Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-19


up in baboon skins, and her face is stain
ed dark. But though she was long
way off I knew her by Der size, and
saw the white flesh of her arm when the
skins slipped aside. She has come back
Macumazahn, with all the balloons In
the world, and she has come back to dc
evil. Now do you understand why you
should trek?"
eyes," said, Though I don't see how
she and the balloons can harm us.
think that it will be better to go. If nee
essary we can camp the wagons some
where for while on the journey. Heark-
en-, Indaha-zimbi: say nothing of this to
the Star; viii 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
there night and day. Tomorrow we will
get the wagons ready, and the next day
we will trek"
He nodded his white lock and went to
do my bidding, leaving me not a little
disturbed-unreasona SO, indeed. 1t
was a strange story. That this woman
had the power of conversing with ba-
boons knew. That was not so very
wonderful, seeing that the Bushmen
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 to
forward her ends of revenge, seemed to
me SO incredible that after reflection my
fears grew light. Still l determined to
trek.
So 1 went into Stella, and without say
ing word to her of the baboon story,
told her l 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 Bab-
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. 1 could only
console them by declaring that we were
but on journey, and would return the
following year.
"They had lived in the shadow of her
father, who was dead" they declared;
lever since they were little they had
lived in his shadow. He had received
them when they were outcasts and wan
derers without a mat to lie 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. Alasi there was
but too much foundation for their fears.
returned to the huts at midday to get
some dinner. Stella said that she was
going to pack during the afternoon, SO I
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 balloons unless I was obliged to. I
told her, however, that 1 would come
back to help her as soon as l could
get away. Then l 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 incalculable
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. / passed first into
our sleeping hut, thence one by one into
all the others, but still saw no sign of her.
Then | went out, and calling to a Kaffir
in the garden asked him if he had seen
his mistress.
He answered Eyes" He had seen her |
carrying flowers walking towards the |
graveyard, holding the little white girl |
my daughter-as he called her, by the |
hand. when the sun stood "there," and |
he pointed 10 spot IN the horizon where |
ii would have been about an hour and a |
half before. 1.-THE two dogs were with |
them," he added. l turned and ran
towards the graveyard, which was about |
a quarter of mile from the huts. Of !
course there was no reason to be anxious |
evidently she had gone to lay the |
flowers on her fathers grave. And yet |
] was anxious.
When got near the graveyard met |
one of the natives, who, by my orders, |
had been set round the kraals to watch |
the place, and noticed that he was rub
bibg his eyes and yawning. Clearly he
had been asleep. | asked him if he had |
seen his mistress, and he answered that |
he had not, which under the circum-
stances was not wonderful. Without |
stopping to reproach him, ordered the |
man to follow me. and went on to the |
graveyard. There, on Mr.. Carson's |
grave, lay the dropping flowers which /
Stella had been carrying, and there in /
the fresh mold was the spoor of Tota's |
veldschoon, or hide slipper. But where
were they!
L ran from the graveyard and called |
aloud at the top of my voice. but no an
swer came. Meanwhile the native was
more protitably engaged in tracing their
spoor. He followed it for about a hun |
bred yards till he came to a clump of /
mimosa bush that was situated between !
the stream and the ancient marble quar-
ries just above the waterfall, and at the /
mouth of the r&vine. Here he stopped, |