The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1890-11-26

though with hate. Clearly she was
| Jealous of it. Round the entrance arch
of the cave peeped and peered the heads
of many balloons. Presently Hendrika
made sign to one of them; apparently
she did not speak, or rather grunt, in
order not to wake Stella. The brute
hoped forward, and she gave it Sec
ond rude wooden pot which was lying
by her. It took it and went. The last
thing that saw, as the vision slowly
vanished from the pool, was the dim
shadow of the baboon returning with the
pot full of water.
Presently every thing had gone.
ceased to feel strange. There beneath
me was the pool, and at my side stood
Indaba-zimbi, smiling.
You have seen things" he said.
81 have" 1 answered, and made no
further remark on the matter. What
was there to say? do you know the
path to the cave?' added.
He nodded his head. Il did not fol-
low it all just now, because it winds, .
he said. but 1 know it. We shall
want the ropes"
Then let us be starting; the men
have eaten"
He nodded his head again, and going
to the men l told them to make ready,
adding that Indaba-zimbi knew the
way. They said that was all right, if
Indaba-zimbi had ''smelt her out" they
should soon find the Star. So we
started cheerfully enough, and my spir-
its were SO much improved that was
able to eat boiled mealie cob or two as
| we walked.
We went up the valley, following the
course of the stream for about a mile;
then Indaba-zimbi made a sudden turn
to the right, along another kloof. Of
which there were countless numbers in
the base Of the great hill.
On we went through kloof after kloof.
Indaba-zimbi, who led us, was never at
loss; he turned up gullies and struck
across necks of hills with the certainty
Of hound on a hot scent. At length,
after about three hours march, we came
to big, silent valley on the northern
slope of the great peak. On one side of
this valley was series of stony koppies;
on the other rose sheer wall of rock.
We marched along the wall for dis
lance of some two miles. Then sudden
~ Indaba-zimbi halted.
There is the place." he said. point
ing to an opening in the cliff. This
opening was about forty feet from the
ground and ellipse-shaped. 1t could not
have been more that twenty feet high
by ten wide and was partially hidden
by ferns and bushes that grew about it
il the surface of the cliff. Keen as nv
eyes were 1 doubt if 1 should ever have
noticed it, for there were many such
crags and crannies in the rocky face of
the great mountain.
We drew near and looked carefully at
the place. The first thing / noticed
was that the rock, which was not quite
perpendicular, had been worn by the
continual passage of balloons; the sec
ond, that something white was hanging
on a bush near the top of the ascent
1t was pocket handkerchief.
Now there was no more doubt about
the matter. With a beating heart be-
gan the ascent. For the first twenty
feet it was comparatively easy, for the
rock shelved; the next ten feet was
very difficult, but still possible for an
active man, and achieved it, followed
by lndaba-zimbi. But the last twelve
or fifteen feet could only be scaled by
throwing rope over the trunk of
stunted tree which grew at the bottom
Of the opening. This we accomplished |
with some trouble and the rest was |
easy. A foot or two above my head the |
futtered in the wind. |
Hanging to the rope. tgrasped it. 1t |