The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1890-05-10

hS<1uS, eay luS IudL VLe SUN llau set In
the heavens, now only the Star (Stella)
remained" Indaba-zimbi alone did not
mourn. He said that it was best that
the 1nkoos should die, for what was life
worth when one lay like log?-more
over, that it would have been well for all
if lie had died sooner.
On the following day we buried him
in the little graveyard near the water
fall. 1t was Il sad business and Stella
cried very much, in spite of all could
do to comfort her.
That night as I sat outside the hut
smoking-for the weather was hot and
Stella waslying down inside-old Indaba-
zimbi came up, saluted and squatted at
my feet.
'What is it, Indaba-zimbi?" said.
"This, Macumazahn. When are you
going to trek towards the coast?"
II don't know" answered. "The Star
is not fit to travel now; we must wait
awhile"
"No, Macumazahn, you must not wait;
you must so, and the Star must take her
chance. She is strong. 1t is nothing.
All will be WELL"
"Why do you say so? Why must we
go?"
"For this reason, Macumazahn." and
he looked cautiously round and spoke
low. "The balloons have come back in
thousands. All the mountain is full of
them.''
~ did not know that they aaa sone,"
said.
eyes" he answered, "they went after
the marriage, all but one or two; now
they are back, all the balloons in the
world, think. l saw whole cliff
black with them"
SIS that ALP said, for l saw that lie
had something behind. II am not afraid
of pack of baboons."
mo, Macumazahn, it is not all. The
babyan-frau, Hendrika, is with them"
Now, nothing had been heard OR seen
of Hendrika since her expulsion, and
though at first she and her threats had
haunted me somewhat, by degrees she
had to great extent passed out of my
mind, which was fully preoccupied with
Stella and my father-in-law's Illness
started violently. "How do you know
this?" asked.
II 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 l knew her by her size, and !
saw the white flesh of her arm when the
skins slipped aside. She has come back,
Macumazahn, with all the balloons in
tho world, and she has come back to do
evil. Now do you understand why you
should trek?'
eyes," said, Though don't see how
she and the balloons can harm us. !
think that it will be better to CO. If nee
cssary we can camp the wagons some
where for while on the journey. Heark-
ell, Indaba-zimbi: say nothing of this tc
the Star; will not have her frightened
And hearken again. Speak to the head
men, and see that watchers are set all
around the huts and gardens, and kept
-hcre night and day. Tomorrow we will
get the wagons ready, and the next day
we will trek"
He nodded his white lock and went tc
do my bidding, leaving me not little
disturbed-unreasonably SO, indeed. 1t
was strange story. That this woman
had tho power of conversing with ba-
boons 1 knew. That was not SO very
wonderful, seeing that the Bushmcn
claim to be able to do the same thing, and
she had been nurtured 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 tc
Forward her ends of revenge, seemed tc
ME so incredible that after reflection my
fears grew light. Still I determined tc
trek.
So went into Stella, and without say.
ing a word to her of tho 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.
yam 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. I could only
console them by declaring that we were
but on n journey, and would return the
following year.
"They had lived in the shadow of her
father, who was dead" they declared:
"ever since they were little they had
lived in his shadow. He had received
them when they were outcasts and wan
dcrers without a mat toll on, or blank
ct to cover them, and they had grown
fat in his shadow. Then he had died,
and the Star, their fathers daughter, had
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
Ireturned to the huts at midday to 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 baboons unless was obliged to-
told her, however, that l would come
back to help her as soon as l 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. 1t was large herd
and the business took an incalculablc
time. At length, a little before sum
down, gave it up, and leaving Indaba-
zimbi 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
lrNVI I,DC