Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-01-12

Mayoom to tell him what has CHANGED
here in his house.
They said that they would do this,
and taking blanket and a little food
followed upon the track of the slave driv-
ers. For four days I followed, sometimes
coming in sight of them, till at length my
food was done, and my strength left me.
On the morning of the fifth day l could
go no farther, SO / crept to the top of n
koppie and watched their long line wind
ing across the plain. In its center were
two mules, and ON one of these mules sat
a woman Then l knew that no harm
had befallen my mistress as yet, for she
still lived.
Now, from the top Of this koppic saw
little kraal far away to the right. and
TO this kraal came that afternoon with
my last strength. told its people that
had escaped from the slave drivers, and
they treated mo kindly. Here it was also
that | learned that some white men from
Natal We're digging for gold in these
mountains, and next day travelled Oh in
search of them, thinking that perchance
they would help me- for know well that
the English hate the slave drivers Ard
here, my lord, l am come at last with
much toll, and now, pray you. deliver my
mistress, the Shep}ierdess, from tho hands
of the Yellow Devil. Oh, my lord, seem
poor and wretched, but tell you that If
you can deliver her you shall win great
reward Yes, will reveal TO you that
which have kept secret all my life aye,
even from Mayoom my master. / will re-
veal to you the secret treasures of my peo-
pie, the Children of the Mist. .
VIII / rIa oil bn xx-hf Ii
had been listening attentively and in ST.
lence to Soa's tale, heard her last words, he
raised his head and stared at her, think
ing that her sorrows had made her mad.
There was no look of madness upon the
womans fierce face, however, but only one
of the most earnest and indeed passionate
entreaty. So, letting this matter go by for
the while, he spoke to her.
Are you then mad, mother" he asked.
''You see that l am alone here, with one
servant, for my three companions, of
whom the people in the kraal told you,
are dead through fever, and myself am
smitten with it, and yet you ask me,
alone as am, to travel to the slave trad
er's camp that is You know not where,
and there, single handed, to rescue your
mistress, If indeed you have mistress
and your tale is true. Are you then mad,
mother
No, lord, I am not mad, and that
which tell you Is true every word of it.
/ know that l ask a great thing but |
knew also that you Englishmen can do
great things when you are well paid.
Strive to help me, and you shall have your
reward. Ay should you fail and live
can still give you reward-not much
perhaps, but more than you ever earned.
Never mind the reward now, mother, +"
said Leonard testify, for the yelled sar-
casm of Soa's speech had stung him, sun.
less, indeed, you can cure me of the fe-
yer, he added, with laugh.
Il can do that" she answered quietly.
Tomorrow morning will cure YOU
So much the better" he said, with an
fnoredulous smile, land now of your wis
dom tell me how am to look for your
mistress, to say nothing of rescuing her,
when ! do not know where she has been
taken to. Probably this nest of which the
Portugee talked is secret place. How
long has she been carried off?n
This will be the twelfth day, lord AS
for the nest, it is secret. That 1 have dis
covered. 1t is to your wisdom that look
to find it,
Leonard unused awhile; then thought
struck him. Turning to tho dwarf, who
had been sitting by, listening to all that
was said in stolid silence, his great head
resting upon his knees, he spoke to him
in Dutch.
Otter, were you not once taken as
slayes'
Yes, baas, once, ten years ago."
How was its'
Thus, baas. l was hunting on the
Zambezi with the soldiers of tribe there.
1t was after my own people had driven
me out, because they said that l was too
ugly to become their chief, as | was born
to be. Then the Yellow Devil, that same
man Of whom the woman speaks, fell up
on US with Arabs and took us to his place.
there to await the slave dhows He was Il
stout man, horrible to see and elderly
The day the dhows came in l escaped by
swimming. All the others who remained
alive were taken off in ships to Zanzibar. "
Gould you find your way to that place
again, Otter:"
Yes, baas. 1t is a hard spot to find,
for The path runs through morasses. More
over, the place is secret and protected by
water. All of us slaves were blindfolded
during the last day S march. But l worked
up my banGage with my nose-ah, my big
nose served me well that day.-and
watched the path from beneath it, and
Otter never forgets road over which his
feet have travelled; also / followed that
path back"
Gould you find the spot from heres'
Yes, baas. | should go along these
mountains, ten days journey or more, till
we struck the southernmost mouth of the
Zambezi, below Luabo. Then | should
follow the river down days journey.
Afterward, two more days through the
swamps, and we come TO the place. But
it Is strong place, baas, and there are
many men armed with guns In it. Moro
over, there Is big gun a by and byp
Again Leonard thought moment.
Then he turned to Soa and asked: ado
you understand Dutch? MOI Well, have
found out something of this nest from my
servant. Pereira said that it was eight
days journey from your masters settle
inent; therefore your mistress has now been
there some three or four days, If she ever
reached it. Now, from what | know Of
the habits of slave traders on this coast,
the dhows will not begin to take in their
eargoes for another month, because of the
monsoon. So, If l am correct, there is
tlenty of time Mind you, mother, am
not saying that will have anything to do
with this business. l must think it over
first
sYes, you will, white man. she an
swercd, vixen you know the reward, but
of that / Will tell you tomorrow, when
have cured you of your fever And now,
pruy, black one, show me place where
l may sleep, for / am very weary"
TO BE CONTINUED
Mid Winter Excursions to Washing
ton, d. c.
The r & a PoiIroad Co,upa,,x- ,r,ilI