Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-09
CHAPTER II-Ccntinued.


above everything else; but tonight l
wish that your life belonged TO me
above anything else"
Their eyes met. and child though she
was Rachel saw something in those of
Richard that caused her to turn her head.
Where are you going?" she asked.
quickly.
Back to my fathers farm ii GRAFT
Reine;, to sell the ivory. There are three
others besides my father-two Beers and
one Englishman."
"And I am going to Natal. where You
come from" she answered, 80 I suppose
that after tonight we shall never see each
other again, although my life does belong
to you-that is. If We escape
Just then the tempest, which had lulied
little came again in fury. accom-
panied by q hurricane of wind and deluge
of rain, through which the lightning
blazed necessarily. The thunderclaps. too.
were so loud and constant that the sound
of them. which shook the earth. made II
impossible for Richard and Rachel to
hear each other speak So they wers
silent perforce. Only Richard rose and
looked out of the cave, then turned and
beckoned 10 his companion. She came
to him and watched, till suddenly a ollnd-
ing sheet of flame lit up the Whole land
scape. Then she saw what he was look
ing at, for now nearly all the island ex-
Cept that high part of 1t on which tney
stood was under water. hidden oy
brown seething torrent that tore past
them to the sea.
drowned" he shouted in her ear
She nodded, then cried back:
Let us say our prayers and get ready,
for it seemed to Rachel that the glory
Of which her father spoke so often was
nearer to them than ever.
Then she drew him back into the cave
and motioned to him to kneel beside her,
which ne did bashfuly enough, ana 1or
while the two children. Tor they were
little more remained thus with ciasped
hands and moving lips. Presently the
thunder lessened a little so that once
more they could hear each other speak.
What did you pray about?' he asked,
when they had risen from their knees
& prayed that you might escape ana
that nv mother might not grieVe Tor me
too much" she answered, simply Ana
you?''
Il? Oh, the same-that You might
as she is dead. and l forgot about IA
Their"
Look. look" exclaimed Rachel.
pointing to the mouth of the cave.
He stared out at the darkness. and
there, through the thin flames OF the
which appeared to be walking up ana
down and glaring into the cave.
Lions he gasped. snatching al his
gun.
make them angry. Perhaps they only
want to take refuge like ourselves. The
| fire will keep them away
| He nodded then remembering that
| the charge and printing of his Hint-
| lock roer must be damp, hurriedly set
to work by the help OF Rachel to draw
, 1t with the screw on the end of his
| ramrod, and this done. to reload with
some powder that he had already
| placed TO dry on fiat stone near the
| FIRE This operation took five minutes
| or more. When at length 1t was finish
| ed and the lock- reprinted with the dry
| powder the two of them Richard hold
| ing the roer, creDt to the mouth OF me
| cave and looked out again.
| The great storm was passing now
and the rain grew thinner. but from
! time to time the lightning, no longer
| forked or chain shaped. hared IN "loe
| sheets BY ats ghastly Illumination
! they saw a. strange sight. There on
| the island top the two lions marched
backward and forward as though they
were in cage, making d Kind of Whlrn-
| pering noise as they went. and staring
! round them uneasily. Moreover. these
we're not alone. for gathered there
were various other animals, driven
down by the flood from the Islands
above them. reed and water bucks acd
| a great Gland. Among these the lions
| walked without making the slightest
| effort to attack them, nor did the ante
! lopes. which stood smiling and staring
| at the torrent. take any notice OF the
| lions. orr attempt to escape
| You are right" said Richard, they
are all frightened and will not harm
rs unless the water rises more, and
Trey rush into the cave. Come. mai =
up the fire.
! They did So and sat down on its fur
| ther side, watching till. as nothing hap
| neued. their dread of the lions passed
| away. and they began to talk again,
/ telling to each other the stories OF thei.
lives.
! Richard Darrien. it seemed. had been
| in Africa about five years. his faith er
having emisrated there on the death
of his mother. as he had nothing bat
the half-pay of a retired nava! captain
and he hoped to better his fortunes IN
"A new land He had been granted 4
farm in the Graf Renet district, but
like many other of the early settlers
met with misfortune. Now. to make
money. he had taken to elephant hunt
ing, and with his partners WAS just Re
4 turning from a very successful eXpe-
:, dition in the coast lands of Natal. at
that time an almost uneXplOred terri
tory. His father had allowed Richard
to accompany the party. but when they
got back. added the boy with sorrow
) years to the college at Cape Town
since until then his father had not beer
able to afford him the luxury of AT
education. Afterward he wished min
to adopt Il profession. but on this point
he-Richard-had made up his mind
although at present he said little abou'
that He would be a hunter. and moth
ing else, until he grew too old to hunt
when he intended to take to farming.
His story done, Rachel told him hers
to which he listened eagerly.
rs your father mad?" he asked, wher
she had finished.
NO" she answered. How dare yor
suggest it? He is only very good
much better than any body else"
Well, 1t seems to come to much the
same thing. doesn't it?' said Richard
for otherwise he would not have sem
YOU to gather gooseberrieS here with
| such storm coming on.
Then why did your father send yoy
to hunt lions with such storm coming
on?' she asked.
HE didn't send me. / came of my
, self; / said that I wanted to shoot :
buck. and finding the spOor OF a 1lGf
III followed it. The wagons must be
long way ahead now. for when l Lex
them ] returned to that hoof where
mad seen the buck. l don't know how
shall ovyrtalse them again, and Ger
tainly nobody will ever think of look
ing for me here. as after this rain thcl
! can't spoor the horse.
..Supposing YOU don't find til mea,
| YOUR horse--tnmorrow. what shall you
do?" asked Rachel. We haven't go
any to lend YOU.
walk and try to catch them up" m