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V ^' ul-

--^"iltfHlBiiiij '

(

/ y

•^^ ^^\:^^ ^ - '■ •/ yy

ALLANS WIFE.

— BT-

H. RIDER HAGGARD, )

" << OTT-Bi " «< 1VCU " ((

AUTHOR OF "CLEOPATRA, "SHE, "JESS, "KING SOLOMONS

MINES," ETC.

Entered according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the Office of the Minister o
Agriculture, by William Bryce, in the year on^ thousand eight hundred
and eighty-nine

_.. TORONTO:
WILLIAM BRYCE, PUBLISHER.
1889.

i3f

2r.n702

LIST OF FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAOE.

((

WE SPOKE NO WORD — WE HAD NO WORDS TO

SPEAK.

ON RUSHED THE ELEPHANT, AWFUL TO SEK

Frontispiece.
38

ON RUSHED THE ZULUS RIGHT UP TO THE LAAgER,

STRIVING TO FORCE A WAY IN " . . ()2

**SEE, SIR, HERS IS WATER IN YOUR OWN BOTTLE "

((

we said the words, i placed the ring upon
Stella's finger, and it was done "

139

SHE GAVE ONE CRY, THEN AS I CAUGHT HER IN MY

▲RMS 8HB FAINT BD

. 170

rioNS.

PAOK.

ntispiece.

:r,

88
139

170

** We ipoke no word— we had no words to Bpeak."

DEDICATION.

My Dear Macumazahn,--

It was from you that I borrowed the native name of that
Allan who has become as well known to me as any other
friend I have. It is therefore fitting that I should dedicate
to you this, his last talo — the story of his wife, and the
history of some further adventures which befel him. They
will remind you of many an African yarn — that with the
baboons may recall an experience of your own which I did
not share. And perhaps they will do more than this.
Perhaps they will bring back to you some of the long past
romance of days that are lost to us. The country of which
Allan Quatermain tells his tales is now, for the most part,
as well known and explored as the fields of Norfolk.
Where we shot and trekked and galloped, scarcely seeing
the face of civilized man, there the gold-seeker builds his
cities. The shadow of the flag of Britain has ceased to fall
upon the Transvaal plains ; the game has gone ; the misty
charm of the morning has become the glare of day. All is
changed. The blue gums that we planted in the garden
of the " Palatial " must be large trees by now, and the
" Palatial " itself has passed from us. Jess sat in it waiting
for her lover after we were gone. There she nursed him
back to life. But Jess is dead, and strangers own it, or
perhaps it ia a ruin.

DEDICA TION.

Nor us too, Macumazahn, as for the land we loved, the
morning is outworn, the midday sun burns overhead, and
at times the way is weary. Few of those wc knew are left.
Some are victims to war and murder, their bones strew the
veldt; death has taken some in a more gentle fashion;
others are hidden from us, we know not where. We might
well fear to return to that land lest we also should see
ghosts. But though we walk apart to-day, the past yet
looks upon us with its unalterable eyes. Still we can
remember many a boyish enterprise and adventure, lightly
undertaken, which now would strike us as hazardous in-
deed. Still we ^'an recall the long familiar line of the
Petoria Horse, the face of war and panic, the weariness of
midnight patrols, aye, and hear the roar of guns echoed
from the Shameful Hill.

To you then, Macumazahn, in memory of those eventful
years of youth that we passed together in the African
towns and on the African veldt, I dedicate these pages,
subscribing myself now as always.

Your sincere friend,

Indanda,
To Arthur H. D. Cochrane, Esq.

jd, the
.d, and
,re left,
ew the
ishion ;
5 iiiight
uld see
last yet
we can
. lightly
ious in-
) of the
riness of
echoed

eventful
African
pages,

nd,

)ANDA,

ALLAN'S WIFE.

» « ^^ >4

CHAPTER I.

T^IAY be remembered that in
the last pages of hia diary,*
written just before his dvath,
Allan Quatermain makes
allusion to his long dead
wife, stating that he has
written of her fully else-
where.

"When his death was
known, his papers were
handed to myself as his
literary executor. Among
them I found two manu-
scripts, of which the follow-
ing is one. The other is
simply a record of events
in which Mr. Quatermain
was not personally concerned
— a Zulu novel, the story of
which was told to him by

the hero many years after the tragedy had occurred. But

with this we have nothing to do at present.

* Se« " Allan Quatermaiu,"

ALLAN'S WIFE.

I have often thought (Mr. Quatermain's manuscript
begins) that I would set down on Ipaper the events con-
nected with my marriage, and the loss of my most deai-
wife. Many years have now passed since that event, and
to some extent time has softened the old grief, though
Heaven knows it is still keen enough. On two or three
occasions I have even begun the record. Once I gave it
up because the writing of it depressed me beyond bearing,
once because I suddenly was called away upon a journey,
and the third time because a Kaffir boy found my manu-
script convenient for lighting the kitchen fire.

But now that I am at leisure here in England, I will
make a fourth attempt. If I succeed, the story may serve
to interest some one in after years when I am dead and
gone. It is a wild tale enough, and suggests some curious
reflections.

I am the son of a missionary. My father was originally
curate in charge of a small parish in Oxfordshire. He had
already been some years married to my dear mother when
he went there, and he had four children, of whom I was
the youngest. I remember faintly the place where we
lived. It was an ancient long grey house, facing the
road. There was a very large tree of some sort in the
garden. It was hollow, and we children used to play
about inside of it, and knock knots of wood from the
rough bark. We all slept in a kind of attic, and niv
mother always came up and kissed us when we were in
bed. I used to wake up and see her bending over me, a
candle in her hand. There was a curious kind of pole
projecting from the wall over my bed. Once I was dread-
fully frightened because my eldest brother made me hang

■f

toil
hou.
jour
A
bigi
two
of ti
the]
a tal
rtow(
hous
One
my J
child
a gre
stooc
with
stoo(
in h
coat,
he w
ward
or se
was
can I
with
teeth
that
know
now,
mad(

ALLANS WIFE.

nuscript
Qta con-
lost dear
rent, and
, though
or three
I gave it
i bearing,
journey,
ly nianu-

md, I will
may serve .
dead and
ae curious

originally
He had
ther when
lom I was
where we
facing the
ort in the
id to play
from the
B, and my
ve were in
over me, a
ind of pole
was dread-
le me hang

■i

to it by my hands. That is all I remember about our old
home. It has been pulled down long ago, or 1 would
journey there to see it.

A little further down the road was a large liouse with
big iron gates to it, and on the top of the gate pillars sat
two stone lions, which were so hideous that 1 was afraid
of them. One could see the house by peeping through
the bars of the gates. It was a gloomy-looking place, witli
a tall yew hedge round it ; but in the summer-time some
rtowers grew round the sun-dial in the grass plat. This
house was called the Hall, and Squire Carson lived there.
One Christmas — it must have been the Christmas before
my father emigrated, or I should not remember it — we
children went to a Christmas-tree at the Hall. There wan
a great party there, and footmen wearing red waistcoats
stood at the door. In the dining-room, which was panelled
with black oak, was the Christmas-tree. Squire Carson
stood in front of it. He was a tall, dark man, very quiet
in his manners, and he wore a bunch of seals on his waist-
coat. We used to think him old, but as a matter of fact
he was then not more than forty. He had been, as I after-
wards learned, a great traveller in his youth, but some six
or seven years before this date had married a lady who
was half a Spaniard — a papist, my father called her. I
can remember her well. She was small and very pretty,
with a rounded figure, large black eyes, aad glittering
teeth. She epoke English with a curious accent. I suppose
that I must have been a funny child to look at, and I
know that my hair stood up on my head then as it does
now, for I still have a sketch of myself that my mother
made of me, in which this peculiarity is strongly marked.

ALLAN'S WIFE.

On this occasion of the Christmas-tree I rememher that
Mrs. Carson turned to a tall, foreign -looking gentleman
who stood beside her, and, tapping him affectionately on
the shoulder with her gold eye-glasses, said —

" Look, cousin — look at that droll little boy with the
big brown eyes ; his hair is like a — what you call him ? —
scrubbing bush. Oh, what a droll little boy ! "

The tall gentleman pulled at his moustache, and, taking
Mrs. Carson's hand in his, began to smooth my hair down
with it till I heard her whisper —

** Leave go my hand, cousin. Thomas is looking like —
like the thunderstorm."

Thomas was the name of Mr. Carson, her husband.

After that J hid myself as well as I could behind a chair,
for I was shy, and watched little Stella Carson, who was
the squire's only child, giving the children presents off the
tree. She was dressed as Father Christmas, with some
soft white stuff round her lovely little face, and had large
dark eyes, which I thought more beautiful than anything
I had ever seen. At last it came to my turn to have a
present — oddly enough, considered in the light of future
events, it was a large monkey. She reached it down from
one of the lower boughs of the tree and handed it to me,
saying —

** Dat is my Christmas present to you, little Allan
Quatermain."

As she did so her sleeve, which was covered with cotton
wool, spangled over with something that shone, touched
one of the tapers — how I do not know — and caught fire,
and the flame ran up her arm towards her throat. She
stood quite still. I suppose that she was paralyzed with

ALLAN'S WIFE.

aber that
gentleman
)nately on

with the
11 him ?—

nd, taking
hair down

Ling like —

3band.
^d a chair,
I, who was
nts off the
with some
had large
1 anything
to have a
of future
down from
d it to me,

ttle Allan

7ith cotton
,e, touched
lught fire,
roat. She
jyzed with

fear; and the ladies who were near screamed very loud,
but did nothing. Then some impulse seized me — perhaps
instinct would be a better word to use, considering my age.
I threw myself upon the child, and, beating at the fire with
my hands, mercifully succeeded in extinguishing it before
it really got hold. My wrists were so badly burned that
they had to be wrapped up in wool for a long time after-
wards, but with the exception of a single burn upon her
throat, little Stella Carson was not much hurt.

This is all that I remember about the Christmas-tree at the
Hall. What happened afterwards is lost to me, but to
this day in my sleep I ofcen see little Stella's sweet face
and the stare of terror in her dark eyes as the fire ran up
her arm. This, however, is not wonderful, for I had,
humanly speaking, saved the life of her who was destined
to be my wife.

The next event which I can recall clearly is that my
mother and three brothers all fell ill of fever, owing, as I
afterwards learned, to the poisoning of our well by some
evil-minded person, who threw a dead sheep into it. »

It must have been while they were ill that Squire Carson
I came one day to the vicarage. The weather was still cold,
for there was a fire in the study, and I sat before the fire
writing letters on a piece of paper with a pencil, while my
father walked up and down the room talking to himself.
Afterwards I knew that he was praying for the lives of his
wife and children. Presently a servant came to the door
and said that some one wanted to see him.

" It is the squire, sir," said the maid, " and he says he
particularly wishes to see you."

" Very well," answered my father, wearily, and presently

ALLAN'S WIFE,

Squire Carson came in. His face was white and haggard,
and his eyes shone so fiercely that I was afraid of him.

"Forgive me for intruding on you at such a time.
Qnatermain," he said in a hoarse voice, '* but to-morrow 1
leave this place for ever, and I wish to speak to you before
I go — indeed, I must speak to you.**

" Shall I send Allan away ? " said my father, pointing to
me.

"No; let him bide. He will not understand." Nor.
indeed, did I at the time, but I remembered every word, and
in after years their meaning grew on me.

"First tell me," he went on, "how are they?" and he
pointed upwards with his thumb.

" My wife and two of the boys are beyond hope," my
father answered, with a groan. " I do not know how it will
go with the third. The Lord's will be done ! "

" The Lord's will be done," the squire echoed, solemnly.
"And now, Quatermain, I'sten — my wife's gone."

" Gone ! " my father answered. " Who with ? "

" With that foreign cousin of hers. It seems from a
letter she left that she always cared for him, not for me.
She married me because she thought me a rich English
milord. Now she has run through my property, or most of
it, and gone. I don't know where. Luckily, she did not
care to encumber her new career with the child ; Stella is
left to me."

"That is what comes of marrying a papist, Carson," said
my father. That was his fault; he was as good and
charitable a man as ever lived, but he was bigoted. " What
are you r;oing to do — follow her ? "

He laughed bitterly in answer.

ALLAN'S WIFE.

haggard,
f him.
1 a time,
-morrow 1
you before

pointing

id." Nor,
f word, and

?" and he

hope,'* my

V how it will

I, solemnly.

ems from a
not for me.
ch English
, or most of
she did not
d; Stella is

arson," said
good and
[ted. "What

" Follow her ! " he said ; " why should I follow her ? If
I met her I might kill her or him, or both of them, because
of the shame they have brought upon my child's name.
No, I never want to look upon her face again. I trusted
her, I tell you, and she has betrayed me. Let her go and
find her fate. But I am going too. I am weary of my life."

" Surely, Carson, surely," said my father, " you do not
mean "

'• No, no ; not that. Death comes soon enough. But I
will leave this civilized world that is a living lie. We will
-go right away into the wilds, my child and I, and hide our
ihame. Where ? I don't know where. Anywhere so
long as there are no white faces, no smooth educated
tongues."

"You are mad, Carson," my father answered. "How
%ill you live ? How will you educate Stella ? Be a man
ind live it down."

•' I will be a man, and I will live it down, but not here,
Quatermain. Education ! Was not she — that woman
who was my wife — was not she highly educated ? — the
Severest woman in the country forsooth. Too clever for
me, Quatermain — too clever by half. No, no, Stella shall
be brought up in a different school ; if it be possible, she
shall forget her very name. Good-bye, old friend, good-bye
for ever. Do not try to find me out, henceforth I shall be
like one dead to you, to you and all I knew," and he was
gone.

** Mad," said my father, with a heavy sigh. " His trouble
has turned his brain. But he will think better of it."

At that moment the nurse came hurrying in and
whispered something in his ear. My father's face turned

ALLAN'S WIFE.

deadly pale. He clutched at the table to support himself,
then staggered from the room. My mother was dying !

It was some days afterwards, I do not know exactly
how long, that my father took me by the hand and led
me upstairs into the big room that had been my mother's
bedroom. There she lay, dead in her coflfin, with flowers
in her hand. Along the wall of the room were arranged
three little white beds, and on each of the beds lay one
of my brothers. They all looked as though they were
asleep, and they all had flowers in their hands. My father
told me to kiss them all, because I should not see them
any more, and I did so, though I was very frightened.
I did not know why. Then he took me in his arms and
kissed me.

" The Lord hath given," he said, ** and the Lord hatli
taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord."

I cried very much, and he took me downstairs, and
after that I have only a confused memory of men dressed
in black carrying heavy burdens towards the grey church-
yard !

Next comes a vision of a great ship and wide tossing ^
waters. My father could no longer bear to live in England ^®l
after the loss that had fallen on him, and made up hie ^^fBeqiu
mind to emigrate to South Africa. We must have been "®^ tou
poor at the time — indeed, I believe that a large portion of ''°^» as
our income went from my father on my mother's death. ^®* I
At any rate we tru,velled with the steerage passengers, and'''*® I ne
the intense discomfort of the journey with the rough ways '^aiiranc
of our fellow emigrants still remain upon my mind. AtP^^'^iig
last it came to an end, and we reached Africa, which I was ^t maj
not to leave again for many, many years. In those da} s * 'Pch a^

ALLAN'S WIFE.

himBclt,

dying '.
^ exactly
I and led
7 mother's
th flowers

arranged
is lay one
they were

Mv father
t Bee them

civilization had not made any great progress in Southern
lAfrica. My father went up the country and became a
jmissionary among the Kaffirs, near to where the town of
Cradock now stands, and here I grew to manhood. There
^ere a few Boer farmers in the neighbourhood, and gradu-
ally a little settlement of whites gathered round our mission
itation — a drunken Scotch blacksmith and wheelwright
Was about the most interesting character, who, when he
was sober, could quote the Scottish poet Burns and the
Ingoldsby Legends literally by the page. It was from him
that I contracted a fondness for the latter amusing writings,
• Vitened. which has never left me. Burns I never «ared for so much,
and I^obably because of the Scottish dialect which repelled me.
What little education I got wae from my father, but I never
T d hath ^^ much leaning toward books, nor he much time to teach
t^m to me. On the other band, I was always a keen
ofcerver of the ways of men and nature. By the time
tlikt I was twenty I could speak Dutch and three or four
r dialects perfectly, and I doubt if there was anybody
iuBouth Africa who understood native ways of thought and

- . , tosema *^^^ "'^o^® completely than I did. Also I was really a
. -piYigland ^^ S^°^ ^^^^* ^^^ horseman, and I think — as, indeed, my

- , ^|g sufeequent career proves to have been the case — a great

Vi ebeen^®*^ tougher than the majority of men. Though I was

'tion of^^^f*' ^^ ^^^' * ^^8^^» small man, nothing seemed to tire

\ ' death. ■'^®* I could bear any amount of exposure and privation,

^^(^ind I never met the native who was my master in feats of

istairs, and
nen dressed
rey church-

rough ways

ndurance. Of

.mind. AtP«*l""S<

'^hich I ^as » ^ay

those da) s'W«h

course, all that is different now, I am
y early manhood.

wondered that I did not run absolutely wild
surroundingd, but I was held back from this by my

ALLAN'S WIFE.

■I I

father's society. He was one of the gentlest and most
refined men that I ever met ; even the most savage Kaffir
loved him, and his influence was a very good one for me.
He used to call himself one of the world's failures. Would
that there were more such failures. Every evening when
his work was done he would take his prayer-book, and,
sitting on the little stoep of our station, would read the
evening psalms to himself. Sometimes there was not
light enough for this, but it made no difference, he kne\v
them all by heart. When he had finished he would lool
out across the cultivated lands where the mission Kaffirs
had their huts.

But I knew it was not these he saw, but rather the grey
English church, and the graves ranged side by side before
the yew near the wicket gate.

It was there on the stoep that he died. He had no:
been well, and one evening I was talking to him, and hi
mind went back to Oxfordshire and my mother. H I cam
spoke of her a good deal, saying that she had never beei flither'l

USUI

our

with

Bee :

pi n

jpaoK

p "

fifle

^e 01

that 3

Jon w

I I Ti

lime, ]
ho gr
to thel
Ulen,

out of his mind for a single day during all these years, an
that he rejoiced to think he was drawing n«ar that Ian
whither she had gone. Then he asked me if I remembers
that night when Squire Carson came into the study at tl
vicarage, and told him that his wife had run away, and tb
he vras going to change his name and bury himself in soc
remote land.

I said that I remembered it perfectly.

" I wonder where he went to," said my father, "and if!
and his daughter Stella are still alive. Well, well ! I sba
never meet them again. But life is a strange thing. Alia
and you may. If you ever do, give them my kind love."

mh.

f»

ALLAN'S WIFE.

and most
rage Kaffir
le for me.
es. Would ,
ening when
-book, and,
lid read the
re was not
ice, he kne^
3 would looli
ssion Kaffirs

ther the giey
by side befovt

He had no
) him, and bv

mother. H
4 never beei
^ese years, an
L«ar that Ian

I remembert

le study at tl
away, and tli
limself in soe

Ibher, "and if ^
11, well ! 1 8b
ge thing. Alia ^
U kind love."

After that I left him. We had been suffering more than
usual from the depredations of the Kaffir thieves, who stole
our sheep at night, and, as I had done before, and not
without success, I had determined to watch the kraal and
see if I could catch them. Indeed, it was from this habit
pi mine of watching at night that J first got my native
name of Macumazahn, which may be roughly translated
ms " he who sleeps with one eye open." So I took my
iifle and rose to go. But he called me to him and kissed
^e on the forehead, saying, ** God bless you, Allan. I hope
|hat you will think of your old father sometimes, and that
you will lead a good and happy life."
r I remember that I did not much like his tone at the
lime, but set it down to an attack of low spirits, to which
{ie grew very subject as the years went on. I went down
If the kraal and watched till within an hour of sunrise,
||^en, as no thieves appeared, returned to the station. As
ame near I was astonished to see a figure sitting in my
er's chair. At first I thought it must be a drunken
ir, then that my father had fallen asleep there. And
/3 had, indeed, for he was dead !

CHAPTER n.

WHEN I had buried my father, and seen his successor
installed in his place — for the station was the property
of the Society — I set to work to carry out a plan which I
had lon^ cherished, but been unable to execute because
it would have involved separation from my father. Put
shortly, it was to undertake a trading journey of explora-
tion right through the countries now known as the Free
State and tbe Transvaal, and as much further North as
I could go. It was an adventurous scheme, for though
the emigrant Boers had begun to occupy positions in
these territories, they were still to all practical purposes
unexplored. But I was now alone in the world, and it
mattered little what became of me; so, driven on by the
overmastering love of adventure, which, old as I am, will

cai

an(

itg

onIi

Was

llock

' took

BUpp

Amoi
Whicl
iuppc
fxhai
(lis
neigh
iblJow
l^rt i
Tw
searc
and u

perhaps still be my cause of death, I determined to under- *°® P^«

take it.

Accordingly I sold such stock and goods as we had upon
the station, reserving only the two best waggons and twc
pairs of oxen. The proceeds I invested in such goods as
were then in fashion, for trading purposes, and in guns aiio
ammunition. The guns would have moved any moderr
explorer to merriment ; but such as they were I manager
to do a good deal of execution with them. One of then

name
oar sti
home.

foIJowii
Ieavin<
flome
anxiou^
were hi

ALLAN'S WIFE.

was a single-barrelled, smooth bore, fitted for percussion
caps — a roer we called it — which threw a three-ounce ball,
and was charged with a handful of coarse black powder.
Many is the elephant that I killed with that roer, although
it generally knocked me backwards when I fired it, which I
only did under compulsion. The best of the lot, perhaps,
was a double-barrelled No. 12 shot-gun, but it had flint
locks. Also there were some old tower muskets, which
might or might not throw straight at seventy yards. I
took six Kaffirs with me, and three good horses, which were
supposed to be salted— that is, proof against sickness.
Among the Kaffirs was an old fellow named Indaba-zimbi,
vwhich, being translated, means ** tongue of iron." I
suppose he got this name from his strident voice and
f xhaustless eloquence. This man was a great character in
pis way. He had been a noted witch-doctor among a
lieighbouring tribe, and came to the station under the
IpUowing circumstances, which, as he plays a considarable
pirt in this history, are perhaps worth recording.

Two years before my father's death I had occasion to

search the country round for some lost oxen. After a long

and useless quest it occurred to me that I had better go to

the place where the oxen were bred by a Kaffir chief, whose

name I forget, but whose kraal was about fifty miles from

our station. There I went, and found the oxen safe at

we bad upor: j^^j^g rpjjg ^Yiiei entertained me handsomely, and on the

ons and tv?c fQiiQ^i^g morning I went to pay my respects to him before

ucb goods a; ig^yijjg^ ajj^j ^y^g somewhat surprised to find a collection of

|d in g^^^ ^^^^ some hundreds of men and women sitting round him

any moderi mu-iously watching the sky in which the thunder-clouds

re 1 manage^ ^^.^ banking up in a very ominous way.

One of then

successor
le property
Btn which 1
ite because
ELtber. Put

of explora-
18 the Free
er Nortb as

for tbougb
positions in

eal purposes

orld, and it
len on by the

as 1 am, wil'

led to under

ALLAN'S WIFE,

• II

•* You had better wait, white man," said the chief, " and
see the rain doctors fight the lightning."

1 inquired what he meant, and learned that this man,
Indaba-zimbi, had for some years occupied the position of
wizard-in-chief to the tribe, although he was not a member
of it, having been born in the country now known as Zulu-
land. But a son of the chief's, a man of about thirty, had
lately set up as a rival in supernatural powers. This
irritated Indaba-zimbi beyond measure, and a quarrel
ensued between the two witch-doctors that resulted in a
challenge to trial by lightning being given and accepted.
These were the conditions. The rivals must await the
coming of a serious thunderstorm, no ordinary tempest
would serve their turn. Then, carrying assegais in their
hands, they must take their stand within fifty paces of
each other upon a certain patch of ground where the big
thunderbolts were observed to strike continually, and by
the exercise of their occult powers and invocations to the
lightning, must strive to avert death from themselves and
bring it on their rival. The terms of this singular match
had been arranged a month previously, but no storm
worthv of the occasion had arisen. Now the local weather-
prophets believed it to be brewing.

I inquired what would happen if neither of the men were
struck, and was told that they must then wait for another
storm. If they escaped the second time, however, they
would be held to be equal in power, and be jointly con-
sulted by the tribe on occasions of importance.

The prospect of being a spectator of so unusual a sigli;
overcame my desire to be gone, and I accepted the chief;
invitation to see it out. Before mid -day I regretted it, fo:

ALLAN'S WIFE.

ief, " and

\\n% man,
loaition of
a member
Q as Zulu-
thirty, bad
era. This
a quarrel
jsulted in a
d accepted.
, await tbe
try tempest
ais in tbeir
fty paces of
here the big
ally, and by
itiona to the
smaelves and
igular match
at no Btorm
3cal weather-

bhe men were
it for another
lowever, they
e jointly con-

nusual a sigli'.
ed the chief:
Bgretted it, fo:

though the western heavens {][rew diirkor, and darker, and
the still air heralded the coining of the storm, yet it did not
come. By four o'clock it became obvious that it must
burst soon — at sunset, the old chief said, and in the com-
pany of the whole assembly I moved down to the place of
coml)at. The kraal was built on the top of a hill, and
below it the land sloped gently to the banks of a river
about half a mile
awav. On the hither
side of the bank was
the piece of land that
was, the natives said,
•Moved of the light-
ning." Here the
magicians took up
their stand, while the
spectators grouped
themselves on the
hillside t 'oout two
hundred yards away
which was, I thought
rather too near to be
pleasant. When we
had sat there for
awhile my curiosity
overcame me, and I
asked leave of the
chief to go down and
inspect the arena.
He said I might do so
at my own risk. I
told him that the iir^

ALLAN'S WIFE.

from above would not hurt white men, and went and found
that it was a bed of iron ore, thinly covered with grass,
which of course accounted for its attracting the lightning
from the storms as they travelled along the line of the
river. At each end of this iron-stone area were placed the
combatants, Indaba-zimbi facing the east, and his rival
the west, and before each there burned a little fire made
of some scented root. Moreover, they ^^ere dressed in all the
paraphernalia of their craft, snake-skins, fish bladders, and
1 know not what beside, while round their necks hung
circlets of baboons' teeth and bones from human hands.
First I went to the western end where the chiefs son
stood. He was pointing with his assegai towards the
advancing storm, and invoking it in a voice of great ex-
citement.

" Come, fire, and lick up Indaba-zimbi !

*' Hear me. Storm Devil, and lick Indaba-zimbi with
your red tongue !

" Spit on him with your rain I

" Whirl him away in your breath !

*' Make him, as nothing — melt the marrow in his bones !

" Kun into his beart and burn away the lies !

** Show all the people who is the true Witch Finder !

*' Let me not be put to shame in the eyes of this white
man ! "

Thus he spoke, or rather chanted, and all the while
rubbed his broad chest — for he was a very fine man — with
some filthy compound of medicine ai monti.

After a while, getting tired of his song, I walked across
the iron-stone, to where Indaba-zimbi sat by his fire. He
was not chanting at all, but his performance was much

ALLAN'S WIFE.

md found
ith grass,
lightning
,ne of the
placed the
I his rival
I fire made
d in all the
adders, and
ecks hung
lan hands,
chief's son
owards the
if great ex-

zimbi with

his bones !

Finder !
f this white

11 the while
man — with

alked across
jis fire. He
e was much

fciore impressive. It consisted in staring at the eastern
Hky, which was perfectly clear of cloud, and every now and
again beckoning at it with his finger, then turning round
to point with the assegai towards his rival. For a while I
looked at him in silence. He was a curious wizened mar,
apparently over fifty years of age, with thin hands that
looked as tough as wire. His nose was muvh sharper than
is usual among these races, and he had a queer habit of
holding his head sideways like a bird when he epoke,
which, in addition to the humour that lurked in his eye,
guve him a most comical appearance. Another strange
thing about him was that he had a single white locii of
bair nmong his black wool. At last I spoke to bin

" Indaba-zimbi.my friend,"!
I said, "you may be a good|
witch-doctor, but you are cer-
tainly a fool. It is no good
beckoning at the blue sky
while your enemy is getting!
a start with the storm."

"You may be clever, but
don't think you know every-
thing, white man," the old
fellow answered, in a high
cracked voice, and with some-|
thing like a grin.
^ " They call you Irontongue,"
I went on; "you had better |
use it, or the Storm Devil]
won't hear you."

"The fire from above rune down iron," he answered,

ALLAN'S WIFE,

BO I keep my tongue quiet. Oh, yes, let him curse away,
I'll put him out presently. Look now, white man.*'

I looked, and in the eastern sky there grew a cloud. At
first it was small, but very black, but it gathered with
extraordinary rapidity.

This was odd enough, but as I had seen the same thing
happen before it did not particularly astonish me. It is
by no means unusual in Africa for two thunderstorms to
come up at the same time from different points of the
compass.

*' You had better go on, Indaba-zimbi,'* I said. " the lig
storm is coming along fast, and will soon eat up that baby
of yours," and I pointed to the west.

"Babies sometimes grow to giants, white man," said
Indaba-zimbi, beckoning away vigorously* " Look now at
my cloud-child."

I looked ; the eastern storm had spread itself from earth
to sky, and in shape resembled an enormous man. There
was its head, its shoulders, and its legs; yes, it was like a
huge giant travelling across the heavens. The light of the
setting sun escaping from beneath the lower edge of the
western storm shot across the intervening space in a sheet
of splendour, and, lighting upon the advancing figure,
wrapped its middle in hues of glory too wonderful to b
described ; but beneath and above this glowing belt his fee:
and head were black as jet Presently, as I watched, an
awful flash of light shot from the head of the cloud anc
circled it about as though with a crown of living fire ami
vanished.

"Aha," chuckled old Indaba-zimbi, '*my little boy it
putting on his man's ring," and he tapped the green rinj:

on
ceri
a bi
for
I

hop<

ing(
it

youE

pincl
ning,
withi
fiiirl^
limbj

dktin

look

aiixio

bis pc

talki

affect

tion

very

((

IndabI
more. I
he will
place. I

dogs dl

ALLAN'S WIFE.

urse away,

cloud. At

hered with

same tbing

me. It is

erstorms to

3int8 of the

id. "theVig
up that baby

man," said
Look now at

jlf from earth
nan. There
it was like a
le light of the
r edge of the
Lce in a sheet
incing figur*^
)nderful to h
ig belt his fee:
I watched, ai.
he cloud ani
iving file am

y little boy i=
ibe green riii?

on his own head, which natives assume when they reach a
certain age and dignity. " Now, white man, unless you are
a bigger wizard than either of us you had better clear off,
for the fire-fight is about to begin."

I thought this sound advice.

" Good luck go with you, my black uncle," I said. *' I
hope you don't feel the iniquities of a mis- spent life wei;;]i-
ing on you at the last."

" You look after yourself, and think of your own sins-
young man," he answered, with a grim smile, and taking a
pinch of snuff, and at that very moment a flash of liglit-
Bing, I don't know from which storm, struck the ground
within thirty paces of me. That was enougn for me, I
ftiirly took to my heels, and as I went I heard old Indala-
limbi's dry chuckle of amusement.

I climbed the hill till 1 came to where the chief was
Bitting with his Indunas, and sat down near to him. I
looked at the man's face and saw that he was intensely
anxious for his son's safety, and by no means confident of
his powers to resist the magic of Indaba-zimbi. He was
talking in a low voice to the Induna next to him. 1
affected to take no notice and to be concentrating my atten-
tion on the novel scene before me ; but in those days I had
very quick ears, and caught the drift of the conversation.

** Hearken ! " the thief was saying, " if the magic of
Indaba-zimbi prevails against my son I will endure him no
more. Of this I am sure, that when he has slain mv sou
he will slay me, me also, and make himself chief in my
place. I fear Indaba-zimbi. On ! "

" J]lnok one," answered the Induna, "wizards die *iS
dogs die, and, once dead, dogs bark no more.'"

sixmammmm

ALLAN'S WIFE.

** And once dead," said the chief, " wizards work no more
spells," and he bent and whispered in the Induna's ear,
looking at the assegai in his hand as he whispered.

" Good, my father, good ! " said the Induna, presently
"It shall be done to-night, if the lightning does not doi
first."

'* A bad look-out for old Indaba-zimbi," I said to mysftl:
" They mean to kill hini." Then I thought no more i
the matter for awhile, the scene before me was too in
mendous.

The two storms were rapidly rushing together. Betwe^
them was a gulf of blue sky, and from time to time flash;
of blinding light passed across the gulf, leaping fro:
cloud to cloud. I remember that they reminded me of tl
storv of the heathen Jove and his thunderbolts. Tl
storm that was shaped like a giant and ringed with tl
glory of the sinking sun made an excellent Jove, and I i
sure that the bolts which leapt from it could not have bei, nphii
surpassed even in mythological times. Oddly enough,
yet the flashes were not followed b}^ thunder. A deac
stillness lay upon the place, the cattle stood silently on t
hillside, even the natives were awed to silence. Da
shadows crept along the bosom of the hills, the river
the right and left was hidden in wreaths of cloud, l ^j.*-
before us and beyond the combatants it shone like a \\m j^^j -,
silver beneath the narrow space of open sky. Now i ^j^^
western tempest was scrawlpd all over with the lines
intolerable light, while the inky head of the cloud-gifut *"^
the east was continually suffused with a white and dea ®
glow that came and went in pulses, as though a blocd **It
flame was being pumped into it from the heart of the storinto t

i*rOIl-s

Cflitlgbl

Taocii

ALLAN'S WIFE.

ivorknomort
[nduna's ear,
ered.

aa, presently
does not do i

jaid to mysel;
it no mor
J was too

trt

jtber. Bet^e^
to time flash:
• leapiiig fro

The silence deepened and deepened, the shadows grew

blacker and blacker, then suddenly all nature began to

|noan beneath the breath of an icy wind. On came the

ind ; the smooth surface of the river was ruffled by it into

Jttle waves, the tall grass bowed low before it, and in its

%ake came the hissing sound of furious rain.

I Ah ! the storms had met. From each there burst an
llwful dazzling blaze of light, and now the hill on which
1|e sat rocked in the noise of the fo'Iowmg thunder. The
light went out of the sky, darkness fell suddenly on the
I|nd. but not for long. Presently the whole landscape
girew vivid in the flashes, it appeared and disappeared, now
•ferything was visible for miJes, now even the men at my
inded" me of tl side vanished in the blackness. The thunder rolled and
derbolts. T. cnicked and pealed like the trump of doom, whirlwinds
rinsed with tl tore round, lifting dust and even stones high into the air,
Jove and I a and in a low, continuous undertone, came the hiss of the
d not bave be, mphing rain.

ddiy enough, j p^l; jjjy h^ud before my eyes to shield them from the
der. -^ d^^' teirible glare, and looked beneath it towards the lists of
d silently on t i;.oxi.gtone. As flash followed flash, I from time to time

silence. ©& catigbt sight of the two wizards. They were slowly ad-
ills, the river ymoicing towards one another, each pointing at his foe with
g of cloud, t the assegai in his hand, I could see their every movement,
one like a iint m^^ [^ seemed to me that the chained lightning was striking

sky. Now 1 f}^^ iron-stone all round them.

* *

^^ , . Suddenly the thunder and lightning ceased for a minute,

be cloud-gi-^ ^^ everything grew black, and, except for the rain, silent.
I^hite and dea ^ » . f

bougb a blocd It is over, one way or the other, chief/' I called out
eart of the stoiinto the darknes.«

ALLAN'S WIFE.

** Wait, white man, wait," answered the chief in a voic>
thick with anxiety and fear.

Hardly were the words out of his mouth when the heaven'
were ht up again till they literally seemed to flame. Ther
were the men, not four paces apart. A great flash fe
between them, I saw them stagger beneath the shod
Indaba-zimbi recovered himself first — at any rate when it
next flash came he was standing bolt upright, pointic
with his assegai towards his enemy. The chief's son va
still on his logs, but he was staggering like a drunken ma:
and the assegai had fallen from his hand.

Darkness, then again a flash, more fearful, if possibi
than any that had gone before. To me it seemed to coc
from the east, right over the head of Indaba-zimbi Ne:
instant I saw the chief's son wrapped, as it were, in t;
heart of it. Then the thunder pealed, the rain burst ov
us like a torrent, and I saw no more.

The worst of the storm was done, but for a while t
darkness was so dense that we could not move, nor, inck
was I inclined to leave the safety of the hillside where t
lightning was never known to strike and venture down
the iron-stone. Occasionally there still came flashes, t
search as we would, we could sec no traco of either of :
wizards. For my part, I believed that they were both dei
Now the clouds slowly rolled away down the course of ;
river, and with it went the rain ; and now the stars si
out in their wake.

" Let us go and see," said the old chief, rising and sli B« jj"
ing the water from his hair. *' The fire-fight has ended, A^jg
us go and see who has conquered,"

mge

t6|eee a
in a

•i

ALLAN'S IVIFB

lief in a voic>

3n the heaven^
flame. Ther
reat flash fo
th the shod
f rate when tl
right, pointit
chief's son w.
i drunken ma:

irful, if possibl
seemed to con
ba-zimbi Ne:
it were, in t:
3 rain burst ov

for a while 1
lOve, nor, inclei
Uside where i
venture down
ame flashes, b
of either of i
were both dej'
the course of i
y the stars sb

, risincr and sb
ght has ended,

1 1 rose and followed him, dripping as though I had swum
ihundred yards with my clothes on, and after me came all
le people of the kraal

[We reached the spot; even ir thai light I could see
the iron-stone had been split and fus^d bv the

lere

[anderboltfl While I was looking about me, I suddrtnly

ird the chief, who was on my right, give a low moan,

^d saw the people cluster round him. I went up and

)ked. There, on the ground, lay the body of his son.

was a dreadful sight. His hair was burnt off his head,

copper rings upon his arms were fused, the assegai

[ndle which lay neat was literally shivered into threads,

I, when I took hold of his arm, it seemed to me that
»ry bone of it was broken.

!he men with the chief stood gazing silently, while the
tmen wailed.

" Great is the magic of Indaba-zimbi," said a man, at
igth. The chief turned and struck him a heavy blow
\,h the kerrie in bis hand.
"Great or not, thou dog, he shall die," he cried, "and so

Jt thou if thou singesthis praises so loudly."
said nothing, but thinking it probable that Indaba-

ibi had shared the fate of his enemy, went to look. But

mid see nothing of him, and at length, being thoroughly
[lied with the wet, started back to my waggon to get a
inge of clothes. On reaching it, I was rather surprised

see a strange Kaffir seated on the driving-box wrapped

in a blanket.
I* Hullo ! come out of that," I said.

^he figure on the box slowly unrolled the blanket, and
great deliberation took a pinch of snuff.

ALLAN'S WIFE.

11'

* It was a good fire-fight, white man, was it not ?' said
Indaba-zimbi, in his high, cracked voice. ** But he never
had a chance against me, poor boy He knew nothing
about it See, white man, what comes of presumption k
the young. It is sad very sad, but I made the flashes fiy,
didn't I?"

** You old humbug," I said, " unless you are careful you
will SCO"* learn what comes of presumption in the old, for
your chie^ is after you with an assegai, and it will take all
your magic to dodge that."

" Now you don't say so," said Indaba-zimbi, clambering
off the waggon with rapidity ; " and all because of this
wretched upstart. There's gratitude for you, white man
I expose him, and they want to kill me. Well, thank you
for the hint. We shall meet again before long," and he was
gone like a shot, and not too soon, for just then some men
came up to the waggon."

On the following morning I started homewards. The
first face I saw on arriving at the station was that o!
Indaba-zimbi.

** How do you do, Macumazahn ? *' he said, holding hii^ • '
head on one side and nodding his white lock. " I hear yoc . W .
are Christians here, and I want to try a new religion.
Mine must be a bad one seeing that my people wanted tc.. I**''''
kill me for exposing an impostor."

tlei

EUttoan
JUidesi
Jeeame
vas to
*f alive

b not ? * Baid
But he never
:new nothiiig
eBumption in
ae flashes fly,

re careful you 1 CHAPTER III.

n the old, for

it will take all "1^ MAKE no apology to myself, or to anybody who may

-*• happen to read this narrative in future, for having set

oujk the manner of my meeting with Indaba-zimbi ; first,

t ^w hotause it was curious, and secondly, because he takes

ecause^ o ^ ^^^ ^^^^^ j^ ^j^^ subsequent events. If that old man was

3U, w I ^ |mmbug, he was a very clever one. What amount of

.» A^^ trttth there was in his pretensions of supernatural powers

"' ^^ a Is not for me to determine, though I may have my own

hen som opfoion on the subject. But there was no mistake as to the

_,. extraordinary influence he exercised over his fellow-natives.

Inewarde. The ^ ^^ ^^.^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ p^^^ father. At first the old

n was tna geiltleman declined to have him at the station, for he had
a great horror of these Kaffir wizards or witch-finders.
ad, noi mg -^^ Indaba-zimbi persuaded him that he was anxious to
:. i ne y JQ^ggtigate the truths of Christianity, and challenged him
a, new re ig tQliscuggion. The argument lasted for two years — to the
Bople wanted i^^ ^^ ^^ father's death, indeed. At the conclusion of
ea& stage Indaba-zimbi would remark, in the words of the
Roman Governor, " Almost praying, white man, thou per-
juidest me to become a Christian," but he never quite
)e0ame one — indeed, I do not think he ever meant to. It
vt§ to him that my father addressed his " Letters to a
•^liive Doubter." This work, which, unfortunately, remains

ALLAN'S WIFE.

in manuscript, is full of wise saws and learned instances.
It ought to be published together with a precis of the
doubter's answers, which were verbal.

So the talk went on. If my father had lived I believe
it would be going on now, for both the disputants were
quite inexhaustible. Meanwhile Indaba-zimbi was allowed
to live in the station on condition that he practised do
witchcraft, which my father firmly believed to be a wile of
the devil's. He said that he would not, but for all that
there was never an ox lost, or a sudden death, but he wae
consulted by those interested. When he had been with
us a year, a deputation came to him from the tribe he had
left, asking him to return. Things had not gone well witli
them since he went away, they said, and now the chief, his
enemy, was dead. Old Indaba-zimbi listened to them til!
they had done, and, as he listened, raked sand into a littk
heap with bis toes. Then he spoke, pointing to the littk
heap, " There is your tribe to-day," he said. Then lit
lilted his heel and stamped the heap flat. ** There is you:
tribe before three moons are gone. Nothing is left of ii
You drove me away : I will have no more to do with you
but when you are being killed think of my words."

The messengers went. Three months afterwards I hear
that the whole community had been wiped out by an Imf
of raiding Pouljs.

When I was at length ready to start upon my exped:
tion, I went to old Indaba-zimbi to say good-bye to hin
and was rather surprised to find him engaged in rolliii
up medicine, assegais, and other sundries in his blankets.^

" Good-bye, Indaba-zimbi," I said, ** I am going to trc

north."

ALLAN'S WIFE.

d instances.
yrecii of the

ed I believe
,putantB were
i was allowed

practised no
) be a wile of
,t for all that
,h, but he was
lad been witb
e tribe he had
gone well witli
w the chief, his
jd to them till
tnd into a littlt
ig to the littl*

aid. Then b

«* There is you
ng is left of ii

do with you

l^ords."

erwards I hear

out by an lm\

pon my expedi
ood-bye to hin
ged in roUic
lin his blankets,«

m going to tre

" Yes, Maeumazahn," he answered, with his head on one
|ide ; " and so am I — I want to see that country. We will
;o together."

" Will we I *' I said ; " wait till you are asked, you old
|nmbupr."
** You had better ask me, then, Maeumazahn, for if you
n't, you will never come back alive. Now that the old
ief (my father) is gone to where the storms come from,"
d he nodded to the sky, ** I feel myself getting into bad
bits again. So last night I just threw up the bones and
rked out about your journey, and I can tell you this,
at if you don't take me you will die, and, what is more,
u will lose one who is dearer to you than life. So just
ause you gave me that hint a couple of years ago, I
de up my mind to come with you."
*' Don't talk stuff to me,** I said.

j*'Ah, very well, Maeumazahn, very well; but what

pened to my own people six months ago, and what

I tell the messengers would happen ? They drove me

y, and they are gone. If you drive me away you will

n be gone too,'* and he nodded his white lock at me

smiled.

ow I was not more superstitious than other people,

somehow old Indaba-zimbi impressed me. Also I

w his extraordinary influence over every class of

ive, and bethought me that he might be useful in that

All right,** I said : " I appoint you witch-finder to the
edition without pay."

First serve, then ask for wages,** he answered. " I am
to see that you have enough imagination not to be

ALLAN'S vVlFE.

for

wif

bee

Bot

tii]

hill.

firon

eje

Q6SS

altogether a fool, like most white men, Macumazahn. Ye;:,
yes, it is want of imagination that makes people fools ;
they won't believe what they can't understand. You can':
understand my prophecies any more than the fool at tb^
kraal could understand that I was his master with tlu
lightning. Well, it is time to trek, but if I were you
Macumazahn, I should take one waggon, not two."

" Why ? " I said.

" Because you will lose your waggons, and it is better t
lose one than two."

** Oh, nonsense ! " I said.

" All right, Macumazahn, live and learn." And withoc
another word he walked to the foremost waggon, put hi ^^^^^
bundle into it, and climbed into the front seat. ^•S^g

So having bid an affectionate adieu to my white friend; ™y
including the old Scotchman who got drunk in honour '•^
the event, and quoted Burns till the tears ran down his fac* ®* ^^
at length I started, and travelled slowly northwards. For tl; •**•
first three weeks nothing very particular befell me. Sue ^•^r
Kaffirs as we came in contact with were friendly, and gac ^''^e
literally swarmed. Nobody living in those parts of Sou; **** ^|
Africa nowadavs can have the remotest idea of what i. ***"•
veldt was like even thirty years ago. Often and often ™Miio
have crept shivering on to my waggon-box just as the s. ^"^
rose and looked out. At first one would see nothing I "®**e8
a vast field of white mist suffased towards the east bv °®"*i
tremulous golden glow, through which the tops of sto:^*®^"Oi
koppies stood up like gigantic beacons. Through t^®*" ^
dense mist would come si»range sounds — snorts, gruntin.^^ "^^
bellows, and the thunder of countless hoofs. Presen:^®"*
this great curtain would grow thinner, then it would me.^^ *

ALLAN'S WIFE.

azabn. '^fe?,
people fools
I. You can':
le fool at t\v
Bter ^ith t\u
f I were you
two."

\ it is better 1

^ And witboi;
vaggon, put li.
eat.

as the smoke from a pipe melts into the air, and for miles
on miles the wide rolling country interspersed with bush
opened to the view. But it was not tenantless as it is now>
lor as far as the eye could reach it would be literally black
with game. Here to the right might be a herd of vilder-
ieeate that could not number less than five thousand.
Some were grazing, some gambolled, whisking their white
tftils into the air, while all round the old bulls stood upon
hillocks sniffing suspiciously at the breeze. There, in
firont, a thousand yards away, though to the unpractised
eye they looked much closer, because of the dazzling clear-
ness of the atmosphere, was a great herd of springbok
trekking along in single file. Ah, they have come to the
wsggon-track and do not like the look of it. What will

- . J they do ? — go back ? Not a bit of it. It is nearly thirty

y white ri j^^ vj\^Q^ but that is nothing to a springbok. See, the first

nk in non of them bounds into the air like a ball. How beautifully

kn down n _ ^^ sunshine gleams upon his golden hide I He has

jhwards. cUpred it, and the others come after him in numberless

efell me. suiicession, all except the fawns, who cannot jump so far,

endly, an ^ ^^^ \i^ye, to scamper over the doubtful path with a terrified

le parts o ^^^^ What is that yonder, moving above the tops of the

lidea of what^^ mimosa, in the little dell at the foot of the koppie ?

iften an ^ Guraffes, by George ! three of them ; there will be marrow-

i just as J - bones for supper to-night. Hark ! the ground shakes

d see no ^^ behind us, and over the brow of the rise rush a vast herd of

Irds the ea « ^bleabock. On they come at full gallop, their long heads

Ibe tops ' ^^^^ 1^^^ ^l^gy j^^l^ j^j^Q g^ many bearded goats. I thought

\ Ihroug 3Q_|jgiiind them is a pack of wild dogs, their fur draggled,

^snorts, gr .^heir tongues lolling. They are in full cry ; the giraffes

hoofs. ^ ^lear them and are away, rolling round the koppie like a
len it would m^ J ^ Pi'

rMfl

ALLAN'S WIFE.

wbsL

if b

obie

hors
I

and {
and c
greatf

ship in a heavy sea. No marrow-bones after cill. Soe
the foremost dogs are close on a buck, lie has f^allopei
far and is outworn. One springs at bia flank and miss,
him. The buck gives a kind of groan, looks wildly roun
and sees the waggon. He seems to hsLntate a momcin
then in his despair rushes up to it, and falls exhaustt.
among the oxen. The dogs pull up some tnirty paces awav oUiei
panting and snarling. Now, boy, the gun — no, not tli lores
rifle, the shot-gun loaded with loopers. ooeu]

Bang! bang! there, my friends, two of you will ncv. Ifa\i
hunt buck again. No, don't touch the buck, for he li;i
come to us for shelter, and he shall have it.

Ah, how beautiful is nature before man comes to spoil i;

Such a sight as this have I seen many a hundred tiiut and, (
and I hope to see it again before I die. and t

The first real adventure that befell me on this particuii shonl
journey was with elephants, which I will relate because foot,
its curious termination. Just before we crossed the OiiiD, ride.
River we came to a '^^etch of forest-land some twoii that I
miles broad. The night we entered this forest we camp Ace
in a lovely open glade. A few yards ahead tambou three
grass was growing to the height of a man, or rather it li horse
been ; now, with the exception of a few stalks here a shot f(
there, it was crushed quite flat. It was already dusk wli ^rom
we camped ; but after the moon got up I walked from t which
fire to see how this had happened. One glance was enou.*® I©t
for me ; a great herd of elephants had evidently p!is> 8*wte
over the tall grass not many hours before. The sight there
their spoer rejoiced me exceedingly, for though I had sttr»?ell|
wild elephants, at that time I had never shot one. Mo:***^
over, the sight of elephant spoer to the African hunter'^'^^wn

■n

ALLAN'S WIFE.

ter a.U. Soe
3 has Kallopeii
nk and missi
9 wiUUy roun
tto a momiiu
falls exhaust

you

wbat " colour in the pan " is to the prospector of gold. It

ii by ivory that he lives, and to ahoot it or trade it is hie

dkief aim in life. My resolution wan :oon taken. I would

Oimp the waggons for a while in the forest, and start on

horseback after the elephants.

I communicated my decision to Indaba-zimbi and the

I'tv paces awav other Kathrs. The latter were not loth, for your Kaffir

a— no not til lofes hunting, which means plenty of meat and congenial

ooeupation, but Indaba-zimbi would express no opinion.

will iirV' I Mkw him retire to a little fire that he had lit for himself,

"^■k for he li;. J^od go through some mysterious performances with bones

and clay mixed with ashes, which were watched with the

' mes to spoil i' greatest interest by the other Kaffirs. At length he rose,

hundred tim* ^^^* coming forward, informed me that it was all right,

and that I did well to go and hunt the elephants, as I

this particu!: should get plenty of ivory ; but he advised me to go on

late because ^^^* I said I should do nothing of the sort, but meant to

1 the Onin. "^» ^ ^^ wiser now ; that was the first and last time

d some t\\eiv t^t I ever attempted to hunt elephants on horseback.

rest we camp Accordingly we started at dawn, I, Indaba-zimbi, and

head tambou three men ; the rest I left with the waggons. I was on

or rather it b howeback, and so was my driver, a good rider and a skilful

talks here a ^^^^ ^^^ ^ Kaffir, but Indaba-zimbi and the others walked.

adv dusk wli ^'<M"^ dawn till midday we followed the trail of the herd,

walked from t which was as plain as a high road. Then we off-saddled

1 nee was enou.*® 1®* *^® horses rest and feed, and about three o'clock

vidently pasi*****®^ ^° again. Another hour or so passed, and still

The sif^bt *^*f® ^^^ °^ ^^8^ of elephants. Evidently the herd had

U2h I had st''*''®^^®^ ^*s* *"^^ ^^^f 8.nd I began to think that we should

shot one. MoM» to give it up, when suddenly I caught sight of a

African huntei^"^*^^ °ia.s8 moving through the thorn trees on the side of

ALLAN'S WIFE.

a slope about a quarter of a mile away. My heart seemed
to jump into my mouth. Where is the hunter who has not
felt like this at the sight of his first elephant ? I cailed
a halt, and then the wind being right, we set to work
to stalk the bull. Very quietly I rode down the hither
side of the slope till we came to the bottom, which was
densely covered with bush. Here I saw the elephants
had been feeding, for broken branches and upturned trees
lay all about. I did not take much notice, however, for all
my thoughts were fixed upon the bull I was stalking, when
suddenly my horse made a violent start that nearly threw
me from the saddle, and there came a mighty rush and
upheaval of something in front of me. I looked: there
was the hinder part of a second bull elephant not four]
yards off. I could just catch sight of its outstretched ears
projecting on either side. I had disturbed it sleeping, and!
it was running away. Obviously the best thing to dol
would have been to let it run, but I was young in thosej
days and foolish, and in the excitement of the momeDtT
I lifted my '* roer " Oi elephant gun and fired at the greaj
brute over my horse's head. The recoil of the heavy gufl
nearly knocked me off the horse. I recovered myselfj
however, and, as I did so, saw the bull lurch forward, foi
the impact of a three-ounce bullet in the flanks will quickej
the movements even of an elephant. By this time I ha
realized the folly of the shot, and devoutly hoped that tb|
bull would take no further notice of it. But he had
different view of tba matter. Pulling himself up in
series of plunges, he spun round and came for me wit]
outstretched ears and uplifted trunk, screaming terriblj
I was quite defenceless, for my gun was empty, *nd a

^■'^

leart seemed
who has not
it? I called
get to work
n the hither
n, vyhich was
ihe elephants
pturned trees
3wever, for all
jtalking, wlien
t nearly threNV
:Thty rush and
looked: there
ihant not four
tstretched ears
sleeping, and
t thing to do
young in those,
3f the momeni
ed at the greai
the heavy gui
overed myselij
ch forward, foi
,ikB will quicke!
this time I bi
hoped that tli|
But he had
imself up in
,me for me wit'
aaming terribl;
empty, *nd n

"On rushed the olephant. awful to se*.**

ALLAN'S WIFE,

first thought was of escape. I dug my heels into the sides
of my horse, but he would not move an inch. The poor
•nimal was paralyzed with terror, and he simply stood
•till, his fore-legs outstretched, and quivering all over like
• leaf.

^On rushed the elephant, a>vful to see ; I made one more
v»in effort to stir the horse. Now the trunk of the great
ball swung aloft above my Jiead. A thought flashed
through my brain. Quick as light I rolled from the saddle.
Bjthe side of the horse lay a fallen tree, as thick through as
a plan's body. The tree was lifted a little off the ground
by the broken boughs which took its weight, and with a
single movement, so active is one in such necessities, I
flODg myself beneath it. As I did so, I heard the trunk of
the elephant descend with a mighty thud on the back of my
poor horse, and the next instant I was almost in darkness,
for the horse, whose back was broken, fell over across the
tree under which I lay ensconced. But he did not stop
there long. In ten seconds more the bull had got his trunk
roiUid my dead nag's neck, and, with a mighty effort, hurled
him clear of the tree. I wriggled backwards as far a& I
could towards the roots of the tree, for I knew what he was
after. Presently I saw the red tip of the bull's trunk
stretching itself towards me. If he could manage to hook
it round any part of me I was lost. But in the position I
occupied, that was just what he could not do, although he
knelt down to facilitate his operations. On came the snapping
;ip like a great open-mouthed snake ; it closed upon my
lat, which vanished. Again it was thrust down, and a
cream of rage was bellowed through it within four inches
f my head. Now it seemed to elongate itself. Oh, heavens !

Illl I M IIgl I

saia

< I

r,'

ALLAN'S WIFE,

pr
on

fro

his

bav

qpit

on t

Qfleit

now it had me by the hair, which, luckily for myself, was
not very long. Then it was my turn to scream, for next
instant half a square inch of hair was drapjged from mv
scalp by the roots. I was being plucked alive, as I havi
seen cruel Kaffir kitchen boys pluck a fowl. The elephant,
however, disappointed with the moderate results, change
his tactics. He wound his trunk round the fallen tree an
lifted it. It stirred, but fortunately the broken branches
embedded in the spongy soil, and some roots, which stii
held, prevented it from being turned over, though he Hfte
it so much that, had it occurred to him, he could now hav
easily fished me out with his trunk. Again he hoisted wit. jj^^^
all his mighty strength, and I saw that the tree was coming ^jjj^.j
and roared aloud for help. Some shots were fired close byi: «< j
answer, but if they hit the bull, their only effect was tosti jj|^ j
his energies to more active life. In another few secod bid I
my shelter would be torn away, and I should be done fc: Jfjj
A cold perspiration burst over me as I realized that I Vi ^
lost. Then of a sudden I remembered that I had a pis! J
in my belt, which I often used for despatching wound
game. It was loaded and capped. By this time the tr: s^^j
was lifted so much that I could easily get my hand d n s^te
to my middle and draw the pistol from its case. I ilr^
and cocked it. See the tree was coming, and there, witl t
three feet of my head, was the great brown trunk of t wj
elephant. I placed the muzzle of the pistol within an iiiof
of it and fired. The result was instantaneous. Down su:ab^t
the tree again, giving one of my legs a considerable squeercxjy
and next instant I heard a crashing sound. The elepbiihiiin.
had bolted. The

By this time, what between fright aud struggling, I vnHard

ALLAN'S WIFE.

f myself, was
jam, for next
ged from my
Lve, aa I lif^^^
The elephant
isults, change
fallen tree au
oken branclit^
ots, which Bti

pretty well done. I cannot remember how I got from
under the fallen tree, or indeed anything:;, until I found
myself sitting on the ground drinking some peach brandy
from a flask, and old Indaba-zimbi opposite to me nodding
his white lock sagely, while he fired off moral reflections
on the narrowness of my escape, and my unwisdom in not
having taken his advice to go on foot. That reminded
me of my horse— I got up and went to look at it. It was
quite dead, the blow of the elephant's trunk had fallen
ihough he Ufte on the saddle, breaking the framework, and rendering it
could now hav n«eltss. I reflected that in another two seconds it would
he hoisted wit hgve fallen on me. I called to Indaba-zimbi and asked
tree was comin; which way the elephants had gone.

B fired close by i: f' There! "he said, pointing down the gully, '* and we

better go after them, Macumazahn. We have had the
luck, now for the good."

here was philosophy in this, though, to tell the truth I

not feel particularly keen on elephants at the moment.

leemed to have had enough of them. However, it

Id never do to show the white feather before the boys,

assented with much outward readiness, and we

my hand tViv sijted, I on the second horse, and the others on foot.

its case. I ^"^^ "^^^W^^ ^^ ^^^^ travelled for the l)ost part of an hour down

and there, witl tlM valley, all of a sudden we came upon the whole herd,

own trunk of ^ wmch numbered a little more than eighty. Just in front

ol within an irofmem ihe bush was so thick that they seemed to hesitate

eous. Down suftlwit entering it, and the sides of the valley were so

■isiderable sq^^eerofty and steep at this point that they could not climb

id. TheelepliiJr

libey saw us at the same moment as we saw them, and
. gfruggling* 1 ^wrdly I was filled with fears lest they should take it

effect was tosti
her few seconi
lid be done fo:
alized that I v^
at I had a pisi
atching wounds
his time the tr.

Tm^

ALLAN'S WIFE.

b(
ih

ba(

was

and

thej

a ti

into their heads to charge back up the gully. But tliev
did not ; trumpeting aloud, they rushed at the thick busl
which went down before them like corn before a sickle
I do not think that in all my experiences I ever hearc
anything to equal the sound they made as they crashe;
through and over the shrubs and trees. Before them wa
a dense forest belt from a hundred to a hundred and fift;
feet in width. As they rushed on it fell, so that behiii
them was nothing but a level roadway strewed with falle:
trunks, crushed branches, and here and there a tree, to
strong even for them, left standing amid the wreck. 0:
tbey went, and, notwithstanding the nature of the grouc fg^^
over which they had to travel, they kept their distant gi^)}
ahead of us. This sort of thing continued for a mile ( a^
more, and then I saw that in front of the elephants ti hite
valley opened into a space covered with reeds and grai |^,
— it might have been five or six acres in extent — beyoL bear
which the valley ran on again. midu

The herd reached the edge of this expanse, and for woolcl
moment pulled up, hesitating — evidently they mistrust: coifs,
it. My men yelled aloud, as only Kaffirs can, and tli
settled them. Headed by the wounded bull, whose marti^^
ardour, like my own, was somewhat cooled, they sprttl
out and dashed into the treacherous swamp — for suchagBnj
was, though just then there was no water to be seen. Igli
a few yards all went well with them, though they clea:
found it heavy going ; then suddenly the great bull &m
up to his belly in the stiff peaty soil, and remained fixtic
The others, mad with fear, took no heed of his strugfe'*a
and trumpetings, but plunged on to meet the same fa
In five minutes the whole herd of them were hopeleiliiinc

ALLAN'S WIFE.

\y. But they
ihe thick bus!
before a sickU
!8 I ever hearc
,s they crasliG
.efore them Nva
tndred and fift;

80 that behin.
j^ed with falle!
there a tree, to

the wreck. 0;
re of the grouc
3t their distant
aed for a mile (
he elephants tl

reeds and grai

bogged, the more they struggled to escape, the deeper
ihey sunk. There was one exception, indeed, a cow with
acalf ni?inii|,a'(l to win back to firm shore, and, lifting her
trunk, prepared to charge us as we came up. But at that
moment she heard the scream of her calf, and rushed
b|ck to its assistance, only to be bogged with the others.
^uch a srene I never saw before or since. The swamp
spotted all over with the large forms of the elephants,
the air rang with their screams of rage and terror as
t£|^y waved their trunks wildly to and fro. Now and again

'Imonster would make a great effort and drag his mass

its peaty bed, only to stick fast again at the next

ke. It was a most pitiable sight, though one that

dened the hearts of my men. Even the best natives

e little compassion for the sufferings of animals.

ell, the rest was easy. • The marsh that would not

extent — beyoi b«ir the elephants carried our weight well enough. Before

night all were dead, for we shot them by moonlight. I
^nanse, and for w<^ld gladly have spared the young ones and some of the
V they mistrust cows, hut to do so would only have meant leaving them to
firs can, and tli peiisii of hunger ; it was kinder to kill them at once. The
uU whose mart-woinded bull I slew with my own hand, and I cannot say
oled they sprtithlj I felt much compunction in doing so. He knew me

p for suctagiin, and made a desperate effort to get at me, but I am

i" to be seen, ^glai to say that the peat held him fast.
I Yi they clea; ®ie pan presented a curious sight when the sun rose
great bull suieii morning. Owing to the support given by the soil,
d remained fivioileof the dead elephants had fallen: there they all stood
led of his strugg^fl ifcough they were asleep.

L ^Ijq same h I sent back for the waggons, and when they arrived on
^ere hopele^^i^iiiorrow, formed a camp, about a mile away from the

ALLAi-v:> WIFE.

lif!i!il|l;iiri!ii

pan. Then began the work of cutting out the elephant<
tusks ; it took over a week, and for obvious reasons was
disgusting task. Indeed, had it not been for the help r
some wandering bushmen, who took their pay in elephai
meat, I do not think we could ever have managed it.

At last it was done. The ivory was far too cumbersoE
for us to carry, so we buried it, having first got rid of o;
bushmen allies. My boys wanted me to go back to tl
Cape with it and sell it, but I was too much bent on e
journey to do this. The tusks lay buried for five year
Then I came and dug them up ; they were but liti
harmed. Ultimately I sold the ivory for something ov
twelve hundred pounds — not bad pay for one day's shoe
ing.

This is how I began my career as an elephant huntf
I have shot many hundreds of them since, but have nev
again attempted to do so on horfoeback.

liont

any
lat I
iiiioi

ter
Ifoi

■yh\

3pt

the elepViant"
J reasons was
for the help e
pay in elephai
naged it.
too cuinbersott
Bt got rid of oc
go back to tl
auch bent on n
,d for five year
y ^ere but Uti
)r something o\'
c one day's shoe

elephant hunt^
,ce, but have ne^

CHAPTER TV.

F'^ER burvmg the elephant
tusks, acd having taken careful
notes of the bearings and
peculiarities of the country so
that I might be able to find the
spot again, we proceeded on
our journey. For a month
*r or more we trekked along the
line which now divides the
Orange Free State from Gri-
qualand West and the Tran-
svaal from Becbuanaland.
The only difl&cultips met with
/vert such as are still common to African travellers — occa-
lionftl want of water and troubles about crossing sluits and
ivera. I remember that I outspanned on the spot where
wim]>erley now stands, and had to press on again in a
urry because there was no water. I little dreamed tl: en
lat I should live to see Kimberley ajfgreat city producing
illions of pounds worth of diamonds annually, and old
idat^-zimbi's magic cannot have been worth bo much
ter all, or he would have told me.

I found the country almost entirely depopulated. Not
ry long before Mosilikatzi the Lion, Chaka'a General had
3piacross it in his progress towards what is now Mata-

ALLAN'S WIFE.

beleland. His footsteps were evident enough. Time upc
time I trekked up to what had evidently been the sites t
the Katfir kraals. Now the kraals were ashes and piles
tumbled stones, and strewn about among the rank gri
where the bones of hundreds of men, women, and childre;
all of whom had kissed the Zulu assegai. I remember tb
in one of these desolate places I found the skull of a ch;
in which a ground-lark had built its nest. It was t
twittering of the young birds inside that first called r
attention to it. Shortly after this event we met with f
second great adventure, a much more serious and tri
one than the first.

We were trekking parallel with the Kolong river wiier
herd of blesbock crossed the track. I fired at one of t!
and hit it behind. It galloped about a thousand ya
with the rest of the herd, then lay down. As we were
want of meat, not having met with any game for a
days past, I jumped on to my remaining horse, and, tel
Indabazimbi that I would overtake the waggons orn
them on the further side of a rise about an hour's trek a»
I started after the wounded buck. As soon as I a
within a hundred yards of it, however, it jumped up
ran away as fast as though it were untouched, only tf
down again at a distance. I followed, thinking that strei
would soon fail it. This happened three times. On
third occasion it vanished behind a ridge, and thougt
now I was out of both temper and patience I thoug ^|cj
might as well ride to the ridge and see if I could get a •"! a
at it on the further side. ™

I reached the ridge, which was strewn with stij^
looked over it, and saw — a Zulu Impi I ^*

ALLAN'S WIFE.

I I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Yes, there was no

^oubt of it. They were halted about a thousand yards

.|kway, by the water ; some were lying down, some were

Rooking at fires, others were italking about with spears

'^nd shields in their hands; there might have been two

ouiftnd of them in all. While I was wondering — and

at with no little uneasiness — what on earth they could

doing there, suddenly 1 heard a wild cry to the right

d left of me. I glanced first one way, then the other.

rem either side two great Zulus were bearing down on

e, their broad stabbing assegais aloft, and black shields

their left hands. The man to the right was about

teen yards away, he to the left was not more than ten.

they came, their fierce eyes almost starting out of their

ads, and I felt, with a cold thrill of fear, that in another

ee seconds those great ** bangwans " might be buried in

vitals. On such occasions we act, I suppose, more

m instinct than anything else — there is no time for

Iboiight. At any rate, I dropped my reins and, raising my

Vi^'^ir'streka' g|n, fired point blank at the left-hand man. The bullet

n as 1 ci •^l^*^^ ^^^1 "1 the middle of his shield, pierced it and passed

I . . ^ped up *Ji<^ugli biiii* and over be rolled upon the veldt. I swung

'^' "h d only tc Wlu^d ill the saddle ; most happ'ly my horse was accus-

^ .° ^.' that Btre: Coined to standing still w len I fired from his back, also he

^^^ ,.-^^a On ^^ 80 burprised he did not know which way to shy. The

d though otter savage was almost on me ; hia outstretched shield

■^ ? ' T ^^oug touched the muzzle of my gun as I pulled the trigger of

•#^T uld set a ^ ^®^* ^^^^®^* It exploded, the warrior sprung high into

' ^ tht air, and fell against my horse dead, hia spear passing

with Bt(j^ ^^ front 0^ my face.

Without w&iting to reload, or even to look if the main
il

gh. Time upo
been the sites (
Bhes and piles
5 the rank gra^
,en, and chiUlre;
I remember tt
,e BkuU of a cb
nest. It wast
lat first called t
; v?e met with c
serious and tra,

olong river wbei
ired at one of tl
ft thousand ya:
b,n. As we were
ny game for a
g horse, and, tel
,he waggons or t

^m^

\ \

ALL.IX'S WIFE.

body of ili(! ZuliiH liad seen tlie dcjith of their two scouts, m
I tunicd my liorse niid drove my heels into his sides. As in

boi

hoi

the

tOgi

ftotij

trekk

Boeri

iaage

toihe

badj[i

n-eal

otne
eiJed'

iiow/
"Hr
utcli.

soon as I was down the slope of the rise I pulled a little The

the right m order to intercept the wa

saw them. I had not gone three

ons before the Ziiiiiia 2)1
hundred yards in tli box

ALLAN'S WIFE.

two scout?,
sideB. As

t 'i'J

Oiw (lirrction when to my utter astonishment, I struck a
isail marked with wapff^on- wheels and the hoofs of oxen.
Of wu-^f^oiia there must have heen at least eight, and several
hundred cattle. Moreover, they had passed within twelve
hours ; I could toll that by the spoor. Then I understood
the Impi was following the track of the waggons, which,
in all probability, belonged to a party of emigrant Boers.

The spoor of the waggons ran in the direction I wished
to go, so I followed it. About a mile further on I came
to the crest of a rise, and there, about live furlongs away,
I itw the waggons drawn up in a rough laager upon the
banks of the river. There, too, were my own waggons
trekking down the slope towards them.

Id another five minutes I was there. The Boers — for

Boers they were — were standing about outside the little

laager watching the approach of my two waggons. 1 called

to them, and they turned and saw me. The very first man

my eyes fell on was a Boer named Hans Botha, whom I

had known well years ago in the Cape. He was not a bad

ipedmen of his class, but a very restless person, with a

jreat objection to authority, or, as he expressed it, "a love

»f freedom." He had joined a party of the emigrant Boers

ome years before, but, as I learned presently, had quar-

elled with its leader, and was now trekking away into the

ilderness to found a little colony of his own. Poor

How I It was his last trek.
" How do you do, Meinheer Botha ? " I said to him in

utch.
1 uWed a UtU^ The man looked at me, looked again, then, startled out
i before the '/luhil Dutch solidity, cried to his wife, who was seated en

,)»*'•

red yards in ^^ *X« oi the waggon—

ALLAN'S WIFE.

** Come here, Frau, come. Here is Allan Quatermain,
the Englishman, the son of the 'Predicant.' How goes it,
Heer Quartermain, and what is the news down in the Cape
yonder ? **

*' I don't know what the news is in the Cape, Hans,"
answered, solemnly ; " but the news here is that there is i
Zulu Impi upon your spoor and within two miles of tt
waggon. That "^ know, !or I have just shot two of the:
sentries," and I shelved him my empty gun.

For a moment there was a silence of astonishment, ar
I saw the bronzed faces of the men turn pale beneath tlit
tan, while one or two of thd women gave a little screa: of J

de8<

abi

ar«

■tar

wilL)

«* ,

and the children crept to their sides.

** Almighty," cried Hans, " that must be the Umtet
regiment that Dingaan sent against the Basutus, but \^
could not come at them, because of the marshes, and
were afraid to return to Zululand, and struck north toj
Mosilikaaye."

" Laager up. Carles ! Laager up for your lives, and
of you jump on a horse and drive in the cattle."

At that moment my own waggons came up. Inda '<*ol[
zimbi was sitting on the box of the first, wrapped i ®y*d|
blanket. I called him and told him the news. •

" 111 tidings, Macumazahn," he said ; " there wiii bei **Wftj
Boers about to-morrow morning, but they will not at ^okI
till dawn, then they will vrine out the laager so," an -^oglj
passed his hand before his mouth. ^'T *

** Stop that croaking, you white-headed crow," I r^^8^
though I knew that his words were true. Wliatt^®**^!
had a laager of ten waggons all told against at kits; *i
thousand of the bravest savages in the world ?

.xS

ALLAN'S WIFE.

^n Quatermain,
,' How goes it,
)wu in the Cap.

, Cape, Hans,"
9 that there iv.
two miles of th
ahot two of the

,8tomBhnient,

"Macumazahn, will you take my advice this time?"
Indaba-zimbi said, presently.
' "What is it?" I asked.

" Thi8. Leave your waggons here, jump on that horse,
md let us two run for it as hard as we can go. The Zulus
won't follow us, they will be looking after the Boers."

" I won't leave the other white men," I said ; ** it would
bt the act of a coward. If I die, I die."

" Very well, Macuma.iahn, then stay and be killed," he
answered, taking a pinch of snuff. ** Come, let us see
about the waggons," and we walked towards the laager.

Here everything was in confusion-. However, I got hold

nale heneath tlit

Vttle screa: of Hans Botha and put it to him if it would not be best to

^® dwert the waggons and make a run for life.

, TTmtet' **How can we do it?" he answered ; " two of the women

but ^ •*• *^° ^^^ *° SO * niile, one is sick in childbed, and we have

^^ Vi fi an^ ^^y ^^^ horses among us. Besides, if we did we should

^® ^? th to ' ■t^^'s^ve in the desert. No, Heer Allan, we must fight it out

luuck nor j ^^^ ^^^^ savages, and God help ua."

V fl and ** ^°^^ ^^^P ^^' ''^^®®^' Think of the children, Hans ! "

y^^^ „ ' ^I can't bear to tbmk," he answered, in a broken voice,

^® ^^ * Xiidi looking at his own little girl, a sweet, curly-haired, blus-

came p« , ^y^ ^,|^^l^ ^^ ^^^^ named Tota., whom I had ofton narsed as

first, wrapp ^ ^^^ .. ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^^ Predicant,

lenews. . ^^jj^gys warned me against trekking north, and I never

\\ ot a'^ ^**'*^^ listen to him because I thought him a cursed

ihey wi ^^ ,^j^ Englishman ; now I see my folly. Heer Allan, if you can,

|e laager , ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^.^^ ^^^^ those black devils ; if you Hve

Y clongor than I do, or if you can't save her, kill her," and he

leaded crow, , clawed my hand.

true. ^^ly. 'Jit hasn't come to that yet,
Id against at lta=> - ^

LB world ? I

Hans," I said.

'it

ALLAN'S WIFE.

Then we set to work on the laager. The waggons, cf
which, including my two, there were ten, were drawn int:
the form of a square, and the disselboom of each securel
lashed with reins to the underworks of that in front of i;
The wheels also were locked, and the space betvv'een tt
ground and the bed-planks of the waggons was stuffe
with branches of the " wait-a-bit " thorn that fortunatei
grew near in considerable quantities. In this way a barrit
was formed of no mean strength as against a foe uiipi
vided with firearms, places being left for the men to fir
from. In a little over an hour everything was done tb:
could be done, and a discussion arose as to the disposal
the cattle, whr h had been driven up close to the cam
Some of the Boers were anxious to get them into t;
laager, small as it was, or at least as many of them as
would hold. I argued strongly against this, pointing c
that the brutes would probably be seized with a panic
soon as the firing began, and trample the defenders of t
laagsr under foot. As an alternative plan I suggested tt
some of the native servants should drive the herd along!
valley of the river till they reached a friendly tribe or so:
other place of safety. Of course, if the Zulus saw th;
they would be taken, but the nature of the ground v
favourable, and it was possible that they might escape
they started at once. The proposition was at once agreed
and, what is more, it was settled that one Dutchman a
such of tho women and children as could travel shouki
with them. In half an hour's time twelve of them star '^^^wi
with the natives, the Boer in charge, and the cat S^Oe
Three of my own men went with the latter, the tl:®* *"'
others and Indaba-zimbi stopped with me in the laager ^"'

iit

Uh
Im
oai
the
sloi

stilj

aiiic

ALLAN'S WIFE.

tie waggons, c|
vere drawn int
f each securel;
it in front of i:
tee betvy-een tli
pns was stuffe
that fortunate
,hi8 way a barru
nst a foe mipr

the men to fc
ig was done tb
to the disposal
ose to the cam;
ret them into i
any of them as

this, pointing

d with a panic
e defenders of t
tn I suggested tt
the herd along I
5ndly tribe or so:
e Zulus saw tb
of the ground '
tey might escap'
as at once agreed
one Dutchman a
lid travel shouKi
Ive of them star
e, and the cat
le latter, the tb
in the laager

The parting was a heart-breaking scene, upon which I
io not care to dwell. The women wept, the men groaned,
|nd the children looked on with scared white faces. At
length they were gone, and I for one was thankful of it.
^here remained in the laager seventeen white men, four
Natives, the two Boer fraus who were too stout to travel,
||ie woman in childbed and her baby, and Hans Botha's
Sttle daughter Tota, whom he could not make up his mind
% part with. Happily, her mother was already dead,
i^d here I may state that ten of the women and children,
together with about half of the cattle, escaped. The Zulu
fibpi never saw them, and on the third day of travel they
OBme to the fortified place of a Griqua chief, who sheltered
lliem on receiving half the cattle in payment. Thence by
tlow degrees they journeyed down to the Cape Colony,
riftching a ciWlizoJ region within a little more than a year
fi[0m the date of the attack on the laager.

The afternoon was now drawing towards evening, but
Bt9l there were no signs of the Impi. A wild hope struck
ii» that they might have gone on about their business. Ever
since Indaba-zimbi had beard that the regiment was sup-
posed to belong to the Umtetwa tribe, he had, I noticed,
been plunged in deep thought. Presently he came to me
and volunteered to go out and spy upon their movements.
Aifirst Ha^iS Botha was against this idea, saying that he
w«i a " verdomde swartzel " — an accursed black creature
— ftnd would betray us. I pointed out ^' '.t there was
nothing to betray. The Zulus must know where the wag-
gons were, but it was important for us to gain information
of their whereabouts. So it was agreed that Indaba-zimbi
shonld go. I told hira this. He nodded his white lock,

ALLAN'S WIFE.

said ''All right, Macumazahn," and started. I noticed tha
with some surprise, however, that before he did so he went full
to the waggon and fetched his " mouti," or medicine, which 1
together with his own magical apparatus, he always carrie I plac
in a skin bag. I asked him why he did this. He answered gloo
that it was to make himself invulnerable against the spear; Jigbj
of the Zulus. I did not in the least believe his explanation, the i
for in my heart I was sure that he meant to take the oppor anxi
tunity to make a bolt of it, leaving me to my fate. I di: fi^
not, however, interfere to prevent this, for I had an affectioiEven
for the old fellow, and sincerely hoped that he might escapeyea i
the doom which overshadowed us. On tb

So Indaba-zimbi sauntered off, and as I looked at l]:wra||]
retreating form I thought that I should never see it agairher m^
But I was mistaken, and little knew that he was risking iJook ai
life, not for the Boers whom he h Led one and all, but 1 So
me whom in his queer way he loved. But fr(

When he Lad gone we completed our preparations il htti
defence, strengthening the wagons and the thorns beneaiad thl
with earth and stones. Then at sunset we ate and draiion pi\
as heartily as we could under the circumstances, and Avlit'f tt||B
we had done, Hans Botha, as head of the party, offered S>f pf ej
prayer to God for our preservation. It was a touclii;
sight to see the burly Dutchman, his hat off, his broad h
lit up by the last rays of the setting sun, praying aloud '<
homely, simple language to Him who alone could save^
from the spears of a cruel foe. I remember that the ' **
sentence of his prayer was, " Almighty, if we must be kil/*»|^c
save the women and children and my little girl Tota fr '*Jb8|
the accursed Zulus, and do not let us be tortured." "^<

I echoed the request very earnestly in my own hes^ l|a^

ALLAN'S WIFE.

A I noticed that I know, for in common with the others I was dread-
did so be went folly afraid, and it must be admitted not without reason,
dicine, whicli Ulien the darkness came on, and we took up our appointed
Iwavs carriel plaoes each with a rifle in his hands and peered out into the
^ He answered gloom in silence. Occasionally one of the Boers would
' • t the spear: light his pipe with a brand from the smouldering fire, and
. explanation, the, glow of it would shine for a few moments on his pale,

) take the oppoi anxfus face.

fite I ^ l^ind me one of the stout " fraus " lay upon the ground.
Vi d an affectioiEv«| the terror of our position could not keep her heavy
Vi miaht escapeyei^from their accustomed sleep, and she snored loudly.

* On iiie further side of her, just by the fire, lay little Tota,

T 1 oked at liiwri4)ed in a kaross. She was asleep also, her thumb in
it af^aiiherjouth, and from time to timf^ her father would come to
!Iwas risking liookjit her.

a all but 1; ftl *^6 hours wore on while we waited for the Zulus.
Bui ffom my intimate knov/ledge of the habits of natives
arations ft ^M ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^* *^®y would attack us at night, though,
+Vi ns beneaiftd |hey done so, they could have compassed our destruc-
. jjjj tkaiion frith but small loss to themselves. It is not the habit
and ^vll?'*to|p people, they like to fight in the light of day— at dawn

■ touclii ^^^^ eleven o'clock, just as I was nodding a little at my

ff his broad faOS^IJ heard a low whistle outside the laager. Instantly I
* * 'ns aloud'*' 1^^® awake, and all along the line I heard the clicking
' ^ 1^ gg^ygf lolks as the Boers cocked their guns.

that theli " Macumazahn," said a voice, the voice of Indaba-zimbi,

/ ^^ ^n+hpkir^J^yo^ there?"
f we must be ku. V

ttleeirlTotaii if^' I answered.

^ ■. M "Ihen hold a light so that I can see how to climb into

step

ALLAN'S WIFE,

" Yah ! yah ! hold a light," put in one of the Boers, of
don't trust that black schepsel of yours, Heer QuaterK; tafl
he may have some of his countrymen with him." Ace j|
ingly a lantern was produced and held towards the t wea
There was Indaba-zimbi alone. We let him into the la ha?
and asked him the news. wail

" This is the news, white men," he said. *'I waitekno'
dark, and creeping up to the place where the Zulu tbaj
encamped, hid myself behind a stone and listened, gan
are a great regiment of Umtetwas as Buar Botha } tiltg^
thought. They struck the spoor of the waggons threeDalg
ago and followed it. To-night they sleep upon their siberifl
to-morrow at daybreak they will attack the laager aECold
everybody. They are very bitter against the Boers, bfi bot
of the battle at Blood Eiver and the other fights, anoaim
is why they followed the waggons instead of going st:iO be
north after Mosilikaayye." ieenw

A kind of groan went up from the group of lis;»ppr«
Dutchmen. Noi

" I tell you what it is, Heeren," I said, instead of ^ito q
to be butchered here like a buck in a pitfall, let us ?ow—
now and fall upon the Impi while it sleeps." iojim

This proposition excited some discussion, but in (umm
only one man could be found to vote for it. Boers asim-i^
lack that dash which makes great soldiers ; such :'itc]li i
hopes are not in their line, and rather than embar;
them they prefer to take their chance in a laager, liWe §}
poor that chance may be. For my own part I -'^' »
believe that had my advice been taken we shoiil "^ ^
routed the Zulus. Seventeen desperate white men,
with guns, would have produced no small effect upons

ALLAN'S WIFE.

f the Boers, ot sleeping savages. But it was not taken, so it is no use
', Hear Quatem. tftfling about it,

A^ith him." Ace Mter that wo went back to our posts, and slowly the

1 towards the t weAVy night wore on towards the dawn. Only those who

jt him into the khafi watched under similar circumstances while they

waited the adveht of almost certain and cruel death, can

said. "I waittknow the torturing suspense of those heavy hours. But

where the Zulu: tba^f; went somehow, and at last in the far east they sky be-

a and listened, gan^o ligliten, while the cold breath of dawn stirred the

guar Botha y tilti^of the waggons and chilled me to the bones. The fat

waff'^ons tbreeDttliliwoman behind me woke with a yawn, then, remem^

upon their siberiig all, moaned aloud, while her teeth shattered with

ick the laager accol^Simd fear. Hans Botha went to his waggon and got

n^t the Boers, bei bo|tle of peach brandy, from which he poured into a tin

other fif'hts, ancDanaikin, giving us each a stiff draw, and making attempts

ead of going st:io baficheerful as he did so. But his affected jocularity only

ieexoed to depress his comrades the more. Certainly it

ne group of lisi'PIMfiesed me.

Noie the Hght was growing, and we could see some way
said instead of ^ito tbe midst which still hung densely over the river, and
a pitfall, let us Jow-ifah ! there it was. From the other side of the hill, a
sleeps." lownd yards or more from the laager, came a faint

cuBsion, but in timi^ing sound. It grew and grew till it gathered to a
3 for it. Boers asia^^the awful war chant of the Zulus. Soon I could

soldiers ; sucli itclfthe words. They were simple enough :
her than embav^

in a laager, liWtphall slay, we shall slay. Is it not so, my brotliors ?
wn V?^^ 1 )oiwears shall blush blood-red. Is it not so, my brothers?

taken we

lerate white

imall effect

sucklings of Chaka, blood is our milk, my
the Umtetwa, awake !

■K

HMP

t M

\\40

\y^hm

ALLAN'S WIFE,

The vulture wheels, the jackal sniffs the air ; — ^

Awake, children of the Umtetwa — cry aloud, ye ringed v.. J
There is the foe, we shall slay them. Is it not so, my brotLr the
S'gei ! S'gee ! S'get I " „.

Such is a rough translation of that hateful chant \r:fliiftl
I often hear to this very day in my dreams. It docs "^P
look particularly imposing on paper, but if the reader c'Ji* i
have heard it as it rolled through the still air fromBotj
throats of nearly three thousand warriors singing a Man
time, ho wou)d have found it impressive enough. Th

Now the shields began to appear over the brow ofKanil
rise. They came by companies, each company alxWM^
hundred strong. Altogether there were thirty-one *boi^
panies. I counted them. When all were over they fo'oeaii,
themselves into a triple line, then trotted down the '*^® ^
towards us. At a distance of a hundred and fifty y^^4
or just out of shot of such guns as we had in those '^•'^•<
they halted and began singing again — ^ V^

^esee

*' Yonder is the kraal of the white man — a little krai

brothers ;

We shall eat it up, we shall trample it flat, my brotliors, J''
But v/here are the white man's cattle — where are his^*^*

my brothers?" "I

This question seemed to puzzle them a good dei
they sang the song again and again. At last a 1:
came forward, a great nar with ivory rings on his
and, putting liis hands to his mouth, called out to us a*
where out cattle were. ^®

Hans Botha climbed on to the top of a waggon andr So^j
out that they might answer that question themselves, "*^

fte."

ALLAN'S WIFE.

)ud, ye ringed r. !Bien the herald called again, saying that he saw that
not so, my brotL the tattle had heen sent away.

"We shall go and find the cattle," he said, " then we

. , chant rshftU come and kill you, because witliout cattle you must

^ It (loc> stop where you are, but if we wait to kill you before we get

?^f"the reader c the iattle, they may have trekked too far for us to follow.
^ f*ll from^^l' you try to run away we shall easily catch you white

rriors singing a.^illl ' , , ,, ^ ,

enouf^h. This struck me as a very odd speech, for the Zulus

. , ° brow of8®^^^^y attack an enemy first and take his cattle after-
4i company abo^Wf% i still, there was a certain amount of plausibility

*h'rtv-one *bo!§ it. While I was still wondering what it all might

^^ Lu^y fo meMi» the Zulus began to run past us in companies towards

If d d wn the '•^® liver. Suddenly a shout announced that they had

^ , :i cu r vOund the spoor of the cattle, and the whole Impi of them
red and fifty }*^ -^ . .•iii.u -i ^ • u l

\ n ' *!. n »tart#d down it at a run till they vanished over a rise about
had m inose . <. •,

k qiisrter of a mile away.

We waited for half an hour or more, but nothing could
an-a little kraa.^^ ^ ^^ ^^^^^

u <.i.m.c "Now I wonder if the devils have reallv gone," said
flat my brotnoi?, ' jo*

—where are his ^ao* ^o^ha to me. " It is very strange."

"I will go and see," said Indaba-zimbi, "If you will

, )mftwith me, Macumazahn. We can creep to the top of
hem a good de|.^^j^g^ ^^^ j^^j^ ^^^^ „

'^^' . „ V,:- Aifirst I hesitated, but cmiosity overcame me. I was

ory rings on nu . ,i , , .,;

I -^ ,, )U^| in those Jays and weary with suspense.

Icalled ou ^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^^^„ ^ ^^.^^ ^^ ^^ ^.^^ ^^ ,,

and I S^"^® started. I had ray elephant gun and aramuition.
1^ • ih raselves *^*^"^^™^^ ^^^ ^^^ medicine bag and an assegai. We

eptto the top of the rise like sportsmen stalking a buck.

dii

l||MH.i

'I'liilJiiiiifiTii;

ALLAN'S WIFE.

The slope on the other side was strewn with rocks, amo
which grew bushes and tall grass.

*' They must have gone down the Donga," I said
Indaba-zimbi, " I can't see one of them."

As I spoke there came a roar of men all round r
From every rock, from every tuft of grass rose a Z
warrior. Before I could turn, before I could lift a :
I was seized and thrown.

"Hold him ! Hold the white spirit fast !" cried a vo G^i

" Hold him, or he will slip away like a snake. Don't i *50

him, but hold him fast. Let Indaba-zimbi walk b}*o'j
side." t mi

I turned on Indaba-zimbi. "You black devil, you told i
betrayed me ! " I cried.

" Wait and see Macumazahn," he answered,
" Now the fight is going to begin."

co(Jiia
lata
en I

I0W6

wh<
r-bi
ied
e.

ceni
J Zi

3 foi

witbl
i txn

:aU<

■t

vith rock3, am

I said

round

len all

grass rose a I

I could lift a :

CHAPTER V.

ast '

cried a vr

GABI'Hl) with wonder and

rage.

What did that

BOOlinchc'l ludaba-zimhi mean ? Why had I been drawn

' — ^ »L I BOCWndrc'i lutiaua-ziraui mean / vviiy uaii i uueii uruv

snake. tof|lie hiaser and seized, and why, being seized, was

iimbi walk by

t in^antly killed. They called me the " White Spirit

»»

, vil voul^l^ik be that they were keeping me to make me into
' tdiouie ? I had heard of such things being done by Zulus

answered,

diouie ? I had heard of such things being done by
co[i kindred tribes, and my blood ran cold at the thought.
lat an end ! To be pounded up, made medicine of, and
en!

lowiver, I had little time for further reflection, for now

whole Impi was pouring back from the Donga and

r-bMiks where it had hidden while their ruse was

ied put, and once more formed up on the side of the

e. \ was taken to the crest of the slope and placed in

cen^e of the reserve line in the especial charge of a

) Ztilu named Bombyane, the same man who had

3 foiward as a herald. This brute seemed to regard

with an affectionate curiosity. Now and again he

i mt in the ribs with the handle of his assegai, as

?h to assure himself that I was solid, and several

1 he asked me to be so good as to prophesy how

' Zulus would be killed before the ** Amaboona," as

saUid the Boers, were " eaten up."

'---T-^ -n

ALLAN'S WIFE.

At first I took no notice of hira beyond scowling,
])resontly, goarlod into anger, I prophesied that he w:
bo dead in an hour !

lie only lau;.;hed aloud. *' Oh ! white spirit," hei
"is it so? Well, I've walked a long way from Zulul*
niid shall bo jj;Iad (<f a rest."

And he ^^'ot it sliortly, as will be seen.

Now the Zulus began to sing again —

" We have caught the white spirit, my brother ! my brc

Iron-tongue whispered of him, he smelt him out, my bK

Now the Maboona are ours — they are already deai

brother."

So that treacherous villain Indaba-zimbi had beb
me. Suddenly the Chief of the Impi, a grey-liairedj
named Sususa, held up his assegai, and instantly theij
silence. Then he spoke to some indunas who stoo
him. Instantly they ran to the right and left do?
first line, saying a word to the captain of each coil
as they passed him. Presently they were at the resjj
ends of the line, and simultaneously held up their i
As they did so, with an awful roar of " Bulata Araab
— " Slay the Boers," the entire line, numbering uj
thousand men, bounded forward like a buck startla
its form, and rushed down upon the little laager.
a splendid sight to see them, their assegais glitterinjj
sunlight as they rose and fell above their hhca
their war-plumes bending back upon the breeze, ad
fierce faces set intently on the foe, while the sol;
shook beneath the thunder of their rushing feet. I

iyond scowling,
■aied that he w:

liite Bplrit,"hei
n.

^ brother ! my bw
ielthunout,iBybr

are already deai

)a.zimbi had beb
,pi, a grey-haireij
and instantly ttej
idunas who bIoo
gbt and left do^
.ptain of each coi
y were a*, the resi
lyheld up their
3f " Bulata Atnal
ne, numbering ii|
.ke a buck startle
le little laager,
assegais glitterin?]
ove their blac
non the breeze, ai
oe, while the so
L- rushing feet, i

ilHlnH

Vi!

of
chfl

wra

yar(

Ove

littli

foroi

B.(tei

gum

tion.

hed

with

derisi

back.

'inooj

'ou t

ighfa

mil]
3iDei:
The
d rui
3 laa
rmi
iked
rs, a
t th
m U
I si)

ALLAN'S WIFE.

rf my poor friends the Dutchmen, and trembled. What
chance had they against so many ?

Now the Zulus, running in the shape of a bow so as to
wr»p the laager round on three sides, were within seventy
yards, and now from every waggon broke tongues of fire.
Over rolled a number of the Umtetwa, but the rest cared
little. On they rushed right up to the laager, striving to
force a way in. But the Boers plied them with volley
after volley, and, packed as the Zulus were, the elephant
guns loaded with slugs and small shot did frightful execu-
tion. Only one man ever got on to a waggon, and as
he (lid so I saw a Boer woman strike him on the head
with an axe. He fell back, and slowly, amid howls of
derision from the two lines on the hill-side, the Zulus drew
back.

"Ii€t US go, father ! " shouted the soldiers on the slope,

.mot^ whom I was, to their chief, who had come up.

^ou nave sent out the little girls to fight, and they are

'ightened. Let us show them the way."

" No, no ! the chief Sususa answered, laughing. " Wait

minute and the little girls will grow to women, and

Droen are good enough to fight against Boers ! **

The attacking Zulus heard the mockery of their fellows,

d rushed forward again with a roar. But the Boers in

3 laager had found time to load, and they met with a

rm reception. .Reserving their fire till the Zulus were

?ked like sheep in a kraal, they loosed into them with the

rs, and the warriors fell in little heaps. But I saw

t the blood of the Umtetwas was up; they did not

m to be beaten back this time, and the end was near.

1 six men had leapt on to the waggon, slain the man

Ilir

ALLAN'S WIFE.

I
a

behind it, and sprung into the laager. They were mm
there, but others followed, and then I turned my hea
But I could not shut my ears to the cries of rage a
death, and the terrible S'gee ! S'gee ! of the savages
they did their work of murder. Once only I looked
and sawed poor Hans Botha standing on a waggon srait
down men with the butt of his rifle. Then assegais s
up towards him like tongues of steel, and when I loc:
again he was gone.

I turned sink with fear and rage. But alas ! what c
I do ? They were all dead now, and probably my ownt
was coming, only my death would not be so swift.

The fight was ended, and the two lines on the e
broke their order, and moved down to the laager. .
sently we were there, and a dreadful sight it was. V ""^^
of the attacking Zulus were dead — quite fifty I should ^^
and at least a hundred and fifty were wounded, sot ,^
them mortally. The chief Sususa gave an order, the
men were picked up and piled in a heap, while thosr
were slightly hurt walked off to get some one to t

he:
tbcM

their wounds. But the more serious cases met w
different treatment. The chief or one of his in

and
one

considered each case, and if it was in any w-ay ba
n:} n was taken up and thrown into the river whie' ^
near. None of them offered any objection, tboii!: , '
poor fellow swam to shore again. He did not stor'
long, however, for they pushed him back and dro\ni
by force.

The strangest case of all was that of the chief ,. •»
brother. He had been captain of the line, and lii-ij]
was smashed by a bullet. Sususa came up to hi:-

ALLAN'S WIFE.

having examined the wound, rated him soundly for failing
in the first onslaught.

The poor fellow made the excuse that it was not his

fault, as the Boers had hit him in the first rush. His

brother admitted the truth of this, and talked to him

amicably.

"Well," he said at length, offering him a pinch of snuff,

Then assegais ^ ««yjju cannot walk again."

— A xa\\en i oo- If No, chief," said the wounded man, looking at his ankle.

^fAnd to-morrow we must walk far," went on Sussua.
•lYes, chief."

**Say, then, will you sit here on the veldt, or " and

he nodded towards the river.

e man dropped his head on his breast for a minute as
tli^iigh in thought. Presently he lifted it and looked
Stmsa straight in the face.
**pVIy ankle pains me, my brother," he said ; " I think I
^Q ^A^ounded, sot y^^ ^^^^ ^^ Zululand, for there is the only kraal I wish
,ve an order, ^^^^ to i|e, even if I creep about it like a snake." *
leap, wHle tbos: ^^ .^ ^^^^^ ^^ brother," said the chief. " Rest softly,"
jt some one ^ an#having shaken hands with him, he gave an order to
)U8 cases tne- oni||f the indunas, and turned away,
one 01 ^ «pn, men came, and, supporting the wounded man,
in any ^^^y^:hel|id him down to the banks of the stream. Here, at
to the '^^^^^ ^ his l|que8t, they tied a heavy stone round his neck, and
|obiectu)tij ^2';hei|threw him into a de^^p pool. I saw the whole -sad
He did no ^ ' ,Qg^| ^^^^ ^^^ victim never even winced. It was impossible
Iback and droN^i^ __^ ^

f iVip chief * ^^ ^-^^a believe that after death their spirits enter into the
Ibat ot in« i,;^Jf ^^ ^^^S^ green snakes, which gUde about the kraali. To
the line, ana ni ju m^ge gnakei is sacrilege.— Editob.
came up to lv>

They ^ere killt
turned my hea
cries of rage a.
of the savages
only I looked
1 a waggon smii.
Then asse^
and when

;ut alas I what c:
robablymyownv

be 80 swift,
o lines on the ;
to the laager. •
sight it was. ^-

xte fit^fcy 1 s^^'^'^^^

' 1 ^ P^"*^

ALLAN'S WIFE.

not to admire the extraordinary courage of the man, or t
avoid heing struck with the cold-hlooded cruelty of hi
brother the chief. And yet the act was necessary fro:
liis point of view. The man must either die swiftly, or I
left to perish of starvation, for no Zulu force will encumbe
itself with wounded men. Years of merciless warfare ha
so hardened these people that they looked on death a
nothing, and were, to do them justice, as willing to met
it themselves as to inflict it on others. When this ver
Impi had been sent by the Zulu King Dingaan, it consiste
of some nine thousand men. Now it numbered abo.
three, all the rest were dead. They, too, would probat .Ja
soon be dead. What did it matter ? They lived by w. m

tin
all
noi

spii

to die in bioou. It was ther: natural end. " Kill till v

saici

are killed.'* That is the motto of the Zulu soldier, lih j^
the merit of simplicity. jf^

Meanwhile the warriors were looting the waggons, r t[|j|
eluding my own, having first thrown all the dead Bot tba
into a heap. I looked at the heap ; all of them were the: j^q^
including the two stout fraus, poor things. But I miss fn^^
one body, that of the Hans Botha's daughter, little To: gij^
A wild hope came into my heart that she might ha bjin
escaped ; but no, it was not possible. I could only pn be m^
that she was already at rest. I ^

Just then the great Zulu, Bombyane, who had leftcoonri
side- to indulge in the congenial occupation of looti:g]|0|(
came out of a waggon crying that he had got the "li;I
white one." I looked ; he was carrying the child Tid
gripping her frock in one of his huge black hands, tbtft
stalked up to where we were, and held the child betore : *H<
chief. ** Is it dead, father ? " h^ a^id . ^^uM

ALLAN'S WIFE.

the man, or i

cruelty of lib

necessary froi

je swiftly, or V.

je will encumbe

less warfare k

Led on death a

willing to met

When this ver

raan, it consisU

numbered abo.

3, would probab

^hey lived by ^^.

-Now, as I could well see, the child was not dead, but had
lien hidden away, and fainted with fear.
fThe chief glanced at it carelessly, and said —
* Find out with your kerrie."

cting on this hint the black devil held up the child, and
about to kill it with his knobstick. This was more
I could bear. I sprang at him and struck him with
my force in the face, little caring if I was speared or
He dropped Tota on the ground.
I* Oh ! " he said, putting his hand to his nose, ** the white
spirit has a hard fist. Come, spirit, I will fight you for the
chid."
The soldiers cheered and laughed. "Yes ! yes ! " they
(J. *• Kill till y gg^^ " let Bombyane fight the white spirit for the child.
Ju soldier. 1*^ Iii them fight with assegais."

■or a moment I hesitated. What chance had I against
the waggons, i: tU| black giant ? But I had promised poor Hans to save
the dead Boe tll# child if I could, and what did it matter ? As well die
' them were tbe: noH as later. However, I had wit enough left to make a
But I ^^^'^ fetfur of it, and intimated to the chief through Indaba-
whter little To zttribi that I was quite willing to condescend to kill Bom-
'^she migbt lia byi$e, on condition that if I did so the child's life should
I could only P^ bd 0ven to me. Indaba-zimbi interpreted my words, but
I policed that he would not look on me as he spoke, but
■who bad leftiooff^fcred his face with his hands and spoke of me as " the
ination of lootiighflll " or the " son of the spirit." For some reason that
ad got the "liilhllre never quite understood, the chief consented to the
the child Icdaife 1 fancy it was because he believed me to be more
black hands. th«| mortal, and was anxious to see the last of Bombyane.
the child, betore'' •ilet them fight," he said. " Give them assegais and no
ihidds ; the child shall be to him who conquers."

!S.

^S^sa

fisa

ALLAN'S WIFE,

" Yes I yea ! " cried the soldiers. " Let them ^dgb; ^^
Don't be afraid, Bombyane ; il he is a spirit, he's a ver ],^
sraall one."

" I never was frightened of man or beast, and I am e

Bqn

ing

going to run away from a white ghost," answered the rr g^

doubtable Bombyane, as he examined the blade of L fn |
great bangwanar stabbing assegai. ^'^

Then they made a ring round us, gave me a sinii'of^
assegai, and set us some ten paces apart. I kept my fa q^
as calm as I could, and tried to show no signs of fei the i
though in my heart I was terribly afraid. Humiio/ jii
speaking, my doom was on me. The giant warrior befgfgur
me had used the assegai from a child — I had no tof iji^
perience of the weapon. Moreover, though I was qndof^i.
and active, he must have been a> least twice as strongtht
I was. However, there was no help for it, so, settings
teeth, I grasped the great spear, breathed a prayer, a
waited. uii

The giant stood awhile looking at me, and, as he sttilw
Indaba-zimbi walked across the ring behind me, mutUj^h^
ing as he passed, *' Keep cool, Macumazahn, and waitir^^i
him." ■-*^

As I had not the slightest intention of commencing
fray, I thought this good advice. aa

Heavens ! how long that half-minute seemed ! It
pened many years ago, but the whole scene rises up btioni||
my eyei as I write. There behind us was the I ' * '
stained laager, and near it lay the piles of dead ; r
us was rank upon rank of plumed savages, standi:;^'
silence to wait the issue of the duel, and in the c(i
stood the grey-haired chief and general, Sususa, in aD

ALL A NHS WIFE.

et tbem ^agb ^f$g finery, a cloak of leopard skin upon his fehoulders. At
irit ^e'8 a v« hii feet lay the senseless form of little Tota, to my left
Bqwtted Indaba-zimbi, nodding his white lock and mutter-
it and I am n ingt sometbing— probably spells ; while in front was my
answered the t; gig|i antagonist, his spear aloft and his plumes bending
he blade of I in fhe gentle breeze. Then over all, over grassy slope,
rifiir, and koppie, over the waggons of the laager, the piles
ve m© 8* ^™ of Had, the dense ranks of the living, the swooning child,
1 kept my ^^ oni|a^^ sbone the bright impartial sun, looking down like
signs of feithtltreat indifferent eye of Heaven upon the loveliness
fraid. Huvn^ of iture and the cruelty of man. Down by the river
nt warrior be! gr«l|tborn-trees, and from ihem floated the sweet scent
1/1—1 had no tof H^ mimosa flower, and came the sound of cooing turtle-
ush I ^^^ qi^doT«|. I never smell the one or hear the other without
twice as stronstht jcene flashing into my mind again, complete in its
»r it, so, setting BY«| detail.

hed ft ptayer.i Sliidenly, without a sound, Bombyane shook his assegai
wd iuBhed straight at me. I saw his huge form come ;
and as he etciko • man in a dream, I saw the broad spear flash on
*hind me, mutii^^l now he wa::^ on me. Then, prompted to it by some
ahn and wait»ro?i4ential impulse, I dropped to my knee, and quick as
ight ftretchfcd out my spear. He drove at me : the blade
{ commencing asiil over my head. I felt a weight on my assogai ; it
as ijrrenched from my hand, his great limbs knockbcl
seemed I lti?*Mi|^ me. I glanced round. Bombyane was staggering
rises up^tOn|^th head thrown back and outstretched arms from
^as tbe Kbwlj|his spear had fallen. His spear had fallen, but the
'les oi dead ; r *^or mine stood out between his shoulders — I had
ages standiiii^JMfced him. He stopped, swung round slowly as
** and in *^^® '^'^^'il *° ^°°^ ** °^®» *^®^ ''^^^^ * "^8^ *^ - S^«-* sank down
al, BuflUflft, i^ '^

' "V ' ' "" IW

''Hi

j^lgg^y^a gg

aGwss:=s=

ALLAN'S WIFE,

For a moment there was silence; then a grea'j cry m
—a cry of " Bombyane is dead. The white spii- c ha." ih:
Bomhy.vne. Kill the wizard, kill the ^host wito has slai:
B(.ajjy le by vvitchcraft."

Inf.f^antly I was surrounded by fierce faces, and spea
dashed before my eyes. I folded my arms and sto
calmly waiting the end. In a moment it would have con
for the warriors were r:iad at seeing their champion ovf ml
thrown thus easily. But presently through the tumiil; t\
heard the high, cracked voice of Indaba-zimbi. end|)o

" Stand back, you fools ! " it cried ; ** can a spirit tli Iioi|di
be killed?" tbafi

** Spear him! spear him!" they roared in fury. "Ibeeg J,
us see if he is a spirit. How did a spirit slay BombjaSj
with an assegai ? Spear him, rain-maker, and we sli
see." "<Wlw

" Stand back," cried Indaba-zimbi again, " and I ^bts||r
show you if he can be killed. I will kill him myself, i iBpy
call him back to life again before your eyes. Meeu?we||B
zahn, trust me," he whispered in my ear in the Sk "^0(
tongue, which the Zulus did not understand. ** Trust rin»H '
kneel on the grass before me, and when I strike at^'^di^,
with the spear, roll over like one dead ; then, when *Wi|js
hear my voice again, get up. Trust me — it is your P^ ^5 I\
hope." ^Mtb

Having no choice I nodded my head in assent, tlii®^^^
I had not the faintest idea of what he was about to' •W-
The tumult lessened somewhat, and once more the war;^ ||o(

drew back. '*^*M^'

" Great white spirit — spirit of victory," said Iii^®^
zimbi, addressing me aloud, and covering his eyes ^ l^ ^

ALLAN'S WIFE.

t grea'i cry rn^

epir- liap "^la :

^t wiio has slai:

ha id, " hear me md forgive me. These children are
d \'ith folly, and think thee mortal hecause thou hast
t death upon a mortal who dared to stand against
fcude. Deign to kneel down before me and let me pierce
and speh; thl ht^art with this spear, then when I call upon thee,
arms and sto arfle unhurt."

Id have con t knelt down, not because I wished tc but because I

hampion ovt mHlt. I bad not overmuch faith in Tn'iab' zimbi, and

Vi *^he tumuli tboiglit it probable that he was in truth a'out lo make an

. y . entfvof me. But reallv I was so worn uiih fears, and the

< a spirit til 1m*^i^^ of ^^® night and day had so shaKen my nerves,

'^I (iid not greatly care what befeil je. When I had
'lbe«|| kneeling thus for about half a minute Indaba-zimbi

ed in fury.

:it slay Bombyss;

ker, and we st

eople of the Umtetwa children of T'Chaka," he said,
back a little space, lest an evil fall on you, for now
« and I '^^•^^ ^^ ^^^^^^ "^^^^ ghosts."
"11 him myselO Iwy ^^^*^^ ^^^^ ^ space, leaving us in a circle about
r eyes. MecuilW* yards in diameter.

in the Si; ^^^^^ o" ^^^ ^^^o kneels before you," went on Indp^ '••

A ** Trust ?^®"l " '^^^ listen to my words, to the words of the wiicH-

T strike at^^^^if* ^^^<^ words of the rain-maker, Indaba-zirabi, whose

A . then when *"'**=^^^ known to you. He seems to be a man, does he

I ' 'L jg yourf^*^! ^ ^^^^ yo"> children of the Umtetwa, he is no man.

[e ift^tbe spirit who gives victory to the white men, he it is

A ' assent, tlicb*^#^'^ them assegais that thunder and taught them how

about tc' •^- ^^ ^^y "^^^'^ the Impip of Dingaan rolled back at

•e more tbe wan*

Itory."
kring

|ood Eiver ? Because he was there. Why did the
ona slay the people of Mosilikaaye bj^ the thou-
said In^^^^ Because he was there. And bo I say to you that,
his eyea^' 1;^^^ drawn him from the laager by my magic but

ALLAN'S WIFE.

three hours ago, you would have been conquered—v-
you would have been blown away like the dust before \.
wind ; you would have been burnt up like the dry ^rass
the winter when the fire is awake among it. Ay, hen:
he had but been there many of your bravest were slaii
overcoming a few — a pinch of men who could be coiir
on the fingers. But because I loved you, because y
chief Sususa is my half-brother — for had we not one fatli:
— I came to you, I warned you. Then you prayed mei
I drew the spirit forth. But you were not satisfied v
the victory was yours, when the spirit of all you head ta
asked but one little thing — a white child to take away
sacrifice to himself, to make the medicine of his m
of "

Here I could hardly restrain myself from interrupi , .
but thought better of it.

"You said him nay; you said, *Let him fight witli
bravest man, let him fight with Bombyane the gian;
the child.' And he deigned to slay Bombyane as you;
seen, and now you say, ' Slay him ; he is no sf
Now I will show you if he is a spirit, for I will slay
before your eyes, and call him to life again. But you;
brought this upon yourselves. Had you believed, hai
offered no insult to the spirit, he would have stayed
you, and you should have become unconquerable,
he will arise and leave you, and woe be on you if yo,
to stay him. Now all men," he went on, ** Ir lor a^
upon this assegai that I hold up," and 1
of the deceased Bombyane high above
the multitude could see it

•uld see it. Every eye was fi
broad bright spear. For a while he held it

ALLAN'S WIFE.

conquered— y^
he dust before i;
:e the dry ^rass
g it. Ay, hen:
avest 'were slain
3 could be coun:
you, because y
^v^e not one fatl;
you prayed me i
not satisfied \(.
)i all you had ta
d to take away;
:Ucine of bis m

{ from interrupt y

t him fight witli
ibyane the gian:
mbyane as you:
he is no si
t, for I will slay
Lgain. But you.
on believed, baC]
lid have stayed
anconquerable.
be on you if f

on,

**lr lor ai

he lifted the bacj ^
e his head so tt^J
y«T)7afl fixed upc
held it Btill, t^]

ivcd it round and round in a circle, muttering as he did

and still their gaze followed it. For my part, I followed

nioveraonts with the greatest anxiety. That assegai

already been nearer my person than I found at all
.sant, and I had no desire to make a further acquaint-
ie with it. Nor, indeed, was I sure that Indaba-zimbi

not really going to kill me. I could not understand
proceedings at all, and at the best I did not relish
iiic; the corpus vile to his magical experiments.
Look! look! look!*' he screamed.

len suddenly the great spear flashed down towards my
,8t. I felt nothing, but it seemed as though it had
led through me.

See ! " roared the Zulus. ** Indaba-zimbi has speared
the red assegai stands out behind his back."

loll over, Macumazahn," Indaba-zimbi hissed in my

" roll over and pretend to die — quick ! quick ! "

lost no time in following these strange instructions, but

ig on my side, threw my arms wide, kicked my legs
)t, and died as artistically as I could. Presently I gave
|ge shiver and lay still.

iee ! " said the Zulus, *' he is dead, the spirit is dead.

at the blood upon the assegai ! "

»tand back ! stand back ! " cried Indaba-zimbi, or the
will haunt you. "Yes, he is dead, and now I will

lim back to life again. Look ! " and putting down his
|, he plucked the spear from wherever it was fixed, and

it aloft. The spear is red, is it not ? Watch, men,
! it grows white ! "

'es, it grows white," they said. " Oh ! it grows

ALLAN'S WIFE.

Her

But

be ^

wlioi(

umt

Thir

'* It grows white because the blood returns to whence
came," said Indaba-zirabi. " Now, great spirit, hear n
Thou art dead, the breath has gone out of thy mou:
Yet hear me and arise. Awake, white spirit, awake a:
show thy power. Awake ! arise unhurt ! "

I began to respond cheerfully to this imposing iiuv
tion.

**Not so fast, Macumazahn," whispered Indaba-ziuihi.

I took the hint, and first held up my arm, then lifttdi ^^{
head and let it fall agam. l .

*' He lives ! by the head of T'Chaka he lives ! " roa: xm^Y
the soldiers, stricken with mortal fear. f^^ ^

Then slowly and with the greatest dignity I gradua thil|)o
arose, stretched my arms, yawned like one awakin^,' fr arifn
heavy sleep, turned and looked upon them unconceniei
As I did so, I noticed that old Indiiba-zimbi was aim;
fainting from exhaustion. Beads of perspiration stoi
upon his brow, his limbs trembled, and his breast heav

As for the Zulus, they waited for no more. Witl*
howl of terror the whole regiment turned and fled acr-"'
the rise, so that presently we were left alone with the dt?^
and the swooning child.

"How on earth did you do that, Indaba-zimbi?'
asked in amaze.

Don't ask me, Macumazahn," he gasped. ** You \t1;
men are very clever, but you don't quite know everythi:
There are men in the world who can make people belit
they see things which they do not see. Let us be go:
while we may, for when these Umtetwas have got o'
their fright, they will come back to loot the waggons, a

II
ed

e(
te

ALLAN'S WIFE.

Sm perhaps they will begin to ask questions that I can't

spirit, near l ^^^^ j^^^^ j. ^^^ ^^ ^^U ^^^^^ ^j^^^ j never got any fur-

b of thy tnou. ^^ information on this matter from old Indaba-zimbi.

pint, awa e a. ^^^ j j^^^^^^ ^^ theory, and here it is for whatever it may

be worth. I believe that Indaba-zimbi mmmcrised the

imposing n\v> wllol*' crowd of onlookers, making them believe that thoy

MVt the assegai in my heart, and the blood upon the blade.

Indaba-zimlii fj^ reader may smile and say, " Impossible ; " but I would

m, then littia. gJiiiim how the Indian jugglers do their tricks unless it is

by mesmerism. The spectators seem to see the boy go

le lives ! " roa: no^r the basket and there pierced with daggers, they

tem to see women in a trance supported in mid air upon

'snitv I gradmthii|)oint of a single sword. In themselves these things

awakini^ fr arwncft possible, they violate the laws of nature, and

fore must be illusion. And so through the ghimour

m upon them by Indaba-zimbi's will, the Zulu Impi

ed to see me transfixed with an assegai that never

ed me. At least, that is my theory ; if any one has

ter, let him adopt it. The explanation lies between

n and magic of a most imposing character, and 1

to accept the first alternative.

(in unconceriKM
zimbi was ulml
lerspiration stol
[his breast beavil
more. Witl»
■d and fled acr"'
lone with the d.?'

Ilndaba-zimbi?

|ped. ''You^Tl

know evervtbr

ike people beli

Let us be go

7a3 have got '■

the waggons.''

■I

CHAPTER VI.

"f '7 WAS not Blow to take Inrlali,,-
zimbi's hint. About a huiidn ,
and fifty yards to the left of uj
laagn' was a little dell where 1
had bidden my horse, togetliu
with one belonging to the lioers,
and my saddle and bridle.
Thither we went, I carrying the
swooning Tota in my arms. Tc
our joy we found the horses safe,
for the Zulus had not seen them.
Now, of course, they were our
only moans of locomotion, for the o^en had been sent away,
and even had they been there we could not have fouiiii
time to in span them. I laid Tota down, caught my horse
undid his knee halter and saddled up. As I was doing soi 1
thought struck me, and I told Indaba-zimbi to run to tb
laager and see if he could find my doubled-barrelled gu:
and some powder and shot, for I had only my elepliai
" roer " and a few charges of powder and ball with me.
He went, and while he was away, poor little Tota can
to herself and be,f:;an to crv, till she saw my face.

'Ah, I have had such a bad dream," she said, in Dutct
" I dreamed tha^ the black Katfirs were going to kill m
Where is my papa ? "

I winced at the question. ** Your papa has gone c
journey, dear," I said, " and left me to look after you. ^

iU I

ALLAN'S WIFE.

a huvuU"*-'*' ||
3 left ot u' 'I
[ell where I
•se, togetlkr
to tlie lioers,
and bruUt,
carrying the
ly arms. '^^
leborsesBafe,

lot seen tbeiE.
;iey were oui
en sent a^vay
)t have fount
ght my horst,
was doing soi
to run to tb.
-harrelled gu-
ly my eleplia'^
11 with me.
ttle Tota can
face.

leaid, in B^^^'^
uig to kill II

has gone c
after you.

k!i!i11 lind him one day. You don't mind going with Heer
Allan, do you?"

" No," she said, a little doubtfully, and began to cry
ii'4:iin. Presently she remembered that she was thirpty,
wud cusked for water. I led her to the river and she drfi.nk.
•' Why is my hand red, Heer Allan ? " she asked, pointing
to the smear of Bomhyane's blood-stained fingers.

At that moment I felt very glad that I had killed
Bomhyane.
" It is only paint, dear,*' I said ; " see, we will wash it
nd your face."

As I was doing this, Indaba-zimbi returned. The guns

kvorc nil gone ; he said the Zulus had taken thera and tlie

owder. But he had found some things and hrougl "^ them

n a sack. There was a thick blanket, about twenty p nids

eight of biltong or sun-dried meat, a few double-handfuls

I' ship's biscuits, two water-bottles, a tin pannikin, some

atches and sundries.

"And now, Macumazahn," he said," we liad best be
ping, for those Umtetwas arc coming back. I saw one of
era on the brow of the rise."

That was enough for mo. I lifted little Tota on to the

w of my saddle, climliod into it and rode oif, holding her

front of me. Indaba zimbi slipped a rein into the mouth

« the best of the Boer horses, threw tho sack of sundries

^ to its l)iu'k and mounted also, holding the ele])hant gun

in his hand. We went eight or nine In ndred vards in

ifieiice till we were quite out of range of sight from the

Wggons which were in a hollow Then I pulled up, with

Well a feeling of thankfulness in iny heart as cannot be

iU words; for now 1 knew that, mounted as vv'e were,

^ HObe black demons could never catch us. But where were

ALLAN'S Wlf^-

78 ^

.. to stec- io.- •? I l.^>^ ^^'VTblu Ary and follow the ox.
,Uu if be thought th.t ^ve had be"«^ ^^^^^ „„ ,,

tl,Ml we baa sent away witb the ivam
preceding uigbt. He .wo ^^^ presently, h.

.<Tbe Unitetwas wiU go f !' ' „h of them."

1 " niul we have seen enougn oi ^ . .. t neva

answered, and we ; ^^ enthusiasm ; 1 neN.i

" Quite enough, 1 an^'^f '" ^.^ .,„ ^e to go ? Here 't-
.vant to Bee another ; but w^eiear .g^^ ^„a lond;

«ve with one gun and a lit le gm

veldt. Which way «ta" J^;";;^ ^^^v, before we met ft

.Our faces -■'•f/'?^ '^;. *J . . let us still keep the.
Zulus," answered Indab - ux*, ^^^^^^^^^^.^ ._ to-nigt

towards the north. .';',, -to the matter."

when we oft-^addle I wiU look '"^o ' foUo^ing tl

So all that long ^^I^^JZ oi the groun.l ;
course of the rvver 1 1 « j^^ ^ ,^, ^.^ sati.l.

could only go Bloody, but befo^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^^

f,„„ of knownig that Wie'^ ,^^, ^ulus. Little T.

""'^^ '^^r:;- t^e tyX motion of the horse wase.
slept most ot tne ««■.»>

an.l she was worn out. oSf-saddled in a dell

M last the sunset <=a>ne, ■ " - ,^^^, ^ ^„^,,,a .

"- --^•- '''"^''■: Tot" a i.a-;imbi and I nia;l
biscuit in water for iota, ami ^^^^ ^ ,,,^„.^

scanty moal oft "'"f* '^^.e blanket near the fc
Tota's frock, vv apped hci up i ^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^.^^^, „,

liad made, and ht «' l"!''^- ^ ^ ^yianked Providcu'.

f;ic1

pat!

iin(]

peoj

tliat

f)f t

imp.

distr

; rate

Tlj

old h

ithat i

*arlie

Bjider

and S(
fegimi
Wives
•Bcape
ing on
the ehj

hp wai

soldiorj

i^ told
«^rit, •\
oifelc, ar
wfeich h

worked
bui for

ALLAN'S WIFE.

nbi, asVui,;
>w tbe oxen
tneti on

tilt

BsetitVy," ^it

,9t and lonely

^Q 'we met t\i;
itiU keep tliet
ahn; to-n*

^^ following ft

tbe ground ^

.ad the sat-^^-^;

east tv/enty-t'

lis. I^i^^^^ '
boree v?as eai

died in a dell
L, 1 soaked so
Ibi and 1 nva^
. done 1 t'H^l
t near tUe U^;
U tbe side ol
led Providci^"
[.bter of tlral
\ It seem*
' yet it ^'^^

f;ict, one among those many tragedies which dotted the
[)aths of the emigrant Boers with the bones of men, women
and children. These horrors are almost forgotten now ;
people living in Natal, for instance, can scarcely realize
that some forty years ago six hundred white people, many
of them women and children, were thus massacred hy tlie
Impis at Dingaan. But it was so, and the name of the
district, Weenen, or the Place of Weeping, will commemo-
. rate them forever.

i Then I fell to reflecting on the extraordinary adroitness
|ol(] Indaba-zimbi had shown in saving my life. It appeared
|that he himself had lived among the Umtetwa Zulus in his
IBarlier manhood, and was a noted rain-doctor and witch-
'nder. But when T'Chaka, Dingaan's brother, ordered a
eneral massacre of the witch-finders, he had fled south
nd so saved his life. When he heard, therefore, that the
giment was an Umtetwa regiment, wltich, leaving tlieir
l^ives and children, had broken away from Zululand to
:|pcape the cruelties of Dingaan, be, under pretence of spy-
ing on them, took the bold course of going straight up to
the chief, Sususa, and addressing him as his brother, which
h^ was. The chief knew him pt once, and so did the
soldiers, for his fame was still great among them. Then
bf told him his cock and bull story about my being a white
i^rit, whose presence in the laager would render it invin-
oille.and with th ^object of saving my life in the slaughter
?^ch he knew must ensue, agreed to charm me out of the
li%er and deliver me into their keeping. How the i)laii
Wfl|ked has already been told ; it was a risky one ; still,
hvM for it my troubles would have been done with these
;«W|y days.

•I i

1 fl

ALLAN'S WIFE.

So I lay and thought with a heart full of p;ratitude, ami
as I did so saw old Indaba-zimhi sitting by the fire and
going through some mysterious performances with bones,
\ hich he produced from his bag, and ashes mixed with
water. I spoke to him and asked what he was about. He
replied that he was tracing out the route that we shoulil
follow. 1 felt inclined to answer ** bosh," but rememberiiif;
the very remarkable instances which he had given of hi;
prowess in occult matters I held my tongue, and takin;:
little Tota into my arms, worn out with toil and danger
and emotion, went to sleep.

I woke just as the dawn was beginning to flame acros;
the sky in sheets of primrose and of gold, or rather it \va>
little Tota who woke me by kissing me as she lay betweti;
sleep and waking, and calling me " papa." It wrung nij
heart to hear her. I got up, washed and dressed the cliili:^
as best I could, and then we breakfasied as we had suppeJ
on biltong and biscuit. Tota asked for milk, but I ha:
none to give her. Then we caught the horses, anil
saddled mine.

" Well, Indaba-zimbi," I said, " now what path do y.
bones point to?"

" Straight north," he said. " The journey will be li;v
but in four days we shall come to the kraal of a white ni;i:
an Englishman, not a Boer. His kraal is in a beauti':
place, and there is a great ^ eak behind it where there a.
many baboons."

I I. ;oked at him. " This is all nonsense, Indaba-zinilii
paid. '* Whoever heard of an Englishman building a li
in i^hese wilds, and how do you know anything about
I think that we had better strike east towards Port Nat

Lude, anA
, live and
\W\ bones
aixed Nv^th
ibout. He

jtnembeving |
given of Viij
^ and tal^in?
' and dangei

iian-ie across
ratlier it ^va^j
e lay betNveecl
It wruns iT^iyl
^ssed the clu'^j
.e bad supped,,
[ilk, but 1 H
horses, and!

)atb do

Vi'

ALLAN'S WIFE.

.y Will be \yy
\i a wbite i^a- |
in a beauti-
,bere tbere a:

lndaba-zi^^^^^'>
jnUding ti 1'
Itliiug about
Us Port N:^'^

"As you like, ^lacumazahn," he answered, " but it will
take us three niouths' journey to get to Port Natal, if we
ever <;et there, and the child will die on the road. Say,
Macumazahn, have my words come true heretofore, or have
they not ? Did I not teli you not to hunt the elephants on
horseback ? Did I not tell you to take one waggon with
you instead of two, as it is better to lose one than two ? "

" You told me all these things," I answered.

"And so I tell you now to ride north, Macumazahn, for
there you will find great happiness — yes, and great sorrow.
But no man should run away from happiness because of
sorrow. As you will, a^: you will ! "

Again I looked at him. In his divinations I did not
believe, but yet I came to the conclusion that li-i was
speaking what he knew to be the truth. It struck me as
possible that he might have heard of son; ■ white man living
like a hermit in the wilds, but preferring to keep up his
prophetic character would not say so.

"Very well, Indaba-zimbi," I said, ** h . us ride north."

Shortly after we started, the river ^ had followed

hitherto turned off in a westerly direct a, so we left it.

All that day we rode across rolling uplan-is, and about an

hour before sunset halted at a little strest i which ran down

from a range of hills in front of us. by this time T was

[heartily tired of the biltong, so taking my elephant ride —

Ifor I had nothing else — I left Tota with Tndaba-zimhi, and

Istarted to see if I could shoot something. Oddly enough

Iwe had seen no game all the day, nor did we see any on

Jhf subsequent days. For some myst;:-':ious reason they

ihad temporarily left the district. I crossed the little

^ti camlet in order to enter the belt of thorns which grew

rffl; 1

!,!!(

.''S

Ui,

ALLANS WII'L.

upon tlie bill-side beyond, for tbere I boped to find buck.
As I did so I wag rather disturbed to see the spoor of two
lions in the soft sandy edge of a pool. Breathing a hope
that they might not still be in the neighbourhood, I went
on into tlie belt of scattered thorns. For a long while I
hunted about without seeing anything, except one dink( r
buck, which bounded off with a crash from the other sidi
of a stone without giving me a chance. At length, just as
it grew dusk, I spied a Petie buck, a graceful little creatun,
scarcely l)igg('r than a large hare, standing on a stone,
about forty yards from me. Under ordinary circumstances
I should never have dreamed of firing at such a thiii;^',
especially with an elephant gun, but we were hungry. So
I sat down with my back against a rock, and aimed
steadily at its head. I did this because if I struck it in tin
body the three-ounce ball would have knocked it to bits.
At last I pulled the trigger, the gun went off with tht
report of a small cannon, and the buck disappeared. I ran
to the spot with more anxiety than I should have felt in an
ordinary way over a koodoo or an eland. To my deligli:
there the little creature lay — the huge bullet had decapi-
tated it. Considering all the circumstances I do not think
I have often made a l)etter shot than this, but if any one
doubts, let him try his hand at a rabbit's head fifty yards
away with an elephant gun and a three-ounce ball.

I picked up the Petie in triumph, and returned to the
the camp. There we skinned him and toasted him over the
lire. He just made a good meal for us, keeping the himi
legs for breakfast.

There was no moon that night, ancl so it chanced thai
when I suddenly remembered about the lion spoor, ami

I '>f 1
i Jiost

^ liaJte

I on h;
from

''' Tli|
fire,
ever,
^Ve h
tiiere

night

I As
jeavin
|n whj
l^ards
caughj
Ihe gr,
^ To
low, al

ALLA^s'S WIFE.

H;;

incl buck.
)or of twu
ng a hopf
)ocl, 1 wont
rxct wbil*' 1
one clinlvcv
3 other sidi
(Ttb, just us
,le creature,
on a stone,
ccumstauce?
ich a thin;;,
lungry. ^"
and aimed
uck it in tin
ed it to bits,
[off with th.
ared. I I'^i^
live felt in an
|o my debglii
had decapi-
do not tbinli
t if any om
,d afty yav^^s

ball.

,urned to tlie
him over tilt

,)inj^ the liiii'^

Ichanced tbai
)n spoor, aii^

su"j:?ested that we had better tie up tlio horses quite close
lo us, we could not find theui, though we knew that they
were grazing within fifty yards. This being so we could
only make up the fire and take our chance. Shortly after-
wards I went to sleep with little Tota in my arms. Siul-
(lenly I was awakened by hearing that peculiarly painful
sound, the scream of a horse, (piite close to tlnj lire, which
^ was still burning brightly. Next second there canic^ a
noise of gallopmg hoofs, and before [ could even rise my
poor horse appeared in the ring of firelight. As in a flash
I of lightning I saw his staring eyes and wide-stretched
i nostrils, and the broken rein with which he had been knee-
^ haltered, flying in the air. x\lso T ^uw something else, for
I on his back was a great dark form .-.aXi glowing eyes, and
5 from the form came a growling sound. It was a lion.

The horse dashed on. He galloped right through the

• fire, for which he had run in his terror, fortunately, how-

lever, without treading on us, and vanished into the night.

I We heard his hoofs for a hundred vards or naore, tlien

.there was silence, broken now and again by distant growls.

|As may be imagined, we did not sleep any more that

night, but waited anxiously till two hours later the dawn

^broke.

1 As soon as there was sufficient light we rose, and,
leaving Tota still asleep, crept cautiously in the direction
in which the horse had vanished. When we had gone fifty
yards or so, we made out its remains lying on the veldt, and
caught sight of two great cat-like forms slinking away in
the grey light.

To go any further was useless ; we knew all about it
now, and we turned to look for the other horse. But our cup

ALLAN'S WIFE.

of misfortune was not yet full; it was nowhere to be found.
Soon we came upon its spoor, and then we saw what head
happened. Terrified hv the aiglit and smell of the lions, it
had with a desperate etlbrt also burst the rein with which it
had been knee-haltered, and galloped far away. For now we
were left alone in tbesi-; vast solitudes without a horse to
carry us, and with a cliild who was not old enough to walk
for more than a little way at a time.

Well, it was no use i^iving in, so with a few words we went
back to our camp, where I found Tota crying because she
had woke to find herself i'.lone, and ate a little food. Tliec
we prepared to start. First we divided such articles as we
must take with us into two equal parts, rejecting every-
thing that we could possibly do without. Then, by an
afterthought, we filled our water-bottles, though at the time
[ was rather against doing so, because of tiie extra weight,
But Indaba-zimbi overruled me in the matter, fortunatelv
For all three of us. I settled to look after Tota for the first
tnarchj and gave the elephant gun to Indaba-zimbi. At
length all was ready, and we set out on foot. By the help
of occasional lifts over rough places, Tota managed to wall;
ap the slope on the hill- side where I had shot the Petit
buck. At length we reached it, and, looking at the countr
beyond, I gave an exclamation of dismay. To say that ii
was desert would be saying too much ; it was more litt
the Barroo in the Cape — a vast sandy waste, studded her-
and there with low shrubs and scattered rocks. But it \va
a great expanse of desolate land, stretching as far as tiit
eye could reach, and bordered far away by a line of pnrpi
hills, in the centre of which a great solitary peak soarci
high into the air.

"^"^s

ALLAN'S WIFE.

be found.
7 what bad
the Uous, it
rith whii^h ii

For now we

1 a horse ts
,ugh to walk

ords we went
because she
! food. Then
articles as '^e
lecting every-
Then, by an
rrh at the time ;
extra weight.
r, fortunately
a for the tirst
a-zimbi. At
By the belp
naged to ^"ali
hot the Petk
at the countr;
iTo say that i;
as more lilit
studded ber-
g. But it ^^a•
as far as tii-

Une of V^n-
y peak soai'^

" Indaba-zimbi," I said, " we can never cross this if we
take six days."

'• As you will, Macumazahn,'* he answered ; "but I tell
. you tbat tbere " — and he pointed to tbe peak—** tbere tbe
\ white man lives. Turn which way you Uke, but if you
: turn you will perish."

i I reflected for a moment. Our case was, humanly speak-
1 ing, almost hopeless. It mattered little which way we went.
I We were alone, almost without food, with no means of
I transport, and a child to carry. As well perish in tbe
I sandy waste as on the rolling veldt or among the trees of
I the bill-side. Providence alone could save us, and we
fmuet trust to Providence.

"Come on," I said, lifting Tota on to my back, for sbe
iwas already tired. ** All roads lead to rest."

I How am I to describe the misery of tbe next four days ?
^How am I to tell how we stumbled on through tbat awful
^(lesert, almost without food, and quite without water, for
there were no streams, and we saw no springs ? We soon
found how the case was, and saved almost all tbe water in
our bottles for tbe child. To look back on it is like a night-
mare. I can scarcely bear to dwell on it. Day after day,
ky turns carrying tbe child through tbe heavy sand ; night
ifter night lying down in the scrub, chewing tbe leaves,
,nd licking such dew as there was from tbe scanty grass !
ot a spring, not a pool, not a head of game ! It was the
iiird night ; we were nearly mad with thirst. Tota was in
I comatose condition. Indaba-zimbi still had a little water
bis bottle — perhaps a wine-glassful. We moistened her
s and our blackened tongues with it. Then we gave the

r ']

.ai- . jii I I lajiiian

H(!

ALLAiWS WIFE.

rost to the child. It revived her. She awoke from he
swoon to sink into sleep. ^jj

See, the dawn was hroaking. The hilhs were not more 1
than eight miles or so away now, and they were giten,

There must be water there.

" Come," I said.

Indaba-zimbi lifted Tota into the kind of sling that w^
had made out of the blanket in which to carry her on our
backs, and we staggered on for an hour through the sand
She woke crying for water, and alas ! we had none to giv
her ; our tongues were hanging from our lips, we couk
scarcely speak.

We rested awhile, and Tota mercifully swooned aw
Then Indaba-zimbi took her. Though he was so thin th:
old man's strength was wonderful.

Another hour ; the slope of the great peak could not i
more than two miles away now. A couple of hundred yardi
off grew a large baobale tree. Could we reach its shade
We had done half the distance when Indaba-zimbi fell froL
exhaustion. We were now so weak that neither of u
could lift the child on to our backs. We each took one ( Mdnd
her hands and dragged her along the road. Fifty yards- In fa
they seemed to be fifty miles. Ah, the tree was reached s ^in ;i
last; compared with the heat outside, the shade of i: Of no
dense foliage seemed like the dusk and cool of a vault. ntoYflit
remember thinking that it was a good place to die ii ;;j'|jg
Then I remember no more.

I woke with a feeling as though the blessed rain ^vt:
falling 01 my face and head. Slowly, and with great dif
culty, I opened my eyes, then shut them again, having se;
a vision. For a space I lay thus, while the rain contiuu;

f iJie

|Kal

ftliat
fwljis
Idics
((

f^ ie. :
say,
fV'oina
^pcne

Ko\v I

#as
lit fi hi
BgikIc
• Jti;tj

ALL AX'S WIFE.

tte

from lier

re not more
were green, a

sling that vft|
ry ber on oui i
ugh the sand
I none to t^iv
lips, we couk

,wooned a^ay
vas 80 thin tb.

tk could not i
Viiiudredyardi

•h its shade
-zimhi fell froL
, neither of t
ch took one(
Fifty yartls-
was reached''
e shade of r
1 of a vault.
lace to die i:

It'

38sed rain ^•^'
kith great di:
lain,haviiv^sr

rain contiu"

to full; I Haw now that I must bo ai'loep, or ofT ray liead
with thirst or fever. If I were not oft" my liead how came
I to iiuiisine that n lovely dark-eyed ^irl was bending over
me 8[)rinkling water on my fac(> ? A white girl, too, not a
Ksiilir woman. However, the dream went on.

" III luliika," said a voice in Knglish, the swoetc^st voice
Itliat 1 had ever heard; someliow it remindi d nie of wind
hispering in the trees at night. "Hcndrika, 1 fear he
ics ; there is a flask of brandy in my saddle-bag ; get it."

** Ah ! ah ! " grunted a harsh voice in answer; " let him
ie. Miss Stella. He will bring you bad luck — Ift him die,
X say. I felt a movement of air above me as though the
fcoiuan of my vision turned swiftly, and once again I
ipcned my eyes. She had risen, this dream woman.
pow I saw that she was tall and graceful as a ree<.. She
Iras angry, too ; her dark eyes flashed, and she pointed
|ith her hand at a female who stood before her, dressed in
ndescript kind of clothes such as might be worn by either
man or a woman. The woman was young, of white
00(1, very short, with bowed legs and enormous shoulders.
';ice she was not bad-looking, but the brow receded, the
o|iiii and ears were prominent — in short, she reminded me
ol nothing so much as a very handsome monkey. vShe
mi^'ht have been the missing link.

The lady was pointing at her with her hand. "How
dare you?" she said. *' Are you going to disobey me
a^in ? Have you forgotten wiiat I told you, Babyan
(liboon)?"

■if Ah! ah !'* grunted the woman, who seemed literally to
Clffl and shrivel up beneath her anger. " Don't be angry

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23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) S73-4503

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ALLAN'S WIFE.

with me, Miss Stella, because I can't bear it. I only said
it because it was true. I will fetch the brandy.**
Then, dream or no dream, I determined to speak.

" Not brandy," I gasped in English as well as my swollen
tongue would allow; '* give me water."

*'Ah, he lives!" cried the beautiful girl, and he talkj
English. See, sir, here is water in your own bottle :|
you were quite close to a spring the other side of tin
tree."

I struggled to a sitting position, lifted the bottle to raji
lips, and drained it. Oh ! that drink of cool, pure water!
never had I tasted anything so delicious. At the first gulfj
I felt life flow back into me. But wisely enough she wi
not let me have much. " No more ! no more ! " she s;ii(i,f|
and dragged the bottle from me almost by force.

" The child," I said—" is the child dead ? "

"I do not know yet," she answered. "We have onH
just found you, and I tried to revive you first."

I turned and crept to where Tota lay by the side
Indaba-zimbi. It was impossible to say if they were dei
or swooning. The lady sprinkled Tota's face with it
water, which I watched greedily, for my thirst was 6ti^|
awful, while the woman Hendrika did the same oflice t
Indaba-zimbi. Presently, to my vast delight, Tota opece
her eyes and tried to cry, but could not, poor little thiiL
because her tongue and lips were so swollen. But t
lady got some water inio her mouth, and, as in my car .|
the effect was magical. We allowed her to drink abouh
(juuiter of a pint, and no more, though she cried bittt:|
for it. Just then old Indaba-zimbi came to with a groJ!

1 only said

•

apeak.

,9 my swollen

and he talks

own bottle;

r Bide of the

e bottle to tnj
)l, pure water',
t the first gulp
)na\\ she wnuli
)re ! " sli^' siiiil
orce.

?"
We have onl;

bt."

by the eidettj
they were deit
i face with tk
thirst was sti
, same oflice fc
5ht, Tota openi
poor little thi
follen. But
d, as in my ci
to drink aboul
she cried bitt^:
to with a groi^

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115 ^

■" u

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j ^

■'"11

■■■t

1
i'

ALLAN'S WIFE.

He opened his eyes, glanced round, and took in the situa-
tion.

" What did I tell you, Macumazahn ? ** and he seized the
bottle and took a long pull at it.

Meanwhile I sat with my hack against the trunk of the

I great tree and tried to realize the situation. Looking to

my left I saw two good horses — one hare-hacked, and ono

[with a rude lady's saddle on it. By the side of the horses

,'ere two dogs, of a stiut greyhound breed, that sat watch-

bng us, and near the dogs lay a dead Airlie buck, which

they had evidently been coursing.

" Hendrika," said the lady presently, " they must not eat

leat just yet. Go and look up the tree and see if there is

iny ripe fruit on it."

The woman ran swiftly into the plain and obeyed.
Presently she returned. '* I see some ripe fruit," she said,
but it is high, quite at the top."
" Fetch it," said the lady.

*• Easier said than done," I thought to myself; but I was
luch mistaken. Suddenly the woman bounded at least
ree feet into the air and caught one of the spreadintj;
)ughs in her large fiat hands — a swing that would have
led an acrobat with envy — and she was on it.
" Now there is an end," I thought again, for the next
^ugh was beyond her reach. But again I was mistaken.
le stood up on the bough, gripping it wiih her bare feet,
once more sprang at the one above, caught it and
[ang herself into it.
suppose that the lady saw my expression of astonish-
it. " Do not wonder, sir," she said, Hendrika is not
other people. She will not fall."

ALLAN'S WIFE,

:\ V .

'■>'\\

I made no answer, but watched the progress of this
extraordinary person with the most breathless interest. Od
she went, swinging herself from bough to bough, and
running along them like a monkey. At last she got tn
the top and began to swarm along a thin branch towards j
the ripe fruit. When she was near enough she shook the
branch violently. There was a crack— a crash — it broke, j
1 shut my eyes, expecting to see her crushed on the ground |
before me.

" Don't be afraid/' said the lady again, laughing gently
" Look, she is quite safe."

I looked, and so she was. She had caught a bough
she fell, clung to it, and was now calmly dropping to|
another. Old Indaba-zimbi had also watched this perforin i
ance with interest, but it did not seem to astonish binj
over-much. ''Baboon-woman," he said, as though sucbj
people were common, and then turned his attention tol
soothing Tota, who was moaning for more water. Meaol
while Hendrika came down the tree with extraordinar
rapidity, and swinging by one hand from a bough, dropi
about ten feet to the ground

In another two min ites we were all three sucking tb
pulpy fruit. In an ordinary way we should have found
tasteless enough : as it was I thought it the most deliciooj
thing I had ever tasted. After three days Bpont witho
food or water, in the desert, one is not particular. Wtij
we were still eating the fruit, the lady of my vision set
companion to work to partially flay the oribe which lij
dogs had killed, and busied herself m making a fireoffalij
boughs. As soon as it burned brightly she took strips
the oribe flesh, toasted them, and gave them to us on learj

ALLAN'S WIFE.

We ate, aod now were allowed a little more water. After
that she took little Tota to the spring and washed her,
which she sadly needed, poor child ! Next came our torn
to wash, and oh, the joy of it !

I came back to the tree, walking painfully, indeed, but a
changed man. There sat the beautiful girl with Tota on
her knees. She was lulling her to sleep, and held up her
I finger to me enjoining silence. At last the child went of!
|into a sound natural slumber — an example that I should
lave been glad to follow had it not been for my burning
juriosity. Then I spoke,
" May I ask what your name is ? '* 1 said.
" Stella," she answered.
"Stella, what?" I said.

" Stella, nothing," she answerftd, in some pique ; " Stella
my name ; it is short and easy to remember at any rate,
[y father's name is Thomas, and we live up there," and
le pointed round the base of the great peak. I looked at
^r astonished. *' Have you lived there long ? " I asked.
" Ever since I was se /en years old. We came there in a
^gon. Before that we came from England — from Oxford-
ire ; I can show you the place on the big map. It is
lied Garsingham."

I*' Again I thought I must be dreaming " Do you know,

38 Stella," I said " it is very strange — so strange that it

lost seems as though it could not be true — but I also

le from Garsingham in Oxfordshire many years ago."

[' She started up." " Are you an English gentleman ? "

said. ** Ah. I have always longed to see an English

[tleman. I have never seen an Englishman since we

here — no white people at all, indeed, except a few

Mil

m •

Hmi

11 \4

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jj fiiij i

I 1;,:;:

•i! 'm

ALLAN'S WIFE.

wandering Boers. We live among black people and baboons.
— only I have read about them — lots of books — poetry and |
novels. But tell me what is your name? Mact zaho,!
the black man called you, but you must ha*-^ a white!
name, too."

** My name is Allan Quatermain," I said.

Her face turned quite white, her rosy lips parted, andj
she looked at me wildly with her beautiful dark eyes.

"Do you know, it is very strange," she said, "but I havtl
often ^:eard that name. My father has told me how a littltl
boy called Allan Quatermain once saved my life by puttinfl
out my dress when it was on fire — see ! " — and she poiDte^l
to a faint red mark upon her neck — ** here is the scar oi|
the burn:"

** I remember it," I said. " You were dressed up
Father Christmas. It was I who put out the fire ; my wrist^
were burnt in doing so."

Then for a space we sat silent, looking at each othe
while Stella slowly fanned herself with her wide felt hat, i
which some white ostrich plumes were fixed.

"This is God's doing," she said at last. "Yousavej
my life when I was a little child ; now I have saved yoQ
and the little girl's. Is she your little daughter!"
added, quickly.

" No," I said, " I will tell you the tale presently."

" Yes," she said, " you shall tell me as we go home,
is time to be starting home, it will take ub three houril
^"^et there. Hendrika, Hendrika, bring the horses herel

CHAPTER VII.

, 'Zlf' '"''''■ '-^'»« 'I^e l.o.es to the .,,e of
[Now, Mr. Allan," said Stell« «•

hdnka gruufed assent T .
h^ her method of speech h """^ **"" ^ "an'iot
^^mes she grnnted Jike a m'"'^ """^ ""'''^ '^'■'"•
,f ''ke a Bushman and «. ". '^' '"""^''^^^ «''«
fer, when she became anil TTT, '''' ^'^ '''"h
postulated acainH^M-' Mintelhgble.

^-uM w^Khr^aTirrd""'"^"^

,«' have done a miJe • but ^f n ''° °°' *'"'»'' 'hat

"ot even let me cair' "' 1 "7"!" ""' "^'«°' ^''^
■ . So we mounted JhTomS,r°' *"" '°°'' »

"• 'he sleeping Tota inhTlJ '^^'^' ""'' ^^"''"ka

"^'^ '°ns. sinewy arms.

ALLAN'S WIFE.

" See that the * baboon-woman * does not run away m
the mountains with the little white one," said Iiulaik^^e

! I

:«^a*;::. .

•.«■*»■■

ifi^^ '< .*f

jiFi

ffi

zimbi
in Ka£

he cl

imD

to the 1

Unfortunately Hendrika understood his speech.
face twisted and grew livid with fury. She put dowDJ
and literally sprang at Indaba-zimbi as a monkey sp
But weary and worn as he was, the old gentlema
toe quick for her. With an exclamation of genuine |
he threw himself from the horse on the further sid
the somewhat ludicrous result that all in a momeo

ALLAN'S WIFE.

run ft^^'^y *"^

' in Kafl
he clim^
to tbe ^

his speccli.

She put doNvJ
i,s a monkey sjT

old gentlema
ion of genuine]
the further sid
[u in a luomen

ika was occupying the seat that he had vacated. Just
len Stella realized the position.

Come down, you savage, come down ! '* she said, stamp-

bor foot.

he extraordinary creature flung herself from the horse

literally grovelled on the ground before her mistress

burst into tears.

' Pardon, Miss Stella/' she clicked and grunted in
inous English, ** but he called me a ' babyan-frou '
iboon-woman).

Tell your servant that he must not use such words to
drika, Mr. Allan," Stella said to me. " If he does,"
added, in a whisper, ** Hendrika will certainly kili

»»

explained this to I idaba-zin:bi, who, being considerably
(htened, deigned w apologise. But from that hour
\te was hate and war between these two.

[armony having been thus restored, we started, the dogs
)wing us. A small strip of desert intervened between
land the slope of the peak — perhaps it was two miles
le. We crossed it and reached rich grass lands, for
a considerable stream g^^thered from the hills ; but it
I not flow across the barren lands, it passed to the east
ig the foot of the hills. This stream we had to pass by
rd. Hendrika walked boldly through it, holding Tota
^r arms. Stella leapt across from stone to stone like
)ebuck ; I thought to myself that she was the most
iful creature that I had ever seen. After this the
passed round a pleasantly-wooded shoulder of the
which was, I found, known as Babyan £ap or Baboon

ALLAN'S WIFE,

Head. Of course we could only go at a foot pace, bu on
progress was slow. Stella walked for some way in silence,!
then she spoke.

** Tell me, Mr. Allan," she said, " how it was that Icaou|
to find you dying in the desert ? "

So I began and told her all. It took an hour or more tol
do so, and she listened intently, now and again askin;^ i|
question.

** It is all very wonderful," she said when I had doi
" very wonderful, indeed. Do you know I went out th
morning with Hendrika and the dogs for a ride, meanio
to get back home by midday, for my father is ill, and I
not like to leave him for long. But just as I was going I
turn when we were about where we are now — yes, this
the very bush — an oribe got up, and the dogs chased it.
followed them for the gallop, and when we came to tl^
river, instead of turning to the left as bucks generally
the oribe swam the stream and took to the bad hai
beyond. I followed it, and within a hundred yards of
big tree the dogs killed it. Hendrika wanted me to tu
back at once, but I said that we would rest under
shade of the tree, for I knew that there was a spring |
water near. Well, we went; and there I saw you
lying like dead ; but Hendrika, who is very clever in 80ii|
ways, said no — and you know the rest. Yes, it is Te|
wonderful."

** It is, indeed," I said. " Now tell me. Miss Stella,
is Hendrika ? '*

She looked round before answering to see that the woo
was not near.

ALLAN'S WIFE,

i *' Hers is a strange story, Mr. Allan. I will tell you.
You must know that all these mountains and the country
beyond are full of baboons. When I was a girl jf about
ten I uaed to wander about a good deal alone in the hills
and valleys, and watch the baboons as they played among
the rocks. There was one family of baboons that I
watched especially — they used to live in a klaaf about a
mile from the house. The old man baboon was very large,
and one of the females had a grey face. But the reason
why I watched them so much was because I saw that they
had with them a creature that looked like a girl, for her
jskin was quite white, and, what was more, that she was pro-
tected from the weather when it happened to be cold by a
ir belt of some sort, which she tied round her throat.
?he old baboons seemed to be especially fond of her, and
jouid sit with their arms round her neck. For nearly a
^hole summer I watched this particular white-skinned
Gaboon till at last my curiosity quite overmastered me. I
loticed that, though she climbed about the clififs with the
^ther monkeys, at a certain hour a little before sundown
ley used to put her with one or two other much smaller
168 into a little cave, while the family went off somewhere
get food, to the moalie fields, I suppose. Then I got
idea that I would catch this white baboon and bring it
>me. But of course I could not do this by myself, so I
)k a Hottentot — a very clever man when he was not
ink— who lived on the stead, into my confidence. He
ks called Hendrik, and was very fond of me ; but for a
ig T^hilej he would not listen to my plan, because he
|id that the babyans would kill us. At last I bribed him
Itb a knife that had four blades, and one afternoon we

ALLAN'S WIFE.

started, Hendrik carrying a stout sack make of hide, with
a rope running through it so that the mouth could be drawn
tight.

" Well, we got to the place, and, hiding ourselves carefully
in the trees at the foot of the kloof, watched the baboons
playing about and grunting to each other, till at length, ac-
cording to custom, they took the white one and three other |
little babies and put them in the cave. Then the old man
came out, looked carefully round, called to bis family, and
went off with them over the brow of the kloof. Now very
slowly and cautiously we crept up over the rocks till we I
came to the mouth of the cave and looked in. Ail the four
little baboons were fast asleep, with their backs toward us,
and their prms around each other's necks, the white one
being in the middle. Nothing could have been better for
our plans. Hendrik, who by this time had quite entered
into the spirit of the thing, crept into the cave like a snake,
and suddenly dropped the mouth of the hide bag over the
head of the white baboon. The poor little thing woke up||
up and gave a violent j ump, which caused it to vanish right 1j
into the bag. Then Hendrik pulled the string tight, and
together we knotted it so that it was impossible for ouri
captive to escape. Meanwhile the other baby baboons Ml
rushed from the cave screaming, and when we got outsidf|
they were nowhere to be seen.

"* Come on, Miss,' said Hendrik; 'the babyan will sooi|
be back.' He had shouldered the sack, inside which tht;
white baboon was kicking violently, and screaming likei-
child. It was dreadful to hear its shrieks.

" We scrambled down th^ sid^s of the kloof and ran k

ALLAN'S WIFE.

home as fast as we could manage. When we were near the
waterfall, and within about three hundred yards of the
garden wall, we heard a voice behind us, and there, leaping
from rock to rock, and running over the grass, was the
whole family of baboons headed by the old man.

" ' Run, Miss, run ! * gasped Hendrik, and I did like the
wind, leaving him far behind. I dashed into the garden,
where some Kaffirs were working, crying, ' The babyans !
the babyans ! ' Luckily the men had their sticks and spears
by them and ran out just in time to save Hendrik, who was
ahnost overtaken. The baboons made a good fight for it,
however, and it was not till the old man was killed with an
[assegai that they ran away.

•' Well, there is a little hut in the kraal at the stead

[where my father sometimes ahutsup natives who have mis-

Ibehaved. It is very strong, and has a barred window. To

this hut Hendrik carried the sack, and, having untied the

louth, put it down on the floor, and ran from the place,

jhutting the door behind him. In another moment the

)Oor little thing was out and dashing round the stone hut

though it were mad. It sprung at the bars of the win-
low, clung there, and beat its head against them till the
^lood came. Then it fell to the floor, and sat there crying

re fl child, and rocking itself backwards and forwards. It

18 so sad to see it that I began to cry too.

" Just then my father came in and asked what all the
IBS was about. I told him that we had caught a young

lite baboon, and he was angry, and said that it must be
go. But when he looked at it through the bars of the
idow he aearly fell down with astonishment.

) f-— T*i[-- i-iinnan aatii ,

!;!

100

ALLAN'S WIFE.

« < "^y { * he said, ' this is not a baboon, it is a white
child that the baboons have stolen and brought npl'

" Now, Mr. Allan, whether my father is right or wrong,
you can judge for yourself. You see Hendrika — we named
her that after Hendrik, who caught her — she is a woman,
not a monkey, and yet she has many of the ways uf
moxikeys, and looks like one too. You saw how she can
climb, for instance, and you hear how she talks. Also she
is very savage, and when she is angry or jealous she seems
to go mad, though she is as clever as anybody. I think
that she must have been stolen by the baboons when she
was quite tiny and nurtured by them, and that is why she
is so like them.

** But to go on. My father said that it was our duty to
keep Hendrika at any cost. The worst of it was, that for
three days ghe would eat nothing, and I thought that she
would die, for all the while she sat and wailed. On the
third day, however, I went to the bars of the window place,
and held out a cup of milk and some fruit to her. She
looked at it for a long while, then crept up moaning, took]
the milk from my hand, and drank it greedily, and after-
wards ate the fruit. From that time forward she took food |
readily enough, but only if I would feed her. But I must]
tell you of the dreadful end of Hendrik. From the d
that we captured Hendrika the whole place began to]
Bwarm with baboons which were evidently employed IdI
watching the kraals. One day Hendrik went out towardsf
the hills alone to gather some medicine. He did not come|
back a<Tain, so next day search was made. By a big roctj
which I can show you, they found his scattered and brokeij

1 . . .,:i

ALLAN'S WIFE.

101

bones, the fragments of his assegai, and four dead baboons.
They had set upon him and torn him to pieces.

" My father was very much frightened at this, but still
he would not let Hendrika go, because he said that she
was human, and that it was our duty to reclaim her. And
so we did — to a certain extent, at least. After the murder
of Hendrik the baboons vanished from the neighbourhood,
and have only returned quite recently, so at length we
ventured to let Hendrika out. By this time she had grown
very fond of me ; still, on the first opportunity she ran
away. But in the evening she returned again. She had
been seeking the baboons, and could not find them. Shortly
afterwards she began to speak — I taught her — and from
that time she has loved me so that she will not leave me.
I think it would kill her if I went away from her. She
watches me all day, and at night sleeps on the floor of my
hut. Once, too, she saved my life when I was swept down
the river in flood ; but she is jealous, and hates everybody
else. Look, how she is glaring at you now because I am
talking to you ! **

I looked. Hendrika was tramping along with the child
in her arms and staring at me in a most sinister fashion out
of the corners of her eyes.

While I was reflecting on the baboon woman's strange
story, and thinking that she was an exceedingly awkward
j customer, the path took a sudden turn.

" Look ! " said Stella, " there is our house. Is it not
Ibeautiful?"

It was beautiful indeed. Here on the western side of the

I !

102

ALLAN'S WIFE.

great peak a bay had been formed in the mountain, which
might have measured eight hundred or a thousand yards
across by three-quarters of a mile it depth. At the back
of the indentation the sheer cHff rose to the height of
several hundred feet, and behind it and above it the great
Babyan Peak towered up towards the heavens. The space
of ground, embraced thus in the arms of the mountain as
it were, was laid out, as though by the cunning hand of
man, in three terraces that rose one above the other. To
the right and left of the topmost terrace were chasms in
the cliff, and from each chasm fell a waterfall, from no
great height, indeed, but of considerable volume. These
two streams flowed away on either side of the enclosed
space, one towards the north, and the other, the course of
which we had been following, round the base of the moun-
tain. At each terrace they made a cascade, so that the
traveller approaching had a view of eight waterfalls at
once. Along the edge of the stream to our left were
placed Kaffir kraals, built in orderly groups with verandahs,
after the Basutu fashion, and a very large part of the entire
space of land was under cultivation. All of this I noted at
once, as well as the extraordinary richness and depth of the
soil, which for many ages past had been washed down from
the mountain heights. Then following the line of an
excellent waggon road, on which we now found ourselves,
that wound up from terrace to terrace, my eye lit upon the
crowning wonder of the scene. For in the centre of the
topmost platform or terrace, which may have enclosed
eight or ten acres of ground, and almost surrounded by
groves of orange trees, gleamed buildings of which I had
never seen the like. There were three groups of them, one

ALLAN'S WIFE.

10ft

in the middle, and one on either side, and a little to the
rear, but, as I afterwards discovered, the plan of all was the
same. In the centre was an edifice constructed like an
ordinary Zulu hut — that is to say, in the shape of a bee-
hive, only it was five times the size of any hut I ever saw,
and built of blocks of hewn white marble, fitted together
with extraordinary knowledge of the principles and proper-
ties of arch building, and with so much accuracy and finish
that it was often difficult to find the fronts of the massive
blocks. From this centre hut ran three covered passages,
leading to other buildings of an exactly similar character,
only smaller, and each whole block was enclosed by a
marble wall about four feet in height.

Of course we were as yet too far off to see all these details,
but the general outline I saw at once, and it astonished me
considerably. Even old Indabi-zimbi, whom the babcon-
woman had been unable to move, deigned to shciv
wonder.

" Oh ! " he said ; ** this is a place of marvels. Who ever
saw kraals built of white stone ? "

Stella watched our faces with an expression of intense
amusement, but said nothing.

"Did your father build those kraals ?" I gisped, at
length.

"My father! no, of course not," she answered. "How
would it have been possible for one white man to do so, or
to have made this road ? He found them as you see.

" Who built them, then ? " I said again.

" I do not know. My father thinks that they are very
iineient, for the people who live here now do not know how

104

ALLAN'S WIFE.

to lay one stone upon another, and these huts are so won-
derfully constructed that, though they must have stood for
ages, not a stone of them had fallen. But I can show you
the quarry where the marble was cut ; it is close by, ami
behind it is the entrance to an ancient mine, which mv
father thinks was a silver mine. Perhaps the people who
worked the mine built the marble huts. The world is old
and no doubt plenty of people have lived in it and been
forgotten."*

Then we rode on in silence. I have seen many beautiful
sights in Africa, and in such matte: s, as in others, compari-
sons are odious and worthless, but I do not think that I ever
saw a lovelier scene. It was no one thing — it was the
combination of the mighty peak looking forth on to the
everlasting plains, the great cliffs, the waterfalls that
sparkled in rainbow hues, the rivers girdling the rich cul-
tivated laiids, the gold-specked green of the orange trees,
the flashing domes of the marble huts, and a thousand
other things. Then over all brooded the peace of evening,
and the infinite glory of the sunset that filled heaven with
changing hues of splendour, that wrapped the mountain

* Kraals of a somewhat similar nature to those described by Mr.
Quatermain have been discovered in the Marico district of the
Transvaal, and an illustration of them is to be found in Mr. Anderson's
" Twenty-five Years in a Waggon," vol. ii. p. 65. Mr. Anderson says,
" In this district are the ancient stone kraals mentioned in an early
chapter; but it requires a fuller description to show that these extensive
kraals must have been erected by a white race who understood building
in stone and at right angles, with door posts, lintels, and sills, and it
required more than Kaffir skill to erect the stone huts, with stone circular
roofs, beautifully formed and most substantially erected ; strong enough,
if not disturbed, to last a thousand years.*' — Ed.

ALLAN'S WIFE.

105

e 80 won-
stood for
show you
le by, anil
which my
»eople wbo
orld is old
, and been

y beautiful
8, compavi-
; that I ever
-it wa8 the
I on to tlie
jr falls that
he rich cul-
ange trees,
a thousand
of evening,
leaven with
mountain

and clilTs iu cloaks of purple and of gold, and lay upon the
quiet face of the water like the smile of a god.

Perhaps also the contrast and the memory of those
three awful days and nights in the hopeless desert, enhanced
the charm, and perhaps the beauty of the girl who walked
beside me completed it. For of this I am sure, that of all
Bweet and lovely things that I looked on then, she was the
sweetest and the loveliest. Ah, it did not take me long to
lind my fate. How long will it be before I find her once
iigain ?

Lribed by Mr.
Itrict of the
ir. Anderson's
Jnderson says,
in an early
Ihese extensive
Vood building
sills, and it
I stone circular
Itrong enough,

CHAPTER VIII.

LENGTH the last platform.

or terrace, was reached

and we pulled up outsidf

the wall surrounding ik

central group of marble hut;

— for so I must call them, for

want of a better name. Ou'

approach had been observed b

1 crowd of natives, whose race I have never been abl:|
to determine accurately ; they belonged to the Basutuac;
peaceful section of the Bantu peoples rather than to tb .]

ALLAN'S WIFE.

107

(lastplatfovin.
was reacbei
led up outsidf
[rounding tb
If marble buti
, call them, fo:
name. On:
observed b;

lever been abli
ItheBasutuan:

ler tban to lb

Zulu and warlike. Several of these ran up to take the
horses, gazing on us with astonishment, not unmixed with
awe. We dismounted — speaking for myself, not without
difficulty — indeed, had it not been for Stella's support I
should have fallen.

" Now you must come and see my father/' she said, ** I
[wonder what he will think of it, it is all so strange. Hen-
Idrika, take the child to my hut and give her milk, then put
ler into my bed ; I will come presently."

Hendrika went off with a somewhat ugly grin to do her
listress's bidding, and Stella led the way through the
larrow gateway in the marble wall, which may have
taiclosed nearly half an " erf," or three-quarters of an acre
^f ground in all. It was beautifully planted as a garden,
lany European vegetables and flowers were growing in it,
asides others with which I was not acquainted. Presently
^e came to the centre hut, and it was then that I noticed
16 extraordinary beauty and finish of the marble masonry.
the hut, and facing the gateway was a modern door,
kther rudely fashioned of Bucken pont, a beautiful reddish
)od that has the appearance of having been sedulously
ricked with a pin. Stella opened it, and we entered,
le interior of the hut was the size of a large and lofty
)m, the walls being formed of plain polished marble. It
lighted somewhat dimly, but quite effectively, by
mliar openings in the roof, from which the rain was
sluded by overhanging eaves. The marble floor was
jwn with native mats and skins of animals. Bookcases
id with books were placed against the walls, there was a
le in the centre, chairs seated with rimpi or strips of

If
It

108

ALLAN'S WIFE.

hide stood about, and beyond the table was a couch od
which a man was lying reading.

" Is that you, Stella ? " said a voice, that even after so
many years seemed familiar to me. *' Where have you
been, my dear ? I bep;an to think that you bad lost your-
self again."

" No, father, dear, I have not lost myself, but I have
found somebody else."

At that moment I stepped forward so that the light fell
on me. The old gentleman on the couch rose with mmi
difficulty and bowed with much courtesy. He was a fine-
looking old man, with deep-set dark eyes, a pale face that
bore many traces of physical and mental suffering, and t
long white beard.

" Be welcome, sir," he Raid. ** It is long since we have
seen a white face in these wilds, and yours, if I am not
mistaken, is that of an Englishman. There has been nc
Englishman here for ten years, and he, I grieve to say, wk
au outcast flying from justice," and he bowed again m
stretched out his hand.

I looked at him, and then of a sudden his name Hasbet
back into my mind. I took his hand.

*' How do you do, Mr. Carson ? " I said.

He started back as though he had been stung.

" "Who told you that name ? " he cried. " It is a dei
name. Stella, is it you ? I forbade you to let it pass jot
lips."

*' I did not speak it, father. I have never spoken i;
she answered.

*' Sir," I broke in, *' if you will allow me I will shown
how I came to know your name. Do you remember tiii

^ILaxs ii'//./.:.

y™i» ««o coining into the stmly oflTi ~~ ~~

fuvo and telling In.n that you i°l "'''•«"""' ■'> O.vfor.l.
for ever ? " ^ °" '^^'^^ going to Jeave Enghui.l

Jfi- bowed his head.
" And do you remember a IIhi i
'"^;;',"';"8 «nting with a pe.Ll 5 -^ °^ "'"' «"* "PO" the
^ <'o»" he said.

" ^'^^, I was tbaf. boy anfl m«
;"7" »'f >- who iay si ' Z^luT ft" '5"*'---"-
f ■" •^'"' .»y father, your old fr^L • !, "''''" '»°"'«^ >«
I '" '!^ ^^'g^^'ed. and last year h di" ".T"^ "''"• I"ke
, '"» 's not all the story AfL '" "'" Capo. Hut

I^a'Kr, and a little girl L sel > "'"^ "^ventures I, on,
kis. Where we had '^ZZlTZ T '''"' '" *"« ^"

t-!.--u,d.ayeperislS.t:;:XS
!£»^^ -annothear

«»«ed. .'There is little !•!: "" Q^^termain ? " he
-« ^rom another will' 2? ^ 'Vl'-^'" ^-h chances

«y old friend. Here we live Is jt J •"'"'' ^"«n' «""
f 'Nature for our only friend V,, V" * hermitage.
P's. and for as long as vl?. n ' '""'' «» '^e have is

"=' wlK no more. Stella ff ■ 1 -^"^ ™ust

irrow we will talk." ^' '' " *"ne for food. To-

"" tell the truth I o
"« of that evening. 1 S' T7- ''"'* "«»•« of the '

^^- I remember sitting at i ^^ ' ''^'''

^ at a table next to

((

i';

116

allaN'^ wife.

Stella, and eating heartily, and then I remember notliiDg ^
more.

I awoke to find myself lying on a comfortable bod in a
hut built and fashioned on the same model as the centre
one. While I was wondering what time it was, a native
came bringing some clean clothes on his arm, and, luxury

of luxuries, produced a
bath hollowed from wood,

I rose, feeling a very
different man, my strength
had come back again to
me; I dressed, and fol
lowing a covered passage
found myself in the centre
hut. Here the table mi
let for breakfast with al; :
manner of good tlings,
Buch as I had not seen fo:
many a month, which 1
contemplated with healtlij
satisfaction. Presently .'
looked up, and there befo»
me was a more delightfo
eight, for standing in out
of the doorways which ie;
to the sleeping huts n
Stella, leading little Tou
by the hand.

)ne h
ipon
id so,

She was very simp
dressed in a loose bi:

"Be

lid SI
)ffee
ras mi

ALLAN'S WIFE.

,er notliinf; !

B tbe centre
as, a native
and, luxury
produced a

[ from ^voo^l.

ling ft ^'c^y

, my Btrenglli

ack again to
aed, and fol-
vered passage
f in the centre
the table Nvas .
[kfast with al
good tVings,
^d not Been fo:
)nth, v?biclil
.d with health!
presently •
nd there befoi*^

aore delis^^^^^
■canding in on;
ways Vnicb le:
Iping huts ^i
ling little loii

very sitnp'
a loose bh

dress, with a wide collar, and girdled in at the waist by a
little leather belt. In the bosom of her robe was a bunch
of oran<4G blooms, and her rippling hair was tied in a
single knot behind her shapely head. She greeted me
with a smile, asking me how I Lad slept, and then held
Tota up for me to kiss. Under her loving ci>rd the child
had been quite transformed. She was neatly dressed in a
garment of the same blue stuff that Stella wore, her fair
hair was brushed ; indeed, bad it not been for the sun
blisters on her face andhands, one would scarcely have
believed that this was the sam*) child whom Indaba-zimbi
and I had dragged for hour after hour through the burning,
waterless desert.

" We must breakfast alone, Mr. Allan,*' she said ; " my
father is so upset by your arrival that he will not get up
yet. Oh, you cannot tell how than!:ful I am that you have
come. I have been so anxious about him of late. He
grows weaker and weaker ; it seems to me as though the
[strength were ebbing away from him. Now he scarcely
leaves tbe kraal, I have to manage everything about the
farm, and he does nothing but read and think."

Just then Hendrika entered, bearing a jug of coffee in
)ne band and of milk in the other, which she sat down
ipon the table, casting a look of little love at me as she

lid 80.

"Be careful, Hendrika; you are spilling the coffee,"
lid Stella. " Don't you wonder how we come to have
)ffee here, Mr. Allan ? I wiil tell you — we grow it. That
m my idea. Oh, I have lots of things to show you. You

112

ALLAN'S WIFE.

don't know what we have managed to do in the tiru' tliat
we have heen here. You see we have plenty of labour, for
the people about look upon my father as their chief."

*' Yes," I said, " but how do you get all of these luxnrie>
of civilization '? " and I pointed to the books, the crockirv,
and the knives an 1 forks.

** Very simpl}^ Most of the books my father brou<:;lit
with him when he first trekked into the wilds ; there Wii;
nearly a waggon load of them. But every three years ^vt
have sent an expedition of these waggons right down tc
Port Natal. The waggons are loaded with ivory and other
goods, and come back with all kinds of things that have
been sent out from England for us. You see, although we
live in this wild place, vfe are not altogether cut off. ^Ve
can send runners to Natal and back in three months, aiiii
the waggons get there and back in a year. The last lot
arrived quite safe about three months ago. Our servant!
are very faithful, and some of them speak Dutch well."

**Have you ever been with the waggons?" I asked.

*' Since I was a child I have never been more than thirtv
miles from Babyan's Peak," she answered. ** Do you know,
Mr. Allan, that you are, with one exception, the liiji
Englishman that I have known out of a book. I suppose
that I must seem very wild antl savage to you, but I Imve
had one advantage a good education. My father has taught
me everything, and perhaps I know some things that y
don't. I can read French and German for instance,
think that my father's first idea was io let me run
altogether, but he gave it up."

•• And don't you wish to go into the world ? " I asktn].

\V1

ALLAN'S WIFE.

113

,ther brought
Is ; there was
iree years we
ight down to
ory and otbor
ags that bave
}, althougli wi [
r cut off. ^^t
■ months, ami
The last lot

Our servants
utch well."

' I asked.

)re than thirty
Do you lino\v.
.tion, the fust
ok. I suppose
^ou, but 1 lii^«
,her has tausbi
hings that yoc
)r instance. 1
t me run Nvi-

? " I asked.

" Sometimes," she said, " when I get lonely. But per-
haps my father is right— perhaps it would frighten and
bewilder me. At any rate he would never return to
civilization ; it is his idea, you know, though I am sure I
do not know where he got it from, nor why he cannot bear
that our name should be spoken. In short, Mr. Quatermain,
we do not make our lives, we must take them as we find
them. Have you done your breakfast? Let us go out,
and I will show you our domain."

I rose and went to my sleeping-place to fetch my hat.
When I returned, Mr. Carson — for after all that was his
name, though he would never allow it to be spoken — had
come into the hut. He felt better now, he said, and would
accompany us on our walk if Stella would give him an
arm.

So we started, and after us came Hendrika with Tota
[and old Indaba-zimbi, whom I found sitting outside as
jfresh as paint. Nothing could tire that old man.

The view from the platform was almost as beautiful as
khat from the lower ground looking up to the peak. The
larble kraals, as I have said, faced west, consequently all
khe upper terrace lay in the shadow of the great peak till
learly eleven o'clock in the morning, which was a great
advantage in that warm latitude. First we walked through
fhe garden, which was beautifully cultivated, and one of the
lost productive that I ever saw. There were three or four
iatives working in it, and they all saluted my host as

liaba," or father. Then we visited the other two groups
W marble huts. One of these was used for stables and
[ut buildings, the other as storehouses, the centre hut having

im, however, turned into a chapel. Mr. Carsou was not

:i:''\

ALLAN'S WIFE.

ordained, but he earnestly tried to convert the nativeB,
most of whom were refugees who had come to him for
shelter, and he had practised the more elementary rites of
the church for so long that I think he began to believe that
he really was a clergyman. For instance, he always married
those of his people who would consent to a monogamous
existence, and baptized their children. When we had
examined these wonderful remains of antiquity, the marble
huts, and admired the orange trees, the vineo and fraiti
which thrive like weeds in this marvellous soil and climate,
we descended to the next platform and saw the farming
operations in full swing. I think that it was the best farm
I have ever seen in Africa. There was ample water for
purposes of irrigation, the grass lands below gave pasturagi
for hundreds of head of cattle and horses, and, for natives,
the people were most industrious.* Moreover, the whole'
place was managed by Mr. Carson, on the co-operativt
system ; he only took a tithe of the produce — indeed, in thii
land of teeming plenty, what was he to do with more!
Consequently the tribemen, who, by the way, called theoi
selves the "Children of Thomas,'* were able to acciimulaii
considerable wealth. All their disputes were referred :;
their " father," and he also was judge of offences an:
crimes. Some were punished by imprisonment, wliippia:
and loss of goods, other and graver transgressions t'
expulsion from the community, a fiat which to one of im
favoured natives must have seemed as heavy as the dem
that drove Adam from the Garden of Eden.

Old Mr. Carson leaned upon his daugliiter's arm as
contemplated the scene with pride.

*' I have done all this, Allan Quatermain.^he said. "^Vli^

ai
lat
^hich
imi
[eeai
|nd
le

ALLAN'S WIFE,

115

the nativeB,
I to him for
itary rites o(
) believe that
ways married
monogamouB
hen we had
ly, the marble
lefl and fniti
il and climate,
V the farming I
, the beat farmj
Qple water foil
gave pasturagi
nd, for natWes,
ver, the ^holt
le co-operatm
-indeed, in tbis
do with more!
ty, called tlieni'
B to accumulaK -:
vere referred t:
)f offences ani
tnent, wliippiw
msgressions \]
to one of tliesf
vy as the decrfe

filter's arm a:

he said. "^^^

renouncing civilization first, I wandered here by chance ;
seeking a home in the remotest places in the world, I found
this lonely spot a wilderness. Nothing was to be seen
except the site, the domes of the marble huts, and the
waterfalls. I took possession of the huts. I cleared the
patch of garden land and planted the orange grove. I had
only six natives then, but by degrees others joined me, now
my tribe is a thousand strong. Here we live in profound
peace and plenty. I have all I need, and I ask no more.
Udaven has prospered me so far — may it be so to the end,
which for me draws nigh. And now I am tired and will go
back. If you wish to see the old quarry and the mouth of
the ancient mines, Stella will show them to you. No,
my love, you need not trouble to come. I can manage alone.
Look, some of the head men are waiting to see me."

So he went, but still followed by Hendrika and Indaba-

Izimbi ; we turned, and, walking along the bank of one of

[tha rivers, passed np behind the marble kraals, and came

ko the quarry, whence the material had been cut in some

remote age. The pit opened up a very thick seam of the

rhitest and most beautiful marble. I know another like

|t in Natal. But by whom it had been worked I cannot

ly. Not by natives, that is certain, though the builders

^f the kraals had condescended to borrow the shape of

^tive huts for their model. The only relic of those builders

lat I ever saw was a highly finished bronze pick-axe

^hich Stella found one day in the quarry. After we had

imined the quarry we climbed the slope of the hill till

^e came to the mouth of the ancient mines situated in a

pd of gorge. I believe them to have been silver mines.

»e gorge was long and narrow, and the moment we

116

ALLAN'S WIFE.

entered it there rose from every side a sound of groaning
and barking that was almost enough to deafen one- I
knew what it was at once ; the whole place was filled \vith
baboons, which clambered down the rocks towards us from
every direction, in a manner that struck me as being
unnaturally fearless. Stella turned a little pale and clung
to my arm.

** It is very silly of me," she whispered. " I am not at all
nervous, but I cannot bear the sight of those animals ever
since they killed Hendrik. I always think that there is
something human about them."

Meanwhile the baboons came nearer, talking to eacli
other as they came. Tota began to cry, and clung to
Stella. Stella clung to me, while I and Indaba-zimbi pui
as bold a front on the matter as we could. OnlyHendrikal
stood looking at the brutes with an unconcerned smile oof
her monkey face. When the great apes were quite near,'
she suddenly called out aloud. Instantly they stopped f
their hideous clamour as though at a word of command.
Then Hendrika addressed them. I can only describe it so
That is to say, that they began to make a noise such as
baboons do when they converse with each other. I have
known Hottentots and Bushmen who said that they coulj
talk with the baboons and understand their language, boi
I confess I never heard it done before or since.

From the mouth of Hendrika came a succession i
grunts, groans, squeaks, click, and every other abominabit
noise that can be conceived. To my mind the whole coe
veyed an idea of expostulation. At any rate the babooc'
listened. One of them grunted back some answer, and ik'
the whole mob drew off to the rocks.

1,1
'51

ALLAN'S WIFE.

117

of groaning
en one- I
8 filled v?itli
irdB ufl from
ae as

I stood astonished, and without a word we turned back
to the kraal, for Hendrika was too close for me to speak.
Wlien we reached the dining hut Stella went in, followed by
Hendrika. But Indaba-zimbi plucked me by the sleeve,
and I stopped outside.

'' Macumazahn," he said. " Baboon -woman — devil-
woiuan. Be careful, Macumazahn. She loves that Star
(the natives aptly enough called Stella the Star), and
is jcitloua. Be careful, Macumazahn, or the Scar will
set!"

Iking to eacli
and clung to
aba-zimbi puij
OnlyHendrib^

■rned smile ol
[ere quite near,
they Btoppei
of command
describe it 80
noise such as

jther. I l^av'
^hat they coula

language, bul

>ce.

succession oi

ler abominaWi

the whole coH'
.te the babooBi
iBW'er,andtk'

. » •= *••• <

in,

CHAPTER IX.

T*T is very difficult for me to describe the period of time
-L which elapsed between my arrival at Babyan's Peaii
and my marriage with Stella. When I look back on it, it
seems sweet as with the odour of flowers, and dim as witt
the happy dusk of summer eves, while through the sweet
ness comes the sound of Stella's voice, and through tli^
gloom shines the starlight of her eyes. I think that \^e
loved each other from the first, though for a while we su
no word of love. Day by day I went about the place witl
her, accompanied by little Tota and Hendrika only, wbilt
she attended to the thousand and one matters which h
father's evergrowing weakness had laid upon her ; or ratber
as time drew on, I attended to the business, and siii
accompanied me. All day through we were together
Then after supper, when the night had fallen, we woul;
walk together in the garden and come in at length to bea.
her father read aloud, sometimes from the works of a poe!
sometimes from history, or, if he did not feel well, Steli
would read, and when this was (^one, Mr, Carson won!

ALLAN'S WIFE.

lid

period of time
Babyan's Peak

k back on it,ii|
nd dim as \vitl
ough the sweet 1
id through tk
. think that w
a while we saii
t the place m\\
jrika only, wbili
iters which hei
her ; or rathe:
iinesB, and sb
were together
lUen, we >wouli
length to be^
7ork8 of a poe'
^eel well, Steli
Carson woui

celebrate a short form of prayer, and we would separata
till the morning onc« more brought our happy hour of
meeting.

So the weeks went by, and with every week I grew to
know my darling better. Often, I wonder now, if my fond
fancy deceiyes me, or if indeed there are women as sweet
and dear as she. Was it solitude that had given such
depth and gentleness to her ? Was it the long years of
communing with Nature that had endowed her with such
peculiar grace, the grace we find in opening flowers and
budding trees? Had she caught that murmuring voice
from the sound of the streams that fall continually [about
her rocky home ? was it the tenderness of the evening sky
beneath which she loved to walk, that lay like a shadow
on her face, and the light of the evening stars that shone
in her quiet eyes ? At the least to me she was the realiza-
tion of the dream which haunts the sleep of sin- stained
men ; so my memory paints her, so I hope to find her when
I at last the sleep has rolled away and the fevered dreams
I are done.

At last there came a day — the most blessed of my life,

[when we told our love. We had been together all the

Imorning, but after dinner Mr. Carson was so unwell that

|8tel]a stopped in with him. At supper we met again, and

ifter supper, when she had put little Tota, to whom she

lad grown much attached, to bed, we went out, leaving Mr.

Larson dozing on the couch. The night was warm and

lovely, and without speaking we walked up the garden to

phe orange grove and sat down there upon a rock. There

ma a little breeze which shook the petals of the orange

Woom over us in showers, and bore their delicate fragrance

120

ALLAN'S WIFE.

.<"

!ll

far and wide. Silence reigned around, broken only by the
sound of the falling waterfalls that now died to a faint
murmur, and now, as the wavering breeze turned, boomed
loudly in our ears. The moon was not yet visible, but
already the dark clouds that floated through the sky above
us — for there had been rain — showed a glow of silver, till-
ing us that she shone brightly behind the peak. Stella
began to talk in her low, gentle voice, telling me of her life
in the wilderness, how she had grown to love it, how lier
mind had gone on from idea to idea, and how she pictured
the great rushing world that she had never seen as it was
reflected to her from the books which she had read. It
was a curious vision of life that she had : things were out
of proportion in it ; it was more like a dream than a reality
— a mirage than the actual face of things. The idea of
great cities, and especially of London, had a kind of fasci-
nation for her : she could scarcely realize the rush, the roar
and hurry, the hard crowds of men and women, 8tran<j[ers
each to each, feverishly seeking for wealth and pleasure
beneath a murky sky, and treading one another down in
the fury of their competition.

" What is it all for ?" she asked, earnestly. ** What do
they seek i Having so few years to live, why do they waste
them thus?"

I told her that in the majority of instances it was actual
hard necessity that ciOve them on, but she could scaretly
realize it. Living as she had done, in the midst of the
teeming plenty of the fruitful earth, she did not seem to
understand that there are millions who from day to day
know not how to stay their hunger.

*' I never want to go there," she went on ; **I should he

loi
boi

n only by the
ed to a faint
rned, boomed
t visible, but
the sky above
of silver, till-
peak. Stella
me of her life
ve it, how her
7 she pictured
seen as it was
had read. It
lings were out
than a reality
The idea of
kind of fasci-
:ush, the roar
len, strangers
and pleasure
»ther down in

*• What do
do they waste

it was actual
iould scarcilv
midst of tile
not seem to
a day to day

"I should be

MILAN'S WIFP
— ^_ ^21

bo^vildered and fri^htonod to deatTT^ ^~

J^^'^' iike that. God put Adam 1 ?'t. '' "^^ "'"^"'•'^' to

f-t is how He meant'the,> elndr n f ^ " ^ ^"•'^^"' ^^^

00 in, ah,,,3 ,, beautif^^ t:: *^i^.^-- P-e, and

r^rft'ct hie, I want no other '• '' ^^ ^^^^ of

ionlv'lti. '''' '^^ -- told me that you found it

'^^-^y^'^^ " ^>"* t^at was

perfect-perfect as the nighT" ^^ ^ ""^ ^^re, and it is

^'earning on the water brood n' 1 '''' ^^^''^^>' ^'^^^^^^
out the hidden places of the rt/ '" *^' P^""^' ^^^rching
of nature as in a silver brida, ^e'r^r"^ ^^" ^^^"^ ^-m
I siione mysteriously. "'^ *^'0"-h which her beauty

f^teila looked down fb« f. ,

'-W up at the scarred at oah/'','7 '' ^"^ '"'•-" -^
;''e looked at me. The beautv " ? '^"' '"°°"' ^'"' "'«"
-e. the scent of the night ^ J"' ^ """•" "•'"^^ "'"'»' ''«
1 1'" night shone in her shadrT ''*"■' "'<^ "'>-«'<^'-y of
■^ '-'-" at her, and al t'hel'^T- f' '"'"-" ''' ««•
.«»• «•« spoke no word-we t^ "" '''"'"""^^' «"'""

I '^"' nowlunderq^anri " i .,

f - «"at it is th J 2:Z t\r. '"""""^^- ^- 1
I "" *''« ''eau'J' of the sity, i„

i \ \: '

122

ALLAN'S WIFE.

the sound of water and in the scent of flowers. It is love
that speaks in everything, but till we hear his voice wu
understand nothing. But when we hear, then the riddle
is answered and the gates of our heart are opened, and,
Allan, we see the way that wends through death to
heaven, and is lost in the glory of which our love is but a
shadow.

" Let us go in, Allan. Let us go before the spell breaks,
so that whatever comes to us, sorrow, death, or separa-
tion, we may always have this perfect memory to savt
us."

I rose like a man in a dream, still holding her by the
hand. But as I rose my eye fell upon something that
gleamed white among the foliage of the orange bush at my
side. I said nothing, but looked. The breeze stirred the
^range leaves, the moonlight struck for a moment full upou
the white object.

It was the face of Hendrika, the babyan woman, a?
Indaba-zimbi had called her, and on it was a glare of bate
that made me shudder.

I said nothing ; the face vanished, and just then I hearii
a baboon bark in the rocks behind.

Then we went down the garden, and Stella passed into
the centre hut. I saw Hendrika standing in the shadov
near the door and went up to her. |

" Hendrika," I said, '* why were you watching Miss Stella
and myself in the garden ? "

She drew her lips up till her teeth gleamed in the moon
light.

" Have I not watched her these many years, MacumazahD?
Shall I eease to watch her because a wandering white mu

I. It is love
his voice ^vu
Bn the riddle
opened, and,
;h death to
love is but a

spell breaks,
1, or separa-
nory to save

g her by the
nething thiit
e bush at my
ze stirred the
lent full upou

tn woman, a?
glare of hate

) then I heard

la passed into 1
a the shadow

ngMiss Stalls I

in the moon-

MacumazahD?!
ing white muj

ALLAN'S WIFE.

ioves

am a woman as she is, and yoa ar/ » ^"^^"""^ ? I

- the kraals that men love women be!*"'^' ""' '"'^ «»^
;omen. But it is a lie, thoaJhTw^ tl ^.*° ^°'"«" '°ve
. oves a 3be forget^ all ott ^^ Ha r'' " ' '''""''"

1 1 gather her Aowers-beautifnl fl? V^ ^ "°' ^e^n it ?

|whereyo„ would never dare ^ go oT^ th"""' "''' '<"'''«
1« piece of orange bloom in thf !! a ""' ^°» P''"=k
IWhat does she do 7-^^tLTl ^"'''° ""'I give it her.
?' - her breast, and letsmy file S dT° I 't'" ' «^^ ""'«
loes not hear me-she is 'IhinS V "t" '° ^^^-«h«
'"e far away, and she hears and smiles ^t"^*' '" '°'^'>
»e sometimes ; now she kisses tLfJl!' , ^* "'""^ *" J^i««
|;ause you brought it. Oh I see .1^' 'u ^°" """"g"*-
ifrom the first; you are s^Ji^rhll "" ' ^ ^'"'^ "'^n
■^ yourself, and those who lov d he^^ 'T "'' '''"''"^ ^'^
"gotten. Be careful, Macumathn Y"'' ^°" """»« "^^
;v;n.ed upon you. ^^Zt^ r'"'"'' '"' ' «"»
"f " monkey; that servinf of vou„ '.r" ^'^'"'^ "■«
'=>^»'=- Well, I have lived with hT "' ""* '"''""»>-
'-r-yes, they can play tri I' a„d"^'' '"^'^^^ -«
»Und I am cleverer tlfanth'f ^T *'''"«' J""-

)' .

124

ALLAN'S WIFE,

Macumazabn, or you will fall into a pit," and witli one
more look of malice she was gone.

I stood for a moment reflecting. I was afraid of this
strange creature who seemed to combine the cunning of
the great apes that had reared her with the p&ssioii an<i
skill of human kind. I foreboded evil at her bands. And
yet there was something almost touching in che fierceness
of her jealousy. It is generally supposed that this passion
only exists in strength when the object loved is of another
sex from the lover, but I confess that, both in this inRtanet
and in some others that I have met with, this has not been
my experience. I have known men, and especially uncivil
ized men, who were as jealous of the affection of their friend
or master as any lover could be of that of his mistress ;
who has not seen cases of the same thing where parent!
and their children were concerned? But the lower oik
gets in the scale of humanity, the more readily this passioi
thrives ; indeed, it may be said to come to its intensecij
perfection in brutes. Woi "n are more jealous than mec
small-hearted men are more jealous than those of lar^^tj
mind and wider sympathy, and animals are the most iealoi
of all. Now Hendrika was in some ways not far removi
from animal, which may perhaps account for the feroci
of her jealousy of her mistress's affection.

Shaking off my presentiments of evil, I entered II
centre hut. Mr. Carson was resting on the sofa, arid
him knelt Stella holding his hand, and her head resting
his breast. I saw at once that she had been telling bia
what had come about between us ; nor was I sorry, for
is a task that a would-be son-in-law is generally glad to
by deputy.

eind witli one

ALLAN'S iVlFB.

125

fi'iie. '* *"<"" ay business. Jj„t i

"«Wln tells me," he went on ••«,„.
'"'oa marriage e«g„Ke,ne„t.°' ""/f"" ''^o 'mve entered

;)-i-.i<iren. Many " ; Z;'"! ";-' V^" "I-ten.
-^ ' "I'OM me. so great a sorrow 1", r """" '""' -"•'w
t «fl.ded my brain. At any ra 1 h ! ^ '"'"'"'■'"«'' ""-''<,
"'ost men would have conSi ;.h determined to do wha
I of" «»ay into the wilderness ih ' °' "* '""''""'". '«
" Jive remote from civilizatln i ^- ""'^ «''"d. there
•""^, ""•« Place, and h re Thl r ' 7"^- ^ "'" -
''■••i'P'ly enough, and perha^ nT ''^^ fo^manvyea^s
«'»• generation, but stifnn^ °' ''''*''°'" doing goodTn'
h- At first I th g'hVtLT T^'ll'' *° °-- and
\°- "V .» a state of complete '„?' ''' ""^ "''"«'"-
l"^ ^.'lt^re•s child. But «Z '^"°'^''«««. "'at she should

><'/"e Wickedness of mX"%T^ ""' ' -w tbet J
per to t he ieve] nf f K -^ P^^^- -^ ^ad no rirrht fn r7.

t;- «° I ed"-:d\tts::itr? ' '-^"^' ->

Pe end I knew that in mind a , ^ ^''^^ ^ble, tiij i„

fc" '^^ -'-' nre?:;'^; ^■'^^"^ '" --"

Fg'ewupand entered into worn? , '' """'"^'^ "<"id

f; 7 mind that I was do^Tr rn';;"' "'^" " -"-'

f ' ^^l-«ting her from her ti.d and . '"'"''• """ 1

I ""'' ^«'=P'"g iier in ,,

If.

126

ALLAN'S WIFE,

.'i

wilderness where she could find neither mate nor compaQion.
But though I knew this, I could not yet make up my mind
to return to active life ; 1 had grown to love this place
I dreaded to return into the world I had ahjured. Again
and again I put my resolutions aside. Then at the con.
mencement of this vear I fell ill. For a while I waited,
hoping that I might get better, but at last I realized that I
should never get better, that the hand of Death was upon
me.

" Ah, no, father, not that ! " Stella said, with a cry.

"Yes, love, that, and it is true. Now you will be ableto
forget our separation in the happiness of a new meeting,'
and he glanced at me and smiled. " Well, when this
knowledge came home to me, I determined to abandon tki*
place and trek for the coast, though I well knew that tb
journey would kill me. I should never live uo reach it. Btii
Stella would, and it would be better ihan leaving her hert
alone with savages in the wilderness. On the very day ih
I had made up my mind to iake this step Stella found v '.
dying in the Bad Lands, Allan Quatermain, and broug:
you here. She brought you, of all men in the world, jo.
whose father had been my dearest friend, and who oncewi
your baby hands had saved her life from fire, that
might live to save yours from thirst. At the time I a
little, but I saw the hand of Providence in this, and I de
mined to wait and see what came about between vou.
the worst, if nothing came about. I soon learned that
could trust you to see her safely to the coast after I
gone. But many days ago 1 knew how it stood betw
you, and now things have come about as I prayed
might. Gk)d bless you both, my children ; may y i

ALLAN'S WIFE.

Qor companion.
ke up my mind
ove this place
bjured. Again
len at the com.
while I waited,
realized that I
Death was upon

with a cry.

u will be able to
I new meeting,*
Veil, when this
to abandon
I knew that the I
fcO reach it. Bd!
eaving her hen
he very day tha;
Stella found yot
lin, and brougk
1 the world, yoi
ad who once wii:
m fire, tbat et
t the tiiTie I
this, and I dete:
etween you.
Q learned th8t|
joast after I
it stood betw
bs I prayed
•en ; may y'^\

towards
: '""'^ '"' **"" ^^ceiia kisse
Presently he spoke again-
st 18 my intention," Lesaid '«v
parry you next Sunday. I i /f /^^ *^o consent, to

not know how much Jon Jer wilT be jw'/f '''"' ^°^ ' ^^
I at such a ceremony, solemn y LilJl '" T' ' ^^"«^«
f efore witnesses, wilJ, under th! ™^^'^ *°^ entered into
Nai ; but of course ;ou .illXZ^^^^^^^ '^ P-fectiy
r ^''^ ^«^ent it lies in your nnl . '"^'"^ ^^'"^^^4
[here is one more thing • when flTJ"" *^ ^"- ^^^ now
he in a shattered con^ditfon /JS ^°'^^°' "^ ^-*«n-
Jave recovered themselves /hi '°"''® ^^ ^^ars they

eard but recently, when 1 ' accumulated rents as I
h ^^atal, have s'u ffi^erto ^^^^^^^ ^ -^-ed Z^

a considerable bJance over nf '" '^^'^''' ^^^ there
Mrry on nothing, for of course you' SM^*'^ ^^^ ^^" ^^^

^ I wisl. to make a stipulation /f It' "'" ^^ ^'^'''^'

n^y death occurs you sha^We th!' )'"' ^'^* «^ '^--
N opportunity of returning t^Ff ^^'''' ^^^ ^^^^e the
h to live there always "f I'if' "'• ' '^ ^°* -^
f>Pe reared in the wilds a bo^^ ^'"? *^^ ^«ch for
* ^«k you to make it yoj: 1, '^^ ^^ ^°" ^'^^e been ; but I
^i^ and promise thisP^''"^'"^^*^^^^^ Do you con
L 1^0," I answered.

[•tt'''nV'" •''''' Stella.
\}»y well," he answerp,) ....

h «°^ •"- .ou boTi ^ -i- I a. t.ed out.

'ill

CHAPTER X.

ON the following morning I had a conversation witli
Indaba-zimbi. First of all I told him that I \sh
going to marry Stella.

*• Oh ! " he said, ** I tho'ught so, Macumazahn. Did I
not tell you that you would find happiness on this journey?
Most men must be content to watch the Star from a Ion,-
way off, to you it is given to wear her on your heart, iiii:
remember, Macumazahn, remember that stars set."

"Can you not stop your croaking even for a day?"!
answered, angrily, for his words sent a thrill of fear tlirougii
me.

" A true prophet must tell the ill as well as the good
Macumazahn. I only speak what is on my mind. Bml
what of it ? What is life but loss, loss upon loss, till lift]
itself be lost ? But in death we may find all the thine
that we have lost. So ycnr father taught, Macumazahtl
and there was wisdom in his gentleness. Oh ! I Jo ni
believe in death ; it i^ change, that in all, Macumaza
Look now, the rain falls, the drops of raia that were gm

water in the clouds fall side bv -^ ' —

ground; presentiy the sun will ^„!!, . ''^^ ^'""^ «'o the
^rj, the drops will be gonT 17,°^',"'" ^''^"' '^'l' be
drops are dead, they will never b« " ""'' ^'^^ ">«

never again fall side by side. But I a^' **'"'"' '^'y «"''
I know the ways of rain, it ig " j ^ '"'""-'naker. and
dram into the river a.>d will be oL "'; ^"^ "^^^ '""
w. i go up into the clouds a^ainl ^h "■ "=''"«• ^hey
.|>"i there «.ill again be aslhev ha T"'' "^ ""'^"'"R.
J ;lro?s of rain, Macumazahn Wh„ '''*"• ^^« «'« the
P'e. When we sink i„to the I'ZZ "" """ '« °-
vhen we are drawn up again to th« <^ ".'^'*"'' "'"'
,M»cumazahn? No! „ol whe" we fit '''■ "'"'" '« 'hat.
i"e seem to lose, then we IhaH ! n '^/' '"'«' "=><' when
ichrislinn. Maeuma.ahn. bu 1 1"!? ^-l"" ^ »- not a
^nd seea things that pe;hap chTilti r*" ^-« watched
llmve spoken. Be happy with" * """" «««• There
-'. Mac„,nazah„, waft Wn '1^^ ^*-> ^-^ ^f « sets
[ong; one day yo„ „;„ go\„ 2!" T"' ^' '^'" ""t be
ken on another sky, and there you; "" ^^'"" ^^«« ^'"
Ifaeumazalin." •'^'""^ "tar will be shining

I made no answer at the time t „ ,^
^'■"^h a thing. But often and nf/ ""' ^«'" to talk

'- tbought 01 Indaba..Ib. and t ■ k ''" ""^^ ^^-s
'thered comfort from it. H wat ;':^^'""'"' -'-iie and
fn-u>ak,„g savage, and there wL^^^'"'^""''"' *'''« °'d
km many learned atheists-T ' "'"''°"' '"him
^o.'n the name of progresran^ . ' 'P""''""' destroyers
^^« from life, and leavf^^,;!"!''"'"^"''^' ^ould divorce
hseerated hell. ^andenng « a lonesome, self!

f Indftba-zimbi " t««j ,

180

ALLAN'S WIFE.

something to say," and I told him of the threats of Hen-
drika.

He listened with an unmoved face, nodding his white
lock at interval as the narrative went on. But I saw that
he was disturbed by it.

" Macumazahn," he said at length, " I have told you
this is an evil woman. She was nourished on baboon milk,
and the baboon nature is in her veins. Such creatures
should be killed, not kept. She will make you mischief if
she can. But I will watch her, Macumazahn. Look, the
Star is waiting for you; go, or she will hate me as Hendrika
hates you."

So I went, nothing loath, for attractive as was the wis-
dom of Indaba-zimbi, I found a deeper meaning in Stella's
simplest word. All the rest of that day I passed in her
company, and the greater part of the two following days.
At last came Saturday night, the eve of our marriage. It
rained that night, so we did not go out, but spent the
evening in the hut. We sat hand in hand, saying little.
but Mr. Carson talked a good deal, telling us tales of
youth, and of countries that he had visited. Then he read |
aloud from the Bible, and bade us good-night. I
kissed Stella and went to bed. I reached my hut by tbe{
covered way, and before I undrv3Bsed opened the door to
what the night was like. It was very dark, and rain \
still falling, but as the light streamed out into the gloom 11
fancied that I caught sight of a dusky form gliding awajj
The thought of Hendrika flashed into my mind ; could
be skulking about outside there ? Now I had said nc
of Hendrika and her threats either to Mr. Carson or Stellij
because I did not wish to alarm them. Also I knew that Stell

ALLAN'S WIFE.

131

\ of Hen-

bis wbite
1 saw that

je told you
iboon milk,
;b creatures
tniscbief il
Looli, tbe
BL3 Hendrib

was tbe Mvis-
ag in Stella's
Ipassed in bei
[Uowing days,
iarriage. It
lit spent the
saying little.
|s tales of bis
Then be read I

dght. I M
,y but by i^«|
ibe door to
and rain '
10 tbe glooml
gliding a^rajl
L^d; could b1»I
,d said notbiuil
,rBon or Stellv]
:newtbatStei)

was attached to this strange person, and I did not wish to
bbake her confidence in her unless it was absolutely neces-
sary. For a minute or twc I stood hesitating, then, reflect-
ing that if it was Hendrika out there, there she should stop,
I went in and put up the stout wooden bar that was used
to secure the door. For the last few nights old Indaba-
zimbi had made a habit of sleeping in the covered passage,
which was the only other possible way of access. As I
came to bed I had stepped over him rolled up in his blanket,
aud to all appearance fast asleep. So it being evident that
1 had nothing to fear, I promptly dismissed the matter
from my mind, which, as may be imagined, was indeed
fully occupied with other matters.

I got into bed, and for awhile lay awake thinking of the
great happiness in store for me, and of the providential
course of events that had brought it within my reach. A
few weeks since and I was wandering in the desert a dying
man, bearing a dying child, and with scarcely a possession
left in the world except a store ot buried ivory that I never
expected to see again. And now I was about to wed one
of the sweetest and loveliest women in the whole world — a
woman whom I more than I could have thought possible,
and who loved me back again. Also, as though that were
I not good fortune enough, I was to acquire with her con-
fciderable possessions, quite sufficiently large to enable us
jto follow any plan of life we found agreeable. As I lay and
[reflected on all this I grew afraid of my good fortune. Old
[ndaba-zirabi's nitlancholy prophecies came into my mind.
litherto he had always prophesied truly. What if these
lould be true also ? I turned cold as I thought of it, and
prayed to the Power above to preserve us both to live and

■M J

182

ALLAN'S WIFE.

love together. Never was prayer more needed. While
its words were still upon my lips I dropped asleep and
dreamed a most dreadful dream.

I dreamed that Stella and I were standing together to
be married. She was dressed in white, and radiant with
beauty, but it was a wild, spiritual beauty which frightened
me. Her eyes shone like stars, a pale flame played about
her features, and the wind that blew did not stir her hair.
Nor was this all, for her white robes were death wrappings,
and the altar at which we stood was formed of the piled-iip
earth from an open grave that yawned between us. So we
stood waiting for one to wed us, but no one came. Presently
from the open grave sprang the form of Hendrika. In her
hand was a knife, with which she stabbed at me, but
pierced the heart of Stella, who, without a cry, fell back-
wards into the grave, still looking at me as she fell. Then
Hendrika leaped after her into the grave. I heard her feet
strike heavily.

" Awake, Macumazahn ! aicake ! " cried the voice of
Indaba-zimbi.

I awoke and bounded from the bed, the cold perspiration
pouring from me. In the darkness on the other side of the
hut I heard sounds of furious struggling. Luckily I kept
my head. Just by me was a chair on which were matches
and a rush taper. I struck a match and held it to the
taper. Now in the glowing light I could see two ionm
rolling one over the other on the floor, and from betwetD
them came the flash of steel. The fat melted and the light
burnt up. It was Indaba-zimbi and the woman Hendrika
who were struggling, and, what was more, the woman was
getting the better of the man, strong as h§ was, > I rushe«]

While
leep and

getber to
iant Willi
'rigliteiied
,yed about
r her hair.

wrappings
le pilfid-up
us. So v?e
Presently
ka. In her
at me, but
y, fell back-
fell. Then
ard her feet

le voice

Iperspiration
|r side of the
Ickily 1 hept
Ure matches
[id it to the
two forms
com betwetD
B.nd the ligli^
m Heiuh'iU
woman ^vas
^8, . I rushe'l |

ALLAN'S WIFE.

133

towards them. Now she was uppermost, now she had
wrenched herself from his fierce grip, and now the great
knife she had in her hand flashed up.

But I was behind her, and, getting my hands beneath
her arms, jerked with all my strength. She fell backwards,
and, in her effort
to save herself,
most fortunately
(h'opped the knife.
Then we flung
ourselves upon
her. Heavens !
the strength of
that she - devil !

Nobody who has

not experienced it

coukl believe it.

She fought and

scratched and bit,

and at one time

nearly mastered

the two of us.

As it was she did

i)reak loose. She

rushed at the

iel sprung on it,

and bounded

thence straight -^^^'^^^^^'^^'^m^

up at the roof of the hut. I never saw such a jump, and

could not conceive what she meant to do. In the roof were

the peculiar holes which I have described. They were

184

ALLAN'S WIFE,

designed to admit light, and covered with overhanging
eaves. She sprung straight &nd true like a monkey, and,
catching the edge of the hole with her hands, strove to
draw herself through it. But here her strength, exhausted
with the long straggle, failed her. For a moment she
swung, then dropped to the ground and fell senseless.

'' Ou ! " gasped Indaba-zimbi. '' Let us tie the devil up
before she comes to life again."

I thought this a good counsel, so we took a rein that la;
in the corner of the room, and lashed her hands and feet
in such a fashion that even she could scarcely escape. Then
we carried her into the passage, and Indaba-zimbi sat over
her, the knife in his hand, for I did not wish to raise an
alarm at that hour of the night.

" Do you know how I caught her, Macumazahn ? " he
said. *' For several nights I have slept here with one eye
open, for I thought she had made a plan. To-nigbt I kept
wide awake, though I pretended to be asleep. An houi
after you got into the blankets the moon rose, and I saw a
beam of light come into the hut through the whole in the
roof. Presently I saw the beam of light vanish. At first
I thought that a cloud was passing over the moon, but 1
listened and heard a noise as though someone was squeez-
ing himself through a narrow place. Presently he was
through and hanging by his hands. Then the light came
in again, and in the middle of it I saw the babyan-i* i
swinging from the roof, and about to drop into the hut.
She clung by both hands, and in her mouth was a great
knife. She dropped, and I ran forward to seize her as she
dropped, and gripped her round the middle. But
beard me come, and, seizing the knife, struck at me in

{

irbanging
ikey, and,
strove to
exhausted
)ment she
leless.
ae devil up

>in that lay
ds and feet
cape. Then
nbi sat over
to raise an

izahn ? " lie
rith one eye
•night I liept
An hour
and I Ba\v a
?hole in the
»h. At first
[moon, hut 1
was squeez-
|ntly he was
light came
ibabyan-i'-'^
Into the hut.
ras a great
le her as sbe
[e. But fibe
at me in

ALLAN'S WIFE,

186

dark and missed me. Then we struggled, and you know
the rest. You were very nearly dead to-night, Macuma-

zahn."

" Very nearly, indeed,'* I answered, still panting, and
arranging the rags of my night-dress round me as best I
might. Then the memory of my horrid dream flashed
into my mind. Doubtless it had been conjured up by the
sound of Hendrika dropping to the floor — in my dream it
had been a grave that she dropped into. All of it had
been experienced in that second of time. Well, dreams are
swift ; perhaps Time itself is nothing but a dream, and
events that seem far apart really occur simultaneously.

We passed the rest of the night watching Hendrika.
Presently she came to herself and struggled furiously to
break the rein. But it was too strong even for her, and,
moreover, Indaba-zimbi unceremoniously sat upon her to
keep her quiet. At last she gave it up.

In due course the day broke — my marriage day. Leav-
ing Indaba-zimbi to watch my would-be murderess, I went
and fetched some natives from the stables, and with their
aid bore Hendrika to the prison hut — that same hut in
which she had been confined when she had been brought a
baboon- child from the rocks. Here we shut her up, and,
leaving Indaba-zimbi to watch outside, I returned to my
oleeping.placo and dressed in the best garments that
babyan kraals could furnish. But when I looked at the
reflection of my face, I was horrified. It was covered with
^ scratches inflicted by the nails of Hendrika. I doctored
j them up as best I could, then went out for a walk to calm
I my nerves, which, what between the events of the past

"I
1 1

,; ' I,

186

ALLAi\'S WIFE.

night, and of those pending that day, were not a httk
disturbed.

When I returned it was breakfast time. I went into tlk
dining hut, and there Stella was waiting to greet nie,
dressed in simple white and with orange flowers on her
breast. She came forward to me shyly enough; then, see
ing the condition of my face, started back.

" Why, Allan ! what have you been doing to yourself?'
she asked.

As I was about to answer, her father came in leaning:; on
his stick, and catching sight of me, instantly asked tli(
same question.

Then I told them everything, both of Hendrika's throat-
and of her fierce attempt to carry them into execution.
But I did not tell my horrid dream.

Stella's face grew white as the flowers on her breast, but
that of her father became very stern.

"You should have spoken of this before, Allan,** he said.
" I now see that I did wrong to attempt to civilize thi::
wicked and revengeful creature, who, if she is human, has
all the evil passions of the brutes that reared her. Well, 1
will make an end of it this very day."

*' Oh, father," said Stella, " don't have her killed. It
is all dreadful enough, but that would be more dreadful
still. I have been very fond of her, and, bad as slie is,
she has loved me. Don't have her killed on my marriage
day."

" No," her father answered, " she shall not be killed, for

read
to do

•e not a little

though she deserves to die I u^'U . u

our hands. She is a brufp \ i, ^^''^ ^^^'' ^'^od upon

J'Pwt for that purpose Thf = ,'"■«' """""^'^ ''••' «et

""t long before' that howr a, trr":''«"" "^^ '^" ^'-^'-k.
"P 'n troops, singing as y ' '''^ "^''^^^ "» "'e place came

^Wing of the "Star "it ^ *'"""' '° be present at the
t^-efflen dressed in all theirfin ^""^ "'«'"'"»«« "'em.
-0 sticks in their hand a„d thf '"'' '="">'»*^ ^^-'ds
bearing green branches o tl , ''°'"'" ■"«" "^Idren
'^•■Kth, about half.past nine S I'll' ' '"''' *'''^^^"- At

-" 'eft me to my refle «o„s It'°"; '"■""'' "^ ''^"''
1 ho reappeared again with h'; ttL 7 "^'""''^ '° *«"
I ■"■'. a wreath of orange flowers „nh''',^'''''''^ *" * "■'"'^'
-q-et of orange flowers i„C hid" t """"« ''"''•' "
"^ea dream of loveliness Wif h ^ ""' "'' '''<^'"^''

i "«^ ^'"t-^ of glee and e itc^,''"«?'""« ''"'« ^"'-^ in a
' '"lesmaid. Then we In t , ^''' ''"^ «'«"a'8 only

'f- The bare spaced f"nt!rt°"'^""'^^'"« <='-"«
»' natives, who set up a sol „ ""' ^'^'^ ^''"^ '"-"Jrede

°» «to the hut.which'was eroldirrr" ^'" ''■<' «■«»'
rty worshipped ttJ^tX 'T °^ "^^ '^'"--
read the service, thr„<rh he t.„ m *^*'"'°"' as usual

'» "^ -• When it d t::i°^lT *° «'■' "-» i» order'

"one and to me it seemed inter-

183

ALLAN'S WIFE.

minablc — Mr. Carson whispered to mo that ho meant tr
marry us outside the hut in Hip;lit of all the people, so wi.
went out and took our stand under the shade of a Inrct
tree that pjrew near the hut facing the bare space where the
natives were p;athered.

Mr. Carson held up his hand to enjoin silence. Then,
speaking in the native dialect, he told them that he was
about to make us man and wife after tlie Christian fashion
and in the sight of all men. This done, he proceeded to
read the marriage service over us, and very solemnly and
beautifully he did it. We said the words, I placed the rin;;
— it was her father's signet ring, for we had no other — upon
Stella's finger, and it was done.

Then Mr. Carson spoke. ** Allan and Stella," he said,
" I believe that the ceremony which has been performed
makes you man and wife in the sight of God and man, for
all that is necessary to make a marriage binding is, that it
should be celebrated according to the custom of the
country where the parties to it reside. It is according to
the custom that has been in force here for fifteen years or
more that you have been married in the face of all the
people, and in token of it you will both sign the registry
that I have kept of such marriages, among those of my
people that have adopted the Christian Faith. Still, in
case there should be any legal flaw I again demand the
solemn promise of you both that on the first opportunity
you will cause this marriage to be re-celebrated in some
civilized land. Do you promise ? "

** We do," we answered.

■» meant tr,
(oplo, BO we
3 of a li\r^(
e where the

ice. Then,
that he was
tian fashion
proctccit'd to
olemnly and
iced the rinp;
other— upon

la," he
en performed
,nd man, for
ng is, that it
torn of the
according to
Jteen years or
[ace of all the
the registry
those of my
th. Still, in
demand the
opportunity
,ted in some

'I'

' .11

"We B&ld the words, T placeil the ring upon Stella's fincrer, And ft wat done."

«i

Star,"

' "Yot
|er alto

ALLAN'S WIFE.

!
i

185

Then the book w«flh..« i. ~~

We her write it Stella Carson foL/fi'^; ""' *■«' father
« he; l.fe. Then several of the i ./ "'"' ''''' »'"■»«

nclud,ng old Indaba-zin-.bi p„'?' "''""''^' "' '"^''d «en,
ndaba-z,mbi drew ni, mark in the /h ""^'^^ '° ''"°e3B
humorous allusion to Stella's n!^ '''^P' "^ » '"We star, in
" efore n.e now as I w J "tr^T. ^^''' ««-' "
darhng s hair that lies between Si '""' * '"-"^ "^ ^y
possession. There are all ^e „a» ''1' " -"^ ''^a^^'
w"« written many years ago benlT T ""^'^^ "« "^ey
4 ' ee on Babyan Kraals in th! ,^^ ""* «'"a''o'' of the
. ^'- ' where are those wh^wr'ot ttT"' ""' ''"'^ ' -^
"My people," said Mr. Car«on u
one and we had kissed each othl?!" '""^ "'"g^g was
people, Macumazahn and the StJ T "'*'" ""-" My
■nan and wife, to live in one k^al' ^ '^:""«'"^'' "" »ow
hare one fortune till they reLh 1 ' '*' °^ ""^ ^owl, to
People, you know f ii^ J J *^« S«ve. Hear now. my
Hendrika, who. unseen b? ' £ ^'^^ ""' P^^'^'ed^o
pnson hut. "^ "*• ^ad been led out of the

'les, yep, we know hor •■ .»-j ,.
:;t_o formed the primitive ol-t ' ""* ""« "^ ^ead m.„
J«h.oa of natives had slaS f^h '"'''"'' *"" »««'«"«
e ground in front of us '" ^ Jo"",'''"'' '" '^ '^''"'e n
|£r-n.sheisHendSL?ri:d;^t---

1 .

140

ALLAN'S WIFE.

people what came about last night iji the hut of Mricu-
mazhn."

Accordingly old Indaba-zimbi came forward, and, squat-
ting down, told hia moving tale with much descriptive
force and many gestures, finishing up by producing the
great knife from which his watchfulness had saved me.

Then I was called upon, and in a few brief words sub-
stantiated his story ; indeed my face did that in the sight
of all men.

Then Mr. Carson turned to Hendrika, who stood in
sullen silence, her eyes fixed upon the ground, and asked
her if she had anything to say.

She looked up boldly and answered —

" Macumazahn has robbed me of the love of my mistress.
I would have lobbed him of his life, which is a little thing
compared to that which I have lost at his hands. I have
failed, and I am sorry for it, for had I killed him and left
no trace the Star wculd have forgotten him and shone on
me again."

" Never,'* murmured Stella in my ear ; but Mr. Carson
turned white with wrath.

** My people," he said, " you hear the words of this
woman. You hear how she pays me back, me and my
daughter whom she swears she loves. She says that she
could have murdered a man who has done her no evil, the
man who is the husband of her mistress. We save.] her
from the babyans, we tamed her, we fed her, we taught her,
and this is how she pays us back. Say, my people, what |
reward e'ap-11 be given to her ? "

t Mr. Carson

141

"i>«ath," said the circle r.f • ^ ~~ ~~

;|Himb. downwards, and ail the ^uuT.' T^"*"^^ '^^^-'
the word - Death." ^ multitude beyond echoed

"I>e.'ith/' repeated the hp«^ ; a
f'he 18 a babyan-woman, a devil w! °'"' °'"' hands.

of tbe woman's nature, her W ^^'.^^'"''^'^ ^'-'^ savagery

hat she had always sh irtidTh'"' u"' ""^ "^ff-"-

I. whose life had been attemnred , "^ ^""^ ^■■'"' 'hat

"•■fe. who had nearly been tft'nT ''''■' ""'' ^he, n.y

-ade a bride, forgave her letL;^ 7 "'' ^''"'^ ^^e vval

promised not to do so. But thP f ' ^' "^-^ ^''-eady
™our, they looked upon H Jdrfr' """ '" ^ '''*-«"'
ave torn her to pieces there amltt '" ' ,''^''' ''"'' "'""'^
"J^''- way. Nor were ma ters L /'r"'^ "'^^have had
<^ko had already gained a ^ T^tt ''^/»<''"'a..imbi,
»ag.c m the place. Suddenly he old '"' ^"''°'» "^"d

'l""«an in=passio„ed speech uwnf. '" """ '"^ """^^
^" once or m.chief would com" ofl " '° '" ' ^^'^'^"''*

At last matters got verv l,.„l ,■ '
^ame forward to drag her off to L ' r™ "^ "'« '"''"nas
""'" Stella fairly bu«t . of. .. t aU '"' T" " '^"^^ -'

' '"at the sight of her grief,

Ill

: : ■ i

ALLAN'S WIFE.

backed by Mr. Carson's orders and my own remonstrances,
sarried the day.

All this while Hendrika had been standing quite un-
moved. At last the tumult stopped, and the leading
induna called to her to go, promising that if ever she
showed her face near the kraals again she should be stabbed
like a jackal. Then Hendrika spoke to Stella in a low voice
in Engiibh —

" Better let them kill me, mistress, better for all. V7ith-
out you to love I shall go mad and become a baby an again."

Stella did not answer, and they loosed her. She stepped
forward and looked at the natives with a stare of hate.
Then she turned and walked past me, and as she passed
whispered a native phrase in my ear, that, being literally
translated, means, " Till another moon," bu'> which has the
same significance as the French " au revoir."

It frightened me, for 1 knew she meant that she had not
done with me, and saw that our mercy was misplaced.
Seeing my face change she ran swiftly from me, and as she
passed Indaba-zimbi, with a sudden movement snatched
her great knife from his hand. When she had gone about
twenty paces she halted, looked long and earnestly on
Stella, gave one loud cry as of anguish, and fled. A fe\v
minutes later we saw her far away, bounding up the face
of an almost perpendicular cliff — a cliff that nobody except
herself and the baboons could possibly climb.

'* Look," said Indaba-zimbi in my ear — ** Look, Macu-
raazahn, there goes the Babyan-frau. But, Macumazahn,
the will come back again. Ah, why will you not listen tc

ALLAN'S WIFE.

148

trances,

uite mi-
leading
ever she
e stabbed
low voice

ill. V/ith-
an again."

,he stepped
•e of bate,
she passed
ig literally
ich has the

my words ? Have they not always been true words,
Macumazahn ? " and he shrugged his shoulders and turned
away.

For a while I was much disturbed, hni id any rate
Hendrika was gone for the present, and Stella, my dear
and lovely wife, was there at my side, and in her smiles I
forgot my fears.

For the rest of that day, why should I write of it ? — ther<^
are things too happy and too sacred to be written of.

At last I had, if only for a little while, found that rest,
that perfect joy which we seek so continually and so rarely
clasp.

:i •:

the had not

1 misplaced.
and as she
it snatched
[gone about
trnestly on
led. A fe\s
ip the face
)ody except

,ook, Macu-
Lcumazabn,
)t listen tc

i'l

CHAPTER XL

gone!

T WONDER if many married couples are quite as bappy
-^ as we found ourselves. Cynics, a growing class, declare
that few illusions can survive a honeymoon. Well, I do
not know about it, for I only married once, and can but
speak from my limited experience. But certainly our illu-
sion, or rather the great truth of which it is the shadow, did
survive, as to this day it survives in my heart across all the
years of utter separation, and across the uiianswering gulf
of doom.

But complete happiness is not allowed in this world even
for an hour. As our marriage day had been shadowed by
the scene which has been described, so our married life was
shadowed bv its own sorrow.

Three days after our wedding Mr. Carson had a stroke.
It had been long impending, now it fell. We came into
the centre hut to dinner and found him lying speecbless
on the couch. At first I thought that he was dying, but
this was not so. On the contrary, within four days he
recovered his speech and some power of movement. But be

ALLAN'S WIFE.

145

e as Ijappy
188, declare
Well, I do
id can but
ly our iUu-
ghadow, did
cross alltbe
wering guU

world even

ladowed by

Iried life was

bd a strobe.

caine iii"0

speecbless

dying, but

)ur days be

Lent. But be

never recovered his memory, though he still knew Stella,
and sometimeB ciyself. Curiously enough he remembered
little Tota best cf all three, though occasionally he thought
that she was his own daughter in her childhood, and would
ask her where her mother was. This state of affairs lasted
for some seven months. The old man gradually grew
weaker, but he did not die. Of course his condition quite
precluded the idea of our leaving Babyan Kraal till all
was over. This was the more distressing to me because I
had a nervous presentiment that Stella was incurring
danger by staying there, and also because the state of her
health rendered it desirable that we should reach a civilized
region as soon as possible. However, it could not be
helpec^

At length the end came very suddenly. We were sitting
ne evening by Mr. Car?;nn'F ^P'lH'de in his hut. wlien t)

::f

146

ALLAN'S WIFE.

our astonishment he sat up and spoke in a strong, full
vo''*':,

** I hear you/* he said. " Yes, yes, I forgive you. Poor
woman ! you too have suffered,'* and he fell back dead.

I have little doubt that he was addressing his lost wife,
some vision of whom had flashed across his dying senses.
Stella, of course, was overwhelmed with grief at her loss.
Till I came her father had been her sole companion, and
therefore, as may be imagined, the tie between them was
much closer than is usual even in the case of father and
daughter. So deeply did ihe mourn that I began to fear for
the effect upon her health. Nor were we the only onea to
grieve ; all the natives on the settlement called Mr. Carson
** father," and as a father they lamented him. The air
resounded with the wailing of women, and the men went
about with bowed heads, saying that ** the sun had set in the
heavens, now only the Star (Stella) remained." Indaba-
zimbi alone did not mourn. He said that it was best that
the Inkoos should die, for what was life worth when one lav
like a log ? — moreover, that it would have been well for ail
if he Lad died sooner.

On the following day we buried him in the little grave
yard near the waterfall. It was a sad business, and
Stella cried very much, in spice of all I cou*d d^ to comfort
her.

That night as I sat outside the hut smoking — for the
weather was hot, and Stella was lying; down inside— old
Indaba-zimbi came up, saluted, and siiUatted at my feet.

" What is it, Indaba-zimbi ?' I said.

"This, Macamazaiin. When are you going to trek
towards the coast ? "

* v: •

-■\^.'^

ALLAN'S WIFE.

147

irong, full

ou. Poor
k dead.
B lost "wife,
LDg aeuses.
kt her loss.
}auion, and
i them was

father and
tn to fear for
only onea to
I Mr. Carson
m. The air
^e men ^^nt
lad set in the
I." Indaba-
yas heat that

when one lay
well for all

" I don't know," I answered. " The Star is not fit to
travel now, we must wait awhile." ,

" No, Macumazahn, you must not wait, you must go, and
the Star must take her chance. She is strong. It is nothing.
All will be well."

" Why do you say so ? why must we go ? "

" For this reason, Macumazahn," and he looked cautiously
round and spoke low. '* The baboons have come back in
thousands. All the mountain is full of them."

" I did not know that they had gone," I said.

" Yes," he answered, ** they went after the marria<]je, all
but one or two ; now they are back, all the baboons in the
world, I think. I saw a whole cliff black with them."

"Is that all?" I said, for I saw that he had something
behind. " I am not afraid of a pack of baboons."

** No, Macumazahn, it is not all. The babyan-frau,
Hendrika, is with them."

Now, nothing had been heard or seen of Hciulrika since
her expulsion, and though at first she and her threats had
haunted me somewhat, by degrees she bad to a great
extent passed out of my mind, which was fully preoccupied
with Stella and my father-in-law's illness. I started
violently. *' How do you know this ? " I asked.

" I know it because I saw her, Macumazahn. She is dis-
guised, she is dressed up in baboon skins, and her face is
stained dark. But though she was a long way off I knew
her by her size, aad I saw the white flesh of her arm when
the skins slipped aside. She has come back, Macumazahn,
with all the baboons in the world, and she has come back
to do evil. Now do you understand why you should trek?"

148

ALLAN'S WIFE.

" Yes," I said, *' though I don't see how she and the
baboons can harm us. I think that it will be better to go.
If necessary we can camp the waggons somewhere for a
while on the journey. Hearken, Indaba-zimbi : saynotljing
of this to the Star ; I will not have her frightened. And
hearken again. Speak to the head men, and see that
watchers are set all round the huts and gardens, and kept
there night and day. To-morrow we will get the waggons
ready, and next day we will trek."

He nodded his white lock and went to do my bidding,
leaving me not a little disturbed — unreasonably so, indeed.
It was a strange story. That Ihis woman had the power
of conversing with baboons I knew.* That was not so very
wonderful, seeing that the Bushmen claim to be able to do
the same thing, and she had been nurtured by them. But
that she had been able to muster them, and by the strength
of her human will and intelligence muster them in order to
forward her ends of revenge, seemed to me so incredible
that after reflection my fears grew light. Still I determined
to trek. After all, a journey in an ox waggon would not
be such a very terrible thing to a strong woman accustomed
to roughing it, whatever her state of health. And when all
was said and done I did not like this tale of the presence of
Hendrika with countless hosts of baboons.

So I went into Stella, and without saying a word to her
of the baboon story, told her I had been thinking matters
over, and had come to the conclusion that it was our duty
to follow her father's instructions to the letter, and leave

*• For an instance of this, see Anderson's " Twenty-five Years
in a Waggon," vol. i. p. 262.— Ed.

ALLAN'S WIFE.

149

Babyan Kraals at once. Into all our talk I need not
tnter, but the end of it was that slie a^^reed with me, and
declared that she could quite well manage the journey,
saying, moreover, that now that her dear father was dead
she would be glad to get away.

Nothing happened to disturb us that nic^ht, and on the
following morning I was up early making preparations.
The despair of the people T^hen they learned that we were
going to leave them was something quite pitiable. I could
only console them by declaring that we were but on a
journey, and would return the following year.

" They had lived in the shadow of her father, who was
lead," they declared ; " ever since they were little they had
lived in his shadow. He had received them when they
were outcasts and wanderers without a mat to lie on, or a
blanket to cover them, and they had grown fat in his
shadow. Then he had died, and the Star, their father's
daughter had married me, Macumazahn, and they had
believed that I should take their father's place, and let
them live in my shadow. What should they do when
there was no one to protect them ? The tribes were kept
from attacking them by fear of the white man. If he went
they would be eaten up," and so on. Alas ! there was but
too much foundation for their fears.

I returned to the huts at mid-day, to get some dinner.
Stella said that she was going to pack during the after-
iioon, so I did not think it necessary to caution her about
?oing out alone, as I did not wish to allude to the subject
Df Hendrika and the baboons unless I was obliged to.
i told her, however, that I would come back to help her as

1 -, '

150

ALLAN'S WIFE,

soon as I could get away. Then I wont down to the nativt
kraals to sort out such cattle as had belonged to Mr.
Carson from those which Ijulonged to the Kafi&rs, for 1
propoHt. d to take them with us. It was a large herd, and
the business took an incalculable time. At length, a little
before sundown, I gave it up, and leaving Indaba-zimbi to
finish the job, got on my horse and rodo homewards.

Arriving, I gave the horse to one of the stable boys, and
went into the central hut. There was no sign of Stella,
though the things she had been packing lay about the floor.
I passed first into our sleeping hut, thence one by one into
all the other'^, but still saw no sign of her. Then I went
out, and calling to a. Katfir in the garden asked him if he
had seen his mistress.

He answered "yes." He had seen her carrying flowers
walking towards the graveyard, holding the little white girl
— my daughter — as he called her, by the hand, when the
sun stood ** there " and he pointed to a spot in the horizon
where it would have been about an hour and a half before.
** The two dogs were with them/* he added. I turned and
ran towards the graveyard, which was about a quarter of a
mile from the huts. Of course there was no reason to be
anxious — evidently she had gone to lay the flowers on her
father's grave. And yet I was anxious.

When I got near the graveyard I met one of the natives,
who, by my orders, hnd been set round the kraals to watch
the place, and noticed that he was rubbing his eyes and
yawning. Clearly he had been asleep. I asked him if lio
had seen his mistress, and he answered that he had not,
which under the circumstances was not wonderful. With-
out stopping to reproach him, I ordered the man to follow

ALLAN'S WIFE.

l.M

native
to Mr.

I, for 1
ird, and
, a little
imbi to

,8.

ays, and
f Stella,
ihe floor.
one into
n I went
lim if be

flowers
7hite girl
^hen the
horizon
llf before.
Irned and
larter of a
Ison to be
|r8 on her

p natives,
to watcli
eyes and
lim if b^
ihad not,
. Witb-
to follow

mo, and wont on to the graveyard. Tliere, on Mr.
Carson's grave, lay the drooping flowers which Stella hud
bjcn carrying, and there in the fresli mould was the spoor
of Tota's veldschoon, or hide slipper. But where were

tliey?

I ran from the graveyard and called aloud at the top of

my voice, but no answer came. Meanwhile the native was

more profitably engaged in tracing their spoor. He

followed it for about a hundred yards till he came .to a

clump of mimosa bush that was situated between the stream

and the ancient marble quarries just above the waterfall.

and at the mouth of the ravine. Here he stopped, and I

heard him give a startled cry. I rushed to the spot,

passed through the trees, and saw this. The little open

space in the centre of the glade had been the scene of a

struggle. There, in the soft earth, were the marks of three

human feet — two shod, one naked — Stella's, Tota's and

Hendrika*8. Nor was this all. There, close by, lay the

fragments of the two dogs — they were nothing more — and

one baboon, not yet quite dead, which had been bitten in

the throat by the dogs. All round us was the spoor of

numberless baboons. The full horror of what had hap-

Ipened flashed into my mind.

My wife and Tota had been carried off by the baboons.
[As yet they had not been killed, for if so their remains
[would have been found with those of the dogs. They had
[been carried off. The brutes, acting under the direction of
[the woman-monkey, Hendrika, had dragged them away to

lome secrjt den, there to keep them till they died — or kill

Mem !

•. I

162

ALLAN'S WIFE.

For a moment I literally staggered beneath the terror of
the shock. Then I rousGLl myself from my despair. 1
bade the native run and alarm the people at the kraals.
telling them to com 3 armed, and bring me guns and ammu-
nition. He went like the wind, and I turned to follow the
spoor. For a few yards it was plain enough — Stella had
been dragged along. I could see where her heels had
struck the ground ; the ctiiiu had, I presumed, been carried
— at least there were no marks of her feet. At the water's
edge the spoor vanished. The water was shallow, and they
had gone along in it, or at least Hendrika and her victims
had, in order to obliterate the trail, I could see where a
moss-grown stone had been freshly turned over in the
water-bed. I ran along the bank some way up the ravine,
in the vain hope of catching a sight of them. Presently 1
heard a bark in the cliffs above me ; it was answered by
another, and then I saw that scores of baboons were hidden
about among the rockg on either side, and were slowly swinfr-
ing themselves down to bar^the path. To go on unarmed as
I was would be useless. I should only be torn to pieces as
the dogs had been. So I turned and fled back towards the
huts. As I drew near I could see that my messenger had
roused the settlement, for natives with spears and kerries
in their hands were running up towards the kraals. Vvhen
I reached the hut I met old Indaba-zimbi, who wore a verv
serious face.

" So the evil has fallen, Macumazahn," he said.

" It has fallen," I answered.

"Keep a good heart, Macumazahn," he said again,
** She is not dead, nor is the little maid, and before they
die we shall find them. Remember this, Hendrika loves

ALLAN'S WIFE.

163

lerror of
ipair. 1
e kraaU.
d ammu-
ollow the
.tella bad
leela had
en carried
he water's
^, and they
ler victims
>e where a

yer in t^^^
the ravine,
Presently I
inswered by
|were hidden

owly swinR-
unarmed as

to pieces as
towards the
[sBenger hati
and terries
aals. ^VbeIl
wore a vtiy

her. She will not harm her, or allow the babyans to harm
her. She will try to hide her away from you, that is all."
** Pray God that we may find her," I groaned. *' The
light is j:!;oing fast."

" The moon rises in three hours," he answered ; " we
will search by moonlight. It is useless to start now ; see,
the sun sinks. Let us get the men together, eat, and
make things ready. Hamha gachle. Hasten slowly, Macu-
niazahn."

As there was no help, I took his advice. I could eat no
iood, but I packed some up to take with us, and made
ready ropes, and a rough kind of litter. If we found them
they would scarcely be able to walk. Ah ! if we found
tliem ! How slowly the time passed ! It seemed hours
before the moon rose. But at last it did rise.

Then we started. In all we were about a hundred men,
but wo only mustered five guns between us, my elephant
roer and four that had belonged to Mr. Carson.

■ ■!

Isaid.

said again-

before they

jDdrika loves

rji

rih

CHAPTER XII.

THB MAGIO OF INDABA-ZIMBI.

I GAINED the spot by the stream
where Stella had been taken.
The natives looked at the torn
fragments of the dogs, and at
the marks of violence, aud I heard them swearing to each
other, that whether the Star lived or died they would not
rest till they had exterminated every baboon on Babyan's
Peak. I echoed the oath, and, as shall be seen, we kept it.

We started on along the stream, following the spoor of
the baboons as 'aq best conld. But the stream left no
spoor, and the hard, rocky banks but little. Still we
wandered on. All night we wandered through the lonely
moonlit valleys, startling the silence into a thousand echoes
with our cries. But no answer came to them. In vain
our eyes searched the sides of precipices formed of water-

k
hi
th
an

J
des

>vorti

your
cann(
tbi'ngj
save

ALLAN'S WIFE.

165

riven rocks fantastically piled one upon another ; in vain
we searched through endless dells and fern-ciad crannies.
There was nothing to be found. How could we expect to
find two human beings hidden away in the recesses of this
vast stretch of mountain ground, which no man yet had
ever fully explored ? They were lost, and in all human
probability lost for ever.

To and fro we wandered hopelessly, till at last dawn
found us footsore and weary nearly at the spot whence we
had started. We sat down waiting for the sun to rise, and
the men ate of such food as they had brought with them,
and sent to the kraals for more.

I sat upon a stone with a breaking heart. I cannot
describe my feelings. Let the reader put himself in my
position and perhaps he may get some idea of them. Near
me was old Indaba-zimbi, who sat staring straight before
him as though he were looking into space, and taking note
of what went on there. An idea struck me. This man
had some occult power. Several times during our adven-
tures he had prophesied, and in every case his prophecies
had proved true. He it was who, when we escaped from
the Zulu Impi, had told me to steer north, because there
we should find the place of a white man who lived under
the shadow of a great peak that was full of baboons. Per-
haps he could help in this extremity — at any rate it was
worth trying.

"Indaba-zimbi," I said, "30U say that you can send
your spirit through the doors of space and see what we
cannot see. At the least 1 know that you can do strange
things. Can you not help me now ? If you can, and will
save her, I will give you half the cattle that we hav« here."

156

ALLAN'S WIFE.

*' I never said anything of the sort, Macumazahn," he
answered. ** I do things, I do not talk about them.
Neither do I seek reward for what I do like a common
witch-doctor. It is well that you have asked me to use my
wisdom, .\racumazahn, for I should not have used it again
without bein/y asked — no, not even for the sake of the Star
and yourself, whom I love, for if so my Spirit would have
been angry. In the other matters I had a part, for my
life was concerned as well as yours ; but in this matter I
have no part, and therefore I might not use my wisdom
unless you thought well to call upon my Spirit. However,
it would have been no good to ask me before, for I have
only just found the herb I want," and he produced a
handful of leaves of a plant that was unfamiliar to me. It
had prickly leaves, sbnped very much like those of the
common English nettle.

" Now, Macumazahn," he went on, " bid the men leave
ns alone, and then follow me presently to the little glade
down there by the Vv'ater."

I did so. When I reached the glade I found Indaba-
zimbi kindling a small fire under the shadow of a tree by
the edge of the water.

*' Sit there, Macumazahn," he said, pointing to a stone
near the fire, ** and do not be surprised or frightened at
anything you see. If you move or call out we shall learn
nothing."

I sat down and watched. When the fire was alight and
burning brightly, the old fellow stripped himself stark
naked, and, going to the foot of the pool, dipped himself
in the water. Then he came back shivering with the cold,
and, leaning over the little fire, thrust leaves of the plaut

ALLAN'S WIFE.

157

1," l^e
them.

use my
it again
ibe Stii^
lid bave
„ for my
matter I
^ wisdom
However,
3Y 1 bavf
reduced a

to me. i^
bse of tbe

men leave
little glade

id Indaba-
)f a tree by

to a stone
nglitened at
' shall learn

I have mentioned into his mouth and began to chew them,
muttering as he cliewed. Most of the remaining leaves he
tlirew on to the fire. A denae smoke rose from them, but
he held his head in this smoke and drew it down into his
lungs till I saw that he was exhibiting every sign of suffo-
cation. The veins in his throat and chest swelled, he
{i^asped loudly, and his eyes, from which tears were stream-
ing, seemed as though they were going to start from his
head. Presently he fell over on his side, and lay senseless.
I was terribly alarmed, and my first impulse was to run to
his assistance, but fortunately I remembered his caution,
and sat quiet.

Indaba-zimbi lay on the ground like a person quite dead.
His limbs had all the utter relaxation of death. But as 1
watched I saw them begin to stiffen, exactly as though rirjor
mortis had set in. Then, to my astonishment, I perceived
them once more relax, and this time there appeared upon
his chest the stain of decomposition. It spread and spread ;
in three minutes the man, to all appearance, was a livid
corpse.

I sat amazed watching this uncanny sight, and wondering
if any further natural process was about to be enacted.
Perhaps Indaba-zimbi was going to fall to dust before my
eyes. As I watched I observed that the discoloration was
beginning to fade. First it vanished from the extremities,
then from the larger limbs, and lastly from the trunk.
Then in turn came the third stage of relaxation, the second
stage of stiffness or rigor, and the first stage of after-death
collapse. When all these had rapidly succeeded each other,
Indaba-zimbi quietly woke up.

168

ALLAN'S WIFE,

I was too astonished to ipeak; I simply looked at him
with my mouth open.

" Well, Macumazahn," he said, putting his head on one
side like a bird, and nodding his white lock in a comical
fashion, " it is all right ; I have seen her."

" Seen who?" I said.

*' The Star, your wife, and the little maid. They are
much frightened, but unharmed. The Babyan-frau watches
them. She is mad, but the baboons obey her, and do not
hurt them. The Star was sleeping from weariness, so 1
whispered in her ear and told her not to be frightened, for
you would soon rescue her, and that meanwhile she must
seem to be pleased to have Hendrika near her."

** You whispered in her ear ? " I said. ** How could you
whisper in her ear.

** Bah ! Macumazahn. How could I seem to die and go
rotten before your eyes ? You don't know, do yea ? Well.
I will tell you one thing. I had to die to pass the doors
of space, as you call them. I had to draw all the healths
strength and life from my body in order to gather power
to speak with the Star. It was a dangerous business,
Macumazahn, for if I had let things go a little further they
must have stopped so, and there would have been an end of
Indaba-zimbi. Ah, you white men, you know so much that
you think you know everything. But you don't ! You are
always staring at the clouds and can't see the things that
lie at your feet. You hardly believe me now, do you,
Macumazahn ? Well, I will show you. Have you anything
on you that the Star has touched or worn ? "

I thought for a moment, and said that I had a loci; of her
hair in my pocket-book. He told me to give it him. I did so.

ALLAN'S WIFE.

159

t him

>n one
jmical

ley are
;vatches
[ do not
iss, so 1
ned, for
le must

jould you

ie and gc
? Well,
he doors
healtln'
ler power
business.

tber they
an end ot
mucli til at
You are
hings that
do you.
anything

loci- of her

lai

\^ '•'0.

Going to the fire, he lit the lock of hair in the flame, and
let it burn to ashes, which he caught in his left hand.
These ashes he mixed up in a paste with the juice of one of
the leaves of the plant I have spoken of.
** Now, Macumazahn, shut your eyes," he said.
I did so, and he rubbed his paste on to my eyelids. At
first it burnt me, then my head swam strangely. Presently
this effect passed off, and my brain was perfectly clear again,
but I could not feel the ground with my feet. Indaba-zimbi
led me to the side of the stream. Beneath us was a pool
of beautifully clear water.

"Look into the pool, Macumazahn," said Indaba-zimbi,
and his voice sounded hollow and far away in my ears.

I looked. The water grew dark ; it cleared, and in it
was a picture. I saw a cave with a fire burning in it.
Against the wall of the cave rested Stella. Her dress was
torn almost off her, she looked dreadfully pale and weary,
and her eyelids were red as though with weeping. But she
slept, and I could almost think that I saw her lips shape
my name in her sleep. Close to her, her head upon Stella's
breast was little Tota ; she had a skin thrown over her to
keep out the nigbt cold. The child was awake, and
appeared to be moaning with fear. By the fire, and in such
a position that the light fell full upon her face, and engaged
in cooking something in a rough pot shaped from wood, sat
the Baboon-woman, Hendrika. She was clothed in baboon
Bkins, and her face had been rubbed with some dark titain,
which was, however, wearing off it. In the intervals of
her cooking she would turn on Stella her wild eyes, in
which glared visible madness, with an expression of tender-
ness that amounted to worship. Then she would stare at

t'ii

. :l!

160

ALLAN'S WIFE.

the poor child and gnash lier teeth as though with ha^e.
Clearly she was jealous of it. Round the entrance arch of
the cave peeped and peered the heads of many habonnp.
Presently Ilendrika made a sign to one of them ; appar-
ently she did not speak, or rather grunt, in order :iot to
wake Stellf Th^ br ite hopped forward, and she gave it a
seco.'d fudc wooden pot which was lying by her. It took
it and w nt. .' Jw last thing that I saw, as the vision
slowl}^ vanished from Jne pool, was the dim shadow of the
baboon returning with the pot full of water.

Presently every thing had gone. I ceased to feel strange.
There beneath me was the pool, and at my side stood
Indaba-zimbi, smiling.

** You have seen things," he said.

"I have," I answered, and made no further remark on
the matter. What was there to say ? * ** Do you know the
path to the cave ? " I added.

He nodded his head, **I did not follow it all just now,
because it winds," he said. " But 1 know it. We shall
want the ropes."

** Then let us be starting ; the men have eaten.'*

He nodded his head again, and going to the men I told
them to make ready, adding that Indaba-zimbi knew the
way. They said that was all right, if Indaba-zimbi had
"smelt her out," they should soon find the Star. So we
started cheerfully enough, and my spirits were so much

*For some almc^t equally remarkable instances of Kaffir
magic the reader is referred to a work named " Among the
Zulus," by David Leslie. — Ed.

ALLAN'S WIFE.

161

[\ ha'e.
arcb of
aboonF.

appar-
' uot to
rave it a

It took
e vision
,w of the

. strange.
cle stood

emark on
know tbe

just now,
We sball

len I toui
knew til*
iimbi bad
ir. So we

so miicb

of Kaffir
k,mong tlie

improved that I was able to eat a boiled mealie cob or two
as we wai!.ed.

We w.^nt up tbe var jy, following tbe course of tbe stream
for about a mile; tben Indaba-zimbi made a sudden turn
to the right, along another kloof, of which there were
countless numbers in the base of the <^n'eat hill.

On we v/ent through kloof after kloof. Indaba-zimbi,
who led us, was never at a loss, he turned up gulleys and
struck across necks of hills with the certai' /> '^f a hound
on a hot scent. At length, after about thr^.^ In rs' march,
we came to a big silent valley on the norlhi, u blope of the
great peak. On one sid'^ of this valley was a ^ ories of stony
koppies, on the other rose a sheer \ 'i\\ of rock. We
marched along the wall for a distance o. jome two miles.
Then suddenly Indaba-zimbi halted.

" There is the place," he aaid, pointing to an opening in
the cliif. This opening was about forty feet from the
ground, and ellipse-shaped. It cannot have been more
than twenty feet high by ten wide, and was partially
hidden by ferns and bushes that grow about it in tbe sur-
face of the cliff. Keen as my eyes were, I doubt if I should
ever have noticed it, for there were many such cracks a
crannies in the rocky face of the great mountain.

We drew near and looked carefully at the place. The
first thing I noticed was that the rock, which was not quite
perpendicular, had been worn by the continual passage
3f baboons; the second, that something white was hanging
m a bush near the top of the ascent.

It was a pocket-handkerchief.

Now there was no more doubt about the matter. With
i beating heart I began the assent. For the first twenty feet

lf;2

ALLA\"S WIFE.

t \\:\A comi):iriitivc'lv ciisv, for tlio rock
•.!iiiv(.cl ; tliu next ten ft'(;t was very
• lil'Iieiilt, but still possible to aa
rtctive m ' 1, and I achieved it,
followed by Indaba-zimbi.
But the last twelve or *
fifteen feet could only £
be sealed by tbrowiiij? "<?.^'
a rope over the trunk of
a stunted tree, whieh grew
at the botti)iu of the opening.
This we accomplished with
some tr()ul)le, and the rest
was easy. A
foot or two
above

a/,:.a:<

1 "•

■■■WIIIKVJIWIISrV^^^rff^Tl^

grasped it. It was
my wife's. As I
did so I noticed the
face of a l)!ibi)on poerinf::;
at me over tlio edge of the cleft,
the first baboon we had seen
that morning. The brute gave
a bark and vanished. Thrunting the handker-
chief into my breast, I set my feet against the
chflf and scrambled up as hard as I could go. 1 knew that
we had no time to lose, for the baboon would quickly alarm
the others. I gained the cleft. It was a mere arched passage
cut by water, ending in a gulley, which led to a wide oi)en
space of some sort. I looked through the pasi^age and saw
that the gulley was black with baboons. On they came by
the hundred. I unslung my elephant gun from my
shoulders, and waited, calling to the men below to come up
with all possible speed. The brutes streamed on down the
gloomy gulf towards me, barking, grunting, and showing

i' I

^:! ^i

184

ALLANS WIFE.

their hurre teeth. I waited till they were within fifteni
yarclH. Tlien I fired the elephant Run, which was loachd
with nluf^s, rif];ht into the thick of them. In that narrow
place the report (choed like a cannon whot, but its souikI
was (piickly swallowed in the volley of piercing human-
Houndin}^ ^'roans and screams that followed. The charj^c
of heavy s1u<,'h had ploughed through the number of tlu"
babooiiH, of which at leant a dozen lay dead or dying in the
passage. For a moment they hesitated, then they came on
again with a hideous clamour. Fortunately by this tiim
Indaba-zimbi, who also had a gun, was standing by my
side, otherwise I should have been torn to pieces before 1
could re-load. He tired both barrels into them, and aguin
checked the rush. But they came on again, and notwitli-
standing the appearance of two other natives with guns,
which thev let otT with more or less success, we should have
been overwhelmed by the great and ferocious apes had 1
not by this time succeeded in re-loading the elephant gun.
When they were right on to us, I fired, with even more
deadly effect than before, for at that distance every slug told
on their long line. The howls and screams of rage and fury
were now something inconceivabie. One might have thought
that we were doing battle with a host of demons ; indeed
in that light — for the overhanging arch of rock made it
very dark — the gnashing snouts and sombre glowing eyes
of the apes looked like those of devils as they are repre-
sented by monkish fancy. But the last shot was too much
for them ; they withdrew, dragging some of their wounded
with them, and thus gave us time to get our men up the
cliff. In a few minutes all were there, and we advanced
down the passage, which presently opened into a rocky

ALLAN'S WIFE.

inr.

pulley with shelving
fiides. This guliey
had a water way at the
itottom of it ; it was
about a hundred yards
long, and the slopes on
t'ither side were topped
by precipitous cliffs.
1 looked at these
blopps ; they literally
swarmed with l)aboon8,
l^runting, harking,

screaming, and heating
their breasts with their
long arms in fury. I
looked up the water-
way ; along it, accom-
j)anied by a mob, or, as
it were, a guard of ba-
boons, came Hendrika,
lier long hair flying,
madness written on her
lace, and in her arms
was the senseless form
of little ^^ota.

She saw us, and a
foam of ragt burst from
her lips. She screamed
aloud. To me the
sound was a mere
inarticulate cry, but

166

ALLAN'S WIFE.

the baboons dearly understood it, for tbey began to
roll rocks down on to us. One boulder leaped past me
and struck down a Kaffir behind ; another fell fiom the
roof of the arch on to a man's head and killed him,
Indaba-zimbi lifted his gun to shoot Hendrika ; I knocked
it up, so that the shot went over her, crying that he would
kill the child. Then I shouted to the men to open out and
form a line from side to side of the shelving gulley.
Furious at the loss of their two comrades, they obeyed me,
and keeping in the water-way myself, together with Indaba-
zimbi and the other guns, I gave the "^ord to charge.

Then the real battle began. It is difficult to say who
fought the most fiercely, the natives or the baboons. The
Kaffirs charged along the slopes, and as they came,
encouraged by the screams of Hendrika, who rushed to and
fro holding the wretched Tota before her as a shield, the
apes bounded at them in fury. Scores were killed by the
assegais, and many more fell beneath our gun-shots ; but
still they came on. Nor did we go scathless. Occasionally
a man would slip, or be pulled over iu the grip of a baboon.
Then the o< bers would fling themselves upon him like dogs
on a rat, and worry him to death. We lost five men in
thifcj way, and I myself received a bite through the fleshy
part of the left arm, but fortunately a native near me
assegaied the animal before I was pulled down.

At length, and all of a sudden, the baboons gave up. A
panic seemed to seize them. Notwithstanding the cries of
Hendrika they thought no more of fight, but only of escape ;
some even did not attempt to get away from the assegais
of the Kaffirs, they simply hid their horrible faces in their
paws, and, moaning pitecisly, waited to be slain.

ALLAN'S WIFE.

16';

^an to
ist me
Jin the
d him,
LTiocked
e woi^.ld
out and
gulley.
syecl me,
Indaba-

ge.

Bay who
19. The
jy came,
gd to and
lield, the
jd by the
iot8; but
asionally
1 baboon,
like dogs
6 men in
;he fleshy
near me

HeDdrika saw that the battle was lost. Dropping the
child from her arms, she rushed straight at us, a very picture
of horrible insanity. I lifted my gun, but could not bear
to shoot. After all she was but a mad thing, half ape, hali
woman. So I sprang to one side, and she landed full on
Indaba-zimbi, knocking him down. But she did not stay
to do any more. Wailing terribly, she rushed down «he
gulley and through the arch, followed by many of th« sur-
viving baboons, and vanished from our sight. ,. —

ill

^e up. A

16 cries of

lof escape ;

]e assegais

38 in their

CHAPTER XIII.

WHAT HAPPENED TO STELLA.

THE fight was over. In all we had lost seven men killed,
and several more were severely bitten, while but few
had escaped without some tokens whereby he might re-
member what a baboon's teeth and claws are like. How
many of the brutes we killed I never knew, because we did
not count, but it was a vast number. I should think that
the stock must have been low about Babyan's Peak for
many years afterwards. From that day to this, however,
I have always avoided baboons, feeling more afraid of them
than any beast that lives.

The path was clear, and we rushed forward up the
water-course. But first we picked up little Tota. The
child was not in a swoon, as I had thought, but paralyzed
by terror, so that she could scarcely speak. Otherwise she
was unhurt, though it took her many a week to recover her
nerve. Had she been older, and had she not remembered
Hendrika, I doubt if she would have recovered it. She
knew me again, and flung her little anas about my neck,

ALLAN'S WIFE.

169

but few
icrbt re-
How
ie we <\id
Link tliat
Ipeak for
Ibowever,
of tbem

clinging to me so closely thai. I did not dare to give her to
any one else to carry lest I should add to her terrors. So
I went on with her in my arms. The fears that pierced my
heart may well be ima<j;ined. Should I find Stella alive or
dead? Should I find her at all? Well, we should soon
know now. We stumbled on up the stony watercourse ;
notwithstanding the weight of Tota 1 led the way, for
suspense lent me wings. Now we were through, and an
extraordinary scene lay before us. We were in a great
natural amphitheatre, only it was three times the size of
any amphitheatre ever shaped by man, and the walls were
formed of i)recipitous cliffs, ranging from one to two
hundred feet in height. For the rest, the space thus
enclosed was level, studded with park- like trees, brilliant
with flowers, and having a stream running through the
centre of it, that, as I afterwards discovered, welled up from
the ground at the head of the open space.

We spread ourselves out in a line, searching everyv/here,
for Tota was too overcome to be able ;:o tell us where
Stella was hidden away. For r.early half an hour we
searched and searched, scanning the walls of rock for any
possible opening to a cave. In vain, we could find none,
i applied to old Indaba-zimbi, but his foresight was at
fault here. All he could say was ^'lat this was the place,
and that the " Star " was hidden somewhere in a cave, but
where the cave was he could rot tell. At last we came to
the top of the am )hitheatre. There before us was a wall
of rock, of which the lower parts were here and there
clothed in grasses, lichens, and creepers. 1 walked along it,
calling at the top of my voice.
Presently my heart stood still, for I thought I heard a

'il

170

ALLANS WIFE

faint answer. I drew nearer to the place from which the
sound seemed to come, and again called. Yes, there was
an answer in my wife's voice. It seemed to come from the
rock. I went up to it and searched among the creepers,
but still ould find no openinp^.

" Move the stone," cried Stella's voice, " the cave is shut
with a stone."

I took a spear and prodded at the cliff whence the sound
came. Suddenly the spear sunk in throu<];h a mass of lichen.
I swept the lichen aside, revealing a boulder that had been
rolled into the mouth of an opening in the rock, which it
fitted so accurately that, covered as it was by the over-
hanging litchen, it might well have escaped the keenest eye.
We dragged the boulder out ; it was two men's work to do
it. Beyond was a nr.rrow, water-worn passage, which I
followed with a beating heart. Presently the passage
opened into a small cave, shaped like a pickle bottle, and
coming to a neck at the top end. We passed through and
found ourselves in a second, much larger cave, that I at
once recognized as the one of which Indaba-zimbi had
shown me a vision in the water. Light reached it from
above — how I know not — and by it I could see a form half
sitting, half lying on some skins at the top end of the cave.
I rushed to it. It was Stella ! Stella bound with strips of
hide, bruised, torn, but still Stella, and alive.

Sue saw me, she gave one cry, then as I caught her in my
cVtms she fainted. It was happy 'ndeed that she did not
faint before, for had it not been for the sound of her voieel
do not believe we should ever have found that cunningly
■iidden cave, unless, indeed, Indaba-zimbi's magic (on which
',e blessings) had come to our assistance.

ch the
jre was
om the
eeperB,

is shut

e sound
f lichen,
lad been
which it
he over-
aest eye.
ork to do
which 1
; passage
ottle, and
rough and
, that 1 at
dmbi had
ed it from
, form half
)f the cave.
M strips of

t her in my
she did not
■ her voice I
t cunningly
ic (on wliicli

eal

m(
hoi

hef

Tol
wi^
of
on I
opj

ALLAN':; WIFE.

171

We bore her to the open air, laid her beneath the sha.lo
of a tree, and cut the bonds loose from her ankles. Ab we
went I glanced at the cave. It was exactly as I had seen
it in the vision. There l)nrnt the fire, there were the rude
wooden vessels, one of them still half full of the water
which I had seen the baboon brinj^. I felt awed as I looked,
and marvelled at the power wielded by a savage who could
not even read and write.

Now I could see Stella clearly. Her face was scratched,
and haggard with fear and weeping, her clothes were almost
torn ofl her, and her beautiful hair was loose and tangled.
I sent for water, and we sprinkled her face. Then I forced
a little of the brandy which we distilled from peaches at
the kraals between her lips, and "^be opened her eyes, and
throwing her arms about me clu i^' ^n me as little Tota had
done, sobbing, *' Thank God ! thank God ! "

After a while she grew quieter, and I made her and Tota
eat a little food from the store that we had brought with us.
I too ate and was thankful, for with the exception of the
mealie cobs I had tasted nothing for nearly four-and-twenty
hours. Then she washed her face and hands, and tidied
her rags of dress as well as she was able. As she did so
by degrees I drew her story from her.

It seemed that on the previous afternoon, being wearied
with packing, she went out to visit her father's grave, taking
Tota with her, and was followed there by the two dogs. She
wished to lay some flowera on the grave and take farewell
of the dust it covered, for as we had expected to trek early
on the morrow she did not know if she would find a later
opportunity. They passed up the garden, and, gathering

1^
'ft

172

ALLAN'S WIFE.

some flowers from the orange trees and elsewhere, went on
to the little graveyard. Here she laid them on the grave
as we hud found thciu, and then sitting down, fell into a
deep and sad reverie, such as the occasion would naturally
induce. While she sat IhuH, Tota, who was a lively child
and active as a kitten, strayed away without Stella observ-
ing it. AVith her went the dogs, who had also grown tired
of inaction ; a while passed, and suddenly she heard the
dogs barking furiously about ^ hu.idred and fifty yards
away. Then she heard Tota scream, and the dogs also
yelling with fear and p'ain. She rose and ran as swiftly as
she could towards the spot whence the sound came.
Presently she was there. Before her in the glade, holding
the screaming Tota in her arms, was a figure in which, not-
withstanding the rough disguise of baboon skins and
•olouring matter, she had no difficulty in recogniziiig
Hendrika, and all about her were numbers of baboons,
rolling over and over in two hideous heaps, of which the
centres W' "e the two unfortunate dogs now in process of
being rent lo fragments.

"Hendrika," Stella cried, "what does this mean?
What are you doing with Tota and those brutes ? "

The woman heard her and looked up. Then she saw
that she was mad ; madness stared from her eyes. She
dropped the child, which instantly flew to Stella for pro-
tection. Stella clasped it, only to be herself clasped by
Hendrika. She struggled fiercely, but it was of no use —
the Babyan-frau had the strength of ten. She lifted her
and Tota as though they were nothing, and ran off with
them, following the bed of the stream in order to avoid
leaving a spoor. Only the baboons who came with her,

ALLAN S WIFE.

178

minus the one the dogg had killed, would not take to the
water, but kepi pace with them on the bank.

Stella Biiid that the night which followed was more like a
hideous nightmare than a reality. She was never able to
tell me all that occurred in it. She had a vague recollec-
tion of being borne over rocks and along kloofs, while
around her echoed the horril)le grunts and clicks of the
baboons. She spoke to Hendrika in English and Kaffir,
imploring her to let them go ; but the woman, if 1 may call
her 80, seemed in her madness to have entirely forgotten
these tongues. When Stella spoke she would kiss her and
stroke her hair, but she did not seem to understand what it
was she said. On the other hand, she could, and did, talk
to the baboons, that seemed to obey her implicity. More-
over, she would not allow them to touch either Stella or the
child in her arms. Once one of them tried to do so, and
she seized a dead stick and struck it so heavily on the
head that it fell senseless. Thrice Stella made an attempt
to escape, for sometimes even Hendrika's giant strength
waned and she had to set them down. But on each occa-
sion she caught them, and it was in these struggles that
Stella's clothes were so torn. At length before daylight
they reached the cliff, and with the first break of light the
ascent began. Hendrika dragged them up the first stages,
but when they came to the precipitous place she tied the
strips of hide, of which she had a supply wound round her
waist, beneath Stella's armd. Steep as the place was the
baboons ascended it easily enough, springing from a knob
of rock to the trunk of the tree that grew on the edge of
the crevasse. Hendrika followed them, holding the end of
the bide rein in her teeth, one of the baboons hanging

174

ALLAN'S WIFE.

down from the tree to assist her ascent. It was while she
was aecendiiag that Stella bethoupjlit her of lettinf^j fall
her handkerchief in the faint hope that some searcher
might see it.

By this time Hendrika was on the tree, and gruntinfj
out orders to the baboons which clustered about Stellu
below. Suddenly these seized hor and little Tota who
was in her arms, and lifted her fr "• the ground. Then
Hendrika above, aided by other uai)OonR, put out all her
great strength and pulled the two of them up the rock.
Twice Stella swung heavily against the cliif. After the
second blow she felt her senses going, and was consumed
with terror lest she should drop Tota. But she managed to
cling to her, and together they reached the cliff.

** From that time," Stella went on, ** I remember no more
till I awoke to find myself in a gloomy cave resting on a
bed of Bkins. My legs were bound, and Hendrika sat near
me watching rae, while round the edge of the cave peered
the hcjads of those horrible baboons. Tota was still in my
arms, and half dead from terror ; her moans were pitiful to
hear. I spoke to Hendrika, imploring her to release us ;
but either she had lost all understanding of human speech,
or she pretended to have done so. All she would do was to
caress me, and even kiss mv hands and dress with extra-
vagant signs of affection. As she did so, Tota shrunk away
closer to me. This Hendrika saw and glared so savagely
at the child that I feared lest she was going to kill her. I
diverted her attention by making signs that I wanted water,
and this she gave me in a wooden bowl. As you saw, the
cave was evidently Hendrika's dwelling-place. There are
stores of fruit in it and Bome strips of dried flesh. She

ALLA.\ S Wll-E.

1 r<i

le 8h(3
K fall
arclier

nntinf;

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Li who

Then
ill her
e rock,
ter the
isumed
iged to

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T on a
it near
peered
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tifiil to
Lse U8 ;
speech,
Iwas to
extra-
avvay
Ivagely
er. I
water,
iw, the
Ire are
She

gave me some of the fruit and Tota a littlo. and T made Tntii
eat aome. You can never know whiit I went through, Allan.
I saw now tliat IF^'udriku was quiu» mad, and hut little
removed from the hrutes to which she is akin, and ov<'r
which she has such unholy power. Tlio only trace of
humanity left about her was her iilTcction for me. Evi-
dently her idea was to keep mo hero with her, to koop me
awaj from you, and to carry out this idea she was capahlo
of the exercise of every artifice and cunnnig. In Lluit way
she was sane enough, but in every other way slu- was mad.
Moreover, she had not forgotten her horrible jealousy.
Already I saw her glaring at Tota, and knew that the child's
murder was only a matter of time. Probably within a few
hours she would be killed before my eyes. Of escai)e, even
if I had the strength, there was absolutely no chance, and
little enough of oui ever being found. No, we should be
kept there guarded by a mad thing, half ape, half woman,
till we perished miserably. Then 1 thoiiLjht of you, dear,
and of all that you must be sutYering, and my heart nearly
broke. I could only pray to God that 1 might either be
rescued or die swiftly.

" As I prayed, I dropped into a kind of doze from utter
weariness, and then I had the strangest dream. I dreamed
that Indaba-zimbi stood over me noddin his white lock,
and spoke to me in Kaffir, telling me not to be frightened,
for you would soon be with me, and that meanwhile I must
humour Hendrika, pretending to be pleased to have her near
me. The dream was so vivid that I actually seemed to
see and hear him, as 1 see and hear him now."

Here I looked up and glanced at old Indaba-zimbi, who

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176

ALL AX'S WIFE

was sitting near. But it was not till afterwards that I told
Stella of how her vision was brought about.

** At any rate," she went on, " when I awoke I determined
to act on my dream. I took Hendrika's hand and pressed it.
She actually laughed in a wild kind of way with happiness,
and laid her head upon my knee. Then I made signs that
I wanted food, and she threw wood on the fire, which I forgot
to tell you was burning in the cave, and began to make some
of the broth that she used to cook very well, and she did not
seem to have forgotten all about it. At any rate the broth
was not bad, though neither Tota nor I could drink much
of it. Fright and weariness had taken away our appetites.

** After the meal was done — and I prolonged it as much ds
possible — I saw that Hendrika was beginning to get jealous
of Tota again. She glared at her and then at the big knife
which was tied round her own body. I knew the knife
again ; it was the one with which she had tried to murder
you, dear. At last she went so far as to draw the knife. I
was paralyzed with fear, then suddenly I remembered that
when she was our servant, and used to get out of temper
and sulk, I could always calm her by singing to her. So I
began to sing hymns. Instantly she forgot her jealousy
and put the knife back into its sheath. She knew the
sound of the singing, and sat listening to it with a rapt face ;
the baboons, too, crowded in at the entrance of the cave to
listen. I must have sung for an hour or more, all the
hymns that I could remember. It was so very strange
and dreadful sitting there singing to mad Hendrika aud
ihose hideous man-like apes that shut their eyes and
nodded their great heads as I sang. It was like a horrible

ALLAN'S WIFE.

177

nightmare; but I believe that the baboons are almost as
human as the Bushmen.

" Well, this went on for a long time till my voice was
getting exhausted. Then suddenly I heard the baboons
outside raise a loud noise, as they do when they are angry.
Then, dear, I heard the boom of your elephant gun, and 1
think it was the sweetest sound that ever came to my ears.
Hendrika heard it too. She sprang up, stood for a moment,
then, to my horror, swept Tota into her arms and rushed
down the cave. Of course I could not stir to follow her,
for my feet were tied. Next instant I heard the sound of
a rock being moved, and presently the lessening of the light
in the cave told me that I was shut in. Now the sound
even of the elephant gun only reached me very faintly, and
presently I could hear nothing more, straining my ears as
1 would.

** At last I heard a faint shouting that reached me througli
the wall of rock. I answered as loud as I could. You
know the rest ; and oh, my dear husband, thank God !
thank God 1 " and she fell weeping into my arms.

E<)

CHAPTER XIV.

FiriEBN YEARS AFTEIl.

BOTH Stella and Tota were too weary to be moved, so
we camped that night in the ba!)Oons' home, but were
troubled by no baboons. Stella would not sleep in the cave ;
she said the place terrified her, so I made her up a kind ol
bed under a thorn-tree. As this rock-bound valley was one
of the hottest places I ever was in, I thought that this would
not matter ; but when at sunrise on the following morning
I saw a veil of miasmatic mist hanging over the surface of
the ground, I changed my opinion. However, neither
Stella nor Tota seemed the worse, so as soon as was practi-
cable we started homewards. I had already on the previous
day sent some of the men back to the kraals to
fetch a ladder, and when we reached the cliff we found
them waiting for us beneath. Witli the help of the ladder
the descent was easy. Stella simply got out of her rough
litter at the top of the cliff, for we found it necessary to
carry her, climbed down the ladder, and got into it again
at the bottom.

ALLAN'S WIFE,

17fl

Well, we reached the kraals safely enough, seeing nothing
more of Hendrika, and, were this a story, doubtless I should
end it here with — *' and lived happy ever after." But alas !
it is not so. How am I to write it ?

My dearest wife's vital energy seemed completely *s itiil
her now that the danger was past, and within twelve hours
of our return I sew that her state was such to necessitate
the abandonment of any idea of leaving Babyan Kraals at
present. The bodily exertion, the anguish ot mind, and
the terror that she had endured during that dreadful night,
combined with her delicate state of health, had completely
broken her down. To make matters worse also, she was
taken with an attack of fever, contracted no doubt in the
unhealthy atmosphere of that accursed valley. In time she
shook the fever off, but it left her dreadfully weak, and quite
unfit to face the trial before her.

I think she knew she was going to die ; she always spoke
of my future, never of our future. It is impossible for me
to tell how sweet she was ; how gentle, how patient and
resigned. Nor, indeed, do I wish to tell it, it is too sad.
But this I will say, I believe that if ever a woman drew near
to perfection while yet living on the earth, Stella Quatermain
did so.

The fatal hour drew on. My boy Harj:y was born, and his
mother lived to kiss and bless him. Then she sank. We
did what we could, but we had little skill, and might not
hold her back from death. All through one weary night I
watched her with a breaking heart.

The dawn came, the sun rose in the east. His rays
falling on the peak behind were reflected in glory upon the
bosom of the western sky. Stella awoke from her swoon

1 I

^80

ALLAX'S WIFE.

and saw the lig. t. She whispered to me to open the door
of the hut. I did so, and fhe fixed her dying eyes on the
splendour of the morning sky. She looked on me and
smiled as an angel might smile. Then with a last effort
she lifted her hand, and, pointing to the raidant heavens,
whispered :

'♦ There, Allan, there!'*

It was done, and I was broken-hearted, and broken-
hearfed I must wander till the end. Those who have
endured my loss will know my sorrow ; it cannot be
written. In such peace and at such an hour may I also
die !

Yes, it is a sad story, but wander where we will about
the world we can never go beyciid the sound of the passing
bell. For me, as for my father before me, and for the
millions who have been and who shall be, there is but one
word of comfort. " The Lord hath given, and the Lord
hath taken away." Let us, then, bow our heads in hope,
and add with a humble heart, ** Blessed be the name of the
Lord."

I buried her by her father's side, and the weeping of the
people who had loved her went up to heaven. Even Indaba-
zimbi wept.

On the second night from her burial I could not sleep.
I rose, dressed myself, and went out into the night. The
moon was shining brightly, and by its rays I shaped my
course towards the graveyard. I drew near silently, and
as I came I thought that I heard a sound of moaning on
the further side of the wall. I looked over it. Crouched
by Stella's grave, and tearing at its sods with her hands,
as though she would unearth that which lay within, was

a di

ALLAi\'S WIFE.

Isl

Hendrikn. Her face was wild and haggard, her lorui was
so emaciated, that when the pelts she wore shpped asidt-,
the shoulder-blades seemed to project almost through her
skin. Suddenly she looked up and saw me. Laughing
a dreadful maniac laugh, she put her hand to her girdle

and drew her great knife from it. I thought that she was
about to attack me, and prepared to defend myself as I best
could, for I was unarmed. But she made no etibrt to do so.
Lifting the knife on high, for a moment she held it glitter-
ing in the moonlight, then plunged it into her own breast,
and fell headlong to the ground.

I sprang over the wall and ran to her. She was not yet
dead. Presently she opened her eyes, and I saw that the
madness had gone out of them.

" Macuraazahn," she said, speaking in English and in a
thick difficult voice like one who half forgot and haUremem-

182

ALLAN'S WIFE.

bered — " ]\r«,cumazahn," I remember now. I have been
mad. Is she really dead, Macumazalin ? "

" Yes," I said, ** she is dead, ; ; * you killed her."

" I killed her ! " the dying woman faltered, " and Iloved
her. Yes, yes — I know now. x became a brute again and
dragged her to the brutes, and now once more I am a
woman, and she is dead, and I killed her — because I loved
her so. I killed her who saved me from the brutes. I am
not dead yet, Macumazahn. Take me and torture me to
death, slowly, very slowly. It was jealousy of you that
drove me mad, and I have killed her, and now she never
can forgive me."

" Ask forgiveness from above," I said, for Hendrika had
been a Christian, and the torment of her remorse touched
jue.

** I ask no forgiveness," she said. " May God torture me
for ever, because I killed her ; may I become a brute for ever
till she comes to find me and forgives me ! I only want
her forgiveness." And wailing in an anguish of the heart
so strong that her bodily suffering seemed to be forgotten,
Hendrika, the Baboon-woman, died.

I went back to the kraals, and, waking Indaba-zimbi,
told him what had happened, asking him to send some one
to watch the body, as I proposed to give it burial. But
next morning it was gone, and I found that the natives,
hearing of the event, had taken the corpse n,nd thrown it
to the vultures with every mark of hate. Such, then, was
the end of Hendrika.

A week after Hendrika's death I left Babyan Kraals.
The place was hateful to me now ; it was a haunted place.
1 sent for old Indaba-zimbi and told him that I was going.

/i;././I.V\S WIFE.

188

He answered that, it was well. '* The place hcis served yoiu
turn," he said ; *' here you ha'^e won that joy which it was
fated yoi; should win, and have suffered thoee things that it
was fated you should suffer. Yes, and though you know
it not now, the joy and the suffering, like the sunshine and
the storm, are the same thing, and will rest at last in the
same heaven, the heaven from which they came. Now go,
Macumazahn."

I asked him if he was coming with me.

" No," he inswered, ** our paths lie apart henceforth,
Macumazahn. We met together for certain ends. Those
ends are fulfilled. Now each one goes his own way. You
have still many years before you, Macumazahn ; my years
are few. When wo shake hands here it will be for the last
time. Perhaps we may meet again, but it will not be in
this world. Henceforth we have each of us a frieud the
less."

** Heavy words," I said.

** True words," he answered.

Well, I have little heart to write of the rest of it. I
went, leaving Indaba zimbi in charge of the place, and
making him a present of such cattle and goods as I did not
want.

Tota, I of course took with me. Fortunately by this
time she had almost recovered the shock to her nerves.
The baby Harry, as he was afterwards named, was a fine
healthy child, and I was lucky in getting a respectable
native woman, whose husband had been killed in the fight
with the baboons, to accompaav me as his nurse.

184

ALLAN'S WIFE,

Slowly, and followed for a distance by all the people, I
trekked away from Babyan Kraals. My route towards
Natal was along the edge of the Bad Lands, and my
first night's outspan was beneath that very tree where
Stella, my lost wife, had found us as we lay dying of
thirst.

I did not sleep much that night. And yet I was glad
that I had not died in the desert about eleven months
before. I felt then, as from year to year I have continued
to feel while I wander through the lonely wilderness of
life, that I had been preserved to an end. I had won my
darling's love, and for a little while we had been happy
together. Our happiness was too perfect to. endure. She
is lost to me now, but she is lost to be found again.

Here on the following morning I bade farewell to
Indaba-zimbi. «

** Good-bye, Macumazahn,'* he said, nodding his white
lock at me. " Good-bye for a while. I am not a Christian ;
your father could not make me that. But he was a wise
man, and when he said that those who love each other shall
meet again, he did not lie. And I too am a wise man
in my way, Macumazahn, And I say it is true that we
shall meet again. All my prophecies to you have come
true, Macumazahn, and this one shall come true also. \
tell you that you shall return to Babyan Kraals and shall
not find me. I tell you that you shall journey to a further
land than Babyan Kraals and shall find me. Farewell ! "
and he took a pinch of snuff, turned, and went.

Of my journey down to Natal there is little to tell. I
met with many adventures, but they were of an every-day
kind, and in the end arrived safely at Port Durban, which

ALLAX S W'll'K.

IH.1

jople, 1
oward8
nd my
I where
'ing of

as glad
months
mtinued
mess of
won my
Q happy
:e. She

ewell to

is white
iristian ;
,s a wise
Iher shall
ise man
that we
,ve come
also. I
,nd shall
la further
trewell ! "

tell. I
^very-day
Ln, which

I now visited for the lirst time. JJoth Tota and my bal)V
boy bore the jo-inicy well. Anil here I may us well
chronicle the destiny of Tota. For a year 8lio itMuaincMl
under my charge. Then she was adopted • hy a lady, the
wife of an Enjjjlish colonel, who was stationed at the Cape.
She was taken by her adopted parents to England, where
she grew up a very charming and pretty girl, and ultimately
married a clergyman in Norfolk. 13at I never saw her
again, though we often wrote to each other.

Before I returned to the country of my birth, she too
had been gathered to the land of shadows, leaving three
children behind her. Ah me ! all this took place so long
ago, when I was young who now am old.

Perhaps it may interest the reader to know the fate of
Mr. Carson's property, which should of course have gone
to his grandson Harry. I wrote to England to claim the
estate on his behalf, but the lawyer to whom the matter
was submitted' said that my marriage to Stella, not having
been celebrated by an ordained priest, was not legal
according to English law, and therefore Harry could not
inherit. Foolishly enough I acquiesced in this, and the
property passed to a cousin of ray father-in-law's ; but since
I have come to live in England 1 have been informed that
this opinion is open to great suspicion, and that there is
every probability that the courts would have declared the
marriage perfectly binding as having been solemnly entered
into in accordance with the custom of the place where it
was contracted. But I am now so rich that it is not worth
while to move in the matter. The cousin is dead, his son
is in possession, so let him keep it.

Once, and once only, did I revisit Babyan Kraals. Some

Ni|:|

186

ALLAN'S WIFE.

fifteen years after my darling's death, when I was a man in
middle life, I undertook an expedition to the Zamhcsi, and
one night outspanned at the mouth of the well-known valley
beneath the shadow of the great peak. I mounted my
horse, and, quite alone, rode up the valley, noticing with a
strange prescience of evil that the road was overgrown,
and, save for the music of the waterfalls, the place silent as
death. The kraals that used to be to the left of the road
by the river had vanished. I rode towards their site ; the
mealie fields were choked with weeds, the paths were dumb
>vith grass. Presently I reached the place. There, overgrown
with grass, were the burnt ashes of the kraals, and there
among the ashes, gleaming in the moonlight, lay the white
•bones of men. Now it was clear to me. The settlement
bad been fallen on by some powerful foe, and its inhabi-
tants put to the assegai. The forebodings of the
natives had come true ; Babyan Eraals were peopled
by memories alone. I passed on up the terraces.
There shone the roofs of the marble huts. They would
not burn, and were too strong to be easily pulled down.
I entered one of them — it had been our sleeping hut — and
lit a candle which I had with me. The huts had been
sacked ; leaves of books and broken fragments of the fami-
liar furniture lay about. Then I remembered that there
was a secret place hollowed in the floor and concealed by a
stone, where Stella used to hide her little treasures. I
went to the stone and dragged it up. There was some-
thing within wrapped in mouldering native cloth. I undid
it. It was the dress my wife had been married in. In the
centre of the dress were the withcreu wreath and flowers
she had worn, and with them a little paper} packet. I

ALLAN'S WILL.

1^7

opened it ; it '•ontaincd a lock of my own hair. T remem-
bered that I had Bcarched for this dress when I came away
and could not find it, for I had forgotten the secret recess
in the floor.

Taking the dress with me, I left the hut for the last time.
Leaving my horse tied to a tree, I walked to the graveyard,
through the ruined garden. Tlicre it was a mass of weeds,
but over my darling's gr.-ive grew a self-sown orange tree,
of which the scented petals fell in showers on to the moimd
beneath. As I drew near, tliero was a crash and a rush.
A great baboon leapt from the centre of the graveyard and
vanished into the trees. I could almost believe that it
was the wraith of Ilendrika doomed to keep an ctiriinl
watch over the bones of the woman her jealous rage had
done to death.

I tarried there awhile, filled with such thoughts as may
not be written. Then, leaving my dead wife to her long
sleep where the waters fell in melancholy music beneath
the shadow of the everlasting mountain, I turned and
pought that spot where first we hW told our love. Now
the orange grove was nothing but a tangled thicket ; many
of the trees were dead, choked with creepers, but some still
flourished. There stood the one beneath which we had
lingered, there was the rock that had been our seat, and
there on the rock sat Stella, the Stella whom I had wed.
Ay! there she sat, and on her upturned face was thn^
same spiritual look which I saw upon it in the hour whei:
we first had kissed. The moonlight shone in her dark
eyes, the breeze wavered in her curling hair, her breast
rose and fell, a gentle smile played about her parted lips.
I stood transfixed, gazing on that lost loveliness which oncu

\Hf\

ILLAS'S WIFE.

was mine. I
could not speak,
and she spoke
no word ; she
did not even
seem to see me.
I drew near.
Now her eyes
felh For a mo-
ment they met
mine, and their
message entered
into me.

Then she was
gone ; nothing
was left but the
tremulous
moonlight fall-
ing where she
had been, the
melancholy
music of the
waters, the
shadow of the
everlasting
mountain, and,
in my heart, the
sorrow and the
hope.

THK END

Electi'o-Gai'atiVe Institution

ESTABLISHED 1874,

4: Queen Street XSast,

TORONTO, OAT.

•*••:::::: ^:!:-V>

A. NORMAN'S ELECTRO-CUllATIVE APPLIANCES have
stood the tes*-i of time, and are the best in the world for the

BELIEF A2TD CTTEE OF

Rheumatic and Nervous Diseases,

Indigestion, Livsr Complaint,

Nervous Debility, and Loss of

Vital Power from Whatever Cause.

There are many Iinitatioii<^, but none are equal to

tlicsc Appliances.

CONSULTATION AND CATALOGUE FREE.

REFERENCi^S.

Wm. Keustkman, Ju , Esy. Roiuuvr 0. D.vi/roN, ICsg.
Messuh. Mason & RiscH. J. Giuxt Majdonald, Eh^.
R. C. Davies, Esy. Riiv. J. Hudson Tayl )U,

AND MANY OTHKUS.

N. G. BifSKLOvv, Esq.
Di)NALi» C. JiiDOUT, Esq.
Hon. Juuau M-'^cdouoall

WITHOUT

EDiCIN

All diseases are si
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perject Ahsorhents hy de-
af rouinq the qerms of ^„«__,

r 1 • 77 Wi^LISJ*W CORRESPONDENCE,

disease and removing all ^^mrnSS ^

JmpuritiOS from the T^fflM^BBp^ <^^ o^*^ ^/oor/s caii he a

hody, ^^^Jff^ plied at home,

STBLL ANOTHER NEW LIST.

Senator A. E. liotsford, Sackville, ad
vises everybody to uao Actina for failing
eyesight.

Miss Laura Grose, 166 King w., Granu-
lated Eye Lid ; cured in 4 weeks.

Rev. Chas. SiolOj^ Halifax, is happy to
testify to the benefits received from
Butterfly Belt and Actina.

A. Rogers, tobacconist, Adelaide west,
declares Actina worth $100.

Miss Flora McP^nalil, 21 Wilton Ave.,
misses a large lump from her hand of 13
years standing.

S. Floyd, 119^ Portland st., Liver and
Kidneys and Dyspepsia cured.

O. R. Glassford, Markdale, Sciatica and
Dyspepsia cured in 6 weeks ; 15 years
standing.

Mrs. J. Swift, 87 Agnes St., Sciatica j
years, perfectly cured in 6 weeks.

Chas. Cosens,P.M., Trowbridge, gene
Nervous Debility, now enjoys good heal

Thomas Bryan, 3V1 Dundas st., geiic
Debility, improved from tho first day,
perfectly cured.

Wm. Cole, G.T.B., fireman, cure,
Liver and Kidney troubles.

A. tl. Colwell, engraver, city, Rheu:
tismin the knees, cured.

J* A. T. iTy, cured of nightly emiasi
in 6 weeks.

Your Belt and Suspensory cured rnc
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Would not be without yonr Belt
Suspensory for $50, says J. McG.

For General Nervous Debility yj
Butterfly Belt and Suspensory are chj
at any price.
*' H. S.^' says Einis<«ion8 entirely ceased. Have not felt so well in|
years. These Letters on File.

Mrs. McKay, Ailsa Craig, after suflFaring
13 years, our Sciatica Belt cured htr.

CATARRH Impossible under theinfinenceof Actina. ACTINA
cure ail Diseases ol the Eye. Given on 15 days trial.

Combine Beit and Suspensory only $5, Cu|
certQsn. No Vinegar or Acids used.

Nrntfon tlilH Paper. IiluMtruied l>oou and Journal FGF^

T. BAER & CO., B7fl Qijcerr Gt. We^

POPI7I.AR BOOK^

lenaory cured mc

felt 80 well inl

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No. 400-King'9 Own By Marryafc

«* 401— Newton Foster ••

" 402— Peter Simple •

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" 405— Japhet in Search of a Father **

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«' 423—

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•• 438 -.

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