Evening star., 1909-03-09
CHAPTER XVII.
Rachel Loses Her Spirit.

Rachel Loses Her Spirit.
A little while later Mani entered and
| said that she had been sent by 1bubesi to
serve the Inkosazana as a messenger,
should she need one. Rachel. seated on
the bench. motioned to her to 60 into the
hut and bide there, and she obeyed.
Minute by minute the time ebbed away,
and still Rachel sat motionless on the
bench. Toward the end OF the third
hour some one unbolted and knocked at
the door. Mani opened It and reported
that 1bubesi stood without. and desired
to know whether she had any word for
him.
None" answered Rachel. remember
ing her oath, and the door was barred
again.
After this a great silence seemed to
fall upon the place. The sky was gray
with distant rain. and the air heavy, and
whatever may have been the cause, no
To Rachel's- strained nerves it seemed
as though the Angel of Death had spread
his wings above the town. There she sat
paralyzed. wondering what evil thing was
being worked upon her lover; wondering
II she had done right to give him as a
sacrifice to this savage in order to save
herself from dreadful iwrong-wonderinz.
wondering I'll, the powers Of her mind
seemed to die within her. leaving it
gray and empty as the gray and empty
Night drew on and the. setting sun.
bursting throug gh the envelope OF cloud,
filled earth and sky with fire. and il
came into Rachers heart. she knew not
whence. that fire was near. that soon it
would swallow up all this place. p -.
Look! the door was opening; it swung
wide. and through 1t advanced eight Kaf-
frs. CARRYING something on a litter made
with blanket of bark. They drew near
to her with bent heads. and set down
their burden at her Ieet. Then one
of them lifted the blanket, revealing the
body CT Richard Darrien and saying in
an rawed voice: 80 =
"Inkosazana, Ibubesi sends you this to
look on to show you that he keeps his
word. Later he will visit you himself"
Rachel knelt down by the litter of shields
and looked at Richards face. The stamp
CT death was on it. She felt his hand.
it was turning cold: she felt his heart
1t did not boat
Show me this dead lords wounds"
she said in an awful whisper. that
'Inkosazana." said the spokesman. she
has no wound"
How. then. did he die? Strange that
he should die.' and I not feel his spirit
'Inkosazana. .te.was thirsty. and drank
then he died..
So so! he was slain by poison and I
have no poison. Mami come forth and
look On the EnlC0 iOf0 whom lDuOeS1 mas
murdered by poison"
The woman Mani. who had been sleep
ing in the hut. awoke and obeyed. She
saw. and walled aloud.
Woe to Mafooti!" she cried. like one
DWELL therein. for now vengeance, red
vengeance, shall fall on them from
| heaven. The blood OF the innocent is
Is upon Them, the curse Of the 1nkosa-
is upon them. the curse Of the Inkasa-
90 ts tIA ~ IA 1,,1 10
are upon them. Slay the st'wana- the wild
beast-Ibslbesi. and fly, people Of Mafooti.
| ny. fy with that dead thing. Leave 1t not
| here to bear witness against you. Garry
Bury it in a valley that no man can
find: bury It in the black water, lest it
should arise and bear witness against
you. Leave 1t not here. but let tho dark
ness cover it and ny with 1t into the
to the door and through It.
The light from the sunk sun went out.
smothered in the gathering thunder
clouds. Through the gloom the terrified
bearers muttered to each ether
Throw 1t down and away said one.
Nay" answered another. wisdom has
come to Mani. her ehlose has spoken to
her. Take it with you. lest 1t should re-
main to bear witness against u.s."
Remember what the Zulu swore." said
third, that il harm came to this lord
they would kill all down to the rats.
Take 1t away so that it may not be
found. II you meet 1bubesi spear him.
II not. leave him the vengeance for his
share"
Now. moved as though by common
impulse, the bearers cast back the
blanket over the corpse. and lifting the
litter. departed at a run. The door was
shut and bolted behind them, and dark
ness fell upon the earth.
For while Rachel stood still in the
darkness.
! Now I am alone" sire said in a quiet
voice, yet to her ears the words seemed
to be uttered with roar of thunder that
| echoed through the armament and
pierced upward to the feet OF Cod
Then suddenly something snapped in her
brain and she was changed The horror
well and strong. so we'll that she laughed
aloud. and again that laugh filed earth
and heaven. Oh! she was hungry. and
food stood on a table nearby. She sprang
drank. muttering to herself, Richard
drank before he died. Let me drink also
and cease to be alone
| Her meal finished. she walked up and
down the place singing song. that
seemed to be caught up triumpha ntly by
a million voices, the voices OF all who
had ever lived and died. Their awful
music stunned her and she ceased. Look!
Wild beasts wearing the face Of Tbubesi
| were licking the clouds with their tongues
| walled place she could not see 1t we'll.
Now from the top OF the hut the view
would be better. Yes, and Ishrnael was
coming to visit her. Well, they would
meet for the last time on the top of the
| hut. She was not afraid OF him. not
at all. but 1t would be strange to gee him
scramblng up the hut, and they would
talk there for a little while with their
faces close together tiH-ah. till what? +?
Till something strange happened. some
thing unhappy for Ishmael. Oh! no, no..
she would not kill herself she would
wait to see what 1t was that happened to
Ishmael that strange thing which she
knew so well, and yet could not remem-
Der.
How easy this hut was TO climb. cat
could not have run up with less trouble.
| Now she stood on the top OF II. her spear
| in one hand. and holding with the other to
| the pole that was.set there to scare away
the lightning: stood for a long time
watching the wild beasts licking the
| clouds with 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
| soft. tentative football like to the foot
| fall of a questing wolf. She knew it
| at once. for now her senses were sharper
| than those of any savage: 1t was the
step OF Ibubesi, the Night-prowler. She