The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-18

THE LADY OF THE HEAVENS.
Copyright, 1908, by H. Rider Haggard


of one of them, only flying when they
mad tidings that the impi was on the
| way Moreover the command was
that everyone of these dogs should be
killed, whereas they had killed none
| or them, but only taken those cattle
| which were left behind in their flight
AT length the dispute growing fierce,
the captains being unable to come to
an agreement, decided that they would
lay the matter before the Inkosazana,
and be guided by the words that fell
from her, If they could understand
them.
So Tamboosa, went into the cave
with one other man, and talked to
| Rachel, who sat staring at him with
stony eyes as though she understood
nothing. When at length he ceased,
however, she cried:
Lead me to Mole at the Great
Place. Lead me to Mole" nor would
she say any more.
So, as the people of Mafooti had fled
they knew not where, and they had
secured some of the cattle, and as
| many of the soldiers were sick from
the cold and of burns received in the
fire Tamboosa. told the regiment that
| 1T was the will of the Inkosazana that
| they should return to Zululand.
| A while later they started those of
| them who were SO badly burned that
they could not travel, being carried on
shields But Rachel would not be
carried, choosing to walk alone sur
rounded at a distance by a ring of
| soldiers who guarded her. For hours
| she walked thus. showing no sign of
| WEAKNESS, but now and again bursting
out into shrill laughter. as though she
| saw things that moved her to merri-
| ment. Only the regiment that lis
tened was not merry, for 1t had heard
| the words that the Inkosa zana spoke
in the town of Mafooti. foretelling evil
| to the ZuluS because of the blood that
was between them and her. They
thought that she laughed over the mis-
fortunes that We're to come. and over
those that had already befalIen them
| in the fire and in the rain.
About midday they halted to eat. and
| as before Rachel took food in plenty
for now that her mind was wandering
her body seemed to call for sustenance.
When their meal was finished they
moved down to the banks of the Buff
falo River. which ran nearby, to find
that it was in great flood after the
heavy rain and that it was not safe
TO try the ford. So they determined
to camp there on the banks. murmur-
ing among themselves that all went ill
with them upon this journey. as was
to be expected, and that they would
have done better if they had spent the
time in hunting downA the people of
Mafooti, instead of sitting idle like
| tired storks upon the bank of a river
Yet bad as things might SEEM they
were destined to he worse, for while
some of them were cutting boughs and
grass to make a hut for the Inkosa-
zana- Rachel. VINO stood watching
lHCII Will cIHDly eyes. OIL a SuQQSn
laughed in her mad fashion. and sped
like a swallow to the lip of the foam
ing ford. Here. before they could come
up with her. she threw off the outer
cloak she wore and rushed into the
water till the current bore her from
her feet. Then while the whole regi-
| ment shouted in dismay. she began to
swim. striking out for the further
bank and being swept downwards by
the stream. Now Tamboosa, who was
almost crazed with fear lest she should
drown. called out that where the Inko-
sazana went. they must follow. even
| to their deaths.
1T is sol" answered the soldiers, as
each man locking his arms round the
middle of him who stood in front COM
pany by company. they plunged into
! the water in a fOurbold chain, hoping
thus to bridge it from bank to bank
Meanwhile Rachel swan on in the
| strength of her madness as a woman
has seldom swum before. Again and
again the muddy waters broke over
her head and the soldiers Groaned.
! thinking that she was drowned. But
always that golden hair reappeared
above them. A great tree swept down
upon her. but she dived beneath it.
She was dashed against a tall rock
| but she warded herself away from it
with her hands and still swan on. till
! at length with a shout of jow the
| Zulus saw her find her feet and strug-
| gle slowly to the further bank. Yes,
and I'D it till she reached its crest
where she stood and watched them
| idly Is though unconscious of the dan
ger she had passed. and of the water
i that ran from her hair and breast.
| Where a woman can go. we can
follow" said some. but others answer
ed:
She is not a woman. but a. spirit.
Death himself cannot Kill her.
| Now the fourfold chain was near the
centre of the ford. when suddenly
those at the tip of 1t were lifted from
their feet as Rachel had been. nor
could, those behind hold on to them.
j They were torn from their grasp and
Nswept away, the most of them never
to be seen again. for of these men but
few could swim. Thrice this happened
until strong swimmers were sent to
the front. and at length these men
I won across as Rachel had done. and
| csiught hold of the stones on the fur
! therside, thus forming a living chain
from bank to bank. whereof the centre
hoated and was bent outwards by the
weight of the water as the back of
/ bow bends when the string is drawn.
| By the help of this human rope thus
formed the companies began to come
over. supporting themselves against it.
till presently the strain and the push
of them and of the angry river over
came its strength. and the chain burst
in the middle SO that many were borne
! down the stream and drowned. Yet
with risk and efoil and loss it Joined
| itself together again and held fast
until every man was over. save the
sick and some lads who were left to
| tend them and the cattle on the fur
Their bank. Then that cable of brave
| warriors began to struggle forward
like a great snake dragging its tail
| after it. and so by degrees drew itself
| to safety and gasping out foam and
water saluted the Inkosazana where
| she stood.
Many were drowned. and others were
bruised by rocks. but of this they
thought little since she was safe and
they had found her again. to have los
! whom would have been a shame from
! genera ton to generation She watched
the captains reckoning up the number
of the dead and when Tamboosa and
some of them came to make report of
it to her, a shadow as of pity f1oated
across her stony eyes.
/ Not on my head" she cried, mot
on my head! There is blood between
the Inkosazana and her people of the
/ Zulus and that blood avenges itself in