The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-18
(Continued.l


ed the space below groaned in their
grief and terror because the soul OF
the InkOsaZanas had been made a. wan
derer by their sins, and the curse of
the InkoSazalna had fallen on their
land.
Again the lightning flared and in it
they saw her standing on the crest OF
the hut She had let drop the spear
as though she needed it more, and
| her arms were outstretched to the
! heavens, and her beautiful face was
upturned, and her long hair floated IN
the wind Seen thus by that quick
white light, which ShOne in the mad
ness of her eyes, she seemed no wo-
man but what they had tabled her to
be. a queen of Spirits, and at the Wis
ion of her they groaned again, while
some of them fell to the earth and hid
their faces with their hands.
The darkness fell once more, and a
man went into the hut to bring out
the lamp that burned there. When
he returned Rachel stood among them
they had not seen or heard her de-
Scend. Ishmael saw her also, and
feeling his doom in the fierce eyes that
glowered at him, stretched out his
hand and caught her by the robe, pray
ing for pity.
AT his touch she uttered a wild
scream. which pierced like a knife
through the hearts of all that heard
Dit.
ssSuffer it not" she cried. ooh! my
people, suffer not that I be thus de-
filed"
They rent him from her with blows
and excavations. looking up to their
chief for his word to tear him TO
pieces.
NO said .Tarnboosa, grimly. che
shall go to the King to tell this story
ere he die
.rSave me. Rachel, save me-" he
moaned. You don't know what they
mean. was mad with love for you,
do not Judge me harshly and send me
to be tortured"
This appeal of his seemed to pierce
the darkness of her brain. and for
little while her face grew human.
Il judge not she answered in Zulu;
pray to the Great One above who
judges. Oh! man. man." she went on
in a kind of eerie whisper, what have
I done to you that you should treat
me thus? Why did you command the
soldiers to kill my father and my
mother? Why did you poison my
soul, and fill me with this madness?
Take me away from this accused
town, Tamboosa. before Heavens ven
geance falls on it, and let nae see that
face no more"
Then some of them made a guard
about her and led her thence, along
the central street, and through the
barricaded gates. that they broke down
little cave in the slope of the oppos-
ing hill. for although no rain fell, the
gathered storm was breaking; the
lightning flashed thick and fast. the
thunder groaned and beloved and
wild wind beat the screening trees.
Here in the mouth of this cave Ra-
chel sat herself down and looked at
the kraal, Mafooti, awaiting she knew
not what. while the impi pillaged the
town, and Ishmael. already half dead
with fear remained bound to the roof
tree of the hut that had been her
prison.
Whilst she waited thus. and watched,
of a sudden one of the outer huts be-
gan to burn, though whether the light
ming or some soldier had fired it none
could tell. Then, in an instant, as 1t
seemed, driven by the raging wind,
the flame leapt from roof to roof TIL
Mafooti was but a sheet of fire The
soldiers at their work of pillage saw
and rushed hither and thither. con-
fusedly, for&they did not know the
paths, and were tangled in the fences
A figure appeared running down the
central street, a figure of flame. for
his clothes burned on him, and those
by Rachel said,
'tSee see IbubeSi!'
He could not reach the, gate, for a
blazing hut fell across his path. Turn
ing he sped to the edge of a cliff that
rose nearby. where, because OF Its
steepness. there was no wall. Here
for a while he ran up and down TIL
the wind-driven fire from new-lit nuts
thin, scarlet tongues. He threw him
self upon the ground. he rose again,
beating his head with his hand, for his
long hair was ablaze. Then in his
torment and despair, of sudden ne
threw himself backwards into the dark
gulf beneath. Fifty feet and more he
fell to the rocks below, and where he
fell he lay till he died, and on the
morrow the Zulus found and buried
him.
Thus did Ishmael depart out of the
life of Rachel to the end which he had
earned.
Nor did he go alone, for of the Zulus
in the town many We're caught by the
fire and persisted, so many that when
the regiment mustered at dawn, that
same regiment which had escorted the
Inkosazana to the banks of the TugeIa,
fifty and one men were missing, whist
numbers of others appeared burned
and blistered.
"Ah!' said Tamboosa as he survey
ed the injured and counted the dead,
1.-The curse is quickly at work among
us. and I think that this is but the
beginning of evil. Well. L expected
it, no less.
AS for the town of Mafood it was
utterly destroyed. To this day the
place is a wilderness where the grass
grows rank between the crumbling.
fire blackened walls For the people
of Ibubesi who had fled, returned
thither no more, nor would others
swear that the spot is haunted by the
figure of a white man who. in times
of thunder, rushes across 1T wrapped
in fire, and plunges blazing into the
gulf upon it's northern side.
After the storm came the rain which
poured all night long, a steady sheet
of water reaching from earth to
heaven. Rachel watched it vacantly
for while, then went to the head OF
the little cave and lay down wrapped
in karosses that they had made ready
for her Moreover. she slept as a
child sleeps until the sun ShOne bright
on the morrow, then she woke and
asked for food.
But the impi did not sleen. All
night long the soldiers stood in hud-
dled groups beneath such shelter as
the trees and rocks would give to
them, while the water poured on them
pitilessly till their teeth Chartered and
their lirics were frozen. Some died
of the cold that night. and afterwards
many others fell sick of agues and