The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-30

the coming of Richard in the pool in Zululand. and the fate of Dingaan the King in the bowl of Eddo. could now see nothing of any worth. "AS regards the vision of, the pool cannot say, Maiden" replied Nya, flor that was born of thine own heart, and had nothing to do with our magic. As regards the visions in the bowl of Ed do they were his visions not thine, or rather my visions that I saw before he started hence. I passed them on to him. and he passed them on to thee. and thou didst pass them on to King Dingaan. F'ar-sighted and pure-souled as thou art, yet not having been in structed in their wizardry. thou wilt see nothing in the bowls of the dwarfs unless their blooG is mingled with thy blood"
 "'Their blood mingled with my blood2' What dost thou mean, Moth er?''
 What I say, neither more nor less. If Eddo has his will. thou wilt rule after me as Mother of the Trees. But the veins of Eddo must be opened, and Eddo's blood must be poured into thee, and thy blood into him. Then thou wilt be able to read fin the bowl as we thou must do his bidding while you both shall live.''
 eff so'' answered Rachel tI think that nsither Of us will live long"
 
 to sleep, though why this should be she could not guess. as she had done nothing all day save watch the mutes at their dreary tasks. and it was as though she had made 8 long jour ney upon her feet About an hour be- fore the dawn she saw Nya rise and glide past her towards the mouth of drum like those used by the mute women. Something impelled her to follow, and waking Noie at her side, she bade her cone also.
 Outside of the cave by the faint starlight they saw the little shape of Nya creeping down the mound, and thence across the open space towards the wall. and went after her. thinking that she intended to pass the wall. But this she did not do, for when she came to its foot Nya, notwithstanding her feebleness, began to climb the rough stones as actively as any cat, and though their ascent seemed peril ous enough, reached the crest of the wall sixty feet above in safety, and there sat herself down. Next they heard her beating upon the drum she bore. single strokes always, but some of them slow, and some rapid, with pause between every five or ten strokes. "as though she were spelling out words" thought Rachel.
 After a while Nya ceased her beat ing, and in the utter silence of the
 
 ways, by the occasional crash of fall ing trees, for no breath of air stirred, and all the beasts of prey had sought their lairs before light came, both she and Noie seemed to hear, far, infinite ly far away, the faint beat of an an swering drum. It would appear that Nya heard it also, for she struck a single note upon hers as though in acknowledg gment, after which the dis tant beating went on, paused as though for a reply from some other unheard drum, and again from time to time went on. perhaps repeating that reply.
 For a long while this continued until the sky began to grow grey indeed, when Nya beat for several minutes and was answered by a single, far-of note. Then glancing at the heavens she prepared to descend the wall, while Rachel and Noie slipped back to the cave and feigned to be asleep. Soon she entered, and stood over them shaking her grey head and asking how it came about that they thought that she, the Mother of the Trees, should be so easily deceived.
 "So thou sawest us,'' said Rachel, trying not to look ashamed
 s'No; I saw you not with my eyes, either of you, but I felt both of you following me, and heard in my heart what you were whispering to each other. Well, Inkosazana. art thou the wiser for this journey?''
 'tNo, Mother. but tell us if thou wilt what thou vast beating on that drum"
 gro be Contfuued.l