Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-02-27

side OF the tree"
struggled to a sitting position, lifted
/ the bottle to my lips and drained It
Obi that drink of cool, pure waterl
never had tasted any thing so delicious.
At the first gulp felt life flow back
into me. But, wisely enough, she would
not let me have much. mo moreI no
more!' she said, and dragged the bottle
from me almost by force.
''The child" I said - sis the child
dead?"
81 do not know yeti she answered.
'We have only just found you, and I
tried to revive you first"
turned and crept to where Tota lay
BY the side of Indaba-zimbi 1t was i'm
possible to say If they were dead or
swooning. The lady sprinkled Tota's
face with the water, which 1 watched
greedily, for my thirst was still awful,
while the woman Hendrika did the same
Office for Indaba-zimbi. Presently, to
my vast delight, Tota opened her eyes
and tried to cry, but could not, poor
little thing, because her tongue and
lips were so swollen. But the lady got
some water into her mouth, and, as In
my case, the effect was magical. We
allowed her to drink about a quarter of
a pint, and no more, though she cried
bitterly for 1t. Just then old Indaba-
Eimbi came to with groan- He opened
his eyes, glanced around, and took in
the situation.
What did I tell you, Macumazahn2"
and he seized the bottle and took long
pull at it.
Meanwhile l sat with my back against
the trunk of the great tree and tried to
realize the situation. Looking to my
left I saw two good horses-one bare
backed and one with rude lady's saddle
on it By the side of the horses were
two dogs, of stout greyhound breed,
that sat watching us, and near the dogs
lay dead Airlie buck, which they had
evidently been coursing.
'Hendrika," said the lady, presently,
''they must not eat meat just vet. Go
and look up the tree and see if there is
any ripe fruit on it,
The woman ran swiftly into the plain
and obeyed. Presently she returned.
81 see some ripe fruit" she said, shut 1t
is high, quite at the top"
"Fetch it," said the lady.
easier said than DONE" thought to
myself; but was much mistaken. Sud-
denly the woman bounded at least three
feet into the air and caught one Of the
spreading boughs in her large flat hands
"a swing that would have filled an
acrobat with envy-and she was on it.
''Now there is an end" thought
again, for the next bough was beyond
her reach. But again was mistaken.
She stood up on the bough, gripping it
with her bare feet, and once more
sprang at the one above, caught it and
swung herself into it.
Isuppose that the lady saw my express
sion of establishment. do not wonder,
SIR" she said. 'Hendrika is not like
other people. She will not fall"
1 made no answer, but watched the
progress of this extraordinary person
with the most breathless interest. On
she went, swinging herself from bough
to Dough, and running along them like
a monkey. At last she got to the top
and began to swarm along thin branch
towards the ripe fruit. When she was
near enough she shook the branch vio-
lently. There was a crack-a crash-it
broke. shut my eyes, expecting to see
her crushed on the ground before me.
Don't be afraid, said the lady again,
laughing gently. Look, she is quite
safe"
l looked. and so she was She had
caught a bough as she fell, chung to it,
and was row calmly dropping to another
Old inda ba-zimbi had also watched this
performance with interest, but it did
not seem to astonish him over much.
'B: boon-woman, he said, as though
such pcopl wero common. and then
turned hi lttcn lion TO soothing Tota,
who WAS -noa. ing for more water.
Mean lille Uc.-d-ika came down the
tree v. extraordinary rapidity, and
SW 1.Ting > )Ie hand from a Dough,
cropped ab)u+ tn feet to the ground
In ano her two minutes we were all
ire" Sucking the pulpy fruit In an
ord nary va, VIC should have found it
as G ess en- GP'. as it was l thought it
" the NOS eli ;iCus thing had ever
ste. A--oi +h.ee days spent without
food O. W" er n The desert Que is not
..articdla4 While we were still eating
the ri &c LAT, CT my vision set her
companion tt woik to partially fay the
or.De which her dogs had killed, and
bust herself making fire of fallen
Doug 9. As soon as it burned brightly
she To strips of the orihe flesh, toasted
them, and gave them to US On leaves.
We ate, and now were allowed little
more water After that she took little
Tota to the spring. and washed her,
which she sadly needed, poor child!
Next came our turn to wash, and oh! the
JOY of it!
] came back to the tree, W liking pain
fully, indeed, but changed man There
sat the beautiful girl with Tota on her
knees. She was lulling her to sleep,
and held up her finger to me enjoining
silence. At last the child went of into
a sound natural slumber-an example
that should have been glad to follow
had it not been for my burning curios-
ity. Then spoke.
MAY ask what your name is?"
said.
'Stella," she answered.
''Stella what?" l said
GsS%a11a pofbi1O cho apcwaroH n