Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-16

| tnat makes 40 noise Is tue most un-
| queEchable of ali.
The survivors hsd stripped the cost
from the body, and here exposed it; not
il mockeGy maybe, but TO remind them
OF the hght-each gaping wound a di-
plona OF honor to he who could say,
''jiere my assegai went in.
Blaine faced the crowd of reckless
young warriors who gathered about him,
with calmness. They glarcd into his
eyes, fOurishrd their assegais before his
face, and tried the iirmness of his nerves
IL variety ofyways, but without effect.
Ills cHp;urer e1postulated. One of
these careless, young Tuffians might spoil
! The fun at any moment BY trying the
! quality of his Hssegai, so Blaine was
taken at once to the chief who was
standing among his Indunas.
As the chief and the prisoner eX-
| changed Chances, the one recognized
| Sirayo and the other saw before him the
officer who had pursued him out of the
! camp. A silence of several seconds en-
| sued, and Blaine saw q ring Of glittering
eyes fixed intently upon the chief. Evil
IDENTITY the men were waiting for the or
der to kill, and he braced himself up for
| the death blow.
Sirgyo, whose tall erect figure was
1 ulhDttl III EuIDss Ot Dito
| showed none OF the fierce Gag erness of
his followers. His face was iupassive;
| if he felt any curiosity sbou. the capture
of the Young officer he did not show it.
The silence was growing unbearable 20
| Blaine, when his caDturer broke in upon
| II with a thrilling whOoD. Then he
| bounded into the air without any warn
! ing, and raised 4 cloud of dust by his
| subsequent movements. He hurled
| Imaginary assegais, avoided imaginary
! bullets. lodged. leapt, struck, stabbed
| at the air, and finally with terrific blow
| of his knobkerrie brought down an ina
| ginary foe.
The man was not mad He was merely
| explaining in his exaggerated way how
| he had put body of the enemy to flight
| and captured Blaine. His dramatic,
| RcrobRtic performance was greeted with
! shrill whistiings, and handsful of dust
| were thrown ct him 10 testimony of his
| bravery.
Sirayo listened courteously TO this we'll
acted lie, then uttered a few words, and
| Blaine was taken to one of the huts, in
whose dark and smoky interior he passed
the night. and the next day and night,
withou, any incident TO relieve him, or
any sign, beyond the cleaning eyes of
| he was remembered.
On the second day of his imprison-
rnent, as he Ing bound with his face to
| the small door, go that he could look
over The shopping ground, he saw ma
tive woman coming up with swinging
stride.
He watched her coming with O vague
interest, wondering ct her upright figure
and 1.-the movements, and noting how
the young warriors drew from her path
or smiled upon her steadily as though
afraid to show their admiration openly.
She came in silence right up to the
kraal, when she uttered one word of
greeting and stood resting with her hands
upon her stick and her ewes downcast.
An induna demanded her business, and
in the conversation that ensue6 Blaine
gathered in some way that he was the
object OF her mission. Au uncomforta-
bic feeling passed through him that she
had come TO claim him TO afford sport for
the women of some kraal; then, with Il
keen start Of pleasure and surprise, he
recognized i'll her the Zulu girl of Kepje
Alleen.
After while the girl and man walked
on, and as she did not again appear, the
hope that Miss Rath was in some way
working for his releGse died away. The
heat of the MONDAY sun, too, almost
stiied him; and the inverted bowl
shaped roof above him was like an oven.
He euyiad the bare skin of the savage ut
the door, and would have sold his life
for one delicious plunge into pool of
ice cold water.
as he stretched himself out, with his
cheek to the hard floor for the GOODNESS
in it, he presently felt spray of water
on his head. He sat up in astonishment,
without speaking, while the cool mos-
tuTe was spriIkled over his face, and on
his parched tongue. which he thrust out
as boys do in a shower.
\ low laugh added to his astonish-
ment, a laugh bright with mirth, but
yot soft and melodous.
"Who are you?' he asked breath
Iessly.
al am Pala, Inkose-but come out
into the light, and we will talk better. -
Blaine followed the dark figure of the
girl into the light, and looked at her
huugrily, az one who has many thoughts,
yet knows not which TO give utterance
to. Pala continued to sprinkle water
over his face with a bundle of bushes,
which she drew from oalabash of
water.
No" L "Ou l
attempt TO escape. That is it, now can
listen TO you. First tell me about your
mistress?''
"Ah!' said Paia, with u cunning
smile, ''that is good. l WAS waiting for
you TO speak of her. She is well: 1t is
she who sent me to you.'' Pala paused
and drew q deep sigh. ''She is sad at
heart because yon are not with her.
Have Won many csttle?''
Blaine started at this unmistakable
confession. NV what - cattle - do
these people here require raneom?''
"Oh, forget. The white men do not
give cattle for girl when they marry
Never mind: my mistress has many
sheep, and she can keep you In comfort
and idleness.
Blaine smiled feebly. Was this an Of
fer of marriage that was being made to
him, II so the young woman was going
to the point with a vengeance. He
glanced around for inspiration, and
caught the fierce eyes OF jealous war
rior fixed on him. "Humph,'' he
thought, "the conditions are not IA
vorahle TO matrimonial Schemes
Ibid your mistress ask you to men
ton this matter to NE, Pala?''