Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-26
nd ellipse shaped. It cannot have been

and ellipse shaped. It cannot have been
more than twenty feet high by ten wide,
and was partially hidden by ferns and
bushes that grew about it in the surface
OF the cliff. Keen as my eyes were, /
doubt if should ever have noticed it,
for there were many such cracks and
crannies in the rocky face Of the great
mountain.
We drew near and looked carefully at
the place. The first thing I noticed was
that the rock, which was not quite per-
pendicular, had been worn by the contin-
ual passage of balloons; the second, that
something white was hanging on bush
near the top of the ascent.
1t was a pocket-handkerchief.
Now there was no more doubt about
the matter. With beating heart be-
gan the ascent For the first twenty feet
it was comparatively easy, for the rock
sheived: the next ten feet was very diff
cult, but still possible to an active man,
and l achieved it, followed by Indaba-
zimbi. But the last twelve or fifteen
feet could only be scaled by throwing
rope over the trunk Of a stunted tree,
which grew at the bottom of the
opening. This we accomplished with
sofae trouble, and the rest was easy. A
foot or two above my had the handker-
chief futtered in the wind. Hanging to
the rope. Igrasped it. 1t was my wifes.
As did SO | noticed the face of baboon
peering at me over the edge of the cleft,
the nrSI DaDOOn we nao seen tnaI morn
ing. The brute gave bark and van
ished. Thrusting the handkerchief into
my breast. set my feet against the cliff
and scrambled up as hard as could go.
knew that we had no time to lose, for
the baboon would quickly alarm the
others. l gained the cleft. 1t was
mere arched passage cut by water, end
ing in a gulley, which led to wide open
space of some sort looked through the
passage and saw that the gulley was
black with balloons. On they came by
the hundred. l unslung my ell plant
gun from my shoulders, and waited,
calling to the men below to come up
with all possible speed. The brutes
strean,ed on down the gloomy gulf to-
wards me, barking, granting and show
ing their huge teeth. l waited till they
were within fifteen yards. Then fired
the elephant gun, which was loaded
with slugs, right into the thick Of them.
In that narrow place the report echoed
like cannon shot. but its sound was
quickly swallowed in the volley Of pierre
ing human sounding groans and screams
that followed. The charge of heavy slugs
had plowed through the number of the
balloons, of which at least a dozen lay
dead or dying in the passage. For a mo-
ment they hesitated, then they came on
again with hideous clamor. Fortunate
ly by this time Indaba-zimbi, who also
had gun, was standing by my side, 9TH
erwise | should have been torn to pieces
before l could reload. He fired both bar
rels into them, and again checked the
rush. But they came on again, and not
withstanding the appearance of two ma
tives with suns, which they let off with
more or less success. we should have been
overwhelmed by the great and ferocious
apes had l not by this time succeeded in
reloading the elephant gun. When they
were right on to us l fired, with even
more deadly effect than before, for at
that distance every slug told on their
long line. The howls and screams of rage
and fury were now something inconceiv-
able. One might have thought that we
were doing battle with host of de-
mons; indeed in that light-for the
overhanging arch of rock made it
very dark-the crashing shouts and
somber glowing eyes of the apes looked
like those of devils as they are repre-
scented by monkish fancy. But the last
shot was too much for them they with
drew, dragging some OF their wounded
with them, and thus gave us time TO get
our men up the cliff. In few minutes
all were there, and we advanced down
the passage, which presently opened into
a rocky gulley with shelving sides This
gulley had a water way at the bottom of
it; it was about hundred yards long,
and the slopes on either side were topped
by precipitous cliffs. l looked at these
slopes; they literally swarmed with ba-
boons, grunting, barking. screaming,
and beating their breasts with their long
arms in fury. looked up the water way;
along it, accompanied by mob, or, as
it were, guard of balloons, came Hen
drika, her long hair flying, madness writ
ten on her face, and in her arms was the
senseless form Of little Tota.
She saw us, and foam of rage burst
from her lips. She screamed aloud. To
me the sound was a mere inarticulate
cry, but the balloons clearly understood
it, for they began to roll rocks down on
TO us. One bowlder leaped past me and
struck down Kaffir behind; another
fell from the roof of the arch on to a
mans head and killed him, Indaba-zimbi
lifted his gun to shoot Hendrika; /
knocked it up so that the shot went over
her, crying that he would kill the child
Then l shouted to the men to open out
and form line from side TO side of the
shelving gulley. Furious at the loss Of
their two comrades, they obeyed me,
and keeping in the water way myself,
together with Indaba-zimbi and the
other guns, gave the word to charge.
Then the real battle began. 1t is diff
cult to say who fought the more fercely,
the natives or the balloons. The kaffirs
charged along the slopes, and as they
came, encouraged by the screams OF
Hendrika, who rushed to and fro hold
ing the wTetched Toto before her as a
shield, the apes bounded at them in fury.
Scores were killed by the aseegais and
many more fell beneath our gun shots,
but still they came on. Nor did we go
scathless. Occasionally a man would
slip, or De pulled over in the grip OF a
baboou Then the others would fling