Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-07-03
MANZl


ca. rode to the Matoppo hills and did
not pull rein till he entered . narrow
deflle leading into these gloomy fast
nesses. Skirting to the right. he cross
ed some open ground, traversed anoth-
er pass and halted at the foot of a
small circular kopje. Having knee
battered his pony, he began to ascend
by a narrow zigzag path thickly firing
ed with sagebushes. He was only half
way up when there was faint rustic
in the bush, pair Of soft, bare arms
were thrown around his neck. and
rich,- musical voice cried gayly, "Saku
bona, UNI koos pambo mi intombi' C'Wel-
come, my lord, thy slave salutes thee'o.
by Jove, Manu." cried Jack in Ma
tabele, you quite startled me. Well,
how goes it, little girl?" he added as he
led the way to the neat. straw plated
hut perched on natural ledge of the
kopje and which had been their labor
Of love to construct. Manzi-or Mananzi
Git, "rippling water')-was very beau
tiful. In her veins flowed the blood of
the old Portuguese explorers who once
swept across Africa, and from them
she had inherited the perfect aquiline
features and oval contour of the sunny
south. while the savage blood which In
terlningled In her body showed itself
In her graceful. undulating carriage
and the warm, sun kissed, brown tints
of her skin. She was barely 16, and,
being unmarried, her long black hair
loated about her rounded shoulders in
stead Of being piled up in the hideous,
clay smeared sugar loaf which distin-
cuisines the Matabele matron.
Dear lord" said Manu. kissing the
strong. freckled hand she held in hers,
''thy slave is troubled. Three times
within the last moon hath she dream
ed that the Great Spirit came and call
ed her."
Nonsense, little one" replied Jack.
''The Great Spirit win not take thee
away from me-" And he drew her clos
er to him.
'By Tam Tamsons 500, cornell, /
Gamma hand these yellow blackguairds
O. Lime much longerw So spake Com
mandant Robertson, the chief of the
Cape boy corps, a griZzled, steel eyed,
hard bitten, soft hearted old Scotch
man, to whom the scent of battle was
as the perfumes Of Already. Colonel
Plumer smiled at the speaker and
rapidly reviewed the situation in his
mind. Since dawn he had been ham,
mering away at the huge beetling |
mass of stone and granite in front of |
him. The seven Founders had vomited |
shrapnel and common shell until the |
muzzles glowed and the gunners were |
ready TO drop.
Robertson" said Colonel Plumer.
''you can have try. Well be ready |
to support you if necessary"
AYE, aye, cornell, there'll be nae |
need for that. Sergeant majorw he |
shouted, cheerily moving off to his yell |
low blackguards. whom he knew so |
well how to manage.
"Oh, sir, may go with him?" begged |
Jack Manton, springing forward. Its |
the first time I've been able to get |
away from the transport Office"
Colonel Plumer smiled good natured-
ly at the eager. boyish face and called |
after the retreating commandant:
"Here, Robertson, here's young fire |
eater for you. Can you make use of
himw
800 aye, cornell. Come along, laddie. |
doot yen haze your wame full O.
fechtin afore this NIGHTS dune. Ser-r-
geant major"
Too +xr-r Nov |
scaled huge obstructing bowlder they |
found themselves on broad, natural
ledge, from the farther side of which |
doomed the dark mouth of cave.
Come on. lads! Rout the beggars
out!" cried Jack, and he charged into |
the cavern.
A dark form rose up to meet him. |
His sword flashed on high. but remain
ed as il transfixed as a well remem-
bered voice murmured
"Saku bona, um koos pambo mi in |
tombir
'Stop. stop, you devilsw yelled Jack.
but he was too late. The Cape boys, |
maddened with the blood lust and per-
haps deceived by the dim light of the |
cave. swept past him, and their bayo- |
nets met in ManzPs breast. With a |
choking cry she sank to the ground.
''Um koos. UNI bania koos" ("My |
lord. my dear lord'). she murmured
family and fell back lifeless.
With snarl like wounded beast, |
Jack Manton hurled himself on the |
slayers. For a few brief minutes the
quiet cavern was a raging inferno of |
whirling bayonets, whistling bulleus
and the short, deep sobs of men fight |
Ing for their lives-and then all was
still.
The commandant, attracted by the
firing and having successfully swept |
the kopje. proceeded to the cave and
entered. The hot afternoon sun was
shining directly on the cavern and gild-
ed the gray black walls with warm.