Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09

der dread of violent death. She had
braved the terrors of Kopje Alleen, anu
sought protection of Mr.. Rath. Here
she remained until death claimed her,
and after her death the little motherless
Pela had been taken under the wing OIL
the motherless white child.
Together these two, under care OF the
shaggy hound, would wander over the
yeldt, looking with large-eyed wonder
at the iocusts, and the lizards, and the
wild-voiced birds of the plains. Inc
chameleon, trap sweeties (slow mover
as he Is graphically named, was severely
scolded by the little wanderers, for hao
not Pala's mother told them that the
shor tness of man IS life here below was
due to the deliberate tardiness or this
goggle-eyed creature. The Great spirit
had intended to give to man the secret Oh
immortality, and despatched the cnalne-
leon as his messenger. Afterwards re-
penting of his act he sent the lizard OH TO
countermand the order-and OIL course
the swift lizard overlook the chame-
leon.
AS they grew older they had wandered
further afield, and had even met with
stirring adventures. Once they came
upon huge grass python from whose
| coils they had only been saved py tne
| courage of Carlo, at another they hau
been suddenly surrounded by bano OF
warriors out on an expedition TO eat
| up'' head man, who had grown 100
.sfat' for the king The childlike trust
| of the little children struck some choru
in the savage hearts, and the men
claimed their hands in sign of good will.
Two of them crossed their shields, ana
| ,bo l;,tJ uir q ride home. while
the others came after chanting song OF
the hunt. They set the two down within
sight of Kopje Alleen, and young war
rior. quite boy, with a Grams plume
denoting Craftsmanship in his hair, took
from his neck a ring of beads which ne
| slipped over the head Of Pala.
i.Some day. he said, 81 will claim
you.D whereat Pali showed her white
teeth, and the warrior laughingly salutea
her as "Inkosikssi, u princess.
Thereafter Mary would often make pre-
tense of paying court to her dusky COM
panion, and the two after the manner OF
their sex, weaved romance about the
glyer of the bead necklace. Palo, too,
sometimes strayed to the nearest
.kraais, - remaining away for days at a
time, but had never met her youthful
loyer-now perhaps dead, or worse still
married. to five wives.
The monotony of such an existence
would have sunk deeply into Mary
Rath's nature, and made or her u
phlegmatic and mindless woman, had II
not been for her fathers patient care,
aud also in great measure, TO natu-
raj strength of character and sweetness
of disposition.
Old Rath in the long drowsy after
| wnuld sit
in the shade of a dropping willow down
by the we'll, and there discourse to hi:
daughter of all things in earth and
heaven as far as they came within the
ken of his knowledge. A tinge of bit
terness marked his teaching, but on TIT
whole it was broad, wise, and gentle
and Mary's sweet nature expanded undel
her fathers Jealous care.
When war was declared by the En-
! glish against Cetywayo, little change
was made in the daily round. Mr.. Ratt
, turned a deaf ear to all who counseleC
, his retreat, and believed he was SAT-
, while he remained under the Lionel!
, hill. while Mary regarded the Zulus a
, hardly used and feared no illtreatmen
from the compatriots of her trusted
= Pala. After Isandlana, it is true Mr.
, Rath had consented to act as guide {
4 ltGen. Wood 3 column, but he CONSTANT.
visited his daughter, and had made
tiying visit on the very day Rowe had Sc
ont on his perllous ride from Rorke
a Drift.
= On the following morning Rowe awok
in a low fever, and in the afternoon h
I became delirious. In his delirium h
was back in Texas, in all the eAcitemen
Z of a ranchmau' life, cutting out steers
doing cattle guard taking part IN som
n mad revelry, and acting over and over
= prominent part in a wild tragedy. Ike
a member, boys.'' he kept repeating in
a breathless whisper, che had mother
g Just let him skip And all throug
h these old memories of his past rreshe
. reoollections broke in, so that he mike
. nm the doings of yesterday with his COW
"a boy experiences, and introduced Dalsto
- as an actor IN the scenes. 1t was
" curious medley.
~ Old Rath was seriously disturbed b
the sick man s incoherencies. He pace
4 up and down the little room continual
with a frown upon his brow and an angI
light in his deep set eyes that told OF VI
"a pleasant thoughts.
Mary saw at once that her father WI
IA put out, and she laid her hand upon d
AZ arm. "What Is it, father?'
N He turned his weather-beaten face tt
" wards her, face bearing in every III
"a the mark of long suffering, and sighe
,t deeply.
HHe has awakened an old pain th'
should have been dead and buried out
"a all chance of revival. But that,
ir added, sis of little consequence. l a
"a uneasy about this man. -
IA ..Poor fellow" murmured Marv, wi
10 a plying glance at Rowe. "1s he We
ID ill?''
~ ssI am not troubled about his cond
"A ton, my child. He is one of those m
ID who don t die easily. 1t is of you q
~ thinking. The colonel goes out on
40 reconnaissance and he expects me to a
~ as guide. You know the colonel mnst
!. served, but how am l to leave you alo
10 with this stranger
ia Mary looked gravelY at her father
adj moment.
ia Don't worry about met is y
va who are going into danger. L knt
mr. that dreadful colonel will lead you in
H. 14ar