The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-17

was curious. but in that high-walIed place she could not see it well. Now from the top of the hut the view would be better Yes.<and Ishmael was com ing to visit her. Well. they would meet for the last time on the top of the nut She was rot afraid of him. not at all. but it would be strange to see him scram bling up the hut. and they would talk there for little while with their faces close together. till-ah! till what? Till something strange hap pened. something unhappy for Ish- mael. Oh! no. no. she would not kill herself. she would wait to see what it was that happened to Ishmael. that strange thing which she knew so well. and yet could not remember.
 How easy this hut was to climb. cat could not have run uo with less trouble. Now she stood on the top of 1t, her srear in one hand. and holding with the other to the pole that was set there to scare away the lightn ng; wild beasts licking the clouds w11h their red tongues.
 The beasts grew weary of tapping up clouds. Their appetites were satisfied for a while. at any rate she saw their tongues no more. The air was very hot and heavy, and the darkness very dense. it seemed to press about her as though she were plunged in cream. Yet Rachel thought that she heard sounds through it. a sound of feet to the west and a sound of feet to the east.
 Then she heard another sound. that of the door. in the wall opening. and of a saft. tentative footfall. like to the football of a uuesting fowl. She knew 1t at once. for now her senses were sharper than those of any savage: it was the step of Ibubesf. the Night prowler- She felt inclined to laugh; it was so funny to think of herself stand- ing there on the top Of a hut while the slunk about below look Inc if rhn berinE the dreadful noise when all the Heavens began to laugh in answer So she was silent. for the Heavens do not reverberate silence. althoueh she could hear her own thoughts passing throu- h them. passing up one by one on their 1. Infinite tourney
 Listen! He was walking round and | round the yard. He went to the bench l beneath the tree and felt along 1t with | his fingers to see if she were there. | Now he was entering the hut and | yroping at the bedStead. and now he | had kindled a light. for the rays of 1t shone faintly up through the smoke 1ole. Discovering nothing. he came ,ut again. leaving the lamp burning within. and called her softly.
 Rachel" he said. Rachel. where Ire you?"
 There was no answer. and he began o talk to himself.
 Has she got away?" he muttered. Some of them have gone, I know. the cOWdTdly IOOiS. INO. It lS IlOb possible, the watcn was too good, un- ess she is really spirit. and has melted. as spirits do. hope not. for so she will haunt me. and I want Ter company in the flesh. not in the pirit- I ought to have it. too. for it las cost me pretty dear. She must rave bewitched me. or why should I nave risked everything for her. just me white woman who hates the sight # me? The devil is at the back of it. This was his road from the first
 So he went on until Rachel could 'ear it no more. the thing was too .bsurd.
 "Yes. yes" she said from the top [ f the hut. This road from the first. nd it ends not far away. at the red 'ates of. Hell. Night-prowler."
 The man below gasDed. and fell .gainSt the fence
 Whose voice is thAt? Where are ou?" he asked of the air.
 Then as there was mo answer. he .dded: ''It sounded like Hschel. but it poke above me. I suppose that she as killed herself I thought she mivht. ut. better that she should be dead han belong to that fellow. Only then Vhy does she speak?"
 He started to feel his way towards he hut, perhaps to fetch the lamp. vhen suddenly the skies behind were lumined in a blaze of light. a. broad low blaze that endured for several By it the eyes of Rachel.
  hings. From her perch on the top of he hut she saw the town of Mafooi. ,n the plain tosthe west she saw ! umber of black dots. which she took 9 be people and cattle travelling away rom the town. In the nek to the east he saw more dots. each of them crest d with white. and carrying some hing white. Surely it was a Zulu npi marchingi Some of these dots ad come to the wall of the town: yes. nd some of them were the crest f it, while yet others were creeping own its main street not hundred ards away.
 Also these caught sight of some l hing, for they paused and seemed to l all together as though in fear. Last 7, just before the light went out, she erceived Ishmael in the tyard below, laring up at her, for he. too. had zen her, seen her standing above him the air, the spear in her hands and ! her eyes, fire. eSBut-of the dots toi e had seen nothing. He appeared to i all to his knees and remain there ( Then the Heavens blazed , gain, for the storm was coming up, ' nd by the flare of them he read the 2 ruth. This was no ghost, but the l wing woman.
 "Oh!'' he said, recovering himself, |, that's where you've got to, is it? ome down, Rachel, and let us talk"
 She made no answer, none at all. 2
  e would do. For quite a long while e harangued her from below, walk lg round and round the hut Then length in despair he began to climb But in that darkness which now nd again turned to dazzling light, un- ke Rachel, he found the task m- 1lt and once, missing his hold, he II to the ground heavily. Finding is feet he rushed at the hut with n oath, and clutching the straw and le grass strings that bound it, strug- led almost to the top, to be met by ,e point of Rachel's spear held at is face. There then he hung, look lg like a toad on the slope of rock, nable to advance because of that ,ear, and unwilling to go down, lest is labeur must be begun again.
 Rachel" he said, "corne down, achel. Whatever I have done has , cen for your sake, come down and II me that you forgive me- She laughed out loud, wild, laugh, for really he looked ri Inc