The evening world. Newspaper, March 24, 1915, Page 17

The Eve An Allan Quatermain Story Of South African Adventure for him ¢ bimeeit as as posmibie Therefore be pro Uk away alone | that 1 ehowd bave ! 1 done enough solitary ved, keene bow bis ad ended He replied ndeed, but every one bitter egainnt bw that e Wee left Then be added outburet of truth te! oor Quater- oe that it te , 7 . i. Tiny ove all day to the mala who wa y) my betrothe and (0 eee he CHAPTER VII. buck "the love with her eyes? Wee (notnent,) ang doubtions ber lips, too, from all hear The Rescue. I reflected a while. Certainly our } o Natal wor OW, whether this last ua cira were not af (he sompany, it wae that | advanced Hin enough of my remaining goods to buy the cattle be required from the surrounding natives All these preparations took a lon, pleasant suggestion was « mere random arrow drawn from Vrouw Prinsioo’s well -atored quiver, oF Whether the vrouw had got hold of Bille If f remember right the tall-end of some long-buried finally trecked of trom truth, I do not know, Of cours Wy which time he Quite well and strong again. | start however, the latter explanation Is pos- ¥'), Bim, becuase with “ape gy in luck, to ‘help him with the half. their youth which they do not wish broken oxen, 1 was mandeered to accompany this man to bin frat oute spa tw to dug up in their age; and Pereira may have joarned a family Gecret of the kind from hin mother. At any rate, the effect of the old Me4y'e words upon Marain was quite | remarkable, Huddenly he went into one of bis violent and constitutional fages. He cursed Vrouw Prinsioo. He cursed everybody 1 assuring place With good water about Y Miles from the camp, where proposed to remain for the night Kot the stubborn oxen to the Kloof, where he was to camp, Pereira bad ridden ahead and was nowhere io aight J started to ride back to ou amp, where Marie awaited me, moon began to shine brightly ~that wonderful African moon which | turns night to day. throwing @ net- @ible. Many men have done thin) own ‘them severally and collectively that work of long, bi i heaven would come even with them. Qnd riche ore Mite aaree poo | He aid there was a plot against was following. Rieht ‘nies of me him and bie nephew, and that I was at the bottom of it, I who had made Ble daughter fond of my ugly litte Bo furious were his word whereof there w: many more which 1 Bave forgotten, that at lengtn Marie began to cry and ran away. Presently, too, the Hoers strolled off, shrugging thelr shoulders, one of them saying audibly that Marais had gone quite mad at last, as he alwuya waa a particularly dark patch of thia| shadow, caused by a projecting wall of cliff, and beyond it an equally bright patch of moonlight Some how I misdoubted me that stretch of Kloom, for, although, of course, I could see nothing there, my quick ementa, Then, re doubtless walking crea ear caught the sound of ‘4 ent. w T halted for a moi ting that these sed by some night ture, which, even should jit chance to be dangerous, would flee at the approach of man, L plunged into it fle The moon was rising, and | World Da The Invin i ci ble! « . thought he would. Then Marais followed them, throw- ing up hie arma and still cursing as he went, and, slipping over the tail of the pack-ox, Pereira followed hin Bo the Vrouw Prinsloo und | were Jett alone, for the colored men had de as they always do when \ white people begin to quarrel. » “There, Allan, my boy,” said the yrouw in triumph, “Il bave found the boldly, As I emerged at the other end—the shadow waa eighteen or wenty paces long—it occurred to mo hat if any enemy were lurking there I should be casy target as I tered the line of clear light. most instinctively, for 1 do not member that I reasoned the thing out, after my first two ateps forward in the light I ave a little spring to the left, where there was still shad- lace on the mule’s back, and ow, although it was not well rity I make him squeal and kick, was it for me that T did ao, for although on most days of the week that moment I felt something touch Ane seems to be such 4 good and quiet mule—at any rate, of late. , “I dare say you did, vrouw,” I said wrathfully, “but 1 wish you would leave Mynheer Maraias's sore places elone, seeing that if the squeals are for you the kicks are for me." t docs that matter, my cheek and heard the loud report of # gun immediately behind me. Now, the wisest course would have n for me to run before whoever ad fired found time to reload, But a kind of fury seizea me, and run | would not. On the contrary, f turned with a shout and charged back into be Allan?” @he asked. “He always was youren- the shadow. Something heard me emy, so that it is just as well you coming, something fled in front of @hould see his heels when you are m In a few seconds we were out moonlight beyond, and, as U w that this something was ret He halted and wheeled round, lift- ing the stock of his gun, club fashion, “Thank God! it is you, Heer Allan,” he said; “I thought you were a tiger. it is your last thought, mur- I answered, raising my rifle, “Don't shoot he id, “Would e my blood upon you?) Why do you want to kill me?" “Why did you try to kill me?” I answered, covering him. “L try to kill you! Are you mad? Listen, for your own sake, 1 sat down on the bank yonder waiting for the moon, and, being tired, fell asleep, ‘Then I woke up with a start, an thinking from the sounds that a tix was after me, fired to sc it, All machte! man, if I had aimed at yor could | have missed at that distance “You did not quite miss, and had L not stepped to the left, you would have blown my head off, Say your prayers, you dog “Allan Quatermain,” he exclaimed out of reach of them. My poor boy, I think you will have a bad time of it ‘between the astinkcat and the mule, although you have done so much for beth of them. Well, there is one Vhing—Marie has a true heart, She will never marry any man except if, Allan—even if you are not ere to marry,” she added by an afterthought. The ory jady paused a little, staring und, Then she looked up end eid: “Allan, my dear” (for she was really fond f me, and called me thus at ), “you didn't take the ad- mice I gave you, namely, to look for Pereira and not to find him. Well, I will give you some more, which you fwill take if you are wise,” "What is it? just this, lad. Do you make two daya’ march with Marie into the bush. I want a little change, so I | will come, too, and marry you there; for I have got @ prayer-book, and can spell out the service if we go through it once or twice first “You see, Tanto, I solemnly prom’ with desperate energy, “you think I med her her that Would MO} Me, who speak the truth. Kill me if merry her until she was of age, ane you will, only then remem that i'l broke my word I should not be you will hang for it, We court one an honest man.’ R Woman, that is Known, and who will ‘An honest man!” sho exclaimed jejjeyve this story of yours that | tried owigh the utmost contempt; “an hon- 4 ghoot you? Soon the Kattirs wil Well, are Marais and Her- nan Pereira honest men? Why do fyou not cut your stick the same jength as theirs, Allan Quatermain? #1 tell you that your verdomde hon- esty will be your ruin, You remem- ber my wotds later on,” and she marched off on in high dudgeon. When I told Marie of my talk with ¢¢h¢.old woman, she said thoughtfully: “Of course, Allan, you were quite +tight, but I am not sure that tho {Vrouw Prinsloo was not also right come to look fo: are starting alr est man! me, probably they ady, and will find my body with your bullet in my heart, Then they will take it back to Marals's camp, and 1 say—who will believe your story?" “some, 1 think, murderer,” but as T spoke the words a chill of fear struck me. It was true, | could prove noth- ing, having no witnesses, and hence- forward I should be a Cain among the Boers, one who had slain @ man for jealousy. “in her own fashion, I am afraid of “Hernan Pereira,” [ said, “you are Ry cousin Hernan, who holds my a lar and a coward, You tried to father in his hand—fast, fast, Still, butcher me because Marie loves me and hates you, and you want to force her to marry you, Yet I cannot shoot you down in cold blood as you de+ ‘owe have promised, and we must keep our word. ( srve. I leave it to God to punish CHAPTER VIII. Fou, am, soon or late, He will, here or hereafter; you who thought to The Shot in the Kloof. slaughter mo and trust to the hyenas THINK it was about three to hide your crime, as they would weeks after those events have done before morning, Get you gone before L change my mind, a that we began our south. fone hettr ward trek, On the morning = Withouf another word he turned subsequent to our arrival at and ran swiftly buck, leaping from side to side he ran, to dis- Marais's camp, Pere!ra came up to mo Whew several people were presnt, and, taking my hand, thanked me in a loud voice for having suved his life, Thenceforward, he declared, | should ‘be doarer to him than a brother, for ‘Was there not a blvod bond between us? "'T answered I did not think any such bond existed; indeed, 1 was not sure What it meant. I had done my duty "bim, neither less nor more, and ere was nothing further to be said. It turned out, however, that there was a great deal further to be said, turb my aim in case L should shoot, When he was a hundred yards away or more L, too, turned and ran, never feeling safe Ull I knew there was @ mile of ground between us, About a week later the rest of us started from Marais's camp, & place that, notwithstunding the sadness of many of its associations, I confess [ left With some regret. I do not propose to eet out our ad- too long, Until the great one of which T shall have to tel! presently, they were of an annoying rather than ventures in detail, for these would be i to enter the wagon where the women slept, & great lion, desperate with ‘unger, sprang over the brushwood fence we had built about our tempo- rary camp. She leaped awey from the beast, and in so doing caught her foot and fell down, whereon the lion came for her. In another few sec- onds she would have been dead, or carried off livin; But as it chanced, Vrouw Prinsloo was close at hand, Seizing a flaming bough from the fire, that intrepid woman ran at the lion, and, as it opened ita huge mouth to roar or bite, thrust the burning end of the bough into its throat, The lion closed its jaws upon it, then finding the mouth- ful not to its taste, departed even more quickly than it had come, ut- tering the most dreadful noises and to accompany me and marched for- ward boldly quite unarined. We were encamped upon @ rise of ground a quarter of a mile from the river, and the impli, or those of them whom we could see, were at the foot of this rise about a bundred and sixty yards away. Tho light was growing now, and when | was within iifty paces of them they saw me, At some word of command a number of men rushed to- ward me, their fighting shields held over their bodies and their spears up. “We are dead!” exclaimed my Katlir in & resigned voice, 1 shared his opinjon, but thought I might as well die standing as running away # came to take you p white people, or to kill you resist,” said their captain, By whone order?” I asked, isoners, if you leaving Marie quite unhurt, Needless | “By the order of Dingaan, our to say, after thin I really worshipped king." the Vrouw Prinsloo, though she, good “Ia it so? And who told Dingaan soul, thought nothing of the business, that we were here?" which In those days was but a com- “The Boer who came in front of mon incident of travel. yo! “Ia it so?" I said agal ‘And now what do you need of us “That you should accompany ua to the kraal (village) of Dingaan.” “L understand. We are quite will- ing, since it lies upon our road. But 1 think it was on the day after this lion episode that we came upon Pero- ira's wagon, or rather its remaii Hvidently he had tried to trek along 4 steep, rocky bank which overhung a stream, with the result that the Wagon had fallen into the atream-bed, ‘hen why do, you come faainat ns then almost dry, and been smashed beyond repair. The Tonga natives of the nelghbor- hood, who had burned most of the woodwork in order to secure the pre- cious Iron bolts and Gittings, informed us that the white man and his ser- vants who were with the wagon had gone forward on foot some ten days before, driving their cattle with them. We had reached a big kraal called your pears lifted?” “For this reagon, The Boer told us that there is dong you a ‘child of George’" (an Englishman), “a ter- rible man who would kill us unless we killed or bound him firet, Show us this child of George that we may make him fast or slay him, and we will not hurt the rest of yo “T am the child of George,” T an- swered, ‘and if you think It neces- Kokoti, on the Umkusi River, which sary to make me fast, do ao.” appeared to be almost deserted. 8 Now th ulus burst out laughing. asked an old woman whom we met “You! Why, you are but a boy where its people had gone. She an- who welghs no more than a fat eirl,” swered that they had fled toward the exclaimed their captain, a_ great, borders of Swagiland, fearing an at- bony fellow who was med Kam- tack from the Zulus, whose territories bula. began beyond this Umkusi River. It seemed that a few days before a Zulu impi (regiment) had appeared upon the banks of the river, and although there was no war at the time between the Zulus and the Tongaa, the latter “That may be so." I anawered; “but sometimes the wisdom of their fath- ers dwella In the young, [am the the son of George who saved these Boers from death far away, and T am taking them back to t had thought it wise to put themselves people, We desire to seo ‘an, out of reach of those terrible spears. your king. Be ple: therefore, to The Koers asked my advice aa to lead us to him as he has commanded the route we should take, in view of you to do. If you do not believe all this, what I tell you, ask this man who t# “Friends,” I answered, “I vote for with me, and his compantons, who trying the mountains, beyond which, perhaps, we may find some Boers. I do not like this story of the Zulu impli. I think that someone has told them of our coming, and that it is us they mean to attack and not the Tongas, with whom they are at peace. My men are of your own race. you everything.” Then the Captain Kambula called my fervant apart and talked with him for @ long whil When the interview was he advanced to me and sali They will tell finished say that it is not usual for impis to “Now I have heard all about you visit this part of the country. T have heard that although young “Who could have told them?” asked You are very clover, so clever that Marais. You do not sleep, but watch hy night “E don't know, mynheer, Perhaps “# Well as by day. Therefore, that 1, the natives have'sent on word, or par- Hambula, name you Macumaznhn, Hers rey ney lle Watcher-by-night, ‘and by that nam “L knew that you would suspect my YOU, shall mene ro he mown nephew, Allan,” he exclaimed angrily. oF Georges, Dring mute thrsn, iionrs "I auspect no one; I only weigh © Be, gut te what is probable. However, it In too Jenaq™ ood Ar’ kulding that 1 may late for Us to move to-night either the Great. Hace. Teuneanthiewy south or westward, so I think I will where dwells Dingaan the king. see, sleep over the business and sea what we lay down our apnara and witi T can find out from my Zulus.”’ come to meat them unarmed. triste That night, or rather the following ing to you to protect is, morning, the question was settled for gahn, Son of ‘George us, for when I woke up at dawn it waa to 6ee the faint light glimmering om what I knew must be spears. We were surrounded by @ great company of Zulus, as I discovered afterward, over two hundred strong. Thinking that after their fashion they were preparing to attack us at dawn, [ called the news to the others, whereon Marais rushed forward, just as he had t his bed, cocking bis roer rifle as he came, “For the love of heaven, do not his assegal to the ground “Come,” T sald, and led them to the wagons. A CHAPTER IX. Dingaan's Bet. 8 T advanced to the wagons accompanied by Kambula and his two companions, L #aw that Marals, in a atate of great excitement, was of a serious nature, Travelling as we Shoot!" I said. “How can we resist A .; ince Pereira desired to borrow money, did, between the mountains and the 80 many? Soft words are our only °"848ed in haranguing the two Prins or, rather, goods, from me. He ex- 4 we could not well lose our way, chance. sloo me and Meyer, while the Dlained that owing to the prejudices especially as my Zulus had passed through that country; and when their knowledge failed us we generally managed to secure the services of lo- cal guide: One o1ghi Juss as Marie was aggut of the vulgar Boers who remained alive in that camp, and especially of the scandalous-tongued Vrouw Prins- loo, both he and his uncle had come epbeinades Bab ss WOEIE be Btill he attempted to fire, and would have done so had I not thrown my- colt ybon him and iterally torn the wrney are unarmed,” | heard him I beckoned to the headman of my Shout, “Let us seize the black devils Wutus whom J bad Aized af Delagos and bold them as Bostagess’ Vrouw Prinsloo and Marie appeared to be attempting to calm him Magaz ine, Wednesday, March 24. « By Robert Minor’ dads ib — Omran vie ‘ whew it bean kilt him at once know,” wad fully, perhaps be can mew: Neal. after refering @ @hue, | shield bolder ote could not hear Doubtiens,” (hought | to myself, “It ie the n end at that thought a kind of mad rage eelsei Why should y fe be endo patiefy the whim of And if it must be #0, why |ehould | go @ e? In the inside pocket of my ra tT had @ amall loaded piatol with ba thom varrele would mill five paces I eouid wot me « that bulk -and other would blew out my braina, for |! was not minded to have my neck twisted or to be besten to death with sticks Well, if it o be dune, | had better do It Already my | Band was creeping toward the pocket |when @ new idea, rather two ideas, truck me The frat w: that if L ehot Dingaan 4 probably timssacre Marie and th here -Marie, whose sweet face I 4 never see again. The second was that while there ie life there ia hope, Verhape, after ail, he had not sent for an « ution but A few minut more of exi | were worth the having. The id bearer returned, emerg- ing from one of the narrow, hedges hin |no executio a young white |man, who, aa I knew from the look of him, wae English. He saluted the king by taking off hin hat, which I remember was stuck round with biack ostrich feathers, ¢ otared at | » Tho: nounced | "tell me if this b un (that te how he pro- », wald Din y is one of your | brothers, or Is he a Hoer?” | The king w to knew if you are Duteh or Hritish,” sald the white aking in Engliah, ‘As British aa you are,” Lanawered, |" was born . has told him that he muat not | kill any English. WI ia your name? Mine is Thomas Halstead, [ am in- Thereon, led by Marais, the three grew more angry than ever I had seen trpreter here.” Boer men toward us doubtfully, ber before, ‘Allan Quatermain, ‘Tell ZAkall, wh their guns in their hands. “Wt mall she wald, stamping ver he may be, that if he aticks “Fathor, L have been obedi- Re careful wh ate: dol foot to hin advice 1 will give him @ good Tealled to th to you for long, but if you consent babe aN ire: yeu | Wilts asowt? and they hung back # lit to this F will be obedient no more, Marais went on with his h Allan saved my cousin Herman's life, —— Dingaan suapicioualy. The anus | ate th 4s he saved all our lives. In payment ¢ "He maya he is English, no Boer, me, then Kambula aaldt for that good Hernan tried to Haig! that he was born across, the “Are you leading us Into a trap, murder him in the kloof tbe fog Water, and that he comes from Bon of George? Allan; U know all tho at the country out of which all the Boers Not #0," | answi ut the has betrayed the Zulua, telling have trekked. Boers are aftoid of you and think to them that he iva terrible and dang At this Intelligence Dingaan ke you prisoners.” ous man who must be killed. Well, if pricked up his ears, ‘Tell them,” said Kambula quietly, be is to be Killed, | will be killed wit ‘Then he can tell me about these “that if they Kil u y a hand him. Now make up your mind." Boers.” he naid, “and what they are ua, as no doubt they ean do, ¥ Marais tugged at his beard, staring after, er could if he were able to soon every one of m will be dead first at his daughter and then at me, speak my tongue. I do not trust you and their women with them. What he would have answered [do to interpret, you Tho-maas, whom I 1 repeated this ultimatum ener. net Know, for at that moment Kam- know to be @ Har,” and he glowered getically enough, but Marais shouted: bula stepped forward and gave his de- at Halntead. “The Englishman is betraying us cision “I can #peak your tongue, though to the Zulus! fo not trust him; t was to the effect that although not very well, O king,” I interrupted, seize them us - tell you." ft was the Son of George whom Din. “and T can tell you all about the What would have happened Lam gann wanted, lis orders were that all B for I have lived among them.” sure t do not know; bat Just then the with him we o be taken also, Those Ow!" said Dingaan, intensely tn- Vrouw Prinsioo came ip and eaarht ars could not be disobeyed he terested, “Hut perhaps you are also her husband by the arm, exclaiming: king would settle the matter as to a Har, Or are you a praying man, "You shall have no part thit whether some of us wore to be killed ke Oweena?*—he meant the mi fool's business. If Marais wishes (0 and some aot free, or if all were to slonary, Mr, Owen—"whom 1 apare seize the Zulus, let him do so him- be killed or set free, when we reached becauas it Is not lucky to kill one self, Are you mad or drunk that you his House Therefore he commanded who is mad, although tries to should think that Allan would wish that ‘we should tie the oxen to the frighten my soldiers with tal ofa to betray Marie to the Katlirs, to say moving huts and cross the river at fire into which they will after nothing of the rest of us?" onc they are dead. As though it matte: Now the Boors gave way, and — wy obeyed, and In o what happens to them after the: a: Marais, aceing himself in a minority we teached ‘the Zulu. King’s fend!" he added refiectively, taking glowered at me in silence, kraal. « pinch of snuff. Ask these ople, O Mi- Here an on ace was ansign- “lam no liar,” answered, “What cumazahn,” bial Whe UW od to usd noar house, or rather have L to He about?’ ir ¢ the captain LE fhe hut, of a in missionary of "You would le to aave your own would the mune of Owen, Who with great fe, for all white men are coward I translated the question, and hod ventured into” this not Ike the Zulua, who love to die Marais answered: We were received with the for thelr king. But how are you 1 am." “ aoe vs kindness by sand bis wife named?" Now broke in Vrouw Prins I oind thounehold, and it ts impossible “Your people eal me Macuma- 11 them, Allan, that these men oe ie to ay what pleasure | found n." Ht fools and have given the Fle fee ai my journeyines, In meeting — “Well, Macumazahn, if you are no ONG, Ww OtB AN 1 an educated man of my own race, Har, tell me, is it true that these So 1 told them, Evidently this in New to our camp was & stone- Boers rebelled againat thelr king who fheme von aurprieed Lene tthe, tor ered koppie, where, on the morn. was named George, and fled from him peg IRR RA EL OROL BRE Then Kam- ter ou rival, | saw six or as the traitor Umailikazi did from bulia sald: eleht men executed ih a way that E met DOES the Oe REN a Re Rr OT wil eribe rorliie, de- “Yew,” Tanawered, “that te true ee eee ee tuctuaeuine gre conliuie to Me, Owen, Was that they, "Now J am eure that you are a Une OF that people, duubstiaug this the bad bewitched some of the King's ‘Hiar,” said Dingaan triumphantly. same among your party,’ oxen “You say that you are English and liero f may add that thenceforward Whitle 1 was recovering from thia therefore serve your king, or the he Zul lwa Vrouw dreadful spectacle which, fortunately, Inkosikaas" (that te the Great Lady), Che UNM hy OY A f Mane did not witness, the captain “who they tell me now atte in hie Peamelon Bh the te ey wen Kumbula arrived, saying that Dingas place, How does it come about then en ee ee er AP RAR as. winhad to nc So tuking with that you are travelling with a party they locked upeh aa her inorthe or ie the Hottentot Hans and two of of these very Amaboona, who must ladle WOUlt Onis traneust bunicene {UC aw whom [ had At Delagoa be your enemies, since they are the with or give directions to he Ks for the royal orders were that enemies of your king, or of her who other Hoers they Ignored comy y. hone of the other white people were follows after him? This point of etiquette settiod, Kam- t2 cone, T wax led throurh the fence «rhe anawer ts this, O king. Among Dula bade mo repeat what he had al- vant t nh which #tood two those Boers ts @ maiden whom T love ready told me, that we Were prisoners sand huts the “multitude of and who betrothed herself to me whom he waa instructed ty’ Dinguan ? ‘av the Zulu called {t=and since We were ‘so high.’ Her father to convey to his ( Place, and that open nthe middie, took her north. Hut she sent @ mona, if we made no attempt to excape we 1 of thiv space, 4&8 to me saying that her people died of fever and # ¥ should not be hurt upon t arney, W Fodcd Feary ‘? up in a ship to save her, and have I did so, whereon the vrouw asked H catered vived her, and those who remained as Thad di Who had tnfurmed @ kind iy was called ive of her people with her," Dingaan were com siistohol fences with “sow! satd Dingaan; “I understand 1 repeated to word for word Hummer t it wae Im- nat won, It j# @ good reason, what the Zulus had that it P pne whe KONE How many wives he may have, was Pereira, whose ot c to ¢ in or UG there ia no folly that a man will not have been to bring about my deatn | ruched a reat commit for the sake of some particu. that » word or capture o lar girl who is not yet his wife nh the vrouw exploded a ef houses.” or the have done aa much myself, especially Do you hear that, Heart Marais?! in front of which for one who waa called Nada the she screamed. “It is your nephew | seoted on @ stool, Lily, of whom @ certain Umslopogaas again, On! | knew it! Your nephew Mt! the moocha about robbed me, one of my own blood of has betrayed us to these Zulus that ” klaces and armlets whom I am much afrald he may bring Allan ta foedeath. Ask Of bite beads. ‘Two warriors held For a while he brooded heavily, them, Allan, What this Dingean has tl"! broad a) wer hit head to then went on done with Mervira te nm from in. Otherwise "Your reason 1s good, Macumazahn, So T asked, and Was informed they wos alone, ulthoweh L felt sure and I accept It, More, 1 promiae you balieved that the king had let Fere humerous passages around this. Perhaps T shall kill these Boers, ay h map atann ' filed with wuarde, for -E OF perhaps I shall not kill them. But Bee eematien iat be kat | hear them. moving. if T make up my mind to kill them, of the information that he had given t eae mp this girl of yours shall be spared Oe, yi2h entering thls pluce Kambula and point her out to, Kambula, here—not LN his companions Mung themselvea Ubon ty ‘Pho-maas, for he * a Mar and he had face | besan to sing praises would tell me the wrong one—and Woil, which th " ‘kno notice Bhe shall be spared don't i Hresentiy he looked up and, appearing "yr thank you, O king,” T eatd; “but an idea occurre ') observe me for the frst tne, what is the use of that if Iam to be yo Kambula amie killed?" “It seems to be ina, the son of “I did pot aay that you were to be George, that your king wants. ‘Take and sald killed, Macumazabn, though perhaps me, and le 48 people go on n of Ge Ishall Kill you, or perhaps I shall not road , fo capture, Kill you. It depends upon whether I po Zulus an to discuss ‘the Amaboona” find you to be a liar, or not a Har, withdrawing nselves ) “his companions, Now the Koer whom Tambusa let go a little way ao that I coul ver mall to you, O king.” against my wish sald that you are a hear them. But when the Boers ur said Dingaan he mighty magician as well as @ very derstood the offer that [ had made, big Boer who was re, and whom dangerous man, one who can shoot Tembusa'—be was one of Diagaan's Masia, who unt now bad been silent, binds Sying om the wing with « bul 1915 tet which to imposmible Cam pou . * wate Very gud, Macumasahe, Now @ will wee sare a wieard OF s Mer ie ' wh yew onder ' oup ea bill called ‘Mowe A ° os where evil doers are wie Tue one Wicked cone ule ‘hey are dead (oe Vultures & me to de vour n Now (hie te bet with ym, We ree ou then | will spare t you wie thew . a are 4 f will ku Ail Hioma wo iri, wile tt) q Thomas Hel. rie that were in Bag young athe w about to break frou m teh “Accept uniess you are a foot. “Ie cut the throate of 4 he wil of them stick your om po at i9 harem) Jou Will become @ prisoner 38 ‘These were words that I pould resent or negivct, so although despair in my heart, | said cooly oe it ao, O King - take your wor If T kill three vultures out of, five as they hover over the hill, then | have your promine that all ‘those who travel with me shall be allowed to Ko hy in safety.” When f reached the camp It wae te find all Hoera clustered together waiting for me, and with them the Rev, Mr, Owen and his people, ine cluding @ Welsh servant of him @ woman of middie age who, | remem- wan called Jane, said the Vrouw Prinel d what ts your news, young man My news, aunt.” |L anewered, “Ve that one hour before swndown to-day I have to shoot vultures on the wing againat the lives of all of you. This ou owe to that falae-hearted houn Hernan Pereira, who told Dingaaa that Lam a magician.” Now among the household of the Rev, Mr, Owen was an Engiiah boy called William Wood, who was not more than twelve or fourteen: of age. Thia lad knew both Dutah and Zulu, and acted interpreter to the Owen family during the absence on @ journey of a certain Mr. nyler, who really filled that office, this conversation was taking place in Dutch he waa engaged in ren every word of It into English for the benefit of the clereyman and hia fam- fly, When Mr. 0} atood the full terror of the situation he broke in, naying: “This la not a time to eat or te sleep, but a time to pray that the heart of the savage Dingnan may be turned, Com: t ua pray!” CHAPTER X. The Reheareal. IMPLORED the Power above me to give me strength and wisdom; net te let me fall in thie hour ef trouble, and thereby bring these poor people to a bleody death, | prayed till the perspiration streamed down my face; then suddenly I fell Into sleep or swoon. I don't knew how long I lay thus, but I think it must have been the best part of am hour. At last I woke up all in ap im- stant, and as I woke I distinctly heard @ tiny voice, unlike any other voice tm the whole world, speak inside my head, or ao it seemed to me, egying: “Ge to the hil Hiome Amadute, and watch how the vultures Ay. Do what comes inte your mind; nd ea hip) {f you ssem to fot, foam, Climbing out of the wagon, I went to Hans, who was seated near ia the full glare of the hot sun, at w! he s@med to stare with unbiinkiag here's the rifle, Hans?’ “Intombl is here, baas, where I have put ber to keep her cool, #0 that eke may not go off before it is wanted,” and he pointed to @ Uttle wetike heap of gathered grass at his " ‘The natives, I should explain, Hal this particular gun Intombl,” which moans & young girl, because it was so much silmmer and more gtacetul than other guns, my "I angwéred, woe comfortin, “Well, come on, I want to go Death-hill yonder.” 50:00 Just as we were starting Vrouw Prinsioo appeared trom behind the othér wagon, and with her Marte, who, I noticed, was very pale and whoas beautiful eyes were red, as though with weeping, I nodded, and led Marte aside be- hind some thorn trees that grew near Yh, Allan, what will be the end of this?" she asked piteously, High as was her courage, it seemed to. fall her now, “A good end, dearest,” I anawered, “We shall come out of this hole safely, am we have of mauy others.” “How do you know that, Allan, which is known to God alone? “Because God told me, Marte,” and I repeated to her the story of the voice | had heard in my dream, which seemed to comfort her, “Yet, yet.” she exclaimed doubt. fully, “it waa but a dream, Allan, and dreams are such uncertain things You may fail, after all.” “Do T look ike one who will fail, Marie?" Sho studied me from head to foot, then answered: “No, you do not, although you 41a when you came back from the king’e huts, Now you are quite changed, Sull, Allan, you may fall, and then— what? Some of those dreadful Zulue have been here while you were sleep. ing, bidding us all make ready to go to the Hill of Death, They say that Dingaan is in earnest. If you do not kf" the vultures he will kill us, ‘s. seems that they are sacred birds, and If they escape he will think he has nothing to fear from the white men and their magic, and so will make a beginning by butcher~ ing us. I mean the rest of us, for I am to be kept alive, and oh! what / shall I do, Allan?’ Clo He Continued) Terese ' W] ; ‘ ; ! i } j i Hy