Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-16
CHAPTER VI-Continued.

Il have always imagined that did.
Mr. Ishmael." replied the missionary in
a cold voce.
Then do YOU wish to see their Threats
cut before your eyes, or, and he looked
at Rachel. worse"
How can YOU ask such questions?
said Mr.. Dove. Indignantly. of course
] know that there are risks among all
wild peoples but I trust to Providence
to protect us
Nj Ishmael puffed at his pipe and
swore to himself in Zulu
Yes. he said. when he had recovered
a little. so suppose did Seyapi and his
people. but YOU have been burying them
this afternoon--havent you?-all except
the girl, Mole. whom you have sheltered.
for which deed Dinsaan will bury YOU
all if YOU go into Zululand, or. rather.
throw you TO the vultures. Don't think
that your being an umfundusi-I mean a
teacher-will save you. The Almighty
Himself can't save you there. You will
be dead and forgotten In month.
What's more you will have to drive
your own wagon in, for your kaffirs
won't; they know better. A Bible won't
turn the place OF an aSSeS2l.
Please MIR Ishmael; please do not
speak $3.50 irreligiously,' said Mr.. Dove
in an irritated but nervous voice. You
do not seem to understand that / have
a mission to perform, and if that should
involve martyrdom-"
On, bother martyrdom. which is what
you are after. no doubt. casting down
your golden crown upon a crystal sea,
and the rest Of i'll remember the stuff.
The question is, do you wish to murder
your wife and daughter. for that's the
plain English of it,
OF course not. How can you suggest
such a thing?
Then you had better not cross the
Tugela. Go back to Durham, or stop
where you are. at least. for, unless he
finds out anything. Dingaan is not likely
to interfere with white man on this
side of the river
That would involve abandoning my
mos. cherished ambition. and impulses
that-but | will not speak to you Of things
which perhaps you might not under
stand.
Il daresay shouldn't. but l do under
stand what it feels like to have your
nec,, twisted out Of joint. Look here.
sir. if you want to go to Zululand you
should go alone: it is no place for white
la dies
swered Mr.. Dove. Il believe that their
faith will be equal to this trial. and
he looked at his wife almost imploringly.
For once, however. she failed him.
My dear John" she said. IF you want
my opinion, 1 think that this gentleman
is quite right. For myself. I don't care
much: but it can never have been in
tended that we should absolutely throw
away our lives. l have always given way
to you. and followed YOU to many strange
places without grumbling, although. as
you know. We might be quite comfortable
NJ i'm oil
town. Now | say that l think you ought
not TO go to Zululand. especially as there
is Rachel to think of"
"Oh. don't trouble about me- inter-
rupted that young lady, with shrus
of her shoulders. II can take my chance
as | have often done before-today. for
instance
But / do trouble about you, my dear.
although it is true | don't believe that
you will be killed: you know. | have
always said So Still l do trouble, and
she added in kind of pitt
full cry. cant you see that you have
worn me out? Can't you understand that
| am getting Old and weak? Is there
nobody to whom YOU have duty as
we'll as to the heather? Are there not
gathering passion. IF you must mix
with them. do what this gentleman says,
and stop here: that is, if you won't go
back. Build a house and let us have
a little peace before we die. for death
will come soon enough. and terribly
d fit of weeping.
MY dear" said Mr.. Dove. you arc
upset: the unhappy occurrences of today.
we but know it-are doubtless
all for the best. and your anxiety for
Rachel have been too much for you.
think that you had better go to bed. and
you. too, Rachel. l will talk the matter
over further with Mr.. Ishmael. who. per-
haps. has been sent to guide me. l am
not unreasonable, s you think, and If he
can convince me that there is any risk
to your lives-for my own l care nothing
[ will consider the suggestion of building
a mission station outside ZUuland. at any
rate for a few years. 1t may be that it
is not intended that We should enter that
country at present
So Mrs. Dove and her daughter went.
but for two hours or more Rachel heard
her father and the hunter talking earnest
ly. and wondered in sleepy fashion to
what conclusion he had come. Personal
ly. she did not mind much on which
side of the Tugela they were to live. If
they must bide at all in the region of
that river. Still. for her mothers sake
she determined that if she could bring
II about, they should stay where they
were. Indeed. there was no choice be
tween this and returning to England. as
her father had quarreled too bitterly with
his taking up his residence among them
again.
When Rachel woke on the following
the first thing she saw in the
growing light was the orphaned native
Mole. seated on the further side Of the
little tent her head resting upon her
hand. and gazing at her vacantly. Rachel
her a while. pretending to be
still asleep. and for the first time under
stood how beautiful this girl was in her
own fashion. Although small. that is in
with most kaffir women, she
was perfectly sha ped and developed. Her
soft skin in that light looked almost
white, although it had about it nothing
Of the muddy color of the halfbreed: her
hair was long, black and curly and worn
not forced into artificial shapes
as Is common among the kaffirs. Her
features were finely cut and intellectual
and her eyes, shaded by long lashes.
oblong in shape, of brown
color. and soft as those OF a buck. Ger
tainly for a native she was lovely. and
what is more, quite unlike any Bantu
that Rachel had ever seen, except indeed
that dead man whom she said was her
father and who, although ne was so