Evening star., 1909-03-06

deed. ii was Richard who spoke first.
feeling that if he did not this dreadful
silence would choke him or cause him to
faint.
THE Zulus have murdered them.' he
said hoarsely, Glancing at the dead kaffir
on the floor
No, she answered in a cold. small
voice: 'Ishmael. Ishmael.'' and she point
ed to something that lay at his feet.
Richard stopped and picked it up. 1t
was a fly wisp made OF the tip of an
elephants tail shrunk to A handle
of rhinoceros horn which the man had let
fall when the Zulu's spear struck him.
Il know it she went on: .'he always
carried it, He is the real murderer. The
Zulus would not have dared and she
choked and was silent.
Let me think said Richard confused
ly. "There is something in my mind
What is it? Oh. | know. If you are
right that devil has not done this for
nothing. He is somewhere near; he wants
To take you and he ground his teeth
at the thought; then added. Rachel. we
must get out of this and ride for Dur
ban. at once-at once: the white people
will protect you there"
Who will bury my father and mother?"
she asked in the same cold voice.
II do not know. it does not matter the
living are more than the dead. I can
return and see TO it afterward."
You are right she answered. Then
she knelt down by the bed and lifting
her beautiful. agonized face, put up some
silent prayer. Next she rose and kissed
first her father and then her mother.
kissed their dead brows in last fare
we'll and turned to go. AS she went her
eyes fell upon the assegai that lay near
to the dead Zulu STOPPING down. she
on to the stoep. Here her strength
seemed to fail. for she reeled against the
wall, then with an effort flung herself
into Richards arms moaning:
nn1,- Iaft Dnl,n
If you were taken from me also. what
would become of me?"
A moment later she became aware that
the stoep was swarming with men who
seemed to arise out of the shadows A
voice said in the Kaffir tongue:
Seize that white fellow and bind him.
Instantly. before he could do anything.
before he could even turn, Richard was
torn from her struggling furiously, and
thrown to the ground. Rachel sprang to
the wall and stood with her back to it.
raising the spear she held. 1t flashed
into her mind that these We're Zulus, and
of Zulus she was not afraid.
What dogs are these?" she cried. that
dare to lift a hand against the Inkosa-
Zana and her SerVant?'
The black men about her swayed and
murmured. then made way for a man
who walked up the steps of the stoep.
The moonlight fell upon him and she
saw that it was lshmael.
Rachel" he said. taking off his hat
politely. these are my people. We saw
that white scoundrel assault you. and of
course seized him at once. AS YOU know.
a dreadful thing has happened here This
afternoon the ZuuS killed your father
anil mother. or. rather. they killed your
father, and your mother who was ill. died
of the shock. because they refused to 20
to Iululand, whittier Dingaan had or
dered that they should be taken. So.
seeing that YOU were travelling here
came to rescue YOU, lest you should
fall into their hands and he added lame
ly. YOU know the rest"
Ishmael had spoken in English. but
Rachel answered in Zulu.
Il know all. Night -prowler.' she cried
aloud II know that my father and
mother were killed by your order, and
in Your presence, their spirits told me
50 but now and for that crime l SEN
tencr YOU To DEATH and she pointed at
him with the spear. Heaven above
and earth beneath she went on. bear
witness that | sentence this man to
death. People of the ZuluS, hear me in
your kraals far away. Hear me, Din
saap, sitting in your great place. Hear
me, every captain and induna. hear the
voice of your Inkosazana. | sentence
this man 10 death. since because of him
there is blood between me and my peo-
pie the blood of my father and my
mother Now. ight-prowler do your
worst before you die. but know this. you
his servants, that If I am harmed. or If
this white man, the chief Darlo, Is
harmed, then you shall de also, every
one OF you. What is your will. Night
prowler?
Il will tell you that at Mafooti." an
swered Ishmael, trying to look bold. Il
am not afraid of you like those Zulu
savages. and Dingaan is Il long way off.
Will you come quietly? l hope SO. for
] don't want TO hurt you or put you TO
shame, but you've got to come. and this
Dario. too. If you make any trouble /
will have him killed at once. Under
stand Rachel. that If you don't come he
shall he killed at once. My people may
be afraid OF YOU but they won't mind
cutting his throat. he added sisnifi-
cantly
Never mind about me- said Richard
in Il choked voice from the ground where
he was pinned down by the kaffirs. DO
what YOU think best for yourself. Rachel.
Now. Rachel. whose wits were made
keen by doubt and anguish. looked at
the faces of the natives about her. and
even in that dim moonlight read them
like book. AS she could always do. She
saw that they were afraid of her. and
tha' il she commanded them they would
let her 20 free whatever their master
might say do. But she saw. also. that
Ishmael spoke truth when he declared
that they had no such dread of Richard