Evening star., 1909-03-01
CHAPTER XIII.
Richard Comes.

Richard Comes.
| Az the sun set Rachel rose and
walked to her hut. She was utterly
dazed, she could not understand. Was
| this but a fiction Of an overwrought
and disordered mind, or had she seen a
vision of things passing, or that had
passed, far away? II it were a dream.
then this was but another drop in her
cup of bitterness. If true vis1on-oh! !!
than what did it mean to her? 1t meant
| that Richard Darrien lived-Richard,
of whom her heart had been full for
wears, 1T meant that his heart was fulI
| Of her also, for had she not seemed 10
hear him say that he had Travelled from
the Cane with the Beers to look Tor
her, and was he not journeying alone
through a hostile land to pursue ms
search? Who would do such thing
for the sake Of girl unless-unless! !
1t meant that he would protect her,
would rescue her from her terrible
plight, would take her from among
these savages to her home again-oh!
| and perhaps much more that she oid
not care to picture to herself.
Yet how could such things be: They
were contrary to experience, at any
rate, to the experience of white folk,
though natives would believe in them
| easily enough. Yet in nature Things
might be possible which were generally
l held 10 De lnpOSSlOIS IaSt HlOIhOi hoN
certain gifts-had she. perhaps. in
| herited them? Had her helplessness ap-
pealed to the pity Of some higher pow
er? Had her ceaseless prayers been
| heard? Yet. why should the universal
| laws be stretched for her? Why should
she be allowed to lift corner of the
| black veil Of ignorance that hens us In.
| and see glimpse of what lies beyond?
If Richard were really coming, In day
! or two, she would have learned of his
4 ot,vVo
that these mysterious influences should
| be set to work to inform her of his
approach.
. How selfish she was. The warning
probable enough that the Zulus would
kill q solitary white man, especially IL
| they discovered that he proposed to
visit their Inkosazana. Well, she had
the power to protect him. If she
| threw her mantle over him. no man
in all the land would dare to do him
violence. Surely it was for this rea-
son that she had been allowed to learn
these things, If she had learned them,
not for her own sake. but for his. If
| take the risk. would run the chance
| of failure and OF mockery, yes. and Of
| the loss OF her power among these
people. It should be done at once.
maiden appeared, whom she bade sum-
mon the captain OF tho guard without
the gate. Presently he came. surround
| ed by a band OF her women, since no
man might visit the Inkosazana alone.
Bidding him to cease from his saluta-
tions. she commanded him to go
! swiftly to the Great Place and pray Of
Dingaan that he would send her an
! escort and litter. as she must see him
that night on matter which would not
brook delay.
In an hour. Just after she had nm
| ished her food, which she ate with
more appetite than she had known for
days. 1t was reported that they were
| and taking her horn wand. she entered
the litter and. guarded by a hundred
| men, was borne swiftly to the House
Of Dingaan. At its gate she descended,
and once more entered that court by
As before, there sat the king and his
! indunas without the Great Hut, and
while she walked toward them every
man rose crying, Hail! Inkosazana."
Yes. even Dingaan, mountain of flesh
| stool and saluted her. Rachel acknowl-
edged the salutation by raising her
wand. motioned to them to be seated
| and waited.
art thou come. White One" asked
Dingaan. Ito make clear those dark
words thou spokest to us a moon aRo?'
| Nay. king she answered. what
said then, 1 said once and for all. Read
| thou the saying as thou wilt or let the
Ghost people interpret it to thee. Hear
me. king and councillors Ye have kept
me here when I would be gone, raw
business being ended, that I might be
a judge among this people. Ye have
| told me that the rivers were in food
| that the beast rode was sick. that evil
| would befall the land if deserted you
| Now I know, and ye know, that IL it
| pleased me could have departed when
| and whittier I would, but it was not
bot
| creep out Of Zululand like thief in the
| night, so I abode on in my house yon-
der. Yet my heart grew wrath with
you. and I. to whom the white people
| listen also. was half minded to bring
hither the thousands of the Amaboona
who are encamped beyond the Buffalo
river. that they might escort me to my
home"
Now. at these bold words the king
looked uneasy, and one Of the council.
ors whispered to another:
How knows she that the white men
are camped beyond the, Buffalo?"
Yet. went on Rachel. Il did not
do so. for then there must have been
I hate. But I have done this. with
| these Amaboona travels an English
chief. a young man. one Darrien whom
! knew from long years ago, and who
commanded to journey hither, and to
Tugela. Tonight am told he sleeps
| a short three days journey from this
| town, and I am come here to bid you
send out swift messengers to guide him
hither,'
She ceased, and they stared at her
| awhile. Then the king asked:
What messenger is it, Inkosazana,
that thou hast sent to this white chief
Dairo? We have seen none pass from
thy house" .
"Dost thou think. then, king, that
| thou canst see my messengers? NV
thoughts flew from me to him, and
| called in his ear in the night, and I
saw his coming In the still pool that
lies near my huts.'
| "Owr' exclaimed one of the council,
| "she sent her thoughts to him like birds.
and she saw his coming in the water OF
| the pool. Great is the magic of the Inko-
saZana."
The chief. Darren." went on Rachel
without needing the interruption, although
she noted that 1t was Mopo of the with
cred hand who had spoken from beneath
the blanket wrapped about his head, may
be known thus. He Is fair Of face with
eyes like my eyes, and beard and hair Of
| the color Of gold. If saw right. he rides
| upon a black horse with one white foot
and his only companion is Kafflr named
| Quabi who. I think" and she passed her
hand across her forehead. "yes. who was
the Great Place. when l crossed the
| Tugela."
Now the king asked il any knew OF this