The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-05-28


though it took her many a week to re-
cover her nerve Had she been older,
and had she not remembered Hendrika,
I doubt if she would have recovered it,.
She knew me again, and flung her little
arms about my neck, clinging to me SO
closely that 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 l
find Stella alive or dead? Should find
her at all? Well, we should soon know
now. We stumbled on up the stony wa
ter-course; notwithstanding the weight
of Tota, led the way, for suspense lent
me wings. Now we were through, and
an extraordinary scene lay before us.
We were in great natural amphithea-
ire, only it was three times the size of
any amphitheatre ever shaped by man,
and the walls were formed Of precipitous
cliffs, ranging from one to two hundred
feet in height For the rest, the space
thus inclosed was level, studded with
park-like trees, brilliant with flowers
and having a stream running through
the center of it that, as afterwards dis
covered, welled up from the ground at
the head of the open space.
We spread ourselves out in line,
searching everywhere, for Tota was too
overcome to be able to tell us where
Stella was hidden away. For nearly
half an hour we searched and searched,
scanning the walls of rock for any pos
sible opening to cave. In vain-we
could find none Iapplied to old Indaba-
zimbi, but his foresight was at fault
here. All he could say was that this was
the place, and that the Star" was hidden
somewhere in cave, but where the cave
was he could not tell At last we came
to the top of the amphitheatre There
before us was wall of rock, of which
the lower parts were here and there
clothed in grasses, ichens and creepers
| walked along it, calling at the top of
my voice.
Presently my heart stood still, for !
thought | heard faint answer. | drew
nearer to the place from which the sound
seemed to come, and again called. Yes,
there was an answer in my wife's voice.
1t seemed to come from the rock.
went up to it and searched among the
creepers, but still could find no opening
"Move the stone" cried Stella's voice,
"the cave is shut with stone"
took Il spear and prodded at the cliff
whence the sound came. Suddenly the
spear sank in through o. mass of lichen
l swept the lichen aside, revealing a
bowlder that had been rolled into the
mouth of an opening in the rock, which
it fitted so accurately that, covered as it
was by the overhanging lichen, it might
well have escaped the keenest eye. We
dragged the bowlder out; it was two
mems work to do it, Beyond was a
narrow, water worn passage, which /
followed with a beating heart. Pres
emily the passage opened into a small
cave, shaped like a pickle bottle, and
coming to neck at the top end. We
passed through and found ourselves in a
second, much larger cave, that | at once
recognized us the one of which Indaba-
zimbi had shown me vision in the
water. Light reached it from above
how know not-and by it could see a
form half sitting, half lying on some
skins at the top end of the cave. l
rushed to it, 1t was Stella! Stella bound
with strips OF hide, bruised, torn, but
still Stella, and alive.
She saw me, she gave one cry, then as
I ~, ,cl,o 70;