The Washington times., 1920-03-21

that encircles the great plain OF
Kor, and descending rapidly To q
sheltered spot on the outer slope
where our camp was TO be set for
the night.
Not very far from this place, as
! think | have mentioned. stood. and
suppose still stands. a very Gu
rious pinnacle Of rock. which. doubt
less being OF some harder sort, had
remained when, hundreds of thou
sands or millions Of years before
the surrounding lava had been
washed or corroded away. This
rock pillar was perhaps fifty feet
high and as smooth as though II
had been worked by man.
AS we went by II for the second
time the sun had already disap-
peared behind the western elf. but
a fierce ray from Its sinking orb.
struck upon a storm-cloud that hung
over US. thence was reflected In q,
glow of angry light Of which the
focus or centre seemed 20 fall upon
the summit OF this strange and ODE
lisk-like pinnacle Of rock.
At the time l was out of my lit
ter and walking with Umslopogaas
at the end of the line, to make sure
that no one struggled In the on
coming darkness. When we had
passed the column by some forty
or fifty yards something caused
Umslopogaas to turn and look back.
He uttered an exclamation which
made me follow his example with
the result that saw very Won
derful thing. For there on the point
of the pillar like st. Simeon Stylites
on his famous column, glowing in
the sunset rays as though she were
on fire. stood Ayesha herself.
1t was a strange and in a way
glorious sight, since poised thus
between earth and heaven, she
looked like some glowing angel
rather than a woman, standing as
size seemd to do upon the darkness.
since the shadows save for the
faintest outline, had swallowed up
The column that supported her.
Moreover, In the intense, rich light
that was focused on her. we could
see every detail Of her form and
face, for she was unveiled, and even
her large and tender eyes. which
gazed upward emptily at this mo-
ment, they seemed very tender, yes,
and the little gold studs that gilt
tered on her sandals and the shine
~ Of the snake girdle she wore about
her waist.
We stared and stared till / said,
inconsequently:
Learn, Umslopogaas, what a liar
is that old Billali, who told me that
She-whocommands had departed
from Kor to her own place"
perhaps this rock edge is her
own place, IL she be there at all.
Macumazahn."
III she be there answered
angrily, for my nerves we're at once
thrilled and torn. Speak not
empty words, Umslopogaas, for
where else can she be when we
see her with our eyes"
Who am I that / should know
the ways of witches who, like the
winds, are able to go and come as
they will, and can a woman run
up a wall of rock like a lizard,
Macumazahn?
Doubtless and began
some explanation which have for
gotten, when a passing cloud. or
] know not what, cut of the light
so that both the pinnacle and she
who stood on 1t became invisible.
A minute later it returned for q
little while. and there was the
point Of the needle-shaped rock.
but 1t was empty, as, save for the
birds that rested there, 1t had been
since the beginning of the world.
Then Umslopogaas and I shook
our heads and pursued our way in
silence.
This was the last that / saw of
the glorious Ayesha. IL indeed I
did see her and not her ghost.
Yet 1t is true that for all the first
part Of the journey, till we were
through the great swamp indeed,
MIN tiiiC w tiiDC was SohSClouSs
or imagined that / was conscious
OF her presence.
It IS not necessary that I should
give all the details of our long
homeward journey, so / will only
say that having dismissed our
bearers and escort when we
reached higher ground beyond the
horrible swamp, keeping only one
litter for Inez in which the Zulus
carried her when she was tired, we
accomplished It in complete safety
and having crossed the Zambezi, at
last one evening reached the house
called Strathmuir.
Here we found the wagon and
oxen quite safe and were well
coined rapturously by my Zulu
driver and the roorIooper, who had
made up their minds that we were
III