Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-02-15

Of her voice do not believe We shouA
ever have found that cunningly hidden
cave, unless, indeed, Indaba- a-zimbi's mag.
10 ION which be blessings) had come TO
our assistance.
We bore her to the open air, laid her
beneath the shade of . tree, and cut the
bonds loose from her ankles. Az ws
went glanced at the cave. II was ex-
actly as I had seen it in the vision.
There burnt the fire, there were the rude
wooden vessels, one of them still half
full of the water which I had seen the
baboon bring. l felt awed as looked,
and marveled at the power welded by
savage who could not even read and
write.
Now could see Stella clearly. Her
face was scratched, and haggard with
fear and weeping. Her clothes were al.
most torn of her, and her beautiful hair
was loose and tangled. Isent for water,
and we sprinkled her face. Then forced
a little of the brandy which we distilled
from peaches ut the kraals between her
lips, and she opened her eyes, and throw.
ing her arms about me clung to me a.
little Tota had done, sobbing, "Thank
Godi thank Godf'
After while she grew quieter, and
made her and Tota eat little food from
the store that we had brought with us.
too ate and was thankful, for with the
exception Of the mealie cobs had tasted
nothing for nearly hours.
Then she washed her face and hands, and
tidied her rags of dress as well as she was
able. As she did SO, by degrees drew
her story from her.
II seemed that on the previous after
noon, being wearied with packing, she
went out to visit her fathers grave, TAX
ing Tota with her, and was followed
there by the two dogs. She wished to
lay some flowers on the grave and take
farewell of the dust it covered, for as
we had expected to trek early on the
morrow she did not know IL she would
find a later opportunity. They passed
up the garden, and, gathering some
flowers from the orange trees and else
where, went on to the little graveyard.
Here she laid them on the grave as we
had found them, and then sitting down,
fell into deep and sad reverie, such as
the occasion would naturally induce.
While she sat thus, Tota, who was .
lively child and active as a kitten,
strayed away without Stella observing
1t. With her went the dogs, who had
also grown tired of inaction; while
passed, and suddenly she heard the
dogs barking furiously about $50 yards
away. Then she heard Tota scream,
and the dogs also yelling with fear ana
pain. She rose and ran as swiftly as she
could towards the spot whence the
sound came. Presently she was there.
Before her in the glade, holding the
screaming Tota in her arms, was figure
in which, notwithstanding the rough
disguise of baboon skins and coloring
matter, she had no difficulty in recognize
ing Hendrika. and all about her were
numbers of balloons, rolling over and
over in two hideous heaps, of which the
centers were the two unfortunate dogs
now in process of being rent to frag-
ments.
"Hendrika," Stella cried, what does
this mean? What are you doing with
Tota and those brutes?"
The woman heard her and looked up.
Then she saw that she was mad; mad
the child, which Instantly flew to Stella
for protection. Stella clasped it, only to
be herself clasped by Hendrika. She
struggled tiercely, but it was of no USE
the babyan-frau had the strength of ten.
She lifted her and Tota as though they
were nothing, and ran off with them,
following the bed of the stream in order
to avoid leaving spoor. Only the ba-
boons who came with her, minus the one
the dogs had killed, would not take to
the water but kept pace with them on
| the bank.
Stella said that the night which fol-
| lowed was more like hideous night
mare than reality. She was never able
to tell me all that occurred in it. She
! had vague recollection of being borne
| over rocks and along kloofs, while around
her echoed the horrible grunts and clicks
| of the balloons. She spoke to Hendrika
in English and Kafiir, imploring her to
| let them go; but the woman, if | may
call her SO, seemed in her madness to
have entirely forgotten these tongues
| When Stella spoke she would kiss her
and stroke her hair, but she did not seem
the other hand, she could and did talk to
the balloons, that seemed to obey her
implicitly. Moreover, she would not al
low them to touch either Stella or the
child in her arms. Once one of them
tried to do SO, and she seized a dead
stick and struck it SO heavily on the head
that it fell senseless. Thrice Stella made
an attempt to escape, for sometimes even
Hendricks giant strength waned and she
had to set them down. But ON each oc-
casion she caught them, and it was in
these struggles that Stella's clothes were
SO torn.
AT length before daylight they reached
the cliff, and with the first break of light
the ascent began. Hendrika dragged
them up the first stages, but when they
came to the preciptous place she tied
the strips of hide, of which she had a
supply wound round her waist, beneath
Stella's arms. Steep as the place was
the balloons ascended it easily enough
springing from knob of rock to the
trunk of the tree that grew on the edge
of tho crevasse. Hen,lrika followed
them, holding the end of the hide rein
in her teeth, one of the balloons hanging
down from the tree to assist her ascent
1t was while she was ascending that
Stella bethought her of letting fall hel
handkerchief in the faint hope that some
searcher might see it.
BY this time Hendrika was on a tree
and grunting out orders to the baboon:
which clustered about Stella below. Sud
denly these seized her and little Tota
who was in her arms, and lifted her from
the ground. Then Hendrika above, aid
ed by other balloons, put out all her grea
strength and pulled the two of them W
the rock. Twice Stella swung heavily