Omaha daily bee., 1896-01-19
+ V.

Fortune showed herself strangely favorable
to the plans of Nahoon and Nanea. One OF
the perplexities to the Zulu captain was as to
how he should lull the suspicious and evade
the vigilance of his own companions, who,
together with himself. had been detailed by
the king to assist Haddsn In his hunting and
to guard against his escape. As II CHANGED,
however, on the day after the incident of tho
visit OF Maputa, a messenger arrived from
no less a person than The great military In
duna, Tvingwayo ka Marolo, who sfterward
commanded the Zulu army ut 1sandlwana, or
dering these men to return to their regi-
nient. the Umcityu. corps, which was TO be
placed upon full war footing. Accordingly Ma
hoon sent them. saying that he himself would
follow with Black Heart. in the course of a
few days. as at present the whits man was
not sufficiently recovered from his hurts to
allow OF his travelling fast and far. So the
soldiers went doubling nothing.
Then Umgona gave it out that in obedience
to the ANA OF the king, he was about to
start for Ulundi, taking with him his daughter
Nanea to be delivered over into the Sigophla
and also those fifteen head Of cattle that had
bsen lobola'd by Nahoon, in consideration Of
his Forthcoming marriage, whereof he had
been fined by Cetywayo. Under pretense that
they required a change Of veldt, the rest of
the cattle he sent away In charge of a Dasuto
herd who knew nothing of their plans. telling
him to keep them by the Crocodile Drift as
there the grass was good and sweet.
All preparations being completed on the
third day the party started. heading straight
for Ulundi. After they had travelled some
miles, however. they left the road. ana
turning sharp to the right. passed unob-
served of any through a great stretch Of I'M
Inhabited bush. Their path now lay not far
from the Pool Of Doom, which, indeed, was
close to Umgoni's kraal. and the forest that
was called Home of the Dead, but out of
sight of these. 1t was their plan to travel
by night, reaching the broken country near
the Crocodile Drift on the following morning.
Here they proposed to lie hid that day and
through the night; then having first COL
lected the cattle which had preceded them.
to cross the river at the break of dawn and
escape into Natal. At least this was the
plan of his companions, but as we know,
Hadden had another program. wherein. after
one last appearance, two of the party would
play no part.
During that afternoons journey Umgona,
who knew every inch Of the country, walked
ahead driving the fifteen cattle and carrying
in his hand a long travelling stick of black
and white umzimbeet wood, for in truth the
old man was in a hurry to reach his jour-
ney's end. Next came Nahoon, armed with
a broad assegai, but naked except for his
moocha and necklat of baboon's teeth, and
with him Nanea, in her white bead-bordered
mantle. Hidden, who brought up the rear,
noticed that the girl seemed to be under the
spell Of an imminent apprehension, for from
time to time she clasped her lovers arm
and, looking UP into his face, addressed him
with vehemance, almost with passion.
Curiously enough, the sight touched Had
den, and once or twice he was shaken by so
sharp a pang Of remorse at the thought Of
his share in this tragedy that he cast about
In his mind, seeking a means to unravei
the web of death which he himself had
woven. But ever that evil voice was whis-
pering at his ear. 1t reminded him that he,
the white inkoos, had been refused by this
duHky beauty, and that IL he found a means
to save him. within some few hours she
would be the wife of the savage gentleman
at her side. the man who had named him
Black Heart. and who ~despised him; the man
whom he had meant to murder, and who
repaid his treachery at the risk
of his own life by rescuing him from the
jaws Of the leopard. Moreover. it was the
law of Hadden's existence never to deny
himself anything that he desired IL 1t lay
within his power to take TIA law which
led him always deeper into pin. In other
indeed. 1t had not carried him far.
for in the past he had desired much, and he
had won little; but this particular flower
was to his hand, and he would pluck It.
III Nahoon stood between him and the flower
so much the worse for Nahoon, and IL II
should wither in his grasp, so much the
worse for the flower; 1t could always be
thrown away. Thus 1t came about that not
for the first time In his life. Philip Hadden
discarded the somewhat spasmodic prickings
Of his conscience and listened to that evil
whispering at his ear.
1 (Tn 1a ftfpttnpad \ Gt