Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-01-12
BLACK HEART
and WHITE HEART.
A ZULU IDYLL.
BY H. RIDER HAGGARD.
Copyright. 1895. by II. Rider Haggard.
(COntinued)

/ woman. and she wore none OF Jhe
examinations which Hadden had been
accustomed to see upon the persons Of
witch dOctoresses. About her neck,
| however. was q curious ornament, a
| small live snake. red and gray in hue,
which her visitors recognized az one OF
| the most deadly to he found in that
Dart Of the country. 1t is not unusual
for Bantu witch doctors thus to deco
rate themselves with snakes, though
whether or not their fangs have first
| been extracted no one seems to know.
Presently the herbs began to smOul-
der. and the smoke OF them rose up in
a thin straight stream. that. striking
mon the face OF the Bee. chung about
her head. enveloping it as though with a
strange blue veil Then Of a sudden
she stretched out her hands and let fall
| the two locks of hair upon the burn
| ing herbs. where thew writhed them
selves to ashes like things alive. Next
She opened her mouth and began 10
| draw the fumes OF the hair and herbs
! into her lungs in great gulpS while the
snake. feeling the influence Of the medi-
| cine, Kissed, and uncOiling itself from
about her neck, crept upward and took
refuge among the black saccaboola
feathers Of her headdress. Soon the
vaporS began to do their work. she
swayed to and fro muttering then sank
/ back against the hut upon the straw Of
| which her head rested. Now the Bees
/ face was turned upward toward the
light and il was ghas.ly tn behold. for
it had become blue in color. and the
omen ewes were sunken like the eyes
of one dead. while above her forehead
/ the red snake wavered and Kissed. re-
! minding Hadden cs the Uraeus crest
on the brow Of Egyptian kings. For
/ ten seconds or more she remained thus.
then spoke in a hollow, unnatural
voice
20 Black Heart and body that is
| white and beautiful. I look into your
| heart and il is black as Blood and II
/ shall! be black with blood Beautiful
white body with black heart. Won
| shall find your game and hunt it. and
II shall lead you into the House Of the
! Homeless. into the Home Of the Dead
/ and il shall be shaped as a bull. il shall
/ be shaped as a tiger. it shall he sbaned
| as woman, whom kings and w4ters
/ cannot harm. Beautiful white body and
/ black heart You shall be raid your
| wages money for money and blow for
| blow. Think of my word when the
| spotted cat Durrs above your breast:
| think Of il when the battle roars about
YOU; think of 1t when you grasp your
/ great reward. and for the last time
/ stand face TO face with the ghost Of
/ the dead in the Home of the Dead.
] 20 White Heart and black body. 7
/ look into your heart and il is white as
milk and the milk of innocence shall
save IL. Fool. why do you strike that
| blow? Let him be who is loved of the
| tiger and whose love is as the love of
| tiger. All, what face is that in the bat
| tie? Follow it. follow il. o swift of foot.
/ but follow warily, for the tongue that
/ has lied will never plead for mercy. ana
| the hand that can betray is strong in
war. White Heart. what is death? In
/ death life lives and among the dead
You shall find the life you lost. for
| there awaits YOU she whom kings and
waters cannot harm"
| As the Bee spoke by degrees her voice
| sank lower and lower until it was al
/ most inaudible Then it ceased alto
| ether and she seemed to pass from
| trance TO sleep. MADDEN, who had been
/ listening to her with an amused and
cynical smile. now laughed aloud.
Why do You laugh, White Man ?"
/ asked Nahoon, angrily.
IL laugh at my own folly in wasting
/ time listening to the nonsense of that
| living fraud"
1T is no nonsense, White Man"
Indeed? Then will You tell me what
it means?"
! II cannot tell yOuwhat IL means vet,
| but her words nave to do With woman
and a leopard, and with your fate and
my fate"
MADDEN shrugged his shoulders, not
/ thinking the matter worth further ar
gumeDt and at that moment the Bee
woke up Sl.vering, drew the red snake
| from her headdress, and. coiling Il about
har throat wrapped herself again m
| the greasy kaross.
/ Are you satisfied with my wisdom,
| In1oos?" she asked OF Hadden.
II am satisfied that YOU are one Of the
| cleverest cheats in Zu,uland, mother"
/ he answered cOolly. "Now, what is
! there 10 pay?'
The Bee took no offence at this rude
| speech, though for second or two the
look in her eyes grew strangely Ike
! that winch tley saw in those of the
| snake wh1l The fumes of the fire had
/ made IL angry.
If the white lord says I am a cheat,
I il must be So. she answered, for he
Of all men should be able to discern a
cAea.. l have said that 1 ask no fee
/ yes, give me little tobacco from your
pouch
Haiden opened the bag Of antelope
| hide and drawing some tobacco from Il,
/ gave Z 70 her In taking IL she claSped
| his hand and examined the gold ring
/ that was upon his third finger, ring
! fashioned IKE snake with two little
rubieS set in the head to represent the
/ eyes.
| Il wear snake about my neck and
! ycu wear enc upon your hand. Inkoos
l should Ike TO have this ring TO wear
! upon my hand, so that the snake about
/ my neck may be less lonely there"
! Then l am afraid YOU VIII have to
| wai- Till 1 am dead" SAID Hadden.
| Yes, yes. she answered in a r5eased
vo.ce, 80 : a gOod word. I will wait
u You are dead and then I VIII take
the ring, and none can say that I have
stolen Il, for Nahoon there VIII bear me
w--rass that you gave me permt ssion
TO do so.
For the first time Hadden started.
since there was something about the
Bees tone that Jared upon him. Had
she addressed HIM n her professional