The sun., 1896-01-26
CHAPTER VI.

| When Sanca lcnpt from the dizzy platform
! that overhung the Pool Of Doom. n strange for
| tune bcfell her. Close In to the precpcc were
| many Jagged rocks. and on these the waters OF
| the fall fell and thundcred. bounding from
them In spouts OF spray into the troubled depths
OF the foss beyond. II was on these stones that
the life was dashed ont of the bodies of the
wretched victims who were hurled from above
but Nnnca. II will be remembered, had not
waited to be treated thus. and, ms 1t chanced the
strong spring with which she had lcapt to death
carried her clear OF the rocks. BY n very little
she missed the edge OF them. and striking the
deep water head first. liko some practiscd diver
she sank down and down till she thought thnt
she would never rise again. Yet she did rise at
the end of the pool, in the mouth OF the rapid
along which she sped swiftly. carried down by
the rush of the water. Fortunately there werc
no rocks here. and. since she wns q skilful
swimmer. she escaped the danger of being
thrown against the banks.
For a long distance che was borne thus till at
length she saw that she was in forest for trees
cut Off the light from the water and their droop-
ing branches swept Its surface. One OF these
Nanea caught with her hand, and by tho help Of
1t she ,lrag ggcd herself from the river OF Death.
whence none had escaped before. Now she
stood upon the bank gnspinI. but unharmed; {;
there wns not scratch on her body: even her
white garment was still fast about her neck.
But though she had suffered no hurt In her
terrible voyage. SO exhausted was Eanea that
she could scarcely stand. Here the gloom was
that OF night. and. shivcrng with cold. she
looked round helplessly to find some refuge
Close TO the waters edge grew an enormous VEL
low wood tree and to this she staggered think
inE TO climb it and seek shelter in its boughs,
wherc. as she hoped. she would be safc from
wild beasts Here again fortune befricndcd
her. for nt n distance of a few feet from the
ground there was q great hole in the tree, which
she discovered was hollow. Into this hole she
crcpt taking her chance of It's being the home
of snakes or other evil creatures. to find that the
interior wide ana warm. II was dry also
for at the bottom of tho cavity lny n foot or
more OF rotten tindcr and moss brought there
by rat. or birds. Upon this tinder she lny down,
and. covering herself with the moss and leaves.
soon sank into sleep or stupor.
How long Nanea slept she Id not know. but
at length she wns awakened by sound as Of
cultural human voices talking in a language
that she could not understand. Rising to her
knees she peered out OF the hole in the tree 1t
was night. but the stars shone brilliantly and
their light fell upon an open circle Of ground
close by the edge of the river. In this circle
there burned great fire. ard Mt a little distance
from tho fire were gathered eight or ten horrible
looking beings who appeared to be rejoicing
over something that lay on the ground. They
small in stature. men and women
together. but no children. and all of them
were nearly naked. Their hair long and
thin. growing down almost to the eyes. their
jaws and teeth protrudcd. and the girth
of their black bodies wns out of All pro-
portion to their height. In their hands they
held sticks with sharp stones lasEed onto
them. or rude hntchet-llke knives Of the same
! material
Now Nnnca's heart shrank within her and she
nearly tainted with fcar for she knew that siic
was in the haunted forest. and without n doubt
these were the Esemtofu the evil ghosts that
dwclt in II. Yes. that was what they were. and
yet she could not take her eyes off them
| the sight of them held her with n horrible fas-
| cnation. But II they were ghosts why did they
| sing and dance like men? Why did they wave
| those sharp stones aloft and quarrel and strike
each other? And why did they make n fire as
men do when they wish to cook food 2 More.
what was 1t they rejoiced over. that long dark
| thing which lay 80 quiet upon the ground? II
| did not look like n head OF game. and 1t could
! scarcely be n crocodile, yet clearly it was food
| OF some sort. for they were sharpening the stone
| knives in order TO cut II up.
| Whilst she wondered thus one Of the dreadful
| looking little creatures advanced to the fire,
| and, taking from II burning hough, held IL
over the thing that lay upon the ground to
give light to Il companion who was about to
do something to IL with the stone knife. Next
instant Nnpea drew back her head from the
hole. u stGed shrek upon her lips. She saw
| what 1t was now-it the body of man.
| Yes, and these were no ghosts, they were canni.
| bats of whom, when she as little, her mother
had told her tales to keep her from wandering
| away from homo.
| But who was the man they wcre about tr
enS? 1t corld not be one OF Themselves. for his
stature was much greater. Oh. now she knew
| it must be Sahoon. who had been killed up yon-
der. md whose dead body the waters had
brought down to the hauntc forest as they had
brought her alive. Yes. it must be Nahoon. and
she would be forced to see her husband de-
vourcd before her eyes. The thought OF 1t over
whelmed her. That he should die by order OF
the King was natural, but that lie should bt
buried thus. Yet. what could she do 10 pre-
vent it? Well. II 1t cost her her life, she would
prevent It, Attic worst they could only xii
and ent her also. and now tina, Nahoon and he,
father were gone she was not greatly concerned
to keep her own breath in her.
| Slipping through the hole In the tree Nanet
walked quietly toward the cnnnihals. not know
ing in the least what she should do whct
she reached them. AS she had arrived in lin,
with tho fire this lack OF programme cam,
home to her mind forclbly and she paused 10 re
feet. just then one OF the cannibals looked VI
to see n tnll and stately figure wrapped in
white garment which as the fam II ght fickerct
on 1t seemed now to advance from tho dens,
back ground Of shad Nv. and now tn recede int
II. The poor savage wretch was holding n stone
knife In his teeth when lac behrd hor, but it die
not remain there long. for opening his gren
Jaws he uttered the most terrified and piercing
yell that Nanoa had ever heard. Then III,
others saw her a!sO. and presently thu
forest WAS ringing with shrieks of fear
For n few seconds the outcasts stood and gaZcd
taon they were game this way and that, bursting
their path through the underground like startled
jackals The E'Cmkotn OF Zulu tradition hat
been routed in their own haunted home by wha
they took to be II spirit,
Poor Fscmkofu! they wero but miserable ant
starving bushmen who, driven into that place o
Ill omen many years ago, had adopted thi
means the only one open 10 them. TO keep th
life in their wretched bodies. Here at leas
they were unmolcsted, and as there was littl
other food to bo found amid that Wilderness o
| treea thcy took yhnt the river brouRht them