San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-02-06
looked at him with nv mouth open.

lit is all right; have seen her"
Seen who:' l said.
"The Star, your wife, and the little
maid. They are much frightened, but
unframed. The habyan-frau watches
them. She is mad. but the balloons obey
her and do not hurt them. The Star was
sleeping from WEAKNESS, so | whispered
in her eaI and told her not to be fright
ened. for YOU would soon rescue her, and
that meanwhile she must seem to be
pleased to have Hendrika near her"
"IOu whispered in her ear | said.
'HOw could you whisper in her ear
bah! MacumaZahn. How could /
seem to die and go rotten before your
eyes: You don't know, do you: Well,
l will tell you one thing. had to die to
pass the doors of space, as you call them.
had to draw all the healthy strength
and life from my body in order to gather
power to speak with the Star. 1t was
| dangerous business, Macumazahn, for if
had let things go little further they
must have stopped so, and there would
have been an end of Indaba-zimbi. All,
you W lltc LLeIl, YOU MILO" 81 uluCll IildJ
you think you know everything. But
you don't! You are always staring at
the clouds and can't see the things that
lie at your feet. You hardly believe me
now, do YOU, Macumazahn? Well, | will
show you. Have you anything on you
that the Star has touched or worm
thought for a moment, and said that
I I,l l,cl- Of how l,i
book He told me to give it to him. |
did 81. Going to the fire, he lit the lock
of hair in the flame, and let it burn to
ashes, which he caught III his left hand.
These ashes he mixed up in paste with
the ilIice of one of the leaves of the plant
| have spoken of.
Nov, Macumazahn. shut your eyes"
he said.
did so, and he rubbed ais paste on my
eveld5 At first it burnt me, then my
head swan strangely. Presently this eff
feet passed off, and my brain was per-
fectly clear again, but | could not feel
the ground with my feet. Indabazimbi
| led me to the side of the stream. Beneath
us was pool of beautifully clear water
lFOOA llIIO lllC pun,
said Indabazimbi, and his voice sounded
hollow and far away in my ears.
| looked. The water grew dark: it
cleared, and in it was picture. | saw
a cave with fire burning in it. Against
the wall of the cave rested Stella. Her
dress was torn almost off her, she looked
dreadfuIIy pale and weary, and her eye
Il t,l,,,-I,
But she slept, and could almost think
| that ! saw her lips shape my name in
| her Sleep Close to her, her head upon
| Stella breast, was little Tota; she had a
| skin thrown over her to keep out the
| night cold The child was awake, and
appeared to he moaning with fear. BY
the fire. and in such position that the
| light fell full upon her face, and en-
| gagged i'll cooking something i'll a rough
| pot shaped from wood sat the baboon-
woman, Heudrika. She was clothed in
| baboon skins, and her face had been
rubbed with some dark stain, which was,
however, wearing off,
I 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
to worship. Then she would stare at
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 a 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 a 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
Il have" | answered, and made no
further remark on the matter What
was there to say: DO you know the
path to the cave" l added.
He nodded his head. Il 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-zim knew the way.