Evening star., 1909-02-28
CHAPTER xII-Continued.

II was about this time that Rachel
learned that Ishmael. having recovered
from his sickness. had escaped from TIM
Gugundhlovu by night. whittier none
seemed to know. From that moment fears
gathered thick upon the poor girl. She
dreaded Isllmael and guessed that his de
parture without communicating with her
boded her no good. Indeed once or twice
she almost wished that she had taken
Noie's counsel and given him over to the
Justice of the king. Meanwhile of Mole
herself nothing had been heard She had
vanished INTO the wilderness
Living ttis strange and most unnatural
LIE. RacheHs nerves began to give way
While she tried her cases she seemed stern
and calm. But when the crowd of humble
suitors had dispersed from the outer court
in which she sat a Judge. and the
shouts Of the praises rushing UP and
down beyond the fence and roaring out
her titles had died away, and having DIS
missed the obSequiouS maidenS who waited
upon her she retired 10 the solitude. of
her hut TO rest-ah. then il was different
Then she lay down upon her bed of rich
furS and at times burst into tears be-
cause she who seemed to be a stIpernat-
rral queen was really but a white girl de-
serted by God and man.
Now III was the season of thunder
storms and almost every afternoon these
dreadful tempeSts broke over hcr kraaI
which shook in the roll and crash of the
meeting clouds. while beyond the fence
the jagged lightning struck and struck
again upon the iTonstone of the hillside
She had never feared such storms be
fore. but now they terrified her She
dreaded their advent and the worst of it
was that she must not show her dread
she who was supposed to rule and direct
7 1fup
which fell insIIring fun harvest after
several years of drought We're universally
attributed to the good influence of her
presence in the land In the same way
when a thunderbot struck the hut Of a
doctor who but dav or two before had
openly declared his disbelief in her DOW
ers killing him and his principal wife
and destroying his kraai by fire the ac-
cident was attributed to her vengeance or
TO that of the heavens who were angry at
This lack of faith. After this remarkable
exhibition OF supernatural strength. need
less 10 say. the voice of adverse criticism
was stayed: Rachel became supreme.
But the storms passed. and when they
had rolled away at length doing her ne
hurt, and the sun shone ont again she
would go and sit beneath the trees at the
edge of the beautiful pool until the closing
lilies and the chill of the air tod her that
night drew on.
Oh. those long nights-how endless they
seemed to Rachel in her loneliness Now
$ne VINO used To sleep so well. could not
sleep, or when she slept she dreamed She
dreamed of her mother. always of her
mother. that she was III. and calling her
until she came To believe that i'm truth
this was So much did this conviction
work upon her mind that she determined
Tot 10 wait for the return of Mole but al
ali costs to try TO leave ZuluiaEd. and
through Tamboosa declared her will. 10
the king. Next morning the answer came
back that of course none could control
"a mn hI1f Sha IL.
must fly, a. all the rivers were in flood
she might see if she would walk TO
the top of the mountain behind her kraal.
TambooSa added that a company of men
who had been sent To recapture Ishnael.
We're kept for week upon the banks OF
The first of them. and at length. being un-
able 10 cross. had returned her mes
senger had done. knowing from other
sources that this was true. Rachel made
no answer. What she did not know. how
ever. was that Ishmael had crossed tie
smaller rivers before the flood came down.
and gone on 10 meet the soldiers, who