The Irish standard., 1890-03-15
Stella was lying down inside--old India
ba-zimbi came up, saluted and squatted

Stella was lying down inside--ola India
ba-zimbi came up, saluted and squatted
at my feet. ...
"What is it, lndaba-zimbi?" said
''Thjs, Macumazahn. When are you
going to trek towards the coast?"
81 don't know" I answered. ''The
Star is not fit to travel now, we must
wait awbile.''
''No, Macumazahn, you must not wait,
you must go, and the Star must take her
chance. She is strong. It is nothing.
ALI will be we'll
''Why do you say SO? Why must we
go?"
For this reason. Macumazahn," and
he looked cautiously round and spoke
low. s'The balloons have come back in
thousands. All the mountain Is full OF
them
II did not know that they had gone, -
I said.
Eyes, ne answered, ''they went after
the marriage, all but one Or two; now
they are back, all the balloons in the
world, think. l saw whole cliff black
with them
''ls that all?' said, for saw that he
had something behind. II am not
afraid OF pack Of balloons.
mo, Macumazahn, it 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. l
started violently. ''How do you know
this?'' I asked.o
IT know it 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 a
long way off knew her by her size, and
7 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 trek2"
eyes," I said; Though don't see
how she and the balloons can harm us,
I think that it will be better to go. Ii
necessary we can camp the wagons
somewhere for awhile on the journey.
Hearken, linda ba-zimbi: say nothing Of
this to the Star. T will not have her
frightened. And hearken again. Speak
To the head men, and see that watchers
are set around all the huts and gardens,
and kept there night and day. To-mor-
row we will get the wagons ready, and
next day we will trek"
He nodded his white lock and went to
do nv bidding, leaving me not little
disturbed -unreasonably SO, indeed. 1t
was a strange story. That this woman
had the power of conversing with
haboons T knew. That was not SO very
wonderful, seeing that the Bushmen
claim to be able to do the same thing,
and she had been nurtured by them.
But that she had been able to muster
them, and by the strength OF her human
will and intelligence muster them in
order to forward her ends Of revenge,
seemed to me so incredible that, after
4 reflection, my fears grew light. Still I
determined to trek. After all, jour
nev in an OK wagon would not be such
a very terrible thing to a strong woman
accustomed to roughing it, whatever
her state Of health. And when all was
said and done did not like this tale OF
the presence Of Hendrika with count
less hosts. Of balloons.
d So went to Stella, and without say
Ing word to her of the balloon story,
4 told her had been thinking matters
over, and had come to the conclusion
that Il was our duty to follow her
fathers instructions to the letter, and
leave Babyan kraal at once. Into all
our talk need net enter, but the end
+ Of it was that she agreed with me and
declared that she could quite we'll man q
age the journey, saying, moreover re-
/ that now that her dear father was dead
she would be gladsto get away
Notfhing happened to disturb us that e
and on the following morning NC \ \
., ~ No - ft lE1f3