Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-06-06

Babyan-frau had the strength of ten. She
lifted her and Tota as though they were
nothing, and ran off with them, follow
ing the bed of the stream in order to
avoid leaving a spoor. Only the balloons
who came with her, minus the one the
dogs had killed, would not take to the
water, but kept pace with them on the
bank.
Stella said that the night which follow
ed was more like a hideOus nightmare
than a reality She was never able to tell
me all that occurred in it. She had
vague recollection of being borne over
rocks and along kloofs, while around her
echoed the horrible grunts and clicks OF
the balloons. She spoke to Hendrika in
English and Kaffir, imploring her TO let
them 90, but the woman, if may call her
so, seemed in her madness to have entire
" forgotten these tongues
When Stella spoke she would kiss her
and stroke her hair, but she did not seem
to understand what it was she said. On
the other hand, she could, and did, talk
to the baboons, that seemed to obey her
implicitly Moreover, she would not al
low them to touch either Stella or the
child in her arms. Once one of them tried
to do so, and she seized dead stick and
struck it so heavily on the head that it
fell senseless Thrice Stella made an at
tempt TO escape, for sometimes even Hen
drika's giant strength waned and she had
to set them down. But on each occasion
she caught them, and it was in these
struggles that Stella's clothes were so
torn.
At length before daylight they reached
Al. Il; nd ,.rfth no pSth raaly of if,ht
the ascent began. Hendrika dragged them
up the first stages, but when they came to
the PERCEPTIONS place she tied the strips
Of hide, of which she had supply wound
round her waist, beneath Stella's arms.
Steep as the place was the balloons as
cended it easily enough, springing from
knob of rock to the trunk of the tree that
grew on the edge of the crevasse. Hen
drika followed them, holding the end of
the hide in her teeth, one of the balloons
hanging down from the tree to assist her
ascent. 1t was while she was ascending
that Stella bethought her Of letting fau
her handkerchief in the faint hope that
some searcher might see it.
BY this time Hendrika was on the tree,
and granting ont orders to the balloons,
which clustered about Stella below. Sud
hbulH iilt9t 5tlLCi lItI anu Iilllt Old W IlO
was in her arms, and lifted her from the
ground. Then Hendrika above, aided by
other baboOns put out all her great
strength and pulled the two of them up
the rock. Twice Stella swung heavily
a Lainst the cliff. After the second blow
she felt her senses going, and was con-
sumed with terror lest she should drop
Tota. But she managed to cling TO her,
and together they reached the cliff.
From that time" Stella went on, Il
remember no more until | awoke to find
myself in gloomy cave resting on bed
of skins. My legs were bound, and Hen
drika SAB near me watching me, while
round the edge of the cave peered the
heads of those horrible balloons. Tota
was still In my arms. and half dead from
terror; her mOans were pitiful to hear. l
spoke to Hcndrika, imploring her to re-
lease us; but either she had lost all under
standing of human speech, or she pretend
ed to have done so. All she would do was
to caress me, and even kiss my hands and
dress with eXtravagant signs of affection.
As she did so, TOta shrunk away closer to
me. This IIendrika saw and glared so
savagely at the child that feared lest she
w 'tS EbiuS ~ MIL itl. NllNtIltu HtE aJ-
tentiOn by making signs that | wanted
water, and this she gave me in a wooden
bowl
AS YOU saw, the cave was evidently
Hendricks dwelling place There are
stores of fruit in it and some strips of
dried flesh. She gave me some of the fruit
and Tota little, and | made Tota eat
some. You can never know what | went
through, Allan. ! saw now that Hem
drika was quite mad, and but little re-
moved from the brutes to which she is
akin, and over which she has such unhOly
power. The only trace of humanity left
about her was her affection for me Evil
IDENTIFY her idea was to keep me here with
her, to keep me away from you, and to
carry out this idea she was capable of
the exercise of every artfce and cunning
In that way she was sane enough, but in
every other way she was mad. Moreover,
she had not forgotten her horrible ieal-
ousy. Already | saw her glaring ut Tota,
and knew that the child's murder was
only matter of time. Probably within
"A few hours she would he killed before nv
eyes. OF escape, even if had the strength,
there was absolutely no chance, and little
enough of our ever being found No, we
should be kept there guarded by mad
thing. half ape, half woman, till we per
ished miscrably. Then | thought of you,
dear, and of all that You must be suffering,
and my heart nearly broke / could only
pray to God that might either De rescued
or die swiftly.
'As PRAYED. dropped into kind of
doze from utter WEAKNESS. and then | had
the strangest dream. | dreamed that In
daba Zimbi stood over me nOdding his
white lock, and spoke to me in Kafflr,
telling me not to be frightened for you
would soon be with me, and that mean
while must humor Hendrika, pretend
ing TO be pleased to have her near me-
The dream was so vivid that l actually
seemed to see and hear him, as | see and
hear him now"
Here | looked up and glanced ut old
lndaba-zimbi who was sitting near. But
it was not till afterwards that | told Stella
of how her vision was brought about
AT any rate she went on, ''when I
awoke determined to act on my dream.
took Hendricks hand and pressed it.
She actually laughed in a wild kind of
way with happiness, and laid her head
upon my knee. Then | made signs that |
wanted food, and she threw wood on the
fire, which forgot to tell you was burn
ing in the cave, and began to make some
of the broth that she used to cook very
well. and she did not seem to have forgot
ten all about it. At any rate, the broth
was not bad, though neither Tota nor |
could drink much of it. Fright and wear.
mess had taken away our appetites
after the meal was doue-and | pro-
longed il as much rs posSible-I saw that
Hendrika was beginning TO get jealous of
Tota again. She gIared at her and then
at the big knife which was tied round her
own body. l knew the knife again; it
was the one with which she had tried to
murder you, dear. At last she went so
far as to draw the knife | was paralyzed
with fear, then suddenly l remembered
that when she was our servant, and used
to get ont of temper and sulk, | could al
ways calm her by singing to her. So be-
gan to sing hymns. Instantly she forgot
her jealousy and put the knife back into
its sheath.
'She knew the sound OF the singing.
and sat listening to it with a rapt face;
the balloons, too, crowded in at the en-
trance of the cave to listen. l must have
sung for an hour or more, all the hymns
that | could remember. 1t was so very
strange and dreadful sitting there sing
ing 10 mad Hendrika and those hdeous
man-liSe apes that shut their eyes and
nodded their great heads as sang. twas
ike horrible nightmare; but l believe
that the balloons are almost as human as
the Bushmeu.