The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-05-14
THE STRANGE STORY
Allaa9IQalteIlaaiin'sVh Wife
BY III. RiDER HAceARD. 81
AUTHOR OF asHEs" i"K1Ne soLoMoN's
MINEssS2 2iSJEss," CLEO
PArIsA.s ETc.
AN AFRICAN ROMANCE.
CHAPTER xt -oorr,rurp,

whom had flashed across his dyin,
senses Stella, Of course, was over
iYhelmed with grief at her loss TIL
came her father had been her sole com
panion, and therefore, as may be imag
iped, the tie between them was mucl
closer than is usual even in the case o
tsther and daughter. So deeply did sh,
pourn that began to fear for the Of
feet upon her health. Nor we're we tn,
only ones to grieve; all the natives OF
tbe settlement called Mr.. Carson "fa
tber,' and as father they lamented
him. The air resounded with the wall
ing Of women, and the men went about
with bowed heads, saying that 1.-THE sur
bad set in the heavens, now only the
Star (Stella) remained" Indaba-ximbl
alone did not mourn. He said that II
wRs best that the Inkoos should die, fol-
what was life worth when one lay like O
iog?-moreoyer that 1t would have been
we'll for all IL he had died sooner.
On the following day we buried him In
1.-The little graveyard near the waterfall.
It was q sad business, and Stella cried
very much, In spite OF all could do to
comfort her.
That night as sat outside the hut
smoking-for the weather was hot and
Stella was lying down inside-old India
,ha-zimbi came up, saluted and squatted
at my feet.
"What is 1t, Indaba-imbi2" Isaid
''Thls, Macumazahn. When are you
going to trek towards the coastPn
'I don't know" 1 answered. "The
Star is not ht to travel now, we must
wait awhile"
"No, MaoumaEahn, you must not wait,
you must go, and the Star must take her
chance. She is strong. II Is nothing.
All will be WE'LL"
"Why do you say 30? Why must we
go9"
''For this reason, Macumazahn," and
he looked cautiously round and spoke
low. "The bsboons have come back in
thousands. All the mountain is full OF
them"
! II did not know that they had gone"
L said.
YES" he answered, "they went after
the marriage, all but one or two; now
they are back, all the balloons in the
world, think. saw whole cliff black
with them"
''Is that alp said, for l saw that he
had something behind. ~ am not
afraid Of pack OF baboons."
''No, Macumazahn, 1t is not all The
Babyan-frau, Hendrika, is with them"
Now, nothing had been heard or seen
OF Hendrika since her expulsion, and
though at first she and her threats
haunted me somewhat, by degrees she
had TO great extent passed out OF my
mind. which was fully preoccupied with
Stella and my father-in-law's illness. |
started violently. 'How do you know
this2" ! asked.p
II know IL because saw her, Macu- |
.mazahn. She is disguised, she is
dressed up in baboon skins, and her face
Is stained dark. But though she was
long way of ] knew her by her 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
do evil. Now do you understand why
you should trolp"
"Yes," said; though ! don't see
how she and the baboons can harm US,
L think that 1t will be better 10 20. II
necessary We can camp the wagons
somewhere for awhile on the journey.
Hearken, Indaba-simbi; say nothing Of
this TO the Star. will. not have her
frightened. And hesrken again. Speak
70 the head men, and SEQ that watchers
sse set around all the huts and gardens,
and kept there night and day. To-mor-
Dw we will get the wagons ready, and
next day we will trek"
He nodded his white look and went TO
DO my bidding, leaving me not q little
iisturbed-unreasonably 80, indeed. II
was strange story. That this woman
bad the power Of converting with
baboons know. That was not % very
seeing that the Bushmen
aAim TO be able 10 do the same thing,
md she had been nurtured BY them.
But that she had been able TO muster
hem. and by the strength Of her human
viii and intelligence muster them In
rider 10 forward her ends Of revenge,
'oemod 10 me 30 incredible that after
my fears grew light Still
determined TO trek. After all, q Jour
nov In an OF wagon would not DO such
very terrible thing 10 strong woman
TO roughing It, Whatever
,er state Of health. And when all was
aid and done did not like this tale Of
he presence Of Hendrika with count
ess hosts OF balloons.
30 went 10 Stella, and without say
ng word 10 her Of the baboon story,
old her had been thinking matters !
.ver, and had come TO the conclusion
hat IL was our duty 10 follow her q
athers instructions to the letter, and '
cave Babyan kraal at once. Into all j
ur talk need not enter, but the end p
{ II was that she agreed with me and .
eolsred that she could quite well man 0
90 the journey, saying, moreover, D
hat now that her dear father was dead n
he would be glad 10 get away. o
Nothing happened 10 disturb us that d
ight and on the following morning I o
NJ up early making preparations The h
espair Of the people whom they learned .
aat We were going 10 leave then was II
,mething quito pitisbls. could only n
,nsole them BY declaring that wo were n
ut on journey, and would return the q
year. Y
They had lived In the shadow Of hsr b
'thss, vAo was dad, ? they dsolsssd, d