Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-23

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| Sweeping her gaze over the nearer veldt
| she saw something moving rapidly, white
| but indistinct.
| what is that, Pala?'' she whispered +,
| pointing with rigid arm.
PaIa turned her head slowly and fixed
! her duh eyes OF the object.
| ''It is q horse and its rider, - she NUT
| tered, indifferently, and was turning her
head again, when, as though swayed by
| sudden impulse, she looked again, this
| time long and fxedly.
What could one horsemen DO against a
| hundred Zulus, With a sharp sob, Mary
| peered over the rock and would have
| drawn back, but that the power Of
movement seemed gone from her limbs.
| Her eyes had met the cleaning orbs of a
savage who was standing motionless on q
! shelf below.
A scrambling noise behind her told her
that Carlo had reached the summit, and
the next moment she felt his cold nose
upon her neck; then was almost deaf
ened by his joyful bark.
As if it were a signal resolved upon, the
warriors below shouted in triumph.
The leading savage withdrew his gaze
from Mary's white face, and thus re-
lieyed from the fascination of his stare,
she wriggled back and buried her head
IN her arms. The next moment the man
reached the top of the rock standing ont
in silhouette to his comrades below, who
greeted his appearance with yell.
Before he could raise his assegsl to
stab the shrinking girls, Carlo tiew at his
throat, and together they fell. The man
next to the summit was knocked from
his feet by the falling bodies, and those
hal ho al
their attention to the now furious hound.
Mary raised her white face, and as she
heard the savage swapping of Carlo give
way to the sharp cry of pain she pre-
pared herself to die; shaking off the
numbiug sense of fear.
"Let US lift our hearts to God, Pala,
for the time is at hand!''
The Zulu girl paid no heed. Her eyes
in which glowed the light of 4 great hope
were fixed on the gathering darkness
below, and seemed scarcely TO breath,
as she listened with a look of fixed and
awful intent on her face.
HPala,' said Mary gently, as she
looked closely into her companions face,
with new dread at her heart, "Pala
awake, join with me in that prayer my
father taught US.
Pala did not hear, but raised herself
on her arms and craned her neck. An
assegai whizzed by her head. She did
not heed II.
"Oh, - murmured Mary in horror.
She heard footsteps approaching heard
the sharp clatter of assegais as they rat
tied against the rocks, heard q man
drawing himself up, felt a grasp upon
her arm, and then in the fearful pause
heard the voice of Zulu hailing from
below-a voice that came swelling up
with the clearness of trumpet note.
''It is he-the chief!'' rang out an
eXulting voice, as Pala leaped to her
feet.
The man on the rock stayed his hand
and shouted Sirayo!' Every warrior
took up the cry until the word rolled and
thundered round the lonely hill.
"Aye,' shouted Pala proudly; "my
chief, my lord. Now get ye to him at
once, lest he slay ye for warning against
women
The men, all the fury gone out of
then Pala turned her attention to Mary,
who at last had swooned away under the
long continued strain.
When she regained consciousness she
found herself back in her room, and
thought she had been through an aw-
full dream No, there were the broken
windows, and there in the doorway was
tall warrior, whose eyes were fixed in
tently on her face. She started up in
terror.
''Do not fear, Mistress said soft,
sibilanL voice, cit is the chief -
Mary turned her head, and saw
Pala standing with downcast looks and
dropping head, her whole appearance
betokening greatest shyness.
"Where are the others?" asked Mary
in Zulu, still suspicious.
Sirayo moved his arm. al bid them
go home, lest should have killed them
in my anger.
"Are we safe, or-are you an
enemy?"
Pala gave q sigh of protest, but did
not speak.
''They will trouble you no more,' he
said gravely in his deep voice, land
will go when l am rested
"Who brought me here?h was Mary's
next question.
"You were dead, mist ress,'' whis-
pered the bashful Pala, land the chief
carried you
at was good of you,'' said Mary
gratefully. ''The way is rough and
dark-it was heavy task. What can 1
do for you?''
The chief waived his arm with digni-
fed gesture and as he did it Mary saw
blood drop from his wrist. Her dress
too she noticed was stained red.
His dark eye followed her glance. 81
cold not stop the blood from touching
you, for the wound was opened. -
Mary walked to the chief and took his
sinewy arm in her hand. The left wrist
she saw was pierced by pistol ball, and
the blood trickle slowly out through
some clay and grass, with which ne had
plugged the hole.
"How is this, )" said Mary turning to
Pala. 'Why did you not dress the
wound?''
The Zulu girl at this sharp reproof,
covered her eyes with her hand and
cried silently.
"Truly - thought Mary, "the ways
of q girl in love are beyond reason.''
She busted herself briskly, and SOON
had the wound properly cleansed,
anointed and bound. Then she got some
food for the chief and when the man,
tired out, fell asleep, she babe
Pala throw kaross over him.
The Zulu girl also slept, but Mary
dared not close her eyes, and fortunate
,uao Cor Si,.ava that che I;l NJ,