The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-05-28
AN AFRICAN ROMANCE.
CHAPTER XIII
WHAT HAPPENED TO STELLA,

WHAT oTklLA.
The fight was over. In all we had
lost seven men killed, and several more
we're severely bitten, while but few had
escaped without some tokens whereby
be might remember what baboon's
teeth and claws are like. How many Of
the brutes we killed l never knew, be-
cause we did not count, but 1t was vast
humber. should think that the stock
must have been low about Babyan's
Peak for many years afterwards. From
that day to this, however, l have always
ayoideS saboons, feeling more afraid OF
thom E>sn any beast that lives.
The path was clear, and we rushed
forFard up the water-oourse. But first
we picked up little Tota. The child
was not in swoon, as l had thought,
but paralyzed by terror, SO that she
could scarcely speak. Otherwise she
was unhurt, though 1t took her many .
week to recover her nerve. Had she been
older, and had she not remembered
fiendrika, doubt II she would have re-
covered 1t. She knew me again, and
fhRg her little arms about my neck,
.cpnging to me so closely that / did not
dare to give her to any ono else to carry
lest should add to hor terrors. So l
went on with her in my arms. The
fears that pierced my heart may we'll be
Imagined. Should find Stella alive or
dead? Well, we should soon know now.
We stumbled on up the stony water
course; Notwithstanding the weight OF
Tota led tho way, for suspense lent
me wings. Now we were through, and
an extraordinary scene lay before us.
we we're in great natural amphithes-
tar, only 1t was three times the siro OF
any amphitheater ever shaped by man,
and the walls were formed Of precip-
itDus cliffs, ranging from one 10 two
hundred feet In height For the rest,
the space thus inclosed was level, stud
ded with park-like trees, brilliant with
flowers, and having a stream running
through the conter Of II, that, as After
wArds discovered, wclled up from tho
ground at tho head OF the open space.
We spread ourselves out in . limo,
everywhere, for Tota was too
overcome to be able to tell is where
stella was hidden away For nearly
hat an hour we searched and searched,
tho walls OF rock for any pos
ahle opening TO a cave. In vain, we
,onld find none. applied TO old In
laba-zimbi, but his foresight was at ,
ault here. All he could say was that I
his was the place, and that tho Star I
vas hidden somewhere In q cave, but s
ghere the cave was he could not tell. q
" last we came TO the top Of the amphi- s
heater. There before US was q wall OF
ock, OF which the lower parts were Z
zero and there clothed in grasses, I
ichens and creepers | walked along '
!, calling at the top of my voice. s
Presently my heart stood still, for S
hought heard faint answer. drew v
carer to the place from which the k
1pnd seemed to come, and again called. k
es. there was an answer in my wife's
oice. 1t seemed TO come from the rock. n
went up to 1t and searched among tho n
'eepers, but still could find no opening. a
Move the stone," cried Stella's voice, 6,
The cave is shut with stone" b,
l took spear and prodded at the W
III whence the sound came. Suddenly n
70 spear sunk in through a mass Of 81
chen. swept the lichen aside, reveal K
y bowlder that had been rolled into b,
opening in the rock, which It fitted 10 Sc
curately that, covered az 1t was by tho 70
lichen, II might well have 81
capped the keenest eye. We dragged hi
o bowlder out; It was two mems work WI
DO it. Beyond was narrow, water hu