The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-05-21


light fell full upon her face, and en-
gagged in cooking something in rough
pot shaped from wood, sat the baboon-
woman, Hendrika. She was clothed in
baboon skins, and her face had been
rubbed with some dark stain, which was.
however, wearing off.
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 Hendril1a
made 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 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 balloon returning with
the pot full of water.
Presently everything had gone.
ceased to feel strange. There beneath
me was the pool, and at my s;le stood
Indaba-zimbi, smiling
'You have seen things" he said.
II have" answered, and made no
further remark on the matter. What
was there to say? ''Do you know the
path to the cave?" I 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-zimbi knew the way.
They said that was all right; if Indaba-
zimbi had "smelt her out" they should
soon find the Star. Sowe started cheer
fully enough, and my spirits were SO
much improved that was able to eat
boiled mealie cob or two as we walked.
We went up the valley, following the
course of the stream for about mile;
then Indaba-zilnbi made q 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 gulleys and struck
across necks of hills with the certainty
of hound on hot scent. At length,
after about three hours march, we came
to q big silent valley on the northern
slope Of the great peak. On one side of
this valley was o series of stony koppies,
on the other rose q sheer wall of rock.
We marched along the wall for dis
lance of some two miles. Then suddenly
Indaba-zimbi halted.
''There is tho place." he said, pointing
to an opening i'll the cliff. This opening
was about forty feet from the ground,
and ellipse shaped. 1t cannot have been
more than twenty feet high by ten wide,
and was partially hidden by ferns and
bushes that grew about it in the surface
of the cliff. Keen as my eyes were,
doubt if [ should ever have noticed it,
for there were many such cracks and
crannies in the rocky face of the great
mountain.
We drew near AMI looked carefully at
the place. The first thing I noticed was
that the rock, which was not quite per-
pendicular, had been worn by the contin-
ual passage Of balloons; the second, that
something white was hanging on bush
near the ton of tho ascent