The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-22
THE LADY OF
 THE HEAVENS 4@1x
Copyright, 1908, by H. Rider Haggard
(Cuntinued.l

Iney told me you were down by the sea- came to bring you back to your wagon lest you should be cut off
 Ihank you very much" said Ra- chel. But I am not afraid of the Zu- Jus. I do not think that they will hurt me.'
 Not hurt you! Not hurt you! White. and beautiful as you are Why not t?''s
 aoh, I don't know," she replied with a laugh, "but you see I am called Inkosazanay-Zoo They won't touch one with that name"
 'Inkosazana- y-Zoola," he repeated hstonished. "Why, she is their Spirit, yes, and I remember--white like you, so they say. How did you get that name? But mount, mount! They will kill you first, and ask how you were called afterwards. Your father is much afraid.''
 My mother would not be afraid; she knows mutt cred Rachel to herself as she sprang to the saddle of the led horse.
 Then. without more words, they be- gan to gallop back towards the camp. Before they reached the crest of the second rise the sun shone out in ear- nest, thinning the seaward mist al though between them and the camp it still hung thick Then suddenly in the fog-edge Rachel saw this sight. Towards them ran a delicately shaped and beautiful native girl, naked except for her moocha, and of very light copper colour, whilst after her, bran- dishing an assegai, came Zulu war rior. Evidently the girl was in the last stage of exhaustion; indeed she reeled over the ground, her tongue pro- truded from her lips and her eyes seemed to be starting from her head.
 Come on,'' shouted the man called Ishnaael. 'It is only one of the fugi- lives whomsthey are killing"
 But Rachel did nothing of the sort; she pulled up her horse and waited. The girl caught sight of her and with a wild, hoarse scream, redoubled her efforts, so that her pursuer who had been quite close, was left behind. She reached Rachel and flung her arms about her legs gasping:
 Save me- white lady, save me!'
 s.Shoot her if she won't leave go," shouted Jshmael, "and come on."
 But Rachel only sprang from the horse and stood face to face with the
 Stand" she said, and the man stop ped.
 E"Now," she asked, ''what do you want with this woman?''
 'sro take her or to kill her," gasped she soldier.
 By whose order?"
 
 ''Eror what crime?''
 'tWitchcraft, but who are you who question me, white woman?"
 ''One whom you must obey" answer ed Rachel proudly. "Go back and leave the girl. She is mine."
 The man stared at her, then laugh ed aloud and began to advance again.
 'tGo back" repeated Rachel.
 He took no heed but still came on.
 "Go back or die," she said for the third time.
 .I shall certainly die if I go back to Dingaan without the girl" replied the soldier who was a bold looking savage. 'Now you, Noie, will you re- turn with me, or shall I kill you? Say, witch,'' and he lifted his assegai.
 The girl sank in a heap upon the weld. Kill" she murpured faintly, 1T will not go back. I did not be- witch him to make him dream of me, and I will be Deaths wife, not his; a ghost in his kraal not a woman.'
 "Good,'' said the man, "I will carry your word to the king. Farewell, Noie," and he raised the assegai still high CT: Stand aside, white woman, for I have no order to kill you also" gun to her shoulder and pointed it at him.
 '.Are you mad?" shouted, Ishmael. ''If you touch him they will murder everyone of us. Are you mad?'
 Are you a coward?" she asked quietly. without taking her eyes off the soldier. Then she said in Zulu. Listen. The land on this side of the Tugela has been given by Dingaan to the English. Here he has no right to kill. This girl is mine. not his. Come one step nearer and you die."
 answered the warrior with a laugh, and he sprang forward.
 They were his last words. Rachel aimed and pressed the trigger. the gun exploded heavily in the mist; the Zulu leapt into the air and fell upon his back. dead. The white man. Ishmael, rode to them. pulled up his horse and sat still. staring. It was a strange pie ture in that lonely. silent spot. The soldier so very still and dead. his face hidden by the shield that had fallen across it: the tall. white girl. rigid as a statue. in whose hand the gun still smoked, the delicate. fragile Kafflr maiden kneeling on the weld. and look ing at her wildly as though she were a spirit, and the two horses. one with his ears pricked in curiosity. and the other already cropping grass.
 My God! What have you done?" exclaimed IshnaeL
 Justice" answered Rachel.
 Then your blood be on your own head. I am not going to stop here to have my throat cut"
 Don't" answered Rachel. "I have a better guardian than you. and will look after my own blood"
 To this speech the white man seemed to be able to find no answer Turning his horse he galloped off swearing, but not towards the camp. whereon the other horse galloped after him. and presently they all vanished in the mist, leaving the two women alone.
 At this moment from the direction of the wagon they heard the sound of shouting and of screams. which ap- peared to come from the valley be- tween them and it.
 '"The kings men are killing my peo- ple," muttered the girl. Noie. "Go. or they will kill you too."
 Rachel thought a moment. Evident 1v it was impossible to get through to fine camp: indeed even had they tried to do so on the horses they would have heen cut off. An idea came to her. They stood upon the edge of a steep, bush-clothed kloof. where in the wet season a stream ran down to the sea. This stream was now represented by a. chain of deep and muddy pools. one of. which pools lay directly underneath them.
 Help me to throw him into the wa ter,' said Rachel. -
 The girl understood, and with des- perate energy they seized the oeao sol- dier. dragged him to the edge or the little cliff and thrust him over. ne