The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-02-20
CHAPTER V. Nnie.

That girl should set out alone to bathe through a country inhabited -schief1y by wild beasts and a few wan deiing savages, sounds a somewhat dangerous form of amusement. So 1t was indeed, but Rachel cared nothing for such dangers, in fact she never even thought of them. Long ago she had discovered that the animals would not harm her if she did not harm them, except perhaps the rhin- oceros, which is given to charging on sight, and that was large and could generally be discovered at distance. As for elephants and lions, or even buffalo, her experience was that they ran away, except on rare occasions when they stood still, and stared at her Nor was she afraid of the saw Ages who always treated her with the utmost respect, even if they had never seen her before. Still, in case of ac- cidents she took her double-barrelled gun, loaded in one, barrel with ball, and in the other with 1oopers or slugs and awakened Tom, the driver, to tell him where she was going. The man stared at her sleepily, and murmured remonstrance, but taking no heed of him she pulled out some thorns from the fence to make passage, and in another minute was lost to sight in the morning mist.
 Following a game-p path through the deW-drenched grass which grew upon the swelIs and valleys of the weld, and passing many small buck upon her way, in about twenty minutes, just as the light was really beginning to grow, Rachel reached the sea. It was dead calm, and the tide chancing to be out, soon she found where there would be no fear of sharks that never stay in such spot, fearing lest they should be stranded. Slipping off hel clothes she plunged into the cool and crystal water and began to swim Grt she was expert, diving and playing like a sea-nymph. Her bath done she dried herself with towel she had brought, all except her long, fair hair, which she left loose for the wind to blow on, and having dressed, stood a while waiting to see the glory of the sun rising from the ocean.
 Whilst she remained thus, suddenly yl1e heard the sound of horses gallop- Ing towards her, two of them, she could tell that from the floof beats, al, though the low-1ying mists made them invisible A few more seconds and they emerged out of the fog. The first thing that she saw were stripes which caused her to laugh thinking that she had mistaken zebras for horses. Then the laugh died on her lips as she recognised that the stripes were those of MT IshmaePs trousers. Yes, there was no doubt about it, MT. Ishmae1, wearing rough coat instead of his lion skin, but with the rest Of his attire unchanged, was galloping down upon her furiously, leading a r1derless horse. Remembering her wei and disheve1led hair. Rachel threw the towel over it, whence it hung like an old Egyptian head-dress. setting her beautiful face in most becom- ing frame. Next she picked up the doubIe-barrelled gun and cooked it, for she rnisdoubted her of this mans intentions Not many modern books came her way, but she had read stories of young women who were car- r1ed off by force.
 For an instant she was frightened, but as she lifted the hammer of the second barrel her constitutional cour- age returned
 Let him try it." she thought to utes ago it would have been awful, but now don't care"
 By this time MT. Ishmae1 had ar- .Nen, and was dragging his horse to US naunches; also she saw that evil uenly ne was much more frightened tndH sne had been. The mans hand some race was quite white. and his IDS were trembling. Perhaps that rnlnoceros is after him again. thought HacnT,. isyI Then added abound quietly:
 What is the matterp''
 Forgive me- he answered in a rich. and, to Rachers astonishment. perfect iy educated voice, forgive me for dis turblng you am ashamed but if is necessary The Zulus-,' and he paus- ed.
 fTo ba sContinu.A,