The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-10-30

to me.
I took the. leaf, and supposing that
she wished me to smell it also, was
about to oblige her by doing so, when
my eye fell upon some curious red
scratches on tile green surface Of the
| leaf
"Abp' said the girl to (whose name,
by the way, was Maiwa), speaking be-
meath her breath; read the signs.
| white man."
Without answering her ] continued
to stare at the leaf.
1t has been scratched, or rather, writ
ten upon, with something sharp such
as nail, and wherever this instru-
ment had touched it the acid juice
ozzing through the outer skin had
| turned rusty blood color.
Presently / found the beginning of
the scrawl, and read this, written in
English, and covering the surface Of
the leaf, and of two others that were
| in the basket:
II hear that white man is hunting
in the Matuku country.
This is TO warm him to fly over
the mountain to Nala.
"Wambe sends an Impi at daybreak
| to eat him up because he has hunted
before bringing hongo.
For Gods sake, whoever You are,
| try to help me!
Il have been the. slave Of this devil
Wambe for nearly seven years and
am beaten and tortured continually.
HE murdered all the rest Of us, but
kept me because could work iron.
'Maiwa, his wife, takes this; she is
flying to Nala, her father, because
Wambe killed her child.
TRY and get Nala to attack Wambe.
'Maiwa can guide them over the
mountain.
"You won't come for nothing, for the
stockade of Wambe's private kraal is
made of elephants tusks.
For Gods sake, don't desert me, or
shall kill myself.
II can bear this no longer.
JOHN EVERY"
"Great heavensr' l gasped. Every
why, it must be my old friendr'
The girl, or rather the woman Mai
wa, pointed to the other side of the
leaf, where there was some more
writing.
1t ran thus:
II have just heard that the white
man is called Macumazahn.
IF so, it must be my old friend
Quatermain
"Pray God it is, for know he won't
desert an old chum in such fix as ]
am.
1T isn't that I'm afraid Of dying;
l don't care if die; but want to get
a chance at Wanda first"
mo, old boy" thought to myself;
''it isn't likely that am going to leave
you there while there is chance of
getting you out.
Il have played fox before now
there's still double or two left in
me-
Il must make a plan,sthats all.
"And then there's that stockade of
tusks.
Il am not going to leave that
either"
Then spoke to the woman
"You are called Maiwa?"
at is So"
"You are the daughter Of Nala and
the wife of Wander
at is s0."
"You fly from Wambe to Nalay'
'I do"
"Why do you fly? Stay. l would
give an ORDER" and calling to Gobo, !
ordered him to get the men ready for
instant departure.
| The woman, who, as / have said,
was quite young and very handsome,
put her hand into kind of little
| pouch made of antelope hide, which
she wore fastened round the waist,
and to my horror. drew from it the
withered hand Of al child which had
evidently been carefully dried in the
smoke.
II fly for this cause" she answered,
holding the poor little hand toward
me.
See, now. I bore a child.
"Wambe was its father, and FOR
eighteen months the child lived and
l loved 1t.
But Wambe loves not his children
he kills them all; he fears lest they
should grow up to sIay one so wicked
and he would have killed this child
also, but begged Its life.
i Zone day some soldiers passing the
hut saw the child and saiuted him
calling him the chief who soon shal
be-
"Wambe heard and was mad.
"EIe smotc the babe and 1t wept,
i Then he said 1t should weep fol-
good cause.
Among the things that he had stolel
from the white men whom he slew
Is n trap thar will hold lions.
$50 strong IS the trap that your mel
must stand on Il, two on either side
before Il can be opened
Here old Quatermain broke of sud
denly.
look here yon fellows" he said; !"
can't bear to 20 on with this part o
the story. because never could stan'
either seeing Or talking OF the suffer
ings of children. You can guess wba
that devil did and what the poor moth
er was forced 10 witness. Would yol
believe it?-~sne told me the tale with
out tremor, ID the most matter.of
fact way. Only noticed that her eye
/ iid nulvered nli the time"