Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-04
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE PASSING OF OWEN

Once she outside of Owens house
Noma did not tarry. First she returned tc
Hokosa's kreal, where she had already
learned from his head wife, Zinti, anC
others the news of his betrayal of the plot
, OF Hafela, Of his conversion to the faith OF
the Christians, and of the march of the
impi to ambush the Prince. Here she took
spear, and. rolling up in a skin blanket
as much dried meat as she could carry, she
slipped unncticed from the kraal Her OBJ
ject was to escape from the Great Place, but
this she did not try to do by any of the
gates, knowing them to be guarded. Some
months ago, before she started on her EN-
bassy, she had noted weak spot in the
fence, where dogs had torn a hole through
which they passed out to hunt at night.
To this spot she made her way under cover
Of the darkness-for, though she still greatly
feared to be alone at night, her pressing
need conquered her fears-and found that
the hole was yet there, for a tall weed grow
ing in its mouth had caused it to be over
looked by those whose duty it was to mend
the fence. With her assegai she wdened it
little, then drew her 1.-the shape through
1t, and, lying hidden till the guard had
passed, climbed the two stone walls be-
yond Once she was free of the town she
set her course by the stars and started for
ward at a steady run.
IF my strength holds l shall yet be in
time to Tarn him" she muttered to her
self. "Ah friend Hokosa, This new madness
of yours has blunted your wits that once
We're sharp enough You have set me free
and now you shall learn how | can use my
freedom. Not for nothing have been your
pupil, Hokosa, the fox"
Before the dawn broke she was thirty
miles from the Great Place, and before the
next dawn she was 100. At sunset on that
second day she stood among the mountai ms
To her right stretched a great defle, a rug
ged place of rocks and bush, wherein she
knew that the regiments of the King were
ambush Pprphanpn LAT
perchance the impi OF Hafela had already
passed to its doom in yonder gorge. Swiftly
she ran forward on to the trail which led
to the gorge to find that it had been trod-
den by many feet and recently Moving to
and fro, she searched the spoor with her
eyes, then rose with sigh of joy. 1t was
old and marked the passage of the great
company of women and children and their
thousands of cattle, which, in execution of
the plot, had travelled this path some days
before. Either the impi had not yet ar
rived. or it had gone by some other ROAD.
Wary as she was, Mona followed the old
spo0r backward. mile or more away IL
had crossed the crest of a og-backed noun
tain. from whose summit she searched the
plain beyond, and not in vain, for there,
far beneath her, twinked the watch fires
OF the army of Hafela.
TWO hours later woman, fOotsore and
utterly exhausted, staggered into the camp,
and waving aside the spears that were lifted
to stab her, demanded to be led to the
Prince. Presently she was there.
Who is this woman?" asked the great
warrior, for, haggered as she was with
travel, exhaustion and the terror of her
haunted loneliness, he did not know her in
the uncertain freight
"Hafela," she said 81 am Mona, who
was the wife of Hokosa. and for whole
nights and days | have journeyed as no
woman ever journeyed before, to tell you
of the treachery of HOkosa, and to save
you from your DOOM"
What treachery and what DOOM" asked
the Prince.
Before | answer that question, HafeIa,
you must pay me the price of my news"
Let me hear the price, Mona"
ut Is this, Prince: First, the head of
iiokosa, who has divorced me, when you
have caught him"
That l promise readily. What more?"
Secondly. the place of your chief wife
today and a week hence, when / shall have
made you King, the name and state of
Queen of the People of Fire, with all that
hangs to it,"
You are ambitious. woman, and know
we'll how to drive bargain. Well, II you
can ask, can give. for | have ever loved
you, and your mind is as great as your body
Is beautiful. II through your help | should
become King OF the People OF Fire. you
shall be their queen, / swear il by the
spirits OF my fathers and by my own head.
And now-your tidings."
These are they. HafeIs. Hokosa has