Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-02

/ HoANNRAAbi9 iHA IL Athat Nhh1 VI nv
heavens. This is the land OF the Sons Of
Fire, and yunder amid the slopes OF the
nearest hills Is the great kraal of their
King, Umsnka, whose name. being inter-
preted, means The Thunderbolt.
In the very midst OF the roaming rapids
and about a thousand yards from the house
lies a SPACE OF ripping, shallow water,
where, unless y chances to be in flood, the
river can be tbrded. It is this ford that
Owen watches so intently.
John shogid have been back twelve hours
ago he mdtters to himself. 81 pray that
no harm has ,befallen him at the Great
Place yonder.''
Just then a tiny black speck appears far
away on the plain. 1t is a man travelling
toward the water at a winging trot. Going
into the hut, Owen returns with a pair of
field glasses. and through them scrutinizes
the figure of the mau.
Heaven be praisedi 1t is John" he NUT
tiers, with a sigh of relief. Now, l wonder
what answer he brings?'
Half an hour later John stands before
him, a stalwart native of the tribe of the
Amasuka, the People of Fire, and with up
lifted hand salutes him, giving him titles
of homer.
Praise me not. John" said owen: "praise
God only, as l have taught you to do. Tell
me, have you seen the King, and what is
his word?'
Father he answered. II journeyed to
the great town. as you babe me. and l was
admitted before the majesty Of the king;
yes, he received me in the courtyard of the
House of Women. With his guards, who
stood at a distance out of hearing, there
were present three only; but, o. those three
were great, the greatest in all the land
after the king. They were Hafela, the king
that is to come, the Prince Nodwengo, his
brother, and Hokosa, the terrible, the chief
of the wizards; and l tell you, father, that
my blood dried up and my heart shriveled
when they turned their eyes upon me, read
ing the thoughts of my heart"
Have l not told you, John, to trust in
God and fear nothing at the hands of man?"
You have told me, father, but still l
feared" answered the messenger, humbly;
yet, being hidden to 1t, | lifted my fore
head from the dust and stood upon my feet
before the king and delivered to him the
message which you set between my lips"
Repeat the message. John"
go, king I said, beneath whose football
the whole earth shakes, whose arms stretch
round the world and whose breath is the
storm, !, whose name Is John, am sent by
the white man whose name is Messenger
for by that title you babe me make you
known-'who for a year has dwelt in the
land that your spears have wasted beyond
the banks of the river. These are the words
that he spoke to me, o king, and that |
pass on to you, with my tongue: ITO the
King Umsuka, lord of the Amasuka, the
son of fire, l, Messenger, who am the servant
and the ambassador of the king of heaven,
give greeting. A year ago, king, 1 sent to
you saying that the message which was
brought by that white man whom you drove
from your land had reached the ears Of him
whom l serve, the high and holy one, and
| that, speaking in my heart, he had COM
manded me to take up the challenge of your
message. Here am l, therefore, ready to
abide by the law which you have laid down;
for if guile or lies be found in me, then let
me travel from yDur land across the bridge
1 IF cnanrc Sti1t u-n1lI Hun1l q 1ttln uhi1a
here WHEREBY am before / pass into the
shadow of your rule and speak in the ears
OF your people as / have been hidden.
Know, king, that first | would learn your
tongue, and therefore l demand that one
of your people may be sent to dwell with
me and to teach me that tongue. King,
you heard my words and you sent me a
man to dwell with me-, and that man has
taught me your dtongue, and l also have
taught him ,.fconyerting him to my faith
and giving him a new name, the name of
John. King9tnow l seek your leave to
t fbs'' words ySS; e With tt which deilVf I, i Messenger yHSa ea ans
charged. l haYe spoken"
Thus ], sJ!9hn, addressed, the great ones,
When 1 had done they spoke together, a
word here and a word there. Then Hokosa,
the Kings Mouth, answered me, telling the
thought Of the king: You are a bold man,
you whose name is John. but who once had
| dnOIneT ndIlG-you WIZ ule W appear
before me and to make it known to me
that you have been turned to a new faith
and serve another king than l.. Yet be-
cause you are bold l forgive you, Go back
now to that white man who is named Mes
senger and who comes upon an embassy to
me- from the Lord Of Heaven, and bid him
come in peace. Yet warn him once again
that here also we know something of the
powers that are not seen, here also we
have our wizards who draw wisdom from
| the air, who tame the thunderbolt and COM
pei the rain, and that he must show him
| self greater than all of these if he would
not pass hence by the bridge of spears. Let
| him, therefore,stake counsel with his heart
and with Him he serves, If such a One
there is, and let him come or let him stay
away, as 1t shall please him."
$50 be it," said Owen; "the words of the
King are good, and tomorrow we will start
for the Great Place"
John heard and assented, but without
eagerness.
"My father" he said, in a doubtful and
tentative voice, would it not perhaps be
better to bide here awhile frst?"
"Why?" asked Owen. 1--WE have sown,
and now Is the hour to reap
quite so, my father, but as l ran hither,
full Of the Kings words, 1t came into my
| mind that now Is not the time to convert
| the Sons of Fire. There is trouble brewing
at the Great Place, father. Listen, and l
| will tell you; as l have heard, so | will tell
you. You know well that our King Umsuka
has two sons, Iiafela and Nodwengo; and of
these Hafela is the heir apparent, the fruit
of the chief wife of the King, and Nod
wengo is sprung from another wife. Now
Hafela is proud and cruel, a warrior of
warriors, a terrible man, and Nodwengo is
| gentle and mild, like to his mother, whom
the King loves. OF late it has been discov-
cred that Hafela, weary of waiting for
| power, has made a plot to depose his father
and to kill Nodwengo, his brother, so that
the land and those who dwell in 1t may be-
come his without question. This plot the
| King knows-I had 1t from one of his
women, who is my sister-and he is very
wroth, yet he dare do little, for he grows
old and timid and seeks rest, not war.
Yet he is minded, If he can find the heart,
to go back upon the law and to name Nod
| wengo as his heir before all the army at
the feast of the first fruits, which shall be
held on the third day from tonight. This
Hafela knows, and Nodwengo knows it also,
and each Of them. has summoned. his follow
ing, numberingitheusands and tens of thou
sands OF spears to attend the feast of the
first fruits. That feast may well be a feas,
OF vultures, my father, and when the broth.
ers and their regiments rush together fight
ing for the throne. what will chance to thu