Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-03-27

az IL 4OOe
what is it, Indaba-zimbi?" said
"This, Macumazahn. When are you
going to trek towards the coast?"
81 don't know" l answered. "The
Star is not fit to travel now, we must
wait awhile"
''No, Macumazahn, you must not wait,
you must go, and the Star must take her
chance. She is strong. 1t is nothing.
All will be WELL
"Why do you say SOP Why must we
go2"
"For this reason, Macumazahn," and
he looked cautiously round and spoke
I low. 1.-THE balloons have come back in
thousands. All the mountain is full of
them"
81 did not know that they had gone, ="
1 said.
EYES," he answered, ''they went after
the marriage, all but one or two; now
they are back, all the balloons in the
world, think. 1 saw a whole cliff black
with them"
SIS that alp said, for saw that he
had something behind. II am not
afraid of pack of balloons"
''No, Macumazahn, it is not all. The
Babyan-frau, Hendrika, is with them"
Now, nothing had been heard or seen
of Hendrika since her expulsion, and
though at first she and her threats
haunted me somewhat, by degrees she
had to great extent passed out Of my
mind, which was fully preoccupied with
Stella and my father-in-law's illness. 1
started violently. "How do you know
this?' I asked.u
81 know it because 1 saw her, Macu-
mazahn. She is disguised, she Is
dressed up in baboon skins, and her face
is stained dark. But though she was a
long way off l knew her by her size, and
1 saw the white flesh of her arm when
the skins slipped aside. She has come
back, Macumazahn, with all the balloons
in the world, and she has come back to
do evil. Now do you understand why
you should trek?"
eyes," 1 said; though 1 don't see
how she and the balloons can harm US,
1 think that it will be better to go. If
necessary we can camp the wagons
somewhere for awhile on the journey.
Hearken, Indaba-zimbi; say nothing Of
this to the Star. / will not have her
frightened. And hearken again. Speak
to the head men, and see that watchers
are set around all the huts and gardens,
and kept there night and day. To-mor-
row we will get the wagons ready, and
next day we will trek"
l. = 10 nd fO
do my bidding, leaving me not little
disturbed unreasonably so, indeed. It
was a strange story. That this woman
had the power of conversing with
balloons I knew. That was not so very
wonderful, seeing that the Bushmen
claim to be able to do the same thing,
and she had been nurtured by them.
But that she had been able to muster
them, and by the strength of her human
will and intelligence muster them in
order to forward her ends of revenge,
seemed to me so incredible that, after
reflection, my fears grew light. Still l
determined to trek. After all, jour
neY in an OK wagon would not be such
a very terrible thing to strong woman
accustomed to roughing it, whatever
her state of health. And when all was
said and done 1 did not like this tale Of
the presence of Hendrika with count
less hosts of balloons.
So went to Stella, and without say
ing word to her of the baboon story,
told her had been thinking matters
over, and had come to the conclusion
that it was our duty to follow her
fathers instructions to the letter, and
leave Babyan kraal at once. Into all
our talk need not enter, but the end
of it was that she agreed with me and
declared that she could quite well man
age the journey, saying, moreover,
that now that her dear father was dead
she would be glad to get away.
Nothing happened to disturb US that
night, and on the following morning I
was up early making preparations. The
despair of the people when they learned
that we were going to leave them was
something quite pitiable. could only
console them by declaring that we were
but on journey, and would return the
following year.
"They had lived in the shadow of her
father, who was dead" they declared;
''ever since they were little they had
lived in his shadow. He had received
them when they were outcasts and wan
derers, without mat to lie on or blan-
ket to cover them, and they had grown
fat in his shadow. Then he had died,
and the Star, their fathers daughter,
had married me, Macumazahn, and they
had believed that 1 should take their
fathers place and let them live in my
shadow. What should they do when
there was no one to protect themP The
tribes were kept from attacking them
by fear of the white man. If he went
they would be eaten up" and so on.
Alas! there was but too much founda-
ton for their fears.
returned to the huts at midday to get
some dinner. Stella said that she was
going to pack during the afternoon, so
did not think it necessary to caution her
about going out alone, as did not wish
to allude to the subject Of Hendrika and
the balloons unless was obliged to. L
told her, however, that would come back
to help her as soon as 1 could get away.
Then went down to the native kraaIs
to sort out such cattle as belonged to
Mr.. Carson from those which belonged
to the Kafirs, for 1 proposed to take
them with us. 1t was large herd, and
the business took an incalculable time.
At length, a little before shutdown,
gave it up, and leaving Indaba-zimbi to
finish the job, got my horse and rode
homewards.
Arriving, 1 gave the horse to one OF
the stable boys, and went into the CEN
trail hut. There was no sign of Stella,