The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-24

| the forest. In the centre of this clear | ing grew a tree more huge than any
 that Rachel had ever dreamed of, the bole of it. that sprang a hundred feet without a branch. was thicker than Dfngaan's Great Hut, and its topmost | boughs were lost in the scudding clouds. In front of this tree was gath cred a multitude of people, men, wonl- en and children, all dwarfs and all of them on their knees engaged in prayer. At its bole. by a tent-shaped house
 Stoou nttie Ilgure. woman whose wind.
 "The Mother of the Trees,'' cried
 iNo1e through the screaming gale.
 Come to her, she will shelter us,"
 nd she gripped Rachers arm to lead Ter forward.
 Scarcely had they gone a step when
 the lightning blazed above them fear 11lly and with it came an awful rush CT wind. Perhaps that flash fell upon t1e tree, or perhaps the wind snapped Is roots. At least its mighty trunk [ EurSt in twain. and with a crash that for a moment seemed to master even t'le roar of the volleying thunder, ooWn it came to earth. Two huge lmbs fell on either side of Rachel and c'o1e, but they were not touched. A bough struck the Umkulu slave who was carrying Eddo, and swept off his head. leaving the dwarf unharmed. Another bough fell upon Pani and his bearer, and buried them in the earth beneath it's bulk. so that they were never seen again. As it chanced the most of the worshippers were beyond t3e reach of. the falling branches. but some of these that were torn loose in .tEe fall, or shattered by the lightning. tf.a wind caught and hurled among them. staying several and wounding others.
 In ten seconds the catastrophe had come and gone. the Queen-Tree that haG ruled the forest for a thousand "A. leaves. through which the shattered branches showed like bones, and a prostrate. splintered trunk. The shock threw Noie and Rachel to the ground, but Rachel, rising swiftly, pulled Noie to her feet after her: then, acting up- on some impulse. IeaDt forward. and climbing on to the trunk where it fork ed. ran down it till she almost reached it's base. and stood there against the great shield of earth that had been tern up with theToots. After that last fearful outburSt a stiffness fell. the storm seemed to have exhausted it. self, at any rate for a while Rachel was able to get her breath and look about her.
 All around were lines of enormous trees. solemn aisles that seemed to down these aisles. piercing the shad- oEs cast by the interlacfng branches over head, shone the lights of that lurid morning. Rachel saw, and some 1 7 brain. as the light struggled in the darkness of the forest aisles. She re- what was 1t she re- Now she knew It was the dream she had dreamed upon the | island in the river. years and years | ago, a dream of such trees as these, | and of little grey people like to these. l and of the boy. Richard. grown to l m anhood. lashed to the trunk of one of | the trees. What had happened to her? | She could recall nothing since she saw the body of Richard upon it's bier in l the kraal MafoOti. nor had Noie. who stood at her si1e. l been with her there. Noie. who had gone on an embassy to her fathers folk, the dwarf people An! these peo- ring to and fro screaming like little monkeys. She must have been dream ing a long. bad dream, whereof the | pictures had escaped her. Doubtless would awake. We'll. the torment had gone out of it, and the fear. only the wonder remained. She would stand stall and see what happened. Some th:n hand appeared, gripping the rough bark at the side of the fallen tree.
 She peeped over the swell of it and saw an old dwarf woman with long white hair. whose feet were set in a cleft of the shattered bole, and who hung to it as an ape hangs. Beneath her to the ground was fall of full was held high up by the roots. so that the little woman's hair hung down straight towards the ground. whither she must presently fall and be killed. here, if she had chung to the trunk when it fell, or been thrown up by the shock. or lifted by a bough. Next she wondered how long it would be before whether her white head or her back would first strike the earth all that iepth beneath. Then it occurred to 1er that she might be saved.
 Hold my feet.'' she said to Noie. who had followed her along the trunk, speaking in her own natural voice, at he sound of which Noie looked at her n joyful wonder. Hold my feet, I lnd without waiting for an answer she aid herself down upon the bole. her ,ody hanging over the curve of 1t.
 Now Noie saw her purpose, and seat he roughness of the bark. grasped her ,y the ankles. Supporting soIne of her weight on one hand, with the other Rachel reached downwardS all the ength of her long arm. and just as he grasp of the old woman below was Ilackening, contrived to grip her by he wrist. The dwarf swung loose, hanging in the air. but she was very lSnC, or the Welgnt or a HVS-yedI-olo .hild, perhaps. no more. and Rachel vas very strong. With an effort she ifted her up till the monkey-like fingers gripped the rough bark again. Another effort and the little body was esting on the round of the tree. one nore and she was beside her.
 Now Rachel rose to her feet again md laughed, but it was not the mad aughter that had scared Ishmael and he Zulus; it was her own laughter, hat of a healthy, cultured woman.
 The little creature, crouching on lands and knees at RachePs feet lift q her head and stared with her round yes. At that moment. too. the sun ,roSe out, and it's rays shining where hey had never shone for ages, fell up m Rachel, upon her bright hair, and he white robes in which the dwarfs lad clothed her. and the gleaming pear in her hand, causing her to look ike some ancient statue of goddess lpon temple roof.
 "Who art thou,'' said the dwarf wo- nan in the hissing voice of her race, !