Nebraska Newspapers

    10 TITE OMAHA DAILY SUNDAY * JANUARY 20 , 1800.
Black Heart and White Heart.
A.
1J Y IT. UIDJ3U II AGO AHD.
( Copyright , 1856 , by II. Ulifcr Haggard. )
CMAt'TKIl V. Concluded ,
About 5.30 o'clock In the afternoon the
four refugees panaed the stream that a mile
of J down fell over the llttlo precipice Into
the Doom pool , and entering a patch of thorn
trcei on the further side , walked straight
Into the midst of two and twenty soldiers
who were beguiling the tedium of expectancy
by the taking of snuff and the smoking of
dakka , or native liomp. With these soldiers ,
floated on Ills pony , for ho was too fat to
walk , walled the chief , Mnputa.
Observing that tholr expected guests had
arrived , the men knocked out the dakka pipe ,
replaced the snuff boxes In the silts made In
the lobes of their ears , and secured the four
of them ,
"What Is the meaning of this , 0 king's
soldiers ? " asked Umgona In a quavering
voice. "Wo Journey to the kraal of U'Cely-
wayo. Why do you molest us ? "
"Indeed ! Wherefore , then , are your faces
cot' toward the south ? Does the Hlack Ono
live In the south ? Well , you will Journey
to another kraal presently , " answered the
Jovial looking captain of the party , with a
callous laugh.
"I do not understand , " stammered Um
gona.
"Then I will make It all clear while you
rest , " ald the captain. "Tho chief Maputa ,
yonder , sent word to the Dlack Ono at
Ulundl that he had learned of your Intended
night to Natal from the lips of this white
man who had warned him of It. The Black
Ono was angry and despatched us to catch
you and make an end of you. That Is all.
Como on now , quietly , and let us finish the
matter. AE ) the Doom pool la near your
deaths will be easy. "
Nahoon ho-ud - the words and sprang stra ght
at the throat , of Hadddn , but ho did not
reach him for'tho soldiers pulled him down.
Nariea heard them also , and turning looked
the traitor 111 the eyes ; aho said nothing ,
only looked , but he , could never forgot that
look. The white man for his , part was filled
with B flroy Indignationagainst * Maputa.
"You black hearted villain , " he gasped ,
whereat the chief smiled In a sickly fashion
and turned away.
Then they were marched along the banks
of the stream until they reached the water
fall that fell Into the Pool of Doom.
Hadden was a brave man after hie fashion ,
but bin heart quailed as , he gazed Into that
abyss. ,
"Are you going to throw mo In there ?
ho asked of the Zulu captain In a thick
voice.
"You , White Man ? " replied the soldier
unconcernedly. "No. our orders are to take
you to the king , but what ho will do with
you I do not know. There Is to bo no war
between your people and ours , so perhaps
ho means to pound you Into medicine for the
use of the witch doctors , or to peg you over
an ant heap as a warning to other whlto
Ha'ddcn received this Information In silence ,
but Its effect upon his brain was bracing ,
for ho Instantly began to search out some
way of escape. By now the party had
halted near the two thorn trees that hung
over the waters of the pool.
"Who dives first ? " asked the captain of
the chief Maputa.
"Tho old wizard , " ho replied , nodding at
TlniEona , "then his daughter after him , and
last of all this fellow , " and he struck Nahoon
In the face with his open hand.
"Come on , Wizard , " m'd the captain , graspIng -
Ing Umgona by the arm , "and let ua see
how you can swim. "
At the words of doom Umgona seemed to
recovoruhls self-e&mmand , after the fashion
of his race.
"No need to lead we. soldier. " said he ,
shaklng.himself loose , "who am old and ready
to die. " Then ho kissed his daughter at
his side , wrung Nahoon by the hand , and
turning from Hadden with a gesture of con-
tompt. walked out upon the platform that
Joined the two thorn trunks. Here ho stood
for a moment looHIng at the setting sun ,
? hen suddenly and without a sound he hurled
himself Into the abyss below and vanished.
"That was a bravo one , " said the captain ,
with admiration. "Can you spring.too , girl ,
or must we throw you ? "
"I can walk my father's path , " Nunea an-
owored faintly , "but first I crave leave to say
one word. It Is true we were escaping
fronj the king , and therefore by the law we
must die , but It was Block Heart , here ,
who made the plot , and ho who has be
trayed It. Would you know why he has be
trayed It ? Because ho sought my favor and
I refused him , and this is the vengeance
that ho takes a white man's vengeance. *
"Wow ! " broke In the Chief Maputa , "the
pretty ono speaks truth , for the whlto man
would have made a bargain with mo under
which Umgona , the wizard , and Nahoon , the
soldlor , wore to be killed and ho himself
puttered to escape with the girl. I spike him
softly and said yes , and then like a loyal
man I > reported to the king. "
"You henr , " sighed Nanea. "Nahoon , faro
you well ; perhaps wo shall bo together pres
ently. It wan I who tempted you from
your duty , and for my sake you forgot your
honor and I am repaid. Farewell , my hus
band , It' ' la better to' die with you than1 to
enter the house of the king's women , ' ' and
she stopped on to the platform. "
Here , holding to a 'bough of one of the
thorn trees , she , tunica ana aunressea iina-
den , saying : t
"tilack Heart , you seem to ImVe won the
\ < 3ay ; but mo at least you lose , and the sun
Is not yet eel. After sunset comes the night ,
Black Heart , and In that night I pray that
you may wander eternally , and bo given to
drink of uiy blood and the blood of Um-
gona , my father , and the blood of Nahoon ,
my husband , who wveil your life , and whom
you have murdered. I'erchanco , Black Heart ,
wo may yet meet yonder In the House of
thn Dead. "
Then uttering n low cry she clasped her
hands and sprang upward and outward from
the platform. The watchers bent their heads
r.
HUJlLED HIM OVER THU KDQE OF THE
CLIFF ,
forward to look. They naw her rush head
long down the face of the full to strike the
water fifty feet below , A few seconds and
for the last time they caught sight of her
white garments glimmering on the surface
of the gloomy pool , then the shadows and
mlst-wieaths hid It , and she was gone.
"Now , Hut'bjud , " cried the cheerful volco
of the Mptaln , "yonder l your marriage bed ,
o Uo HWlft to follow a bildo who Is ready to
bad tha way. Wow I but you are good people
ple to kill ; never have I had Ut do with cny
who pave lots trouble. You " and he
( topped , for mental agony had done tta work
nd Nahoon suddenly went mad before his
ya .
With a rcxr llko that of a lion the great
pun cut off those who held him , and seizing
ono of them round the nlst nd thigh he
put out all his terrible strength. Lifting
him as though he had been an Infant , he
hurled him over the edge of the cliff to find
h o death on the recks of the Pool of Doom ,
Then crying :
"Black Heart ! you turn. Black Heart , UIP
traltorl" he rushed at Hadden , his eyes
rolling and foam flying from his lips , as he
passed striking the Chlpf Maputa from his
horse with a backward blow of his hand.
Ill would It have gone with the white man
If Nahoon had caught him. But ho could
not como at him , for the soldiers sprani ?
upon him , and notwithstanding his fearful
struggles , they pulled him to the ground , as
at certain festivals the Zulu regiments with
tlielr inked hands pull down a bull In the
presence of the king.
"Ctst him over before ho can work more
mischief. " said a voice , but the captain cried
out : "Nay , nay , he Is sacred , the fire from
heaven has fallen on his brain , and no-may
not harm him , else evil would overtake us
all. Bind him hand and foot and bear him
hence tenderly to whcro he can be cared
for. Surely I thought that these evil-doers
were giving us too little trouble , and thus
it has proved. "
So they set themselves to make fast Na-
hoon's hands and wrists , using as much
gentleness as they might , for among the
JSulus a lunatic Is accounted holy. It was
no easy task , and It took time.
Hadden glanced around h'm and saw his
opportunity. On the ground clo o beside
him lay his rifle , where one of the soldiers
had placed It , and nbut n dozen yards away
Maputo's pony was grazing. With a swift
movement he seized the Martini , nnd five
seconds later he was on the back of the
pony , heading for the Crocodile Drift at n
gallop. So quickly , Indeed , did he execute
this masterly retreat that , occupied as they
were all In binding Nahoon. for half a mln-
ute or more no one noticed what had hap
pened. Then Maputa chanced to see , and
as men do when they wish to cook food ?
More , what was It they rejoiced over , that
long dark thing , which lay o quiet on the
ground ? It did not look like R head of
game , find It could scarcely be a crocodile ,
yet clearly It was food of some sort , for
they were sharpening the stone knives In
order to cut It up.
Whilst slu wondered thus one of the dread
ful looking little creatures advanced to the >
fire , and , taking from It a burning bough ,
held It over the thing that lay upon the
ground to give light to a companion wno
was about to do something to It with the
ston < > knife. Next Instant Nanea drew back
her head from the hcle , n stifled shriek upon
her lips. She suW what It was now It was
tha body of n man. Yes , nnd these were
no ghosts , they were cannibals ot whom ,
when she was little , her mother hod told
her tales to keep her from wandering away
from home.
But who was the man they were about
to ent ? It could not be one of themselves ,
for hli stature was much greater. OhI now
xha knew , It must be Nahoon , who had been
killed up yonder , and whoso dead body the
waters had brought down to the haunted
forest ns they had brought her nllve. Yes ,
It must be Nahoon , and she would bs forced
to sec her husband devoured before her
eyes. The thought of It overwhelmed her.
That ho should die by order of the king was
natural , but that he should be burled tlmtl
Yet , what could she do to prevent It ? Well ,
If It cost her her life , shs would prevent
It. At the worst they could only kill and
eit l.cr nlso , and now that Nahoon and her
father were gone , she wag not greatly con
cerned to keep her own breath In her.
Slipping through the hole In the tree
Nanea walked quietly toward the cannibals ,
not knowing In the leSst what she should do
when she reached them. As rhe had arrived
In line with the fire this lack of program
came home to her mind forcibly and she
paused to reflect. Just then one of the can
nibals looked up to see a tall and stately
figure wrapped In a whlto garment , which , us
the name-light nickered on It , seemed now la
advance from the dense background of
shadow , and now to recede Into It. The
poor savage wretch was holding a stone knife
In his teeth when he behold her , but It did
not remain there long , for opening his great
Jaws he uttered the most terrified and pierc
ing yell that Ntfnsa had ever heard. Then
the others saw her also , and presently the
forest was ringing with shrieks of fear. For
a few seconds the outcasts stood and gazed ,
HADDEN FLEES FROM NAHOON.
waddled after him to the top of the rise ,
screaming :
"Tho whlto thief ; he has stolen my horse
and the gun , too ; the gun that he promised
to give me. "
Hadden , who by this time was a hundred
yards away , heard him clearly , and a rage
filled his heart. This man had made an
open murderer of him ; more , he had been
the means of robbing him of the girl for
whose sake he had dipped his hands in
these Iniquities. He glanced over his shoul
der ; Maputa was still running , and alone.
Yes , there was tlmo ; at any rate , he would
risk it.
Pulling un the pony , ' with a Jerk , he leapt
from Its back , sllp'plng his arm through the
rein with an almost simultaneous move
ment. As It chanced , and as he had hoped
would bo' ' the case , ' the animal was a trained
shooting horse , and stood still. Hadden
planted his feet firmly on the ground , and ,
drawing a deep breath , ho cocked the rifle
and co\ered the advancing chief. Now
Maputa saw his purpose , and with a yell
of terror turned to fly. Hadden waited a
second to get the sight fair onto his broad
back , then. Just as the soldiers appeared
above the rise , he pressed the tr'gger. He
was a noted shot , and In this Instance his
skill did not fall him , for before be heard
the bullet strike , Maputa flung his arms
wide and plunged to the ground dead.
Three seconds more and with a savage
curse Haddcu had remounted the pony and
was riding for his life toward the river ,
which'a while later De crossed In safety.
CHAPTER VI.
When Nanea leapt from the dizzy platform
that overhung the Pool of Doom , a strange'
fortune befell her. Close In to the precipice
were many Jagged rocks , and on these- the
waters of the fall fell and thundered , bound
ing from them In spouts of spray Into the
troubled depths of the foss beyond. It was
on these stones that the life was dashed
out of the bodies of the wretched victims
who were hurled from above , but Nanea , It
will be remembered , had not waited to be
treated thus , and , as It chanced , the strong
spring with which0 she had leapt to death
carried her clear of the rocks. By a very
llttlo she rnlsuod the edge of them , and ,
striking the deep water head first , like some
practiced diver , she sank down and : down
till she thought that she would never rise
again. Yet snei am rise at me ena 01 mo
pqol. In the mouth of the rapid , along which
she sped swiftly , carried down by the lush
of the water. Fortunately there were 'no
rocks herd , and , slnco slip was a skillful
swimmer , sfip escaped the danger of being
thrown against the banks.
For a long distance she was borne thus till
a ; length she saw thut she was in a forest ,
for trees cut off the light from the water
and their drooping branches swept Its sur
face. One of these Nanea caught with her
hand , and by the help of it she dragged herself -
self from the river of death , whence none
had escaped before. Now she stood upon the
bank gasping , but quite unharmed ; there was
not a scratch on her body , even her white
garment was still about her neck.
But though she had suffered no hurt In her
terrible voyage , so exhausted was Nanea
that she could scarcely stand. Hero the
gloom was that of night , and , shivering with
cold , she looked 'round helplessly to find
some refuge. Close to the water's edge grow
an enormous yellow wood tree , und to this
she fctnggercd , thinking to climb It and seek
shelter In Its boughs , where as she hoped ,
she would be safe from wild boasts. Again
fortune befriended her , for at a distance of a
few feet from the ground thoto wab a great
hole In the tree , which she discovered was
hollow. Into tlih bole she- crept , taking her
chnnce of Its being the home of snakes or
otl-er evil creatures , to find that the Interior
was wide and warm. It was dry also , for at
the bottom of the cavity lay a foot or more of
rotten tinder and moss brought there by
rats or birds. Upon this tinder she lay down ,
and , covering herself with the moss and
Icmes , soon sank Into deep or stupor.
How IOIIK Nanea slept she did not know ,
but at length she was awakened by a sound
na of guttural human voices talking. In a
language that she could not understand , Ris
ing to her kijees she peered out ot the hole
In the tree It was night , but the stars
Bhono brilliantly and their light fell upon an
open circle of ground cloto by the
edge , ot the rlvor. In. this circle there
burned a great fire , and at a little dis
tance from the fire were gathered eight or
tmi horrible looking beings who appeared
to bo rejoicing over something that lay on
the ground , They were small In stature ,
men und women together , but no children ,
and all of them were nearly naked. Their
hair was long and thin , growing down al
most to the eyes , their jaws and teeth pro
truded , and the girth of their black bodies
was out of all proportion to their height ,
In their hands they held sticks with sharp
stones lashed onto them , or 'rude batchot-
llko knives of the same material.
Now Nanea's heart shrank within her and
she ne&rly fainted with fear , for she knew
that she was In the haunted forest , and
without a doubt these were the Ksemkofu ,
the evil ghosts that dwelt In It. Yes , that
was what they were , and yet she could not
take her eyrs off them ; the sight of them
held her with a horrible fascination. But
If they were ghosts why did thry ting and
dance Ilka men ? Why did they wave thoio
sharp stones aloft and quarrel and strike
each utherT And why did they make a flru
then they were gone this way and that ,
bursting their pith through the undergrowth
like startled Jackals. The Emeskofu of Zulu
tradition had been , routed In their own
haunted home by what they took to be a
Spirit.
Poor Esemkofu ! they were but miserable
and starvlnR bushmen who , driven into that
place of ill omen many years ago , had
adopted this means , the only one' open to
them , to keep the life in their 'wretched
bodies. Here at least they were unmolested ,
and ns there was little other food to be
found amid that wilderness of trees , they
took what the river brought them. When
executions 'were few In the Pool ot Doom
times were hard for them Indeed , for then
they \\ero driven to eat .each other , j
As the Inarticulate outcry died away In thef
distance , Nanea ran forward to look at the
body that lay on the ground , and staggered
back with a sigh of relief. It was not
Nahoon , but she recognized the face for that
of one of the party of executioners. How-
did he come'here ? Had Nahoon killed him ?
Had Nahoon escaped ? She could 'not tell ,
and at the best It was Improbable , but still
the sight of this dead soldier lit her heart
with a faint ray of hope , for how dldiho come
to be dead If Nahoon had no hand In It She ;
could not bear to leave him lying so near her
hiding place , however , therefore with no
small toll she rolled the corpse back Into the
water , which carried It swiftly away. Then
she returned to the tree , having first re
plenished the fire , and awaited the light.
At last it came , as much of It as ever pene
trated this darksome don , and Nanea becom
Ing aware that she was hungry , descended
from the tree to search for food. All day
long she searched , finding nothing , till toward
sunset she remembered that on the outskirts
of the forest there was a fiat rock where it
was the custom of those who had been In any
way afflicted , or who considered themselves
or their belongings to be bewitched , to place
propltlary offerings of food wherewith the
Esemkofu and the Amalhost were supposed
to satisfy their spiritual cravings. Urged by
the pinch of starvation to this spot , she
journeyed rapidly , and found , to her Joy , that
some neighboring kraal had evidently been In
recent trouble- , for the Rock of Offering was
laden with cobs of corn , gourds of milk ,
porridge , and even meat. Helping herself
to as much as she could carry , she.returned
to her lair , where she drank of the milk and
cooked the meat and mealies atthe , , ] , fire.
Then she crept back Into the tree and slept.
For nearly two months Nanea lived thus
In the forest , since she dared not venture
-out "of it , fearing lost she should bo seized
and for a second time taste of the Judgment
of the king. In the forest at least she wa ?
safe , for none dared enter there , nor did the
Esemkofu give her further trouble. Once or
twice she paw them , but on each occasion
they fled shrieking from her presence , seek
ing some distant retreat where threy hid
themselves or perished. Nor did food fall
her , for finding that It was taken the ploust
givers brought It In plenty to the Rock ol
Offering.
But , oh ! the llfo was dreadful and the
gloom and loneliness , coupled with her sorrow
row * , at times drove ho , ' ilmost to Insanity.
Still she lived on , though often she desired
to die , for the corpse she had found was not
the corpse of Nahoon , and In her heart there
still shone that spark of hope ; yet what she
hoped for she could not tell.
When Philip Hadden reached the. civilized
regions bo found that war was about to be
declared between the queen and Cetywayo ,
king of the Amazulu ; also that In the pre
vailing excitement his little adventure with
the Utrecht store keeper had been overlooked
or forgotten. He was the owner of two good
buck wagons with spans of salted oxen , and
at that tlmev vehicles were much In request
to carry military stores for the columns
which were ttr advance Into Zululand ; in
deed , the transport authorities were glad to
pay 90 a month for the hire of each wagon
and to guarantee the owners against all loss
ot cattle. Although he was not desirous ot
returning to Zululand , this bait proved too
much for Hadden , who accordingly leased
out his wagons to the commissariat , together
with his own services as conductor and In
terpreter ,
Ho was attached to No. 3 column of the
Invading force , which , It may be remem
bered , w'as under the Immediate command
of Lord Cbelmsford , and on the 21st of
January , 1879 , he marched with It by the
road that runs from Rorko's Drift to the
Indent forest , and encamped that night be
neath the shadow of the steep and desolate
mountain known as Isandhlwana.
That day also a great army of King Cety-
wayo's , numbering 20,000 men and more ,
moved down from the Uplndo Hill and
camped upon the atony plain that lies a
mile and a half to the east of Isandhlwana ,
No fires were lit and It lay there In utUr
silence , for the warriors were "sleeping on
trelr spears. "
With that Impl was the Umcltyu regiment ,
3,500 strong. At the first break of dawn the
Indunn-ln command of the Umcltyu looked up
from beneath the shelter of the black shield
with , which he had covered his body , and
through the thick mist he saw a great man
( Standing before him , clothed only In a
moocha , a gaunt , wild-eyed man who held a
rough club In his hand. When he was
spoken to tha man made no answer , ho
only leaned upon his club , looking from left
to right along the dense array of innumer
able shields.
"Who Is thla Sllwana ( wild creature ) ! "
asked the tn-UHia < his captains , wonder-
' L r
Ing. < -
The captnWs 'Alsrfd ' at the wanderer , nd
ono of thm tbistaml : "This Is Nnhoon-ka-
Eombn , It ff'j-flb son of ZOmba , who not
long ago held V nlt In this regiment of the
Umcltyu. HK "betrothed , Nanea , daughter of
UmRona. waOlllcd , together with her father ,
by order ofnfr'niack One. and Nahoon went
mad with ttffcf-lit ! the sight of It. for the
flro of hearpn entered his brain , and mad
ho has waiw/retf / ever since , "
"What mm" you here , Nahoon-ka-
Zomba ? " a&ed'lhc Induna.
Then Nahofm-'g'poka slowly : "My regiment
goes down o ) * wAr against the while men ;
give mo a sTilelfl'anJ a spear , 0 , Captain of
the King , tllSt I'rAay fight with my regiment ,
for I seek ir face" in battle. "
So they gafo 'ISlm a shield and a spear ,
for they dared not turn away ono whose
btaln was allgM with the fire of heaven ,
When the win was high that day bullets
began to fall iimong the ranks of the Urn-
c'tyu. ' Then the black-shielded , black-plumed
Umcltyu arose , ; company by company , and
after them arose the whole vast Zulu army
bieast nnd horns together , and swept down
In pllenco upon the doomed British crimp , a
moving sheen of epcars. The bullets pattered
teredIn the shields , the shells tore long
lines through thplr , array , but they never
halted or wavered. Forward on either side
phot out the horns of armed men , closplng
the camp.In an embrace of steel. Then ns
those began tcj close , out bursts the war cry
cf the Zulus , and with the roar of a torrent
nnd the rush of a storm , with a sound like
the humming of a billion bees , wave after
wove the deep brenst of the Impl rolled down
upon the white men. With It went the
black-shielded Umcltyu nnd with them went
Nihoon , Iho son of Zomba. A bullet utruck
him In the side , glancing from his ribs ; he
did not heed , a whlto man fell from his horse
uviuiu mm , HE am noi sian , ior no pougni
but one face In the battle.
Ho sought and at last ho found It. There ,
among the wagons where the spears were
bus-lost , there standing by his horse and fir
ing rapidly was Black Heart , he who bad
given None-i , his betrothed , to death. Three
soldiery stood between thorn , one of whom
Nahoon stabbed , and two 'he brushed aside ;
then he rushed straight at Hadden.
But the whlto man saw him coming , nnd
oven through Jho mask of his madness he
knew him again , and terror took hold of him.
Throwing away his empty rifle , for his am
munition was spent , he leaped upon his
horse and drove his spurs Into Its flanku.
Away It went through the carnage , springing
over the dead and bunting through the lines
of shields , and after It came Nahoon , run
ning long and low wlth head stretched for
ward and trailing spear , running as a hound
runs when the buclrls at view ,
Hodden's first plan wag to head for Rorke's
Drift , but a glanca to the _ > ft showed him
that the masses of the Und ! ' barred the way ,
30 he fled otralght on , leaving his path to
Fate. In five minutes he was over a ridge
and there was nothing of the battle to be
? oen. In ten all rounds of It had died away
for few gnus were fired In the dread race to
Fugitive's Drift , and the assegai makes no
noise. In tome strange fashlop , even at that
moment the contran between th'e dreadful
scene of blood and turmoil" fh'ai ho had left
and the peaceful face of Nature aver which
lie was passing came homo , to his" brain
vividly. ' Here blrds.sang and cattle grazed ;
'iare the sun shone undlmmed by the. rmoke
of guns. Only high"up.'fn the blue'and client
air long streams , ffcf vultures could be seen
winging their wsfr to the plain'of leandhl-
wana. &f- "
The ground waAvpry"rough , and Hadden's
norse began tootire' . ? He .looked , over his
shoulder ; thcr wlme-SOO yards'behlnd , came
the Zulu , grlmasDeathi unsworylbs as Fate.
Ho cxamlnedfltilf. pistol In his beltMthVre
was but onof&midge leftnlUthe" ; had
been fired , and/thp ppuch was emptaC , JVeir ,
ono bullet shbuld bo onough-fpi feae Savagei
the question was > should' hcjsto'ff'ari'd oiae it
now ? No , he rnlHht misa orfill'ttf kill the
man ; he was pAt horseback and his foe on
foot ; surely he 'could tire him out.
A while passed and they dashed through a
little stream. It seemed familiar to Haddon.
Yes. that was tho" pool wh'ere ho used to
bathe when he was the guest cf Umgona , the
father of Nanea , and there on the knoll to his
right were the huts , or rather the remains
ot them. for thty had been'burnt with fire.
SVhat chan'etJ'hsld ' brought him tt > ' this place , "
he'1 wondef ditaen"tt'galn"Idoked' ; : behind him"
at NahoonJ nhofseemetl to read hti ) thoughts , " '
for ho shook his spear and pointed'to the-
ruined kraal , '
On ho went at speed , for herb the land
was level , and'to bis Joy he lost sight of his
pursuer. ' 'But 'presently there camera mile
of rocky ground , > and when It was past ,
glancing back , he saw that Nahoon was onto
more .in his old .place. His horse's strength
was almost spent , but Hadden spurred It forward -
ward blindly , whither he knew not. : Now he
was traveling alqng , a strip of turf , and
ahead of. him ho heard the music of a river ,
while to hlsjeft was a high bank. Presently
the truf belt btnt Inward , and "there , not
twenty yards away.from him , was a Kafllr
hut standing' on' thd "T > rlnk "of a river. iHo
looked at It , yes-"it was the" hut of that
cursed Inyanga , the Bee , and , standing by
the fence of It wasinone other than the Bet
herself. At , the sight of her the exhausted
horse swerved .violently , stumbled , and came
to the , ground , whore It lay panting. Hadden
was thrown from.the saddle , but sprang to his
feet unhurt. "T "
"Ah , Black ne'art , Is It your 3Vhat news
of the battle , plack Heart ? " cried the Bee
in a mocking yplce.
"Help me , , mother. I am pursued , " he
gasped. . ,
"What of it , Black Heart , It Is but by one
tired man. Standrthen and .face him , for
now Black Heart and Whlto Heart are together -
gether again. fYou will not ' ? Then away to
the forest .and tseek-ihelter'.amons the dead
who await you-.there. Tell me , tell mo , was
It : the facs-iot Nauea that I saw beneath the
waters a whlloagq ; ? Thenihear my greetings
to her when you stwo meet In the House of
the Dead. " I ?
Hadden lookjd at the stream ; It was In
flood and he could not owhn It , so , followed
by the evil langh of the prophetess , he sped
toward the forest. After him came Nahoon.
Nowho was in the shadow of It , but still
he sped on , following the course of the river ,
till at length bis breath failed and he halted
on the furth"er"slde of a little glade , beyond
which a great tree 'grew , Nahoon was more
than a spear's'throw behind him ; therefore
he had time to' draw his pistol and make
ready.
"Halt. Nahoon , " 'ho cried , as once before
he had cried , "I 'wohld ' speak with you. "
The Zulu1 heard his voice and obeyed.
"Listen , " said Hadden. "Wo have run a
long race ahd fought a long fight , you and I ,
and wo are still rllve , both of us. Very
soon , Ifyou comoon , one of us must bp
dead , and It will he you , Nahoon. I am
armed and , as you know , I can shoot straight.
What do you. siy ? "
Nahoon made no answer , but stood still
on the edge of the'glade ' , his wild and glow
ering eyes flxedjon the white man's face and1
his breath oomTng > lm' short' g-asps.
"Will youlet"M8 go , If I let you go ? " he
asked once rrterA'11' " ! know why you hate me ,
but the pasP'Bafliftt ' be undone , nor can the
dead bo brougllfrto Dearth again. "
Still Nahoon made no answer , and his si
lence , seemed mprp fateful and more crushIng -
Ing than any speech ; no epoken accusation
would have lY19.5f ) ( > - terrible In Hadden's ear.
He made nq.,4yjv.er , but lifting his assegai
ho stalked g.f mjy < toward his foe.
When he v.As , within five paces Hadden cov
ered him atnl"flrta.
"Now Vllllfmako ? : end "
wo an , muttered
Hadden savrfgejyv'Jand ' ho turned to seek the
assegai , theajristaggercd slowly back with
starting Qyea niK.reellng gait , for there be
fore him , still clail In her whlto robe , a spear
In her hanrt Ktoon the spirit of Nanea !
"Think orjrt'-1he said to himself , dimly
rememberln JIdtHi'Hvords of the Inyanga ,
"when you stand face to face with the- ghost
of the dead , ! * ) tbej.Home of the Dead. "
There was a-cry and a flash of steel ; the
broad spear leapt toward him to bury Itself
In his breast * Ho swayed , he fell , and pres
ently Black Heojt clasped that great reward
which the s\tord ot the Bee had promised
him , ,
"NahoonI Nahoon ! " murmured a soft voice ,
"awake ; It is io > .ghoBt , but I , Nanoa , I your
living wife , to whom my Ehloso has- given
It mo to save you , " v
Nahoon heard .and opened his eyes to look
and his madnex tleft him.
"Welcome , wlf.e , " he said faintly , "now I
will lire slnco D ath has brought you back
to me In the Housa of the Dead , "
Today Nahoon Is one of the Indunas of the
English government In Zululand , and there
are children about his kraal. It was from
the lips of Nanea , Ills wife , that tbo narrator
of this history beard the tale of It. The Bee
also lives and practices as much magic as
she dare * under'the white man's rule. On
her black hand .shines a golden ring shaped
like a snake , with ruby eyes , and ot this
trinket the Bee ( f very proud.
'
( The End. )
* jKyft 5I Ws W
> ji
wfwtiML-ii vw3Wfc 'iW/iH : J
OVERALLS , JR.
How Ho Lost the Unce.
The members of the Speedvllle Bicycle
club were deep In consultation , New mem-
bora were being voted In and the name of
Overalls , Jr. , had been presented. More
over It had beoen presented by Tommy
Gllddcn , the president of the club , and
whatever Tommy suggested was generally
a go. For hadn't ho the latest whcecl , nnd
wasn't his father the rlchcrt man In
town ?
As for Overalls , Jr. that wasn't his
real name , cf coursc- but his father had
been called Overalls since before he was
born , so It came about naturally that he
should be called Overalls , Jr. , especially as
from his fifth year ho was never seen even
on Sundays In any other costume than
overalls
They were varied In color , from brown
checked to blue , and closely resembled
these cast off by his father ,
In fact , the name nas no misnomer.
Overalls Jr. was poor so poor that he
didn't even Indulge In chew Ing Rum unless
It were given to htm , and no ono had
thought to suggest his name until suddenly
the president broke out :
"I say , fellers.e ought to get Overalls ,
Jr. . Into this club. "
There was a general gasp of astonishment
at this suggestion.
"Ho hasn't any wheel , and he couldn't
pay dues , and , anyway , wo don't want a
fellow who wears hs ! father's overalls mode
over , all the time ; 1 wouldn't reflect credit
on the club , you know , " said Bert Gaylor ,
giving his natty bicycle suit an approving
glance. "
"That doesn't make any difference , you
dandy , " returned Tommy scornfully. "Ho
can rldo better'n yo'u can , If he hasn't any
suit. Flrrt time , ho ever got onto a wheel
he rode off , 'and that's moro'n any of us
did , " with a painful remembrance of sundry
black and blue spots.
"Ho helped every one of us to learn to
ride , " continued Tommy , "and I say It ain't
any morei ' fair that we let him come In.
Maybe * some time ho'11-get a wheel , and
I'Jl lend him mine sometime. "
This last somewhat slowly. Tommy's
wheel was his pride and'delight but he
wasn't going to be talked down by Bert
Gaylor no , not he'even If It did require
a , sacrificeIn the1 occasional loan of his
* ' .
bicycle.
Bert was silenced , but not convinced.
"You can do as you please , " he answered
grandly , "but I don't appro\e. I'd hate to
race with him1 now , Wouldn't you ? "
"Yes , I would , " ' broke in one of the boys ,
"but"only 'causa I'd be afraid he'd beat me ,
and tbafs ivhat you're afraid of , too. "
"I ain't e'ther ; you Justalt and see "
A-'sharp rap from the. give'l drowned what
ho would have Bald. %
"We'll vote on this now , " announced the
president with great dignity , "and Bert Gay
lor , If you ! dare'blackball himyou'll be too
mean to live , " and Tommy glared at 5ilm
as he dropped his ballot Into the box.
' ' " the teller
'Oytralls's all right , reported
cheerfully.
"Unanimous , too , " added the secretary ,
looking over his shoulder , at the bits of paper
spread on the table- Before him.
So It was thaU Overalls , Jr. , was elected a
tnembsr .of the SpjedvllI Bicycle club , and
waa duly Informed of the honor by a com
mittee of thre- ? , who waited upon him In a
nlghborlng 6iay field , > and" In exuberance
of spirits proceeded Ho demolish the carefully
stacked hoy-cooks.
But , Overalls , Jr. , was oblivious to the
fact , and stacked them again , busy with
thoughts of how he should be able to Join the
race which the club had proposed.
Two weeks after Urn election of Overalls
the g.reit. , 'race , ot , the year wjis lo'be ru.n. " '
Tfne' contest liad grown In dlmensionsTsfnce
, first It was planned , for at the last special
meeting of tha club , the secretary had read
a note from thrse of the business men of the
town , offering for a prize a bicycle of the
latest make.
The club members were wild with delight
and entries were made trom far away places. .
For days beforehand trial run ? were made
over the track , and It was pretty generally
conceded that the-race lay be-tweenyBert Gay
lor and Tommy Olldcn.
That it might go out of town never en
tered the- minds of the boys.
The day. of the * race. came. The wthoU
town was .there , and the track was lined
on both sides by eager.and enthusiastic spec
tators.
Overalls , Jr. , was < there , and moreover
h3- was In the race.From somewhere , no
ono seemed to know wherehe had borrowed
a. bicycle. "
There .was a general laugh , as he Joined
the-other.boys , for < hls wheel was an old ono ,
heavy and with a cushion tire , ana nls cus-
tume v > as overalls , of course , but cut , leav
ing the legs bare from = above the knees.
"There really ain't any use In your tryIng -
Ing , " said Tommy confidentially to him.
"The boys hove light wheels and yours is
hearier'n lead. I really wouldn't do It If I
were you. "
But Overalls persisted. "There can't but
one beat anyhow , " he argued , "and It ain't
any worse for mo to get beat than the rest
of you , and I'm a-golng to try. "
And try he did.
Expitomeut was running high. The course
being a short one. It was ridden three tlmeo
to make up the required number of miles.
Twice tile earnest face of Tommy Clldden
and the flushed one of Bert Gaylor had passe'd
the Jllno , Just abreast. A second behind
them only , rode Overalls , Jr. , his curly head
bare , nnd his eyes shining bright.
1 "I like that boy's grit , " said Judge Gaylor ,
as ho leaned forward and looked at the little
figure pedaling au-ay for dear life , his face
aglow with animation and resolve.
"Overalls Is In for It , " was the general
verdict , as ho' sped on and on , nearlng the
other two.
Ho was close to them now. They were
taking the curve' . Steadily he gained on
HE WAS FEELING PRETTY WELL
USED UP. '
them , for a second was abreast then passed
them.
Down the track came the throe , Overalls
slightly In the lead.
Every neck was stretched out , and all
eyes were fixed on those three flying figures.
Nearer they came and nearer. Only a few
rods to the lino.
Suddenly a woman's cry , sharp and pierc
ing , rent the air.
Standing , laughing In the track , straight
In the , course of the riders , naa a llttlo 3-
year old.
Her little white dress fluttered In the
breeze , and her dimpled hands waved her
lace bonnet as she strove to cheer them on.
Women covered their faces and men's eyes
were blurred. ,
A sudden crash , a cloud of duwt , and a
child's cry !
No one knew Juat what had happened , save
that\0varalls , Jr. , was lying motionless on
the rough track. The child sobbed In the
arms of her mother , while Bert Qaylor shot
over the line.
That evening a committee , headed by Mr ,
Gaylor , visited Overalls , Jr. , at his home ,
Ho was feeling pretty well used up , and
one sprained nnklc rested on n chair In trout
of him.
His head wm bandaged and there wag a
cut on his cheek.
But he was glad to see the boys , of course ,
nnd ready to talk over the events of the day ,
"I don't care nothing about the race , " ho
said , "but I do feel sort er worried 'bout
that bicycle. I 'sped It's busted complete ,
though I ain't seen It slnco I went a-flylng.
Kinder mean the stone was right there ,
wa'n't It ? But then It don't matter much , "
nnd lie shrugged his shoulders , nhlle a i-hirp
pain dartfd up his leg , \\hlch uncantKlously
ho had moved.
"You want to know all about It from the
very start , " hecontinued. . "Well , I guess
I con tell you pretty straight ,
"You seeI I was Just bound I was going
to be In that race , and so I hired that bicycle
of Nick Lowney two eeks , ago , nnd I've been
practicing ever since , nights after I got
through work.
"And I'd got up pretty good muscle , and
w > twa'n't very hard to catch up with the
others , 'cause I'd been saving myself till
the very last.
"Well , after I passed 'em there , I was mak
ing dead ahead when all to once I saw that
kid right In the way.
"I was too near to turn off ohd not hurt
her , 'caiiso she'd bo sure to run Just the way
I turned , and then I knew the other boys
\Vould kill her sure , 'cause I was ahead and
they couldn't see see \ \ .
"So I kinder leaned out and grabbed her ,
and somehow \NO oil went down together and
I got mixed up In the bicycle , and I gucM
my head hit that stone , 'cause I didn't know
v vi , . .
lOfUJZ
115
STRAIGHT IN THE COURSE OF THE RIDER WAS A LITTLE 3-YEAR-OLD.
very much till I was In somebody's house
and now I feel kinder bunged up.
"But I'm glad none of the out-of-town
fellers got the race , " and Overalls' face
glowed with pride In the victory of the
Speedvllle Bicycle club.
It was a gala night at the club. The pres
entation1 of the bicycle was to bo mode , and
there was a general air of Joy about the club
room.
Overalls , Jr. , was there. He had hcbblei
there on crutches and was enjoying It al
from a big easy chalr In the corner. The
' (
boys were gro'upsS about him , and Suddenly
there foas wheeled Into the circle o beautlfu
new bicycle. On the saddle was a placard
reading : "For Overalls , Jr. "
Overalls gave , a gasp as he saw It. His
quick eyes studied the boys' faces and he saw
what ho had not saen before , a tiny pair of
overalls hanging from each boy's buttonhole.
"I don't know what It means , " said Over
alls for the fifth time.
"I really"'don't , 'e-auso I lost that race fair
you see , " and he searched the faces of his
companions.-
But they understood.
Hoiv Iiullaii HOJ-H nnd fJIrlH UxtMl to
\VrlU' leHrn. .
When boya and girls nowadays hove any
thing to say to their friends who 'are far
away , they sit down and write a letter In
plain English , French or German , as the case
may be ; but before you are able to write you
hava to learn how to make some twenty-six
letters and how to combine Uiom Into words ,
so as to tell your friends what you are think
ing about this Is called sound writing.
Now there Is another kind of writing
picture writing it Is called , In which there
Is no alphabet , and Instead of words some
picture of the object U used , as for example ,
Instead of the word c-a-t we would have 'a
drawing of the animal.
This kind of writing was used by all people
in the early days of the world , and In most
countries It fa so old that it has long ago
been forgotten , but" here in Amoricq the In
dians have practiced this old art until very
recently.
Not long ago I saw a plclographlc account
'
count of Custer's famous flgh't on the Llt
tlo Big Horn ; It was drawn by Red'Hon-
Sioux chief , who took no small , part In that
fearful battle ; a queer and curious record It
sem'eil to me , but the Indian read It with
aa much freedom as I could haVQ , read the
newspaper story.
The following letter , written by an In
dian girl to a friend whom she wishes , Jo
visit her , will give you a very good Idea 'of
this kind of w riling , which It IB likely your
own ancestors used thousands of years ago.
This will not seem very plain to you , I
know , but the one who received It under
stood It Just as well as the letter you
write to your friends perhaps a little bet
ter.
ter.Tho
The straight lines running through the
picture represent the pq lis of the locality
public highways or streets you may call
them If you like. On the right are shown
tlireo small lakes or ponds.
The rudely drawn bear In the upper left-
hand corner Is the signature of the writer ,
her coat-of-arraa , so to speak , and Indicates
that shu Is a member of the boar family.
The flgura of a mullet below stands for
tlio person addressed a man of the mullet
family.
The three crosses are the girl and two
friends crosses because they are Chris
tiana.
The two triangles Indicate the wigwams
and the figure in the one Is the Indian
sign forhand _ and tells the visitor at which
wigwam he la to call.
In a llttlo more elegant English tbo Invi
tation , would read : Miss Bear Invites Mr.
Mullet' to meet her two Christian friends
at second lodge from the road beyond the
lake.
I'AUTXKIIH ,
A Illril mill a Niililer Unit Kto | HUIIHI *
The aeronaut spiders are among the most
Interesting of their species. Ono little spider
usea certain aide projections or flags to enable
It to move through the air. Another builds
a veritable balloon nnd goes nailing away.
One of these I measured was two Inches In
length and an Inch in width , made up of a
soft web caught together in such a way as to
be light and fluffy. On this raft or balloon
the spider rests , and Is carried thither and
yen by the wind. I have seen the deep
canyons leading out of the Sierra Madre
mountains filled with tlieie llttlo creatures
sailing along ; some on rafts or balloons ,
others clinging to single threads that ex
tended up Into the air buoying up the spider
by the llghtous * of the- long alonder thread.
The aerial spiders are equalled la their
evidences of Ingenuity by , their aquatic breth
ren , who have diving bells and live under
the water surrounded by bulbs of ulr from
which they draw their tmpply. Others build
rafti ot twigs , which they fasten together ,
launch and go sallluK away on.
It would htrdly teem possible that ipldtrs
and birds could work together harmoniously ,
yet such Is the fact * The AMntlo nun-bird
beautiful purple-tinted creature builds
It nest almost Invariably In the web of &
Inrgo spider. The web gent-rally connects
two llmb. . and upon this silken platform
the bird deposits sticks , twigs , leaven ami
various rcfuro. This It might be expected
would disturb the cplder , but , on the contrary -
trary , as fast as the material Is deposited
the spider * ecuro It with Its pllken cords ,
attaching It to each limb and the web. Gradu
ally the nest , which hongs In the midst of
the web , grown , and finally the bird gives It
n dome or bottle shape.
The spider that has all the tlmo been work-
Inc Industriously now c6vcrs the nest with
a layer of web , nnd anchors It to the main
structure by silken cordu , i that It seems
to belong to the spider , that finally effects
Its almost complete concealment. Al onft side
or at the end there Is an opening Into the
nest Into which the sun-bird enters , and In
which the young ore reared. This Is , cer-
I talnly ono of the strangest companionships
known ,
CHAMPION HOV IMll.VrHll.
HvnlilcN III lllliuilH mill IK lint 1'Mvo
mill II Ilnlf V < Mirn ( Mil.
It Is seldom the state of Illinois falls be
hind the procession for any length of time ,
says the Chicago Tribune. Following Uio
news that In Indiana n hey of surprising
youth has successfully undertaken the work
of a compositor comes the Information that
Mayno Mason , GV4 years of ng ? , sets , typo
In pie olllco of the. Buda ( III. ) Plain Dealer.
Ho doss not do it for his dally bread , nor ,
llko those wonderful little boys In the fairy
book ? , to aid unfortunate parents , but only
for his own amusement. Still , the Important
fact Is ho docs It.
Mayno li the son of thn editor of the Plain
Denier , nnd Sils earliest playground was
the cilice ot the paper. As n natural consequence
quence ot this'Intimate association with the
crude material ? of literature ( lift boy's first
Impulse nan to make pies of other materials
than mud. In accordance with the usual
method of possessors of promising Infants ,
his father encouraged him in his early en
deavors , and a\H\c \ no objections if the typo
was not always found Just where custom
and convenience declared they should bo.
The small boy can now set type with great
exactness , though with no very great dis
patch.
The lad Is considerably handicapped by
Inability to read writing. Print Is easy for
him , but the wild Idicsyncraslcs of copy
ho Is unable to overcome. Each word rnunt
bo printed in bold "capitals with the letters
which are to phew "caps" In the'proof under
lined , before ho begins ( o work. Then ho
can set typo like a veteran. In the Issue
of the Plain Dealer for December 12 ho setup
up eighteen lines of correspondence as It
appeared-In the paper viz : -
STATEVROAJD.K '
C. Z. Chase was a Princeton caller Thurs
day. „ . ,
Miss Addle Rowell Is boardlnur with her
uncle , C. P. Mason.
J. L. S'vcet and wife dined with Georg <
Sweet , sr. , one day last 'week ,
Charles Markoe Is helping' his brother
Joshua husk corn on the home place.
Miss Eflle Sweet , accompanied "by Miss
Rose Vail , spent n day last week with Mrs.
Mary Faurle. , .
Mr. and Mrs. 0. W. Mason attended the
Institution of the Rebekah lodge In Sbeflleld
Thursday night. r
Joe Gutshall sold a t-mnnths-old calf to
Johnson & Son Wcdnosday which dressed
74C pounds " of asfine , meat as ever laid on
a block.
At the time of the World's fair the boy
visited Chicago with his father , and he still
has a vivid recollection of thetlmo. . Hlx
account of the "Trl 'ifpli * of the Nations , "
set up by himself , nnd which few could
batter In that particular , . Is as follows :
I went to see the World's fair and I re
member the Ferris whoe-1 and that llttlo rail
road where we saw the fireworks while wo
rode around. At Hagenbzck's there was a
trained lion and a funny little boar. And I
saw the gold lady In the water and Iota ot
things. .Papa pushed us In a roller chair
and W9i ) > ad a rldo on Lake Michigan In the
Whaleback. I was soiry when the .World' *
fair burnt up. MAYNE MASON.
Buda , III. , December 13. 1805.
Dewltt's Little Early Risers cure Indiges
tion and bad breath.
OCTOR
Searles &
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SPECIALISTS IU
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