Evening star., 1909-03-14

eyes. forget your blindness. and feet your
wanderings. Grow fat and laugh; in
crease and multiply: for the curse we give
you a blessing. such is the will OF the
Mother of the Trees
NAY. nay" cried Rachel when she
understood their words, "believe him not.
We starvelings. Such is the will Of the
Inkosazana OF the Zillus she who has
lost her spirit and anOthers. and travels
all this weary way to find them.'
Then her madness seemed to come upon
her again. for she tossed her arms on
high and burst into one of her wild fits
OF laughter. But those whom she had
redeemed needed it not. for they ran
to her. and since they dared not touch
her. or even her robe kissed the ground
on which she had stood and blessed her.
Moreover from that moment they began
to mend and within few days were
changed folk. This Mole knew. for they
followed up Rachel to the confines of the
desert, and she saw it with her eyes Also
the fame of the deed spread among the
Cmkulu people who groaned under the
cruel rule of the ghost-kfngs. and mad
or sane from that day forward they
had done and like the Zulus believed her
to be a spirit. No mere human being
they declared, could have lifted off the
curse of the Mother of the Trees from
those upon whom il had fallen.
Thenceforward Eddo. PAM and Hama
would not suffer such suppliants to ap-
proach the camp. Also when they seized
number of men because these had con-
spired together 10 rebel against the ghost
people. and brought them on toward
their own country for a certain purpose
they forced them to act as bearers like
the Others SO that Rachel might not
guess their doom. For now, with al
their power they also were afraid OF
this white 1nkosazana. as Dingaan haG
been afraid.
So they travelled up this endless slope
of fertile land. leaving all the kraals OF
the giant Emkulus behind them, and one
morning at the dawn camped upon tho
edge of terrible desert; place of dr.!
sands and s,In-blasted rocks, that lookeC
like the bottom Of Il drained ocean. where
no. hing lived save the fire lizards anc
certain venomous snakes that buriet
themselves i'm the sand. all except theil
heads, and only crawled out at night
After the people of the Umkulus this hor-
rible waste was the great defense OF
he ghost kings. whose country it ringec
about, since none could pass II without
guides and water. Indeed. Noie had beer
forced TO stay here for days with heI
escort until the Mother of the Trees
learning OF her coming in some strange
fashion, had sent priests and guards tc
bring her TO her land. But the Zulus who
were with her they did not bring. except
one witch doctor TO bear witness to hel
/
kulus till she should return, nor were
| those Zuus sorry who had already heart
enough of the magic of the ghost kings
and feared to come face TO face will
them
! But it is true that they also feared the
| | mkuus whom. because of their grea
size and the ferceness of their air. tn.
Zuius took to he evil spirits, though i
! this were so. they could not understan,
why they should obey a handful of gray
| dWarfs who lived far from them beyont
the desert. Still these Cmkulus did then
| no harm. for on her return Noie fount
them all safe and we'll
! That afternoon Rachel and the dwarf
plunged into the dreadful wilderness
/ heading straight for the ball of the sink
ing sun. Here. although she wished t.
| DO so. she was not allowed to walk fol
fear lest the serpents should bite her
said t.ddo. but must journey in the litte
Win Nole. So they entered it and Wer.
| borne forward at d great pace the bearer:
! taNeihS al run and being otter
changed Also many other bearers came
| WIN them. and on the shoulders of eaci
OF them was strapped hide bag o
water. Of this they soon discovered tn,
reason. for the sand of that wilderness.
| was white with salt: the air also SCENE.
TO be full of salt. that the thirst O
| those who travelled there was sharp an,
| constant. and If 1t could not be satisfie,
| they died
| tTo be continued tomorrow