Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-13

nlZe1 that the stripes were iiioSt W IL
Ishmael's trousers. Yes. there WAS 10
doubt about it, Mr.. lshmael. wearing
rough coat istcad of his lion SKIN. but
with the rest of his attire unchang'd.
was gallopinE down upon her furtou0lN.
leading a riderleSs horse. Remembering
her wet and dishevelled hair. Rachel
threw the towel over il. wh"nc" ~
hung like an old Egyptian head-dreE',
setting her beautiful face in "A most he
coming frame Next she picked NJ
the double barreled gun aud cooked
it Cor she misdoubted her of this man :
Intentions Not many modern books
came her way. hut she had read storlrS
Of young women who were carried "ii
by force.
For an instant she was frightened.
but as she lifted the hammer of tie
second barrel her constitutional cour-
age returned.
Let him try it" she thought to her.
self IF he had come ten minutes axe
il would have been awful, but now /
don't care
BY this time Mr.. Ishmael had arrived
and was dragging his horse TO rs
launches. also she saw that evldentiy
he was much more frightened than she
had been. The mans handsome fa~.
was quite white. and his lips wer,
trembling. Perhaps that rhinoceros ~
after him again" thought Rachel, then
added aloud quietly:
What is the natter"
Forgive me-" he answered I'm a ricn.
and to Rachers establishment, perfectly
educated voice. forgive me for dis
turbing you. 1 am ashamed, but II il
necessary. The Zulus-" and ne
paused.
Well. sir" asked Rachel. what
about the Zulus?"
"A regiment of them are coming
down here on the warpath. They arc
hunting fugitives. The fugitives, about
fifty of them, passed my camp over an
hour ago, and I saw that Impi follow
/
told me you were down by the
came to bring you back to your wagon
lest you should be cut off"
Thank you very much. said Rachel
But l am not afraid of the Zulus.
do not think that they will hurt me"
Not hurt you, Not hurt you. White
and beautiful as you are Why not
'Oh! l don't know she replied with
laugh, but you see | am called In
kosazana- y-Zoola. They won't touch one
with that name
'InkosaZana-yZoola," he repeated.
tonished. why. she is their Spirit. yes.
and remember-white like you. so they
say How did you get that name? But
mount. mount. They will kill you first.
and ask how you We're called afterward.
Your father is much afraid"
! MY mother would not he afraid she
| knows" muttered Rachel to herself. as
she sprang to the saddle of the led horse.
| Then, without more words. they began
| to gallop back toward the camp. Before
| they reached the crest of the second rise
| the sun shone out in earnest, thinning
| the seward mist, although between them
and the camp it still hung thick. Then
suddenly in the fog-edge Rachel saw this
| sight. Toward them ran delicately
| shaped and beautiful native girl, naked
| except for her mocha and of a very
| light, copper color, whilst after her,
| brandishing an assegai. came Zulu war
rior. Evidently the girl was in the last
| stage of exhaustion; indeed she reeled
4 Ia~ nfrtp1 nd
from her lips and her eyes seemed to be
| starting from her head.
Come on" shouted the man called Ish-
mael. 1T is only one of the fugftiyes
whom they are killing.
| But Rachel did nothing of the sort: she
pulled up her horse and waited. The girl
| caught sight Of her and with a wild.
| hoarse scream. redoubled her efforts. so
close was left behind. She reached
| Rachel and flung her arms about her legs
gasping:
save me. white lady. save me-"
"Shoot her if she won't leave go"
shouted Ishmeal. land come on"
But Rachel only sprang from the horse
and stood face TO face with the advdnc-
! ing Zulu.
stand" she said. and the man stopped.
Now she asked, what do you want
| with this woman"
| "To take her or to kill her. gasped tho
| soldier
by whose ORDER?
"Ry order of Dngaan, the king.
| For what crime?'
''Witchcraft: but who are you who
| question me, white woman?
Zone whom you must obey answered
! Rachel proudly. Go back and leave the
! girl. She is mine"
! The man stared at her. then laughed
aloud and began to advance again.
Go back repeated Rachel.
! He took no heed. but still came on.
sc
third time.
81 shall certainly die if I go back to
! Dingaan without the girl. replied the
soldier, who was bold looking savage
! Now YOU Mole. will YOU return with me.
or shall kill You? Say, WITCH and liz
lifted his assegai
The girl sank in heap upon the weld.
KILL she murmured family. Il Will not
| go back I did not bewitch him to make
| him dream of me. and will be Death
wife. not his; ghost in his kraal, not a
woman
Good" said the man. 81 will carry
Your word to the king. Farewell Noie
and he raised the assegai still higher.
adding: stand aside, white woman, Tor
| have no order to kill you also
BY way of answer Rachel put the gun
! OF her shoulder and pointed II AT him.
Are you mad?" shouted lshmaeL III
! You touch him they will murder every one
! of us. Are you mad!
Are you a coward" she asked quietly,
I without tdKlnS neT eyes Oh tit S''i'l't.
! Then she said in Zulu. Listen. The lana
! on this side of the Trgela has been given
, by Dineaan to the English. Here he mas
| no right to kill This girl is mine, not
! his Come one step nearer and you die
I'VE shall soon see who will die. an
| swered the warrior with a laugh, and he
| sprang forward.
| They were his last words. Rachel
aimed and pressed the trigger, the gun
exploded heavily in the mist. the Zulu
| loaned into the air and fell upon ms
back dead. The white man. Ishmaei.
rode to them pulled up his horse and
sat still, staring. 1t was a strange pic
! ture in that lonely, silent spot. The
soldier so very still and dead. his face
| hidden by the shield that had fallen
across it: the tall white girl, rigid as
a statue, in whose hand the gun still
smoked the delicate. fragile kaff1r
/ maiden kneeling on the weld and look
| ing at her wildly as though she were
spirit and the two horses, one with
his ears pricked in curiosity. and the
other already cropping grass
| "Nv God. What have you dOne?" eN-
claimed Ishmael.
| Justice answered Rachel
| Then your blood be on your own
head. I am not going to stop here
| to have my throat cut.
Don't" answered Rachel. "I nave
y better guardian than YOU. and Will
| look after my own blood"
| To this speech the white man seemed
| to be able to find no answer Turning
! his horse he galloped off swearing, but
not toward the camp. whereon the
other horse ealloped after him and