The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-07-15
By Il. RIDER HAGGARD.

Shouted out loud and charged me.
All the rest of that night we jour
Keyed, till even the dog was tired. Then
we hid in a mealie field for day, as we
were afraid of being seen. Toward the
afternoon we heard voices, and looking
through the stems of the mealies we saw
81 party of my fathers men pass search
" for us. They went on to a neigh
Ilring kraal TO ask if we had been seen,
and after that we saw them no more for
awhile. AT night we travelled again,
llut, as fate would have it, we were met
Ly an old woman, who looked oddly at
IFS but said nothing. After that we
pushed on day and night, for we knew
that the old woman would tell the pur-
suers if she met them; and so indeed it
turned out.
But now l was doubtful whether we
would go to Chaka, for after what we
Lad seen / grew afraid lest he should
kill us. Still we had nowhere to turn,
70 said that we would walk along till
something happened. Now we grew
faint with hunger and WEAKNESS, and
Baleka said that we had better sit down
and die, for then there would be no
more trouble. So we sat down by
spring But did not wish to die yet,
though Baleka was right, and it would
have been well to do so. AS we sat, the
dog KoOs went to bush that was near,
aud presently l heard him spring at
something and the sound of struggling.
! ran to the bush; he had caught hold
of duiker buck, as big as himself, that
was asleep in it. Then drove my spear
into the buck and shouted for joy, for
here was food.
When the buck was dead l skinned
him, and we took bits of the flesh,
washed them in the water and ate them,
tor we had no fire to cook them with.
1t is not nice to eat uncooked flesh, but
we were SO hungry that we did not
mind, and strength came back to us
from the food. When we had eaten
what we could we rose and washed our
selves at the spring; but as we washed
Baleka looked up and gave cry of fear.
For there, on the crest of the hill, about
ten spear throws away, were a party of
six armed men, and these men people of
my own tribe-chiIdren of my father
Makedama-whO still pursued US to take
us or Stay us. They saw us; they raised
ii shout and began to run. We too
sprang up and ran.
Before us the ground was open and
sIoped down TO the banks of the White
Umfolozi. We ran for the river. After
us came the warriors. Now we neared
the banks of the river; it was full and
wide. Above us the waters ran angrily,
breaking into swirls of white where they
passed over sunken rocks; below was "a
rapid, in which none might live; be-
tween the two a deep pool, where the
water was quiet but the stream strong.
"Ahl my brother, W :iat shall we dor
gasped Baleka.
There is this to choose" answered,
perish on the spears of our people or
try the river"
Easier to die by water than on iron"
she answered
"Goodr' said. Now may our snakes
look toward us and the spirits of our
fathers be with usl At the least we can
swim" And led her to the head of the
pool. We threw away everything ex-
cept an ssegai-which | held in my
teeth-and plunged in, wading and swim
ming, the dog Koos leading the way.
Then it was that the soldiers appeared
upon the bank. "Ahl little people,
one cried, you swim, do yop? Well,
you will drown; and if you do not
drown we know ford, and we Will
catch you and kill you" And he hurled
IN asseagi after us, which fell between
us.
Now we swan hard, for we could
swim well. 1t was just this: If we
could reach the bank before we got into
the rapids we were safe; if not, then
good night! We strained, we struggled !
Baleka was a brave girl, and she swan
bravely; but the water pushed her down |
below me, and | could do nothing to |
help her. got my foot upon the rock |
and looked around. There she was, and |
eight PAGES from her the broken water |
boiled. could not go back. But the
dog Koos saw. He swan to her bark
ing, then turned around heading for the |
shore. She grasped him by the tail
with her right hand. She too struck |
out with her feet and her left hand, and
slowly, very slowly, drew near. Then
stretched out the handle of my assegai |
toward her. She caught it with her |
left hand. pulled and Koos pulled,
and we brought her to the bank, and
there she fell gasping.
Now when the soldiers on the other |
bank saw that we had crossed, they |
shouted threats at US. then ran away |
down the bank.
''Arise, BaieRa,= said; ''tney nave
gone to seek ford"
"Ah, let me der she answered.
But forced her to rise, and we walked |
on till at last far away, we saw large |
kraal.
Keep heart" 1 said "See, there is
the kraal of Chaka."
Presently we came to path that ran
TO the kraal from the ford of the UNI |
folozi We followed the path till at |
last we were but half an hours journey |
from the kraal. Then we looked back. |
and LOT there behind us were the pursuers |
Again we ran, but they gained upon
us. Then once more l thought of the |
dog. called him and told him what to |
do He understood, and flew toward |
| hem growing. They tried to kill him
with spears and kerries, but he jumped !
around them, biting at them and kept |
them back. At last man hit him, and |
lie sprang up and seized the man by the
throat. There he chung, man and dog
1OiliAi5 ONSA anu over IOBSbnery I'LL the
end of it was that they both died to-
gether
Meanwhile we We're but three hundred
PAGES from the gate of the kraal.
Run on, Baleka, run ong' l said,
dropping behind. Now she staggered
on toward the kraal. / sat down to get