The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1890-04-12

my arms. To our joy we found the
horses safe, for the Zulus had not seen
them. Now, of course, they were ou1
only means of locomotion, for the oxen
had been sent away, and even had they
been there we could not have found time
to inspan them.
laid Tota down, caught my horse,
undid his knee halter and saddled up.
As l was doing SO thought struck me,
and told Indaba-zimbi to run to the
lager and see if he could find my double
barreled gun and some powder and
shot, for had only my elephant "roer''
and few charges Of powder and ball
with me.
He went, and while he was away, poor
little Tota came to herself and began to
cry, till she saw my face.
"Ah, 1 have had such bad dream" /"
she said, in Dutch; IT dreamed that the
black Kafirs were going to kill me-
Where is my papa?"
WINGED at the question. Your papa
has gone on journey, DEAR" said,
"and left me to look after you. We
shall find him one day. You don't mind
going with Heer Allan, do you?"
"No," she said, a little doubtfully, and
began to cry again. Presently she re.
membered that she was thirsty, and
asked for water. He'd her to the river
and she drank. "Wh7 is my hand red,
Heer Allan7" she asked, pointing to the
smear of Bombyane's blood stained
fingers,
At that moment felt very glad that
had killed Bombyane.
"It is only paint, DEAR" said; "see,
we will wash it and your face"
As was doing this, Indaba-zimbi re-
turned. The guns were all gone; he
said the Zulus had taken them and the
powder. But he had found some things
and brought them in sack. There was
thick blanket, about twenty pounds
weight of biltong or sun dried meat, a
few double handfuls of ships biscuits,
two water bottles, a tin pannikin, some
matches and sundries.
"And now. Macumazahn," he said,
1--WE had best be going, for those Umtet-
was are coming back. saw one Of them
on the brow of the rise."
That was enough for me. lifted little
Tota on to the bow of my saddle, climbed
into it and rode off, holding her in front
of me. Indaba-zimbi slipped rein into
the mouth of the best of the Boer horses,
threw the sack of sundries on to its back
and mounted also, holding the elephant
gun in his hand. We went eight or nine
hundred yards in silence till we were
quite out of range of sight from the wag-
ons, which were in hollow. Then
pulled up, with such feeling Of thank
fulncss in my heart as cannot be told in
words; for now I knew that, mounted as
we were, those black demons could never
catch us. But where were we to steer
for7 put the question to Indaba-zimbi,
asking him if he thought that we had
better trv and follow the oxen that we
had sent away with the Kaffirs and wo-
men on the preceding night. He shook
his head.
"The Umtetwas will go after the oxen
presently" he answered, land we have
seen enough of them"
"Quite enough" answered with en-
thusiasm; II never want to see another;
but where are we to go7 Here we are
with one gun and little girl in the vast
apd lonely veldt. Which way shall we
turn?"
"Our faces were towards the north be-
fore we met the Zulus, answered Indaba-
zimbi; "let us still keep them towards
the north. Ride on, Macumazahn; to-
night when we off-saddle will look into
the matter"
So all that long afternoon we rode on.
following the course of the river. From
the nature Of the ground we could only
go slowly, but before sunset had the
satisfaction of knowing that there must
be at least twenty-five miles between us
and those accursed Zulus. Little Tota
slept most Of the way, the motion Of the
horse was easy, and she was worn out.