Evening star., 1909-03-12

the SUM- queried Dingaan again in an
aStonished voice. Then he silent,
for out of the first litter came little
man. pale the shoot from bulb that
has grown in darkness. with large. soft
eyes like the eyes of an owl, that blnked
/ in the light. and long hair out of which
, all the color seemed to have faded
AS the man. who. like Mole. was dress
| ed in white rone, and in size measured
| no more than Il twelve-year-old child.
set his sandaled feet upon the ground,
| one of the huge guards sprang forward
! to shield 6im with the umbrella. but be-
/ ing awkward. struck his leg against the
| pole of the litter and stumbled against
| him. nearly knocking him to the ground.
and in his efforts to save himself, let
! ting fall the umbrella. The little man
/ turned on him furously. and holding one
, hand above his head as though 10 shield
| himself from the sun, with the other
! pointed at him. speaking in low sybil-
| liant voice that sounded like the hiss of
! a snake. Thereon the guard fell to his
j knees. bending down with outstretched
| arms beat his forhead on the earth as
! though i'm prayer for mercy. The sight
! of this giant making suppication to one
! whom he could have killed with a blow,
was so strange that Dngaan. unable to
restrain his curiosity, asked Mole if the
dwarf was ordering the other to be killed.
| Nay. king" answered Mole, for blood
is hateful to these people He is saying
that the soldier has offended many times
| Therefore, he curses him and tells him
| that he shall whittier like plucked leaf
and die without seeing home again
And will he die?" asked Dngaan.
| certainly. king; those upon whom the
| Ghost-people lay that curse must obey
/ the curse. Moreover this man deserves
his doom. for on the journey he killed
| another to take his food"
| "Of truth a terrible people,. said
| Dingaan uneasly. bid them lay no
curse on me lest they should see more
| vi oh fn1
| 1t is foolish to threaten the Great
ones of the Ghost-folk. king. for they
| near even what they seem not to under
stand. answered Mole quietly.
/ Wow. exclaimed the king. ''let my
words be forgotten. ! am sorry that l
troubled them to come SO far to visit
me.
| Meanwhile the offender had crept back
/ upon his hands and knees, looking like
great beaten dog. while another soldier
| taking his umbrella. held it over the
| angry dwarf Also from the other !itters
| two more dwarfs had descended. so like
| the first that IL was difficult to tell them
| apart. and were in the same fashion
sheltered by guards with umbrellas. Mats
were brought for them also. and on these
! they sat themselves down at right angles
! to Dlngaan, and to Rachel. whose stool
was set IN front OF the king while be-
! hlnd them stood three of their escort
each holding an umbrella. over the head
of one of them with the left hand, while
! with the right they famed them with
small branches upon which the leaves
although they were dead. remained green
/ and shining.
With Dingaan and his council the three
dWarfS did not seem to trouble them
selves. but at Rachel thew peered ear
nestly. Then one of them made a sign and
| muttered something. whereon soldier of
| the escort stepped forward with a fourth
umbrella which he opened over the heads
| of Rachel and of Noie who stood at her
side.
| Why does he do that?' asked D.ngaan
| The lnkosazana is not a bat that she
| fears the sun
lie does ii. answered Noie THAT the
| lhkosaZana may sit in the shade of the
wisdom of the ghost people. and that her
heart. which is hot with many wrongs
may grow cool in the shade
what does he know about the Inkosa-
| zana and her Wrones?" asked Dingaau
again, but Mole only shrugged her shoul-
ders and made no answer
| NO" one or the dwarfS made another
sign, whereupon more guards advanced,
carrying small bowls of polished wood
| IheSe bowls they set upon the ground be
| fore the three dwarfs. one before each of
them filling them TO the brim with water
from gourd
IF your people are thirsty Noie." ex-
claimed the king. Il have beer for Them
to drink. for at least the locusts have left
me that. Bid them throw away the
"ater' and will give them beer
III Is not water. king" she answered
but dew gathered from certain trees
before sunrise, and it is their spirits that
are thirsty for knowledge. not their
bodies, for in this dew they read the
truth.
Then the Inkosazan ma must he of their
| Iahlly, Noe. for she read of the coming
OF the white chief Dario in water. or
so they say
Perhaps, Q King If it is so these
prophets will know it and acknowledge
Now for a long while there was silence.
So long while indeed that Dingaan and
his councillors began to move uneasiy,
for they felt as though the dwarf men
| were lingering their heartStri At
length the three dwarfs lifted their
wrinkled faces that were bleached to the
color of half-ripe corn. and gazed at each
other with their round. owl-like eyes:
then though with one accord they
said to each other:
what SerSt thou. priest?'' and at some
sign from them Noic translated the. words
into Zulu.
Now the first of them. he who had
cursed the soldier. spoke in his low
kissing voice. a voice like To the whisper
of leaves in the wind. Noie rendering
his words
II see two maidens standing by a
house that moves when cattle draw 1t.
One of them is dark skinned it is She
and he pointed to Noie: 'the other Is fair
skinned, it is She and he pointed to
Racnel leE cast, each OF them, a
hair from her head into the air The
black hair falls TO the ground, but a
spirit catches the hair of gold and bears
it northward. 1t is the spirit of Scyapi
whom the Zuus slew Northwards he
bears it, and lays 1t in the hand of the
Mother of the Trees, and with it mes
sage"
Yes. with it message" repeat ed the
other two. nodding their heads.
Then one of them drew d little pack
age wrapped in leaves from his robe and
motioned to Noie that she should give
ii to Rachel. Mole obeyed and the man
said:
Let us see If she has vision. Tell us,
thou White One. what lies within the
leaves
Rachel. who had been sitting like a
person in a dream, took the packet. and,
without looking at 1t, answered:
CTo be continued tomorrow