Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-06-06
The Strange Stroy
OF
ALLAN gUATERMAIN'S WIFE.

man would slip, or be pulled over in the
grip of baboon. Then the others would
fling themselves upon him like dogs on
rat, and worry him to death. We lost
five men in this way, and ! myself re-
ceived bite through the feshy part OF
the left arm, but fortunately native near
me asseyaied the animal before / was
pulled down.
AT length. and all OF sudden, the ba-
Blooms gave up. A panic seemed to seize
them! Notwithstanding the cries OF Hen
drika they thought no more OF tight, but
only of escape: some even did not attempt
TO get away from the assegais Uf the KAT
frs. they simply hid their horrible faces in
their paws, and, moaning piteously, walt
ed TO be slain.
Hendrika saw that the battle was lost.
Dropping the child from her arms she
rushed straight at us. a very picture OF
horrible insanity. | lifted my gun, put
could not bear to shoot. After all she
was but mad thing, half ape, half wo-
man So | sprang to one side, and she
handed full on Indata zimbi, knocking him
DOWN. But she did not stay TO do ans
more. Wailing terribly, she rushed down
the gully and throuzh the arch, followed
by many of the surviving balloons, ana
vanished from our sight.
CHAPTER xIII-waAT 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 Ike. How many Of the brutes
we killed | never knew, because we did
not count. but it was a vast number
should think that the stock must have
been low about Babyau'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 for
ward mp the water-coursc. But first we
picked up little Tota. The child was not
In swoOu as ! had thought, but para
lyzed by terror, 50 that She could scarcely
speak Otherwise she was uuhurt. though
il took her many week to recover her
nerve. Had she been older, and had she
not remembered Hendrika, ! doubt if she
would have recovered from it. She knew
me again, and flung her little arms about
my neck, ClinQinG to me SO closely that l
did not dare to give her TO any one else to
carry lest should add to her terrors So
went on with her In my arms. The
fears that pierced my heart may well be
imagined.
Should find Stella alive or dead?
Should find her at ALP Well. we should
soon know now? We stumbled on up the
stony water course: notwithstanding the
weight of Tota 7 led the way for suspense
lent me wings. Now we were through,
aud nm extraordinary scene lay before us.
We were in "A great natural amphtheatre,
only 10 was three times the size of any am
phttheatre ever shaped by man, and the
walls were formed Of PERCEPTIONS cliffs,
ranging from one to two hundred feet in
heigb'
Foi the rest, the space thus enclosed
WINS level studded with park-lille trees.
brilliant with flowers, and having n
stream running through the centre Of it,
TINT, as ! afterwards discovered, wellcd
mp from the ground at the head of the
open spnce.
We spread ourselves out in line, search
ing everywhere for TOta was too over
come 70 be able to tell us where Stella was
hidden away. For nearly half nm hour
we searched and searched. scanning the
walls OF rock for any possible opening to
cave. In vain, we could find none. |
applied to old IEdabaZimbi, but his fore
sight was at fault here. All he could say
was that this was the place. and that the
star" was hidden somewhere in n cave,
but where the cave was he could not tell.
Al last we came to the top of the amphi-
theatre. There before MS was n wall of
rock, OF which the lower parts were here
aud there clothed In grasses, lichens and
crr"pers. walked along II, calling at the
top Of my voice.
Presently my heart stood stilI, for |
thought heard n 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
mp tn it aud searched among the crecpers,
but still could tind no opening.
Move the stone" cried Stella's voice,
1.-THE cave is shut with a stone"
took a spear and proddcd at the cliff
whence the sound came Suddenly the
spear sunk in through n mass Of lichcn.
swept the lichcn aside, revealing n boulder
that had been rolled into the iuuuth of an
opening IN the cave, which it fitted so
accurately that. covered rs IL was by the
ovcrhanging liChcn, it might well have
escaped the kccneSt eve. We DRAGGED
the boulder out; it was two mems work to
do it.
Beyond was IA narrow, water-wOrn pass
rgr, which | followed with a beating
heart. Presently the passage opened into
small cave, shaped like II pickle bottle,
aud coming to peak at the top end We
passed through and found ourselves in a
second. much larger cave, that at once
recognized rs the one of which Indaba-
Emht had shown me vision in the water
Night reached IL from abovc-how know
not nnd hy it | could see form half
sitting, half lying on some skins at the
top end of the cave. ] rushed to ii. 1t
was Stcllai Stella bound with strips. of
hide, bruised. torn. but still Stella and
alive.
she saw M, she gave one cry. then as |
caught her III my arms she tainted. It
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 cuunngly hidden
cave, unless, indeed, Iudaba-zimbi's mag
tc ION which be hlessingsl had come To our
assistance
We bore her To the open air, laid her be
meath the shade of tree and cut the
bonds loose from her ankles As we went
glanced at the cave. Ii was exactly as
had seen Il in the vision There burnt
the fire, there We're the rude wooden YES
sells, one of them still half full of the water
which had seen the balloons bring. felt
awed rs | looked, and marveued AT the
power welded 10y a savage who could not
even read and write.
Now | could see Stella clearly. Her
face was scratched, and haggard with fear
aud weeping. her clothes were almost torn
of her, ard her beautiful hair WIS loose
aud tangled. sent for water. and we
spruklcd her face. Then forced a little
Of the brandy which we distilled from
peaches ut the kraals between her lips.
and she opened her eyes, and throwing
her arms about me. chung 90 me as little
Tota had done, sobhug. Thank Godl
Thank Godr'
After awhile She grew quictcr. and l
made her aud Fota eat little food from
the store that we had brought with MS. l.
too, ate, and was thankful. for with the
exception OF the mvalie cuhS had tasted
nothing for nearly four and twenty hours.
Then she washed her face AMI hands, and
tidied her rags of dress as we'll rs she was
able. As she did so, by degrees I drew
her story from her.
IL seemed that on the previous after
noon. being wearied with packing, she
went out to visit her fathers grave, tax
ing Tota with her, and was followed there