Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-04-03

"THERE IS THE PLACER
them. 1 had to draw all the healthy
strength from my body in order tt
gather power to speak with the Star
1t was dangerous business, Macuma
zahn, for if l had let things go little
further they must have stopped so, and
there would have been an end of In
daba-zimbi. All, you white men, you
know so much that you think you know
every thing. 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, I will show you.
Have you any thing on you that the
Star has touched or worn?"
1 thought for moment, and said that
I had lock of her hair in my pocket
book. He told me to give it to him. ]
did so. Going to the fire, he lit the lock
of hair in the flame, and let it burn to
ashes, which he caught in his left hand.
These ashes he mixed up in a paste
with the juice of one of the leaves of
the plant have spoken of.
Snow, Macumazahn, shut your eyes,
he said.
Ibid so, and he rubbed his paste on to
my eyelids. At first it burnt me, then
my head swan strangely. Presently
this effect passed off, and my brain was
perfectly clear again, but could not
feel the ground with my feet. Indaba-
zimbi led me to the side of the stream
Beneath US was pool of beautifully
clear water.
''Look into the pool, Macumazahn,
said Indaba-zimbi, and his voice sounded
| hollow ard far away in my cars.
looked. The water grew dark; it
cleared, and in it was picture. I 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
dreadfully pale and weary, and her eye
lids were rcd as though with weep
ing. But she slept, and 1 could almost
think that ! saw her lips shape my name
in her sleep. Close to her, her head
upon Stella's breast, was little Tota;
she had skin thrown over her to keep
out the night cold. The child was
awake, and appeared to be moaning
with fear. By the fro, and in such
position that the light iell iull upon her
face, and engaged in cooking something
in rough pot shaped from wood, sat
the Baboon-wOman, Hendrika. She
was clothed in b&boon skins, and her
face had been rubbed with some dark
stain, which was, however, wearing off
it. In the intervals of her cooking she
would turn on Stella her wild eyes, in
which glarcd 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
jealous of it. Round the entrance arch
of the cave pceped and pecred the heads
of many balloons. Presently Hendrika
made sign to one of them; apparently
she did not speak, or rather grunt, in
order not 10 wake Stella. The brute
hoped forward, and she gave it a sec
on8ude wooden pot which was lying
by her. 1t took it and went. The last
thing that l saw, as tho vision slowly
vanished from the pool, was the dim
shadow of the baboon returning with the
pot full of water.
Presently every thing had gone. I
ceased to feel strange. There beneath
me was the pool, and at my side stood
Indaba-zimbi, smiling.
''You have seen things" he said.
81 have" l answered, and made no
further remark on the matter. What
was there to say? "Do you know the
path to the cave?' added.
He nodded his head. 81 did not fol-
low it all just now, because it Winds"
he said. ''But 1 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 l told them to make ready,
adding that Indaba-zimbi knew the
way. They said that was all right, if
Indaba-zimbi had ''smelt her out" they |
should soon find the Star. So we
started cheerfully enough, and my spir-
its were so much improved that 1 was
able to eat boiled mealie cob or two as
we walked
We went up the valley, following the |
SO0AoO VI tAO 1OE dDOub
then Indaba-zimbi made sudden turn /
to the right, along another kloof, of |
which there were countless numbers in |
the base of the great hill.
On we went through kloof after kloof. !
Indaba-zimbi, who led US, was never at /
a loss; he turned up gullies and struck |
across necks of hills with the certainty 4
Of hound on hot scent At length, !
after about three hours march, we came
to big, silent valley on the northern
slope of the great peak. On one side of
this valley was series of stony koppies;
on the other rose sheer wall of rock.
We marched along the wall for dis
lance Of some two miles. Then sudden +
~ Indaba-zimbi halted.
''There is the place." he said, point
ing to an opening in the cliff. This
opening was about forty feet from the
ground and ellipse-shaped. It could not
have been more that twenty feet high
by ten wide and was partially hidden
by ferns and bushes that grew about 1t
in the surface of the cliff. Keen as my
eyes were doubt if should ever have
noticed it, for there were many such
crags and crannies in the rocky face Of
the great mountain.
Ke drew near and looked earefpllx Al