The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-10-17

would not listen, she wound not even let
me carry my elephant gun, but took 1t
Guilty, and Hendrika took up the sleep
ing Tota in her long, sinewy arms
sSee that the 'baboon-woman' does not
run away into the mountains with the
little white one," said Indaba-zimbi to
me in Kaffir, as he climbed on to the
| horse.
Unfortunately Hendrika understood
his speech. Her face twisted and grew
livid with fury. She put down Tota and
literally sprang at Indaba-zimbi as
monkey springs. But weary and worn
as he was, the old gentleman was too
quick for her. With an exclamation Of
genuine fright he threw himself from
the horse on the further side, with the
somewhat ludicrous result that ali In q
moment Hendrika was occupying the
seat that he had vacated just then
Stella realized the position.
'Come down, you savage, come downIn
she said, stamping her foot.
The extraordinary creature flung her
self from the horse and literally grow
eled on the ground before her mistress
and burst into tears.
Pardon, Miss Stella" she clicked and
grunted in villainous English, ''but he
called me 'babyan-frau' (baboon-
woman)."
TELL your servant that he must not
use such words to Hendrika, Mr.. Allan"
Stella said to me. IF he does" she
added in whisper, sHendrika will GER
tainly kill him."
Iexplained this to Indaba-zimbi, who,
being considerably frightened, deigned
to apologize. But from that hour there
was hate and war between these two.
Harmony having been thus restored
we started, the dogs following US. A
small strip of desert interviewed between
us and the slope of the peak-perhaps 1t
was two miles wide. We crossed it and
reached rich grass lands, for here aconsid-
cradle stream gathered from the hills; but
it did not flow across the barren lands,
1t passed to the east along the foot of the
hills. This stream we had to pass by
ford. Hendrika walked boldly through
1t, holding Tota in her arms. Stella
leapt across from stone to stone like
roebuck; 1 thought to myself that she
was the most graceful creature that l had
ever seen. After this the track passed
round pleasantly-wooded shoulder OF
the peak, which was, found, known as
Babyan Kap or Baboon Head. OF
course we could only go at foot pace,
so our progress was slow. Stella walked
for some way in silence, then she
spoke.
"Teil me, Mr.. Allan" she said, show
it was that came to find you dying in
the desert?''
SO began and told her all. 1t took
an hour or more to do so, and she list
ened intently, now and again asking
question.
"It is all very wonderful" she said
when 1 had done, Every wonderful, in
deed. Do you know / went out this
morning with Hendrika and the dogs for
a ride, meaning to get back home by mid
day, for my father is i'll and 1 do not like
to leave him for long. But just as was
going to turn when we were about where
we are now-yes, this was the very bush
an oribe got up and the dogs chased it
1 followed them for the gallop, and
when we came to the river, instead Of
turning to the left as bucks generally
do, the oribe swan the stream and took
to the bad lands beyond. followed it,
and within hundred yards of the big
tree the dogs killed it. Hendrika
wanted me to turn back at once, but j
said that we would rest under the shade
of the tree, for knew there was spring
of water near. Well, we went; and there
saw you all lying like dead; but Hen
drika, who is very clever in some ways,
said no-and you know the rest. Yes,
it is very wonderful.
at is, indeed said" Now, tell me,
Miss Stella, who is Hendrika?'
She looked round before answering tc
see that the woman was not near.
Hers is a strange story, Mr.. Allan. ]
will tell you. You must know that ali
these mountains and the country beyond
are full of balloons. When was girl
of about ten 1 used to wander about a
good deal in the hills and valleys, and
watch the balloons as they played among
the rocks. There was one family of bs-
boons that 1 watched especially-they
used to live in kloof about a mile from
the house. The old man baboon was
very large, and one of the females had a
gray face. But the reason why l watched
them so much was because / saw that
they had with them a creature that
looked like girl, for her skin was quite
white, and, what was more, that she was
+al 81 l,or h = ho,@
pened to be cold by fur belt of some
sort, which she tied round her throat.
For nearly whole summer !
watched this particular white-skinned
baboon till at last my curiosity quite
overmastered me. noticed that, though
she climbed about the cliffs with the
other monkeys, at a certain hour q little
before shutdown they used to put her
with one or two other much smaller ones |
into little cave, while the family went
off somewhere to get food, to the mealie
fields, l suppose. Then got an idea |
that would catch this white baboon |
and bring it home. But of course
could not do this by myself so took a
Hottentot-a very clever man when he
was not drunk-who lived on the stead, |
into my confidence. He was called Hen !
dirk, and was very fond of me; but for
long while he would not listen to my |
plan, because he said that the babyans
would kill US. At last bribed him with |
a knife that had four blades, and one |
afternoon we started, Hendrix carrying
a stout sack made of hide, with rope |
running through it so that the mouth
could be drawn tight.