with Us.
I, too, ate, and was thankful, for with
the exception of the mealie cobs l had
tasted nothing for nearly four-and-
twenty hours. Then she washed her
face and hands, and tidied her rags of
dress as well as she was able. As she
did so, by degrees drew her story from
her.
1t seemed that on the previous after
noon, being wearied with packing, she
went out to visit her fathers grave,
taking Tota with her, and was followed
there by the two dogs. She wished to
lay some flowers on the grave and take
farewell of the dust it covered, for, as
we had expected to trek early on the
morrow, she did not know If she would
find later opportunity. They passed
up the garden, and, gathering some
flowers from the orange trees and else
where, went on to the little grave
yard. Here she laid them on the grave
as we had found them, and then, sit
ting down, fell into a deep and sad
reverie, such as the occasion would nat
urally induce. While she sat thus,
Tota, who was lively child and active
as a kitten, strayed away without
Stella observing it. With her went the
dogs, who had also grown tired of in
action; while passed, and, suddenly,
she heard the dogs barking furiously
about hundred and fifty yards away.
Then she heard Tota scream, and the
dogs also yelling with fear and pain.
She rose and ran as swiftly as she could
toward the spot whence the sound
came. Presently she was there. Be
fore her in the glade, holding the
screaming Tota in her arms, was a
figure in which, notwithstanding the
rough disguise of baboon skins and col
oring matter, she had no difficulty in
recognizing Hendrika, and all about
her were numbers of balloons, rolling
over and over in two hideous heaps, of
which the centers were the two unfort-
innate dogs now in process of being
rent to fragments.
"Hendrika," Stella cried, ''what does
this mean? What are you doing with
Tota and those brutes?'
The woman heard her and looked up.
Then she saw that she was mad; mad
ness stared from her eyes. She dropped
the child, which instantly flew to
Stella for protection. Stella clasped it,
only to be herself clasped by Hendrika.
She struggled fiercely, but it was of no
use-the Babyan-frau had the strength
of ten. She lifted her and Tota as
though they were nothing, and ran off
with them, following the bed of the
stream in order to avoid leaving a
spoor. Only the balloons who came
with her, minus the one the dogs had
killed, would not take to the water, but
kept pace with them on the bank.
Stella said that the night which
followed was more like hideous night
mare than a reality. She was never
able to tell me all that occurred in it.
She had a vague recollection of being
borne over rocks and along kloofs,
while around her echoed the horrible
grunts and clicks Of the balloons. She
spoke to Hendrika in English and
Kafir, imploring her to let them go;
but the woman, if l may call her SO,
seemed in her madness to have entirely
IOECOIISu luSSo tOAS uSo- hAoA SSS4la
spoke she would kiss her and stroke her
hair, but she did not seem to understand
what it was she said On the other
hand, she could, and did, talk to the
balloons, that seemed to obey her i'm
plicitly. Moreover, she would not allow
them to touch either Stella or the child
in her arms. Once one of them
tried to do so, and she seized dead
stick and struck it so heavily on the
head that 1t fell senseless. Thrice
Stella made an attempt to escape, for
sometimes even Hendricks giant
strength waned and she had to set them
down. But on each occasion she caught
rharn and IL was in these stSupples that