The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1890-05-10

obSlitt w ttS lSiltt1 SllC llittl
skin thrown over her to keep out the
night cold. The child was awake, and
appeared to be moaning with fear. BY
the fire, and in such a position that the
light fell full upon her face, and ell
gagged in cooking something in rough
pot shaped from wood, sat the baboon-
woman, Hendrika. She was clothed in
baboon skins, and her face had been
rubbed with some dark stain, which was,
however, wearing off.
In the intervals of her cooking she
would turn OH Stella her wild eyes, in
which glared visible madness, with an
expression of tenderness that amounted
to worship. Then she would stare at
the poor child and gnash her teeth as
though with hate. Clearly she was jeal-
Gus 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
hoppcd forward, and she gave it a Sec
ond rude wooden pot which was lying
by her. 1t 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 everything had gone. l
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" 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 81 did not follow
it all just now, because it winds" he
said. "But know it. We shall want
the ropes.''
"Then let us be starting; the men have
eaten"
lie nodded his head again, and, going
| to the men, told them to make ready,
adding that Indaba-zimbi knew the way.
They said that was all right; if Indaba-
zinbi had "smelt her out" they should
soon find the Star. Sowe started cheer
fully enough, and my spirits were SO
much improved that was able to cat a
boiled mealie cob or two as we walked.
We went up the valley, following the
course of the stream for about IL mile;
then Indaba-zimbi made Il 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
a loss; he turned up gullcys and struck
across nccks of hills with the certainty
of a hound on a hot scent. At length,
after about three hours march, we came
to u big silent valley on the northern
slope of the great peak. On one side of
this valley was a series of stony lloppics,
on the other rose sheer wall of rock.
We marched along the wall for dis
tance of some two miles. Then suddenly
Indaba-zimbi halted.
"rhcrc is the place." he said, pointing
to an opening in the cliff. This opening
was about forty feet from the ground,
and ellipsc shaped. 1t 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 il 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 l noticed was
that tho rock, which was not quite per
pcndicular, had been Worn by the contin-
ual passage of balloons; the second, that
something white was hanging on a busl
near the top Of the ascent.
1t was Il 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
shelved; 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 a
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 llandker-
chief fluttered in the wind. Hanging to
the rope, Igrasped it. 1t was my wife's
As did SO l noticed the face of baboon
peering at me over the edge of the cleft,
the first baboon we had seen that morn
ing. The brute gave a 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. gained the cleft. 1t was a
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. 1 unslung my elephant
gun from my shoulders, and waited,
calling to the men below to come up
with all possible speed. The brutcs
strcamed on down the gloomy gulf to-
wards me, barking, grunting and show
ing their huge teeth. waited till they
were within fifteen yards. Then l fired
the elephant gun, which was loaded
with slugs, right into the thick of them.
In that narrow place the report echoed
like a cannon shot, but its sound was
quickly swallowed in the vollcy of pierc-
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 dozen lay
dead or dying in the passage. For a mo-
ment they hesitated, then they came on
again with q 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 could reload. He fired both bar
rcls into them, and again checked the
rush. But they came on again. and not
withstanding the appearance of two na-
tives with guns, which they let off with
more or less success, we should have been
overwhelmed by the great and ferocious
apes had Mot by this time succeeded i'll
reloading the elephant gun. When they
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