The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-02
(Continued.l

IneTeOn the ITem ping cnlld began, and after the native fashion, suppress ing no detail or circumstance, how ever small, narrated how the ZuluS had surprised her and Noie while they were gathering flowers, and having bound their arms, had caused them to be hurried away unseen to some dense bush about four miles off. Here they had been kept hidden till in the night the embassy returned. Then they had spoken with Noie, who in the end This was the message: "Say to the Inkosazana that the Zulus have caught me, and are taking me to Dingaan the King. Say they declare that if she is I shall be set free unharmed, that is, if she comes at once. But if she does not come, then I shall be killed. Say to her that I do not ask that she should come who am ready to die, and that though I believe that no harm will happen to her in Zululand, l think that she had better not come. Say that, living or dead, I love her."
 Then the maid described how the embassy went on with Noie, leaving her in the charge of the man Tam boosa, who at the first break of dawn brought her back to Ramah, and made her hide in the bush.
 Now Rachel had no more doubts. Clearly the tale was true, and the question was-what must be done :? She thought a while, then bade Tam boosa and the child to follow her to the mission house. On the stoep she found her father and mother sitting in the sun, and drinking coffee after the South African fashion.
 'sWhat is it?'' asked Mrs. Dove, looking at the man anxiously.
 Rachel ordered him to repeat his story. and this he did, addressing mother he would take no notice When he had done the child told her tale also.
 "Go now, and wait without said Rachel, when it was finished.
 'Inkosazana, I go,'' answered the man, "but if it pleases you to save your servant, know that you must come swiftly. If you are not across the Tugela by sunset this night, word will be passed to the King, and she dies at once. Know also that you must come alone with me, for if any, white or black, accompany you, they will be killed.''
 t'Now," said Rachel, when the three of them were left alone, ''now what is to be done?'
 Mrs. Dove shook her head helpless ly, and looked at her husband, who broke into a tirade against the ZuluS, their superstitions, cruelties, customs and everything that was theirs, and ended by declaring that it was of course utterly impossible that Rachel should go upon such a mad errand, and thus place herself in the power of savages.
 .But. father" she said when he had done, "do you understand that you are Noie's death sentence? ? If you were in my place, would you not go?"
 pose to do so as it is. No doubt Din- gaan will listen to me-
 You mean that Dingaan will kill you. Did you not hear what that man said? Father, you must not go."
 "No. John.'' broke in Mrs. Dove. Rachel is right. you must not go, for you would never come back again. Also, how can you be so cruel as to think of leaving me here alone?'
 sThen I suppose that we must abandon that poor girl to her fate," exclaimed MT. Dove.
 "How can you suppose anything so merciless, father, when it is in my ''If let those horrible Zulus kill her I shall never be happy again all my life" N
 And what if the horrible zulus kill your"
 "They will not kill me, father: mother knows they will not and so do I. But as they have got this mad ness into their heads, I am sure that if I do not go they will send an impi here to kill everybody else, and take
 
 is only a first move. It is one of two either I must visit Zululand, save Noie, and play my part there as pest can, or we must desert Noie, and all leave this place at once, tomorrow if possible. But then, as I told you, shall never forgive myself, especial y as I am not in the least afraid of -he Zulus.''
 'It is true that God can protect you IS much in Zululand as He can here," Dove haRInninQr a m face of this desperate alternative.
 "Of course, father, but if I go to lululand I want you and mother to :rek to Durban and remain there till I 
 ''why, Rachel? It is absurd.''
 Because I do not think that you Ire safe here and it is not at all ab- 'urd,' she answered stubbornly. These people choose to believe that am in some way in bondage to you; you remember all their talk about the heavens and the cloud. Of course it nay mean nothing, but you will be much better in Durban for a while, | where you can take to the water if 
 Now MT. Doves obstinancy asserted tself. He refused to entertain any ;uch idea, giving reason after reason why he should not do so. Thus for mother half hour the argument ragged i'll at length, a compromise was ar 'ived at, as usual in such cases, not of oo satisfactory an order. Rachel was l o be allowed to undertake her mis- | ion on behalf of Noie, and her pa. - .nts were to remain at Ramah. On | Ter return, which they hoped would | ,e within a week or eight days, the | question of the abandonment of the | nisison was to be settled by the help l if the experience she had gained. To | his arrangement. then they agreed, | enough all of them, in or Ter to save Noie's life, and for no 'ther reason.
 The momentous decision once taken, n half an hour Rachel was ready for | Ter journey, which she determined 1 he would make upon her own horse, grey mare that she had ridden for . long while. and could rely on in ev- ny way. The white riding OK that | )ingaan had sent as a present was 1so to accompany her, to carry her pare garments and other articles lacked in skin bags, such as coffee, ugar and few medicines, and to erve as a remount in case anything hou1d happen to the horse. When