The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, November 23, 1887, Image 1
THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established jane, 186?
SUMTER, S. C., -WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1887.
Xew Series-toi. TIL No. 16.
?|? ?fejputi? aii? *oii?|).r0ii
. N. OSTE?N,
SUMTES. C.
TERMS t
Two Dollars per auaum -in advance.
AU V S R T I S S at? X TS .
ine Square, first insertion.Si 00
Svery subsequent insertion. 50
Contracts for three mouths, or longer will
->e made.at reduced rates.
AH communications which subserve private
interests will becharged for as advertisements.
Obituaries and trihutes of respect will be
barged foA
. Absolutely Pure.
This ponder iifv?r var?e?. A mar. el o;
purify, strength and wholesomeness. tf?re
economical than the ordinary ki:?ds, and can?
not be sold in competition with th- afulti-t ud?
of low test, short w?-i^hr. alum or phosphnb
powders. Sold only in cans. ROYAL BAK?
ING POWDER ?0 106 W*n-*r.. N" Y
'MASES ^^^^1
h ates
III
frp----psaassa K: M 1 i- ^
Should be used a few montLs before ccaLnemcsit.
-Send for book f To SIOTHEES," snailed free.
BRADFIELD REGXTLATOE CO., Atlanta, Ga.
THE SUMTER
FOR BOYS.
Location Healthy and pi?-.-is:tnt.
Cours?- of Instruction Thorough
?^Good Boarding Acco:nmcd.itions
Terms reasoned?.
Pupils prepared for CuHvge or Business.
PALL SESSION-Sept 5 io Dre. 23.. 1867.
. SPRING SESSION"-??rn. 2 to June -, ISSS".
Best ret'eieoces given.
For Circulars or other information, aoph
?to A. c. MCINTOSH, A. M." *
Principal.
* Lock Box No 40.
'Oct. 5. Sumter, S C.
LANDS FOR SALE.
THE PLANTATION seven miles North?
west of the Town of Sumter, known as
the '*Koox Place'' condining S>0 acres
about 500 of which are arable-- i 00 of which
is open and under fence, and is used as pas
tare land; and the balance is wood land.
This place has upon it a large S'room
dwelling, baro3, stables* cow house, har?
ness and gear room and other out houses
appurtenant-, also large Gin House. 12 frame
'tecant houses and other improveme::*s. Ali
of which are ia good repair. "
-ALSO
Place lying partly within corporate limits
?f tke?'own of Sum*erf near "Sumter Cotton
Sills" Factory, and horderir.ir ou the W C
k. A. Railroad extension from Sumter to Geor?
gia, known a? the ^Dargan Place," cootain
rng acres, about 08 of which are cleated,
and the balance is iu woodland.
This place contains a 7 room dweTKng.
oars, stables, carriage hon?-?. wagon -i.-.
truck rooms, 2-room servaras hou?'-, small
.tore-bouse, good water, fine- garden spot,
bunch-grape and scuppernong vines* plum,
pear, peach, apple and other kinds of fruit
trees, 5 good frame tenant houses (which
tent for the aggregate sum of ?10.50 per
toon th.)
The latter pince will be sold as ? whole or
in lots, the former ?s a who!*2- or in parcels.
Parties wishing to inspect said places with
Tiew of purchasing will be shown ti;- ratter
by Mr. W..R. Brown, who no^v occupies the
dwelling, or the former by the undersigned.
Terms (except for lots) one-third cnsh.
balance in one and two ye.irs with interest
from date of sale and possession, secured by
Bonds or Bonds and mi>.-rgi?[" or mortgages
of purchaser or purchasers. For futher iu
formation address tie undersigneds
W. D. BLANDING, Sumter S. C.
ypv. 2-4t
mm mmmi\
FOE SALE,
FR CASH, OR ON GOOD SEC URI TIES.
All in first-class order.
One Frick & Co , 8 horse power En?
gine and Boiler, .-?2r>::- 00
OneSteaur3 35 horse bower Engine, 400
One Lane Saw Mill Carriage with set
works, Rack Irons, Cheers and
Rollers Complete, for 200 00
One Edging Saw, Mandril and^Table
with twenty-five feet of "Y" and
Flat Track, twenty-two feet of
Carriage and two Saws, fur 100 00
T*eabove is at BARGAIN PRICES and
could not be replaced new fur twice the
amount.
MOSES & ?IAKBY.
SgP^*_ Sumter. S. C.
Fish and Oysters, j
ERCEIJTED DAILY, during the s^son I
fresh fish and Oysters, which will be
sent to the homes of customers wbeu so !
?ordered.
The patronage of the citizeus solicited
Xeaxe oxdexs at the Express Offic*.
_ .J.M.SPANN.
WAITING.
'are not. it sorae outstrip thee in the race;
The race is coi unto.the swift or strong;
Thy gift will wait for thee however long;
io hand but thine can take fi from its piace.
'are not, nor haste ; there is no soon or late,
Bat all things have their seasons-stars to
rise,
Each star its place aud moment in the
skies :
\ud thoa must teach thy anxious heart to
wait
?ow many years in God's eternal pian
Tbe elements had waited, till they found
Their point jn time's great circle rolling
. round, SP
?o make thee what thou are.O Son of man.
\o hand may touch the wheels of God's
design
To hasten or retard them ; and no power
Can keep thee, at the one appointed hour,
TOO finding that which right pronounces
thine.
-Samuel V. Cole, in the Critic.
By H. ?IWEE HAGGARD.
?.cjpoR or "xrxa SOLO:-:O>:"S MINTS. " "SITE,'
"JESS," "THE WITCH'S HEAD," ETC.
* ICOXTIXU?D.1
"Mayhap, too," she worst on. :%l shall lose
my crown,andrwith my crownmj-life and-'
thine also. Serais is very strong and very
bitter, and if she prevails she will not spare.
"Who can read thc future? Happiness is the
world's white bird, that alights seldom, and
flies fast and far tiil cue day ho is lost in the
clouds. Therefore should we hold him fast if
by any chance he rests for a little space upon
our band. It is not wisc to neglect the
present for the future, for who knows what
the futuro will be, Incubu? Let us ?.'luck our
flowers while the dew is on them, for when
the sun is up they wither, and on ruc morrow
will others bloom that we shall never see."
And she lifted her sweet face to him and
smiled into his eyes, and once more I felt a
horrible pang of jealousy, and turned and
went away. Tivy never took much notice of
whether I was there or not, thinking, ? sup?
pose, thar Twas an old fool, and that it did
not matter one way or the other, and really I
believe they were right.
So I went back to our quarters, and rumi?
nated over things in general, and watched old
Umslopogaas whetting his ax cr.tside the
window, as a vulture whets his beak beside a
dying ox.
And in about an hours time Sir Henry
canto tearing over, looking very radiant and
wildly excited, and found Good and myself,
and even Umslopogaa-, and asked us if we
should like to assist ut a real wedding. Of
course we said yes, and oil we went to the
chapel, where ' we found Agon looking as
sulky as any high priest possibly could: and
no wonder. It appeared that lie and Ny?ep
tha had had a slight difference of opinion
alKHit the coming ceremony. He had flatly
refused to celebrate it, or to allow any of his
priests to do so, whereupon Nyleptha became
very angry, and told him that she, as queen,
was head of the church, and meant to l>e {
obeyed. Indeed, she played the part of a j
Zu-Vondi Henry VIII to perfection; and in- i
sisted that if she wanted to be married >hz \
would be married, and he should many her. j
He still refused to go through the cere
"Well, I cannot execute a high priest, be?
cause there is an absurd prejudice against ic,
and I cannot imprison him, because all his
subordinates would raise a crying that would
bring tho stars down on Zn-Vendis and crush
it. but I can leave him to contemplate tho
altar of the Sun without anything to eat. l?e- ?
cause that is his natural vocation; and if
thou wilt hot many me, O Agon! thou shalt
be ?daced before the altar yonder, with
naught but a litte water lill such time a*=
thou hast reconsidered the matter."
2iow, a-^ it happened. Agon had been hur?
ried away that morning without his break?
fast, and was already &xceedingi3" hungry, sc
ho presently modified his views and consented \
to marry them, saying at the same time that '
he washed his bands of all responsibility in
the matter.
So it happened that presently, attended j
only by two of her favorite maidens, came
tuc Queen ^yleptua, with happy Washing !
face and downcast eyes, dressed in pure I
wldtc, without embroidery of any sort, as
seems to be the fashi:>:i .on these occasions in
most countries of the world. She did not '
wear a single ornament even her gold circlets
were removed, and I thought that it possible
she looked more lovely than ever without
Lhem, as really superbly beautiful women do.
She came, courtesied low to Sir Henry, and
Iben took his hand and led him up before the
altar, and after a little pause, in a slow, clear
voice uttered tiie following words, which are
customary in Zu>Vendis if the bride desires
and the man consents:
"Thou dost swear by thc Sun that thou wilt
take no other woman to wife unless ? lay my
hand upon her and bid her come:""
**1 swear it," added Sir Henry, adding in
English, "One is quite enough for me."
Then Agou.wuo had been sulking in a . .orner
near the altar, came forward und gabbled off
something into his beard at such a vate that I
could not follow ir, but it appeared to be an
invocation to the Sun to bless th*- union and
make it fruitful. I observed that Xyieptba
listened very closely to every word, and after?
ward discovered that sk-.' was afraid lest
Agon should play her a trick, and by going
through the ??vocatioiis backward divorce ?
instead'-; {narry them. At the end of the
invocations they--were asked, as-in our serv- j
ice. U they toole'.each Other for. busd'sud and j
wife, and ".: their ass* i:: they hi*s. d each j
other before the altar and the service was
over; so far ;is tbeiv rites were concerned;
But it seemed to me that there was yet some?
thing wanting, and so 1 produced a prayer
book, which has. together with the ""Ingolds
by Lfegetids." that i often read ?ben 1 lie
awake at night, accompanied nie in ail my
later wanS rings. 1 gave it t-> my i? boy |
Harry years ago, and after his d- ath J found I
it among his things and took ir ba k again:
"Curt:-." I said, -I am not a clergyman, j
and J m t know if what i am going to pro- i
j>?se is alio wahl-I know it not legal-but i
if you and the queen have <,., objection, I !
should like to read the English marriage !
service over yen. it is a solemn step which i
you are tak lng. and I think that you . !
as far as c:reurn-:;?:i: ' s e. .ii t., give i;
tue sanction of your own religion."
.*i have thought < >f that." he >aid, "and i '.
wish you would. I do .*:.: :".?-.! half- marri'*! j
yet.""
Nvle^thn raised i:o?.J.jV< rio:?.. fully dn<:?v- S
standing 5 i;::* b r hus!?and ? ishe?] tveeiebrat? I
Lug in IA-, own countrv, and so I s-1 to work
md read thes^rvice from "Dearly beloved" j
to "ama? mi nt," a< w. !i a> I could: and R hoii j
[came to "?, H?-nry, take-thc-. Xyleptkn.'' I I
rra:;.-i'at'ti. and also "?. Nyiepth:i, take thoo, j
Henry." which sbe repented after mo very I
weU. Then Sir Henry took a p?am gold ring ;
from "his little -?inger and plarred it <'.M hoi's, ]
and S" <<a t'> Ii:?- end. The ring had been j
Curtis moth-rs wedding ring, and 3 could
not h'-I:> thinking Low astonished the d'ar j
oMiY.orkshFiedady would have been if she j
could haye foreseen that her wedding >ing !
was to serve a similar purpose for Nyi-ptka,
a qu-en <.;' ! he 7,-:-V< ndi.
As for A~on, he was with difficulty, kept j
calm wldle th?? second ceremonv was "cmg i
on. f?>r i,e at once und? rst- ?od that i: was p> ;
ligiou<s in its r.atu:;e. and doubtless bethought ;
hbo of the ninety five nev.- faiths which ?
Ibouied up^oonnn?'osiy in hise}es. Ind -?.}. he j
at;once set me down as a rival high j ri-sr,
and hated mc accordingly. However, in the !
end olF he went, posil p.-ely bristling wp.b in- I
cognation, and I knewrhat wemight look out
for dang' r from his dir .?::..!.,.
And eff wen: Goo<l and I, an?lo:d (Jmslopo- ?
raasalsojcaving t be ha;>py pair to themselves, \
and very low wea.il felt. Marriages are sup- j
posed to be cheerful things, but my experi- ?
^ncc is that they are very much thc reverso
to everybody except, perhaps, the twopeoplo
chierty interested. They mean the breaking
np of somany old tics as well, as thc under
talcing of so many new ones, and there is
alway? something sad about the passing away
of the-'.?1?! order.
So Good and I went and ate in silence, and
them indulged in an extra fine, flagon of old
Zu-Vendian to keep our spirits up, and pres?
ently one of our attendants came and told a
story that.gave us something to think about.
It may, perhaps, be remembered that after
his quarrel with TJhislopogaas, Alphonse had
gone oil in at i exceedingly ill temper to sulk
over his scratches. Well, it appears that ho
.walked right past tho temple totbeSun, dow n
the wide road on the farther side of the slope
it crowns and thence on into thc beautiful
park or pleasure gardens, which atv laid out
just beyond thc outer wail. After wandering
about there for a little he started to return,
but was met near the outer gate by Sorais1
train of chariots, which were galloping
furiously along the great northern road.
"When she caught sight of Alphonse, Sorais
halted her train and called to him. On ap?
proaching he was instantly seized and dragged
into otic of the chariots and carried off, '.cry?
ing out loudly,7' as our informant said, and
as, from my general knowledge of him, I can
well believe.
At first I was much puzzled to know what ob- ?
ject Sorais could have in carrying off the poor
little Frenchman. She could hardly stoop so i
low as to try to wreak her fury on one -whom ?
she knew was only a servant. " It would not '
be in keeping with her character to do so. At ?
last, however, an idea occurred to me. We j
three were, as I think I have said, much
revered by the people of Zu-Vendis at large, |
both because we were thc first strangers they j
had ever seen, and because wc were supposed j
to"be the ]*ossessors of almost supernatural:
wisdom. Indeed, though .Sorais' cry against j
the "foreign wolves,* or, to translate it more I
accurately, "foreign li}-enas,v was sure to gc ;
down very well with the nobles and the j
priests, it was nor, as we learned, likely to be !
pi rricuinrly effective among the bulk of the |
population. The Zu-Yondi people, like the ?
Athenians of old. are ever seeking for some j
new tiling, and just because we .were so new j
our presence was, on the whole, acceptable to j
them. Again, Sir Henry s magnificent per- j
sonal appearance made a. deep impression :
upon a rac? who possess a greater love of !
Beauty than any other I have ever b en ac- i
quain ted with. Beauty may be prized in ;
other countries^ but in Zn-Vendis it * almost !
worshiped, as, indeed, the national love of i
statuary snows. The people said openly ia j
tho market places, that there was not a man
in tiie country to touch Curtis in personal
appearance, as, with the exception of Sorais,
there was no woman who could compete with
Nyleptba, and that therefore it was meet that
they should many; and that he h::d been
sene by the Sm: as a husband for their queen.
Now, from ail this it will be seen that the
outcry against us was to a considerable es?
tent fictitious, and nobody knew it I ?ct er
than Sorais herself. Consequently it struck
nie that, it might have occurred to her that
down in the country and among the country
people, ic : would be better to place thc reason
of her conflict with her sister upon other and
more general grounds than Nyleptha's mar?
riage with the stranger. It would be oa^y in
a laud where there bad been so many civil
wars to rake out some old cry that would
stir up thc recollection of buried feuds, and,
indeed, she soon f omul aa effectua! one. This
being so, itwas of great importance to her
to have one of the strangers with her whom
she could show to the common people as a
great outlander, wiio had been so struck by
thc justice of her cause that he had elected
tb leave his companions ar.d follow be?
standard:
This, no doubt, "was the cause of her anxiety
to got- a hold of Good, whom she would have
used till he ceased to bo of service and then
east off. I;i:t Good havirt^ dra w jr back, shes
grasped at. the opportunity pf securing Al?
phonse; who was not unlike him in personal
appearance, though smaller, no doubt with
tho object of showing bim off in tb^ cities and
country as the great- UougwaTi himself. I
told Good that 1 thought that that was her
?plan, ar.d his face was a sight to see, he was !
so bonified at the idea.
''Whatr he sai'r? "dress up that little ?
wretch to represent me? Why, I shall have j
to get out of tue-couutryl Sly reputation wiil j
be ruined forever."
I consoled him as weil as I could, but it is \
nor, pleasant to be personated ail over a '
strange country by an arrant little coward^ j
and I can quite sympathize with his vexa?
tion.
Well, that night Good and I messed, as I j
have said, in solitary grandeur, feeling-very !
much as though we had just returned from :
burying a friend instead of manyi;:g otto, !
and next morning the work began in rood .
earnest. The^messnges ami orders which had j
bern dispatched by Nyleptha two days ? eforo ?
now began to take effect, anti nw:lti:udes of !
armed'men came pouring imo the dry. Wo j
saw, as may be imagined, but very b'.tle of ?
Nyle.piha and not toe? much ot Curtis during j
titos? next few days, but GO<H? mid I ?at daily :
with the council of general and loyal lords, !
drawing up ??Ians of action; arranging com- j
missariat matters, the distribution of com?
mands, and a hundred and one other things.
Men came in freely, anil all the d;iy lung the
great roads leading to 3?Hosis were spotted
with the banners <>f lords arriving from their
places to rally Pound Xylcptha.
After the-first two days it became eleni*
that we should bo a!?le to take the fi;?ic: w ith
about forty thousand infantry and twenty
thousai>l cavalry-a veiy respectable forccj
considering how snort was the. rime we had
toco??e?? it, and tbarabout half of li:?- reg .- I
Jar army had elected t<> follow Serais.
But if our force was large. S rai-." was,
according to the reports brought in dav by
day by our spies, much larger. Site had
takenup lier headquarters at a very strong j
town called M'A rsl una. situated, as 1 have |
said. tot.bo north of Mitosis, a?:d al? th;* i-oun- j
try sid- was fl.x-king t?. her standard. Xastn .
had pour.-il down from his highlands, and
was. on h;> way to jj?hl her with tu* ?ess than
twenty-live thousand of his mountaineers
th - most te;-;::.:.. r-..id7e;>; to fae:- .,, ai j Zn
Vendis. Another mighty lord,uam.??l JVlu
F.ba, who lived in the great horse breeding
dis: riet, had come'in with twelve thousand
cavalry, and so on. Indeed, what I ?et ween j
on" tiling anti ati'-thor. it seemed certain that j
sile vv..i:?<? gatherii fud y armed host_of nearly j
on- hundred thousand men.
And tile!; came lia- news that she was pro- j
P't?> break up lier camp and march on j
tho Frowning (*ityit>>'lf,.d?.*sohtri_ng the conn- j
try ;?< >].?. eaine. Thv.re.onarose thequestion j
wlieth-r it would lu- !?.<;. t" meei her av ;
M.---:s "r t?. go out und give her battle. ;
When oar . ?pmion wa> asked utx?n theautr '
ji--\<;.! and I unh*-sitalingl\' gave ir in
favor of an advance, lt w<; weivto >-imt. "ur- j
?....? s lip in the ft ryan?l wait to be attacked; \
it y- ns [-bat our inaction wonidby J
set >I. ? v. ?i i" fear. U is so very important, ;
esp.- ia" ly on au occasion of this sort. v. hen a ?
Ver\ bit.*?.v. i;? sni'iee lo turn m?-m> -opinions
on - way ']>.. ?.:!...-!-. tu lie np and doing '
ion.-. Arilof :'. >r a r:iu>e wiil soon :
... . , . i
evaporate ll t u?- eause ijoes liol move, pul .-it,
UyWJl to ConqU'f. Therefore We east, oui' !
Cot f.? r i?o'yjng .-i;: ;.?, ] giving hattie in the
open, i:? *e.; i .,?' waiting lill we were drawn j
from our va??? like a badger from a hob.:
Sn Henry's opinion eomeided with ours, j
atui >.'. needless to say, did timi of Xyleplha, |
who. like a t'lint, was always ready to flash ;
out tilt". A gre??* M nip i-f the country was :
brought and spread om before her. About '
tliirtyiiiihis this sitie of M'Arstuna, where :
S irais was. abd ninety odd miles from Milosis, j
th\?;roud ranover, ri neel: of land w.?uie two j
and a half m ies in width, and flanked on
either .-: ie i-\ forest clad hills which, wiil ..nt ;
l" it:-_r ! . : v, would be qiiiroijuprael wily for j
agr?ai i .r.";:i;,'" laden army to rr? ?ss. Sljy ;
J . r?r;iestlv at the map, and then, willi a ?
qui- ku? . : p iv-ption that in some w<?meu J
amounts abu?>st lo an instinct, she laid her j
finger ilpili t ins i--? k ot risine; ground, anil j
turning t-- her Imsband, said, -with a pr?-?u?l j
air of !- .nti.l?-n**e and a toss of the goldeu j
head, j
"Here shalt thou meet Sorais1, armies. I j
know the sp?'t: hero shalt thou m^tt them,
and drive them before thee like tb. du>t be- |
fore the storm."
But Curtis looked grave and said nothing, j
CHAPTER XX.
TU1.; BATTLE OF THE PASS.
It was on the third morning after this inci?
dent of the map that Sir Henry and I started.
With the exception of a small guardrail the
great host hail moved on tho night before, j
leaving the Frowning City very silent and j
empty. Indeed, it was fouu<l ?.mr?essible to !
leave any garrison, wi; h thy exception of a j
personal guard for Isyleptha and abcut 3,000 j
men who fr? ?rn sickness or one cause or an* |
other were unable to proceed with the anny"; !
but as the place was practically impregnable, !
and as our enemy was in front and not behind I
us, tins tiki not sc much matter.
Good and Umslopogaas hail gono on with j
the arniy, but ISykptha accompanied Sir
Henry and myself to the city nates, ? -ding a I
magnificent white horse called . Daylight, I
which was supposed to be the fleetest and ?
most enduring animal in- Zit-Vendis. Her j
face bore traces of recent weeidng, but there j
were no tears .ia her eyes now, indeed she was !
bearing up bravely against what must hav? ?
been a bitter trial to her. At the gate she i
reined in her horse and bade us farewell. On j
the previous day she had reviewed and ad"- j
dressed the officers of the great army, sneak- j
jug to them such high, eloquent words and j
expressing so complete a confidence in their j
valor and in their ultimate victory that she
quite carried their hearts away; and cs sho j
rode from rank to rank they cheered her till j
the ground shook. And now today the same |
mood seemed to be on her.
"Fare thee weli, Macumazahn!* she said. I
"l?enieml>cr, I trust tc thy wits, which are cs j
a needle to a spear handle compared to those j
of my people, to save us-from Serais. I know i
tha? thou wilt do thy duty."
I bowed and explained to her my horror of i
fighting, and my fear lest I should lose my j
head, at which she laughed gently and turned j
to Curtis.
'.Fare thee well," my lord!" she said. >:Come j
back with victory;, mid as a king, or on thy j
soldiers" spears."
Sir Henry said nothing, but turned his !
horse to go; perhaps he had a bit of a lump" i
in his throat. One gets over it afterwards,
but these sort Of partings arc trying when one j
has only been married a week.
'Here,3 added ?syiepiha, "will I greet yo !
when yo return in triumph. And now, my j
lords, once moro fare wei il"
Then we rode on, but when we kad*gon# !
139 yards or so, we turned and perceived her j
still sitting on her horse at the Same spotV j
and looking .'ut after its beneath her hand, ;
and that v. xs the hist we saw of her. About
a mile farther on; however, we heard gallop1
lng behind us, and looking round, saw a j
mounted soldier coming toward us, leading j
??yi?ptka's matchless Steed, DavJight.
Then wc rode on.
"The queen sends the white stallion as a ?
farewell gift to her Lord Ir.cnbu, and bids me j
tell my lord that he is the fleetest and the j
most enduring horse in ail thc land," said the |
soldier, bending to ids saddle bow before us.
At first Sir I ienry did not want to take tho j
horse, saying that ho was too good for such |
rough work, but I persua???d him to do so, I
thinking that .Nyl-ptka would Ivo hurt if he J
did not. Tittie i lid I guess at - the tiree what j
service that noble h*rsc would render in our :
sorest need. It is curious to look back and j
realize upon what trivial and apparently ac- j
?dental circumstances great events frequently ;
turn, as easily and as naturally as a door on ?
its hinges.
"Well, -we took the horse, and a beauty ho ?
was; it was a perfect pleasure to. seo him ;
move: and. Curtis Laving sont back his greet- j
iugs and thanks, we prcrccd-xl on our jour- !
ney.
By midday wo overtook the rear guard of !
the great anny, of which Sir Henry formally
took ??vcr th.e command. . It was a heavy rc- !
spons?b?ity; and it oppressed him very much, j
but the queen's injunctions on the point were I
sueh.as-did not admit of being trifled with, j
Ile was beginning tu lind out that greatness ?
has ?ts responsibilities as weil as its glories. j
Theil we maredied on without meeting with
any opposition, almost indeed without seeing \
anybody, for th" populations of tho towns ]
and villages al^ng our route had for tho most j
part fled, fearing lest they should be caught ]
between the two rival armies and ground to j
powder like grain between the upper a;>j
the nether st mea.
On the evening of the fourth day-for the
progress of so great a multitude was necessa?
rily slow-we camped two nulos this side of
the neck or ridge 1 have spoken of, and our !
Outposts brought us word that Sorais, with
all her "power, was rolling down upon tu*, and :
hud camped that night ten miles the further :
side of the neck. j
Accordingly, before dawn we sent forward !
1,000 cavalry to seize the position. Scarcely I
had they occupied ir. however, before they !
were attacked by about as many of SoraLs' ;
horsemen, ami a very smart little cavalry ?
fight, ensued, with a loss to us of about thirty j
men killed. On the advance of our supports, ;
however, Sorais1 force drew off, carrying j
their ?lead and wounded with them?
The main body of the army reached thc ;
nick about dinner time, and I must say that i
Nylep'-a's judgment had not failed her; it j
was an admirable place to give battle In, cs- :
pecialiy to a superior force.
The road ran down a mile or mere, through
ground too-broken to admit of the handling
of any considerable force, till it reached the
crest of a great green wave of land that
rolled down a gentle slope to the banks of a
little stream, and thou rolled away again up
a still gentler slope to thc plain beyond, the
distance from the crest of the land wave
down to tho stream being a. little over half a
mile, and from the stream up to the plain be?
yond a trifle less. The length of this wave
of land a" its highest point, which corre?
sponded exactly with; the width of tho-ncck
of land between the wooded h?ls, was about
two miles and a quarter, and it was proteet"i-d
on either side hy dense, rocky, bush dad
ground that afforded a,most valuable coyer
to the thinks of the army, and rendered it
almost impossible for thom to be turned.
It was on the. higher slope of tins neck of
land that Curtis encamped his army in the
same formation that he had. after consulta?
tion with the-various g?nerais. Good and my?
self. ?Jetern?hiccl ibm ihey ..hoiiM occupy in
the great pit?-hod battle which now appeared
to |?o imminent.
Our force of OM.II.I m- n was. roughly
speaking; ?iivi? 1?'?1 a* f?-.H?>'ws: In the center
was a l?ense 1? ni y < ?;' L '.Oin if? tit .*?. ?Miers, armed
with spears, swords and I ii pp? ?pota mus hide
shields, bivnst and baa; plates. These formed
the chest of the army, and we're supported by
y.Oo? foot and i}miHM horse in reserve, (hi
?.it her side of this chestw.:re stationed 7 .cot j
horse, an ringcd ?n'd?>ep, majestic squadrons: j
rind beyond, and on either si?l?\ but slightly :
in front ol' them, again were tan bo?lil's, j
numbering about T,0">' spc a mieneach, form- j
jug t.{i?.> right and left wings of the army, ai:?l
each supp??ried ly a contingent of some l%f?0h ;
cavalry. This makes in all '',;>."oo men.
(."arris commanded in ci oct", J wa-; in com?
mand of the T.ooii horse bel ween i he chest and
right wing, win?di was commanded by Oooil, :
a nd. the ot lier battalions ami squadrons, were
intrusted io /'u-\"en?ii generals.
Scarcely liad we tn: --it np our positions be?
fore Sorais- vast army begnnto swann on the
opposite slop.* about a mile in front of u<. till
the whole place seemed alive with the multi?
tude of her spear points, and thc ground j
shook with the tramp of her battalions, lt
was evident that the spies had nor exag?
gerated; we were outnumbered by at least a
third. At first we expected that Sorais was j
going to nt taek us at one?, a* the clouds of
cavalry which hung upon her flanks executed j
some threatening demonstrations, but she ;
thought better of it, mid there was no fight j
that day. As for the formation of her great
forces I cannot now describe it Tri tb aecu
aud it would only serve to bewilder if 1
but I may say. generally, taut in its Ie;
features it resembled our own, only hi
serve was much greater.
Opposite our light ' wing, end for
Sorais' left wing, was a great army of i
wild looking me:\ armed with sword
?shield only, v.'ueb, I was informed^ was
posed of I>. <a*s ?i3;000 savage hiibmen.
.viv v rd, Good," said I, when I sawt
'.you V...1 catch it to-morrow when
gentlemen charge!" whereat Good not
naturally looked rather anxious.
A", day wc watched and waited, but :
. happened, and nt hist night fell, c
\ a?usand watch fires twinkled brightly o
.slopes, to wane and dio one by one iii;
sta i's they resembled, as the hours wo
and the silence gradually gathered :
deeply tiver thc opposing hosts.
It was a very "wearying night, for ir
dition to tho endless things that had
seen to-, there was our gnawing suspen
reckon with. The fray which to-mo
would witness would bo so vast, and
slaughter s? awful, that stout, indeed, i
the Jieart have- been that was not <
whelmed at the prospect.
The time woro away till everything
ready for tho coming slaughter; a;;
lay down and thought, end tried to ;
little rest.
And at last up came the red sun. and
huge camps awoke with a clash and a i
and gathered themselves together for ba
It was a beaittiful and awe inspiring sc
and old Uinslopogdasi leaning on his
contemplated it with grim delight.
"Xever have I see:i t e like, Macumr.z:
never," he,said. ..Tho battles of my pe
are as the play of children to what this
be. . Tiikikest thou that they will fig!
outP
"Ay," I answered cadlj", t{to thc de
Content-.thyself-, \Woodpecker,' for euee s
thou find thy lilt"
Time went on, and still there was no
of an attack. A force of cavalry ero
the brook, indeed, and rode slowly along
front, evideutiy taking stock of our posi
and numbe*". With this we did not arte:
to interf .. as our decision was to st
strictly <. : . .:o defensive, and not to was;
single mau. The men breakfasted and st
to their arms, and the hours wore on. Al
midday; when the tuen were eating tl
dinner, for we thought they would fight
ter on full stomach?, a shout ' of -Sv':
Sorais." arose like thunder from the" enen
extreme right, and taking the glas:, I .
able to clearly distinguish the badyof
Xight horse!:', surrounded by a glitter
staff, and riding slowly corni the Hines of
battalions. Ar.d hs shel went; that migl
thundering shout rolled along before fieri
the rolling of 10,000 chariots, or the roar
of the ocean when the gale tarns sudde
and carries the noise of it to the listen
ears, tiil the earLh shook, and the air was ;
of the majesty of sound.
Guessing that this was a prelude to the
ginning of the battle, we remained still ?
made readj*.
We had not long to wait. Suddenly, 1
flame from a camions mouth, out shot t
great tongue like forces of cavalry, and ca
charging down the slope towards the lil
stream, slowly at first, but gathering sp<
as they came. Before they got to the strea
orders reached me from Sir Henry, who e
dullly feared that the shock of sucha char
if allowed to fall unbroken upon our
fantry, would be too much for them, to se
five thousand sabers to meet tho force <
posite to me, at the moment" when it began
mount the stiffest of the lise about fe
hundred yards from our lines: -This I did, :
maining behind myself with tho rest of i
men.
Off wetit the o,000 horsemen* drawn up
a wed-rellke form, and I must say that t
general in command handled them very ab]
Starting at a baud gallop for tho first ?
yards, be rode straight? ai tho tit) of t
tongue shaped mass of cavalry which, nut
bering, so far as I couid judge, about ?ig
Ikonsand sabers, was nd vanning to meet t
Then he suddenly swerved to the right ai
put on tlte pace, and I saw the great wed;
curl round, and bei ore the foo could che<
himself and turu to meet it, strike him abo
half way down In's length with a crashin
rending sound, like the breaking up of va
sheet .5 of iee. Ia sank the great wedge in
his heart, and as ic cut its way hundreds <
horsemen were thrown up on cither side of i
justas thc earth is thrown up by a plot
share, or, moro like still, as the foaming wat
curls over beneath the bows of a rushii
ship. In, yet in, vainly does the tongue twi
its ends round :::i arony, like an injured snak
and strive to protect ils center; still faith'
in, by Heaven' right through, ami so, am
cheer after cheer from our watching thoo
ands, back again upon the severed *mdj, bea
ing them downr driving them as a gale tiri v.
spray, till at last, amid the rushing of hm
drcds of riderless horses, lite Hashing <
sw? -rds, and the victorious clamor of the
pursuers, the great force crumples up liko a
empty glove, then turns and gallops pell me
for safety back to its own lines.
I do not think it reached them more tba
two-thirds as strong as it went out ten mn
Utes before. The lines which were now ai
vaiicing to the attack opened and swallowo
tbem up, and my force-returned; having su
fered a los> of.ou ly about ti vt? hundred men
not randi. I thought, considering the fiera
ness of the struggle. I could also see that th
opposing bodies of cavalry cai oiir left win
were drawing back, but bow the fight wen
with them 1 do not quite know. It is a
much as I can do to describe what took plac
immediately around me.
By this lime the immense lUasses of the on
erny's left, composed almost entirely of Xas
ta's swordsmen, were across the ?itt le stream
and with alternate yells of ''Xasta" and ".Si
rais,"' with dancing banners and glean:in:
swo. ds were swarming up toward us Iib
ants.
Again J received orders to try and died
this movement, and al.-o tho main ad'va no
against the chest Of cur army, by.nicaus o
cavalry charges, ami tin's I d?t! to Ibo best o
my ability by t'orttinually sending squadron:
of about a thousand sabers out against them
These squadrons did the*- enemy much dam
age, and it nasa glorious sight to see then
Hash down t!ie hinside and bury thenjselve*
like ?i living knife in the heart of the foe.
fiut, also, we |o.-r many men, for after th.* ex?
perience of a couple nf these charges, which
had drawn a sort of bioody St. Andrew"*
cross of dead and dying through the centemi
XascaVs hosts, our foes no longer attempted to
offer an Unyielding front to their irresistible
weight, but opened but to Jet tho rush go
through, throwing themselves on the ground,
and hluiisiringing hundreds of Inu'ses As they
passed.
And so, notwithstanding all that we could
do. e?cmj" drew nearer, titi at last lie
hurled hin: :? if upon .Tnod*.-; forre *>f "..V?t*
regulars, who vivre drawn np to reeeive them
in three r-trong squares. About lite same
time, ino. an awful and heart; shaking rons
?old me that the maia battle fur.? dosed in on
ttie center and ext reme left. I raided myself
in HIV stirrups and looked down to my left;
s? far iii - eye could see 'ilse iv was along
daztdihg shimmer of steel as the ?-un glanced
upon falling and thrusting spear.
To and fro swung tie' contending lines in
that dread struggle.. u?W giving way. now
-.-lining a little ut tho mad yet ordered confu?
sion "I attack and defense, lint ir uns as
much ns 1 could do to keep e< nut of what was
happening to our ow n w ing; un i, as for the
moment the cavalry had fallen bark under
trover ?">? t-'ood's taree ??piaros, I had a fair
view of this.
Na-!a's v. ?ld swo:-??.-mei> were now bivi king
in red y.'ayes against the : nilen rode like,
squares, limo niter time dil they yd! rat
their war cries, and hurl ihemsdv? s furiously
again?.: the long t riple i Mg. s of sp -ir points,
on ty to ie rolled bark a-> billows are when,
they nu . t tho clin*.
Ar.d. so for four long hours the battle raged
nlmo-t without a pnu.-c. and at 1??e ?nitI of
that time, if wo had gained Kolbing ?ye had
lost ?nothing. Two attempts to turn our left
flank, by inning a way through ibo wood by
which it was protected, had Iteen defeated.; j
and as yet Pasta's swordsmen had, notwiih- j
standing their desperate efforts, entirely j
failed to break Good's three square-, though j
they liad thinned their numbers by quite n j
third.
As for tlie chest of the army, where Sir j
Tierny was with his ?taff and fJmslopogaos,!? i
Lad suffered dreadfully, but it bad held its
omi with honor, and tho same may be said
of our left battle.
At last the attacks slackened and Sorais'
army drew back, having, I llegan to think,
had enough of it. On this point, however. I
was soon undeceived; for, splitting up her
cavalry into comparatively small squadrons,
she charged us furiously with them all along
thc linc and then once more rolled lier lens of
tltousaud? of sword and spear men down
upon our weakened squares and .squadrons
Sorais herself directing the movement and,
fearless as a lioness; heading thc main attack.
On they caine iikc au avalanche-I saw her
golden helm gleaming in the vail-our coun?
ter charges of cavalry entirely failing to
check their forward sweep. .Now they bad
struck us, and our center bent in like a bow
beneath thc weight of their rush-it parted,
"and had not the 10.00J men m reserve charged
down to its support it must have been de?
stroyed. As for GOO?CS three squares, they
were swept backward. Like boats upon an in?
coming tide and the foremost one was burst
into and lost half its remaining men. But
the effort was too fierce and terrible to last
Suddenly tho battle came, as it were, to a
turning point and for a minute or two stood
still.
Then it ?xga? to move toward Sorais'
camp. Just then, too, Nasta's fierce and ab
most invincible highlanders-, either because
they were disheartened by their losses or by
way of a ruse, fell back and the remains of
Good's gallant squares, leaving the positions
they had held for so many hours, cheered
wildlyiahd rashly followed then! down the
slope, whereon the swarms of swordsmen
turned, tc envelop them and once more flung
themselves upon them with a yell. Taken
thus on ever* side, what remained of the first
square was quickly destro}* ed, and I perceived,
that the second, in which I could see Good
himself on a large horse, was on the point of
annihilation. A few minutes more and it
was broken, its streaming colors sank, and I
lost fight of Good in the confused and hide?
ous slaughter that ensued.
Presently, however, a cream colored horse
with a snow white inane and tail burst from
the ruins of the square and came rushing
past me riderless and with wide streaming
reins, and in it I recognized the charger that
Good had been riding. Then I hesitated no
longer, but-taking with me half my effective
cavalry force, which now, amounted to be?
tween 4,000 and 5,C0? men, I commended my?
self to God, and without waiting for orders,
I charged straight down upon ?sasia's swords?
men. Seeing me coming and being warned
bjr the thunder of my horses' woofs, the ma?
jority of them faced round and gave us a
right warm, *velcome. Sot an inch would
they yield; in vain did wo hack and trample
them down ai; we plowed a broad red furrow
through their thousands; they seemed to rc- j
arise by' .hundreds, driving their terrible i
sharp swords into our horses or severing
their hamstrings and then hacking the i
troopers who came to the ground with :
them almost into pieces. My horsti I
was speedily killed under me, but luckily 1 j
had a fresh one, my own favorite, a coal black j
mare Nyleptha had given me being held in ?
reserve behind,- and on this I afterward
mounted. Meanwhile I had to get.along as
best I could, for I was pretty well lost sight
of by my men in the mad confusion of the
moment. My voice, of course: could not be
heard in the midst of the clanging of st?el
and the shrieks cf rage and agony. Pres?
ently 1 found myself mixed up with the rem?
nants of the square, which had formed round
its leader, Good, and was fighting desper?
ately for existence. I stumbled against some
l>ody, and, glancing down, caught sight of
Good's ey eg lr. ss. He had been beaten to his j
knee: Over him was a great fellow, swing- !
in g a hca^y sword. Somehow I managed to j
run the man through with the sime I had j
taken from thc Masai whose hand I had cut
ont: but as I did so he .dealt mc a frightful j
blow in tho left side and breast with the
sword, and, though my*chain shirt saved my
life, I felt that I was badly hurt. For a min?
ute I fell oil to my hands and knees among
the deal anti ?lying, and turned sick and
faint. When I came to again I saw that
Xastas spearmen, or rather these of them
that remained, were retreating back across
tho stream, and that Good was there by me
smiling beamingly.
*0?ear gc thar," he shouted, "but all's weil
that ends weil."
I assented, but I conk: not help feeling that i
it had not ended well f or me. I was sorely j
hurt.
Just then wo saw the smaller bodies of cav- ?
ahy stationed on our extreme right ami left, j
and which were now re-enforced by the 3,000
sabers which we had held in reserve, flash j
out like arrows from their posts and fall i
upon the disordered flanks of Sorais' forces, ?
. and that charge decided the issue of the battle, j
In another minute or two the enemy was in-!
slow and sullen retreat across the little stream, ?
where they once more reformed. Then came j
another lull, during which 1 managed to get i
ray second horse and received my orders to j
advance from Sir Henry, and then, with one
fierce, deep throated roar, with a waving of ?
banners and a wide flashing of steel, the re?
mains of our army took the offensive and j
began to sweep down, slowly indeed, but ir- J
? resistibly, from thc positions they had so gal- t
tautly held all dayj
At last it wai our turn tc attack.
( >n we moved, over the piled np masses of ?
dead and dying, and were approaching the ;
stream when suddenly I perceived an ex- \
traordinary sight. Galloping, wildly toward j
us, his arni- tightly clasped around his
horse's neck; against which his blanched ?
Cheek was tightly pi?scd, was a man j
arrayed in the ft:Il costume of a Zu-YT-ndi j
general, but in whom, as be came nearer. 1 j
recognized none tither than our lost Al- .
phonse. It was lui po*sil ile even then to mis- ;
take tkiiso curling black mustaches. In a j
minute he was tearing through our ranks j
and narrowly escaped being cut down, lill at !
?a?t-somebody caught isis iiorse's bridle, and I
I;e was brought io me jus: ?;> a momentary
halt, o: -curred incur n.iv?:vt? to allow wi?;; t
remained of cur shattered squares tn form
into j me.
"Ah, monsieur." he gasped out, in a voice j
that was nearly marci'-ulate with fright. J
"graee lo lite, sky, i tis youl Ah, what 1 have ?
endured; T:-t you win, monsieur--you win;
they fly, ' !:e lae?ies. I'm listen, mons:? ur- ;
I b-rget. it is no good: the queen is to be j
:.::::der?d to--norr?.>w at the first light'in the
palac?of Mil?s?s: her guards will leave their
posts anil th-- priests r:ro going to kui he;-.
Ah yes? ?hey little thought ir. but I was cn- 1
scon* erl beneath a banner, and I heard it ail." |
/il ' 4 \V\) x '\
'"..'n-'J&L?^JM^ ?hf ?^v$/"A
"jTTb; tj\:rr.i is f<> he nwnu'red l"-,:i>y?'o:c."
"Tvhat !" I saki, horror struck, "'.".'hat ?io
you m 'au :"
-What 1 say, m?n-lcur; thar rlevir .^f a
"y.-ct t. h.e w.-s:f List nightto sotMeihe affair
with th?? archbidiop" (Agon). "The guard
wili leave op'ui the gato leading ft^n> the
gnat s tili r and g?"? away, an?! ?'as?n and
Agon's prie ts wi I come in and k:il her.
Themselves they would not kill br."
"Come with me." I said, and shouting to
liv stall" of?! -er next me ti) take over thc com?
mand, I snatched his brid!.* mid galloped l,,<*
hard as 1 could?or th" spot, between .: quar?
ter and h df a milo off, where 1 saw ? he rovd
pennon flying.and wheroXknew that I should
find Curtis ii lie were still alive. On wo torc,
our hartes clearing heaps of dead and dying
mon, and splashing through pools of blood;
on j?ast tho long broken lines of spearmen to
where, mounted on the white stallion Xylep
tha had seat to him os a parting gift, I saw
Sir Henry = form towering abo ve the generals
who surrounded him.
Just as we reached him the advance began
again. A Woody Cloth was bound around his
head, but I saw that his e}'C was as bright
and keen as ever. Beside bini was old Um
slopogaas, his ax red with blood, but locking
quite fresh and uninjured.
"What's wrong? Quatc-rmair.?*' he shouted.
'.Everything. There is a plot to murder
the queen to-morrow at dawn. Alphonse
herc, who has ju?t escaped from Sorais, has
overheard it all,*" and I rapidly repeated to
him what the Frenchman had told me.
Curtis' face turned deadly pale and his jaw
dropped.
"At dawn!'* ho gasped, "and it is now sun?
set. It dawns before 4, and we aro nearly
ICO milis o ST-nine hours at the-. outside.
What is to bo doner
An idea entered into my head. "Is that
horse of yours fresh?"' I said.
'.Yes, I have only just got on to him-when
my last was killed: anti he has been fed."
"So is mine. Get off him, and let Umslopo
gaas mount: he "can ride well. We will be at
Miiosis before dawn, or if wo are- not-well,
wo cannot help it. Xo.no; it is impossible
for yen to leave now. You would be seen,
and it would tura the fate of thc battle. It ia
not won yet. The soldiers would think you
were making a bolt of it. Quick now."
In a moment he was down, and at my bid?
ding Umslopogaas sprang into tho empty
saddle*.
"Now farewell," I said. "Send 1,000 horse?
men with remounts after us in an hom* if pos?
sible. Stay; dispatch a general to the left
wmg to take over the command and explain
my absence."
"You will do your best to save her, Quater?
vxxiv. V he said, in a broken voice.
"Av. that I will. Goon; you are being left
behind."
Ile cast one glance at us, and accompanied
ly his stall' galloped off to join the advance,
which by this time was fording the little,
brook that now ran red with the blood of the
fallen.
As for Umslopogaas and myself, we left
that dreadful field as arrows leave a boa-, and
in a few minute- had passed right out of the
sight of slaughter, the smell cf blood, and tho
turmoil and shouting, which only came to our
ears as a faint. Tar off roaring, like the sound
of distant breakers.
CHAPTEPwXXL
i WA Tl AT7AT!
At the top of the rise we baited for a
second to breathe pur horses; and turn?
ing; glanced at the battle beneath tis,
which, illumined as it was by tho fierce
rays of the sinking sun staining the whole
scene red, looked from where we were
more like some wild titanic picture than an
actual "hand tc hand combat.
"We win the day, llaeumazah::," said old
Umslopogaas, taking In the whole situation
'with a glance of his practiced eye. "Look,
the Lady of -the Xight's forces give on every
side :"*lhere is no stillness left in them, they
bend like hot iron, they are fighting with but
half a heart. C?talas! the battle will ina
manner be drawn, for the darkness gathers
and the regiments will not lie able to follow
and slay!"-and he shook his heat! sadly.
"But," he added, "I do not thiifc that they
will fight again; we have "fed them wita too
strong a meat. Ah! i tis well to have li ved 1
At last I have seen a fight worth seeing."
By this time we were on cur way again,
ami as wo went side by side I told bini what
our mission was. and how that; if it failed,
all the lives that had beet: lost that day would
have been lost in vain;
.'AbTbs st?id, "nigh on a hundred miles
and no horses but these, and bc tkererbeforo
dawn! Well-away! away! man can but
try, Macumazahn; and mayhap we shall be
there in time to spiit that old * wito? finders' "
(Agon's) "skull for him. Once he wanted to
burn us, tho old 'rain maker,' did he? And
now he would set a snare for my mother"
.Nyleptba); "would lae? Good! So sure as
my name is the name of the Woodpecker; so
surely, be iuy mother alive or dead, will I split
him to the beard. Ay, by T'Chaka's head I
swear it!" and he shook Inkosi-kaas as lie gal?
loped. By now the darkness was closing in, but
fortunately there would Jte a moen later, and
the road was good.
On we sped through the twilight; the two
splendid horses we bestrode had got their
wind by this, and were sweeping along with
a wide, steady stride that neither failed nor
varied for mile upon mile. Down the sides
of slopes wc galloped, across wide vales that
stretched to the foot of far off hills, ?tearer,
and nearer grew the blue hills; now we were
traveling up their steeps, and now we were
over ami passing toward other's that sprang
np like visions in the far, faint distance be
yond.
' We spake not, but bent us forward on the
necks of those two glorious horses, and
listened to their deep, lons drawn breaths as
they filled their great lungs, and to thc
regular, unfaltering .ring of their round
hoofs. Grim and black, indeed, did old
Umslopogaas look beside nie- mounted upon
the great white horse, like death i:i the reve?
lation of St John, as now and again lifting
. his fierce set face ho gutted out along tho road,
and pointe?! with his ax toward sonic distant
lise or Kousv.
And so on, stiii'on, without break or pause,
for hour after hour.
Atlast I began to feel tliat even the splen?
did animal that I rode Was beginning to give
our. I looked at my watch; it was nearly
midnight, aird we were considerably more
titan half way. On the top nf a rise was a
little spring. Thiel? 1 rememher*?d because I
?ind>;ep? by it a* fewblights beforehand herc
1 motioned to Umslopogaasto pull up. having
determined to give 5ho hordes and ourselves
ten minutes to breathe m. He did so, and we
dismounted- that :".- to say. Uuis]ep*?gaas did.
.md then helpet* ni-.-off. for what; with fatigue.,
stillness, ar.d th-? patti cf my wound. I c? aid
not do no for myself; and the gallant horses
stood panting there, resting first one leg and
then another, while the sweat .fell il rip, drip,
from t hem, ar.d the steam rose and hung in
pale clouds in the still night air.
Leaving U:ns!otM?ga:is to bold tho horses, I
bobbled tc thc" spring and drank deer* of its
sweet waters. I had had nothing but ? single j
mouthful of wine since midday, when the !
hattie began, and I was pa relied tip. though
?jv fatigue was r.-o great to allow me to fix-1 '
hungry. Then, having taved my fevered j
h.rei mid hands. I returned, and the Zulu |
went and drank. "Next wo .-??lowed the horses I
to Take a couple of mouthfuls each-no nu?i*e;
ar.d oil. "'a:::, a ?-traggio we ha?! lo get the
px.;>r In-asts away fivm tho water! There
were yet two minutes, and I employed it in
hobohr.g up and down to try and relieve my
stillness, and m inspecting the condition of
tho lu rses. My maro, gallant animal though
tho was. was.? v?i?nt?y u:i:?"h tlisttvssed; she
hung her headband her eye looked sick mid
duli; lint Daylight. I*Cy:Iopt:ia"s'.glorioushorso
-who.- if ho v.- served aright, should. like the
steeds who saved the great Rameses in his
need, feed for tho rostof his days out of a
golden mau ter- -was stir!, eomparative?Y
speaking, perfectly fresh, notwithstanding
that ho had ha 1 by far the heavier weight; t-o
carry. II.- was "tucked up." indeed, and Ins
?ogs were ?voary, but Lis eye was bright and i
el. a.-. .-.nd be held his shapely head up and j
gat-todout iuto the darkness round him in a j
way that seemed to say ti:.-::, whoever failed,
lie was good fer those live and fct?y miles
that yet lay bctweeu u?and M ii. ?sis. Then I
Urns;?;pogaas helped me into tho saddlc and
vigorous old savage that he was.'-vaulted
into his own without ton hing a st:mip,:and
we were off ?>nce moro, si: -wjy a: first, t ill thc
horses got into th? ir &t;i?Ie. c::d thou moro
swiftly. ?So wo passe.: ovfcr another ten
sn: los? and '.hen cai no along. weary ri e of
some six or seven miles, and three times did
ray poor biack mare nearly como to the
ground v. i; li me. Bat on thy top she seemed
tn ga; her herself together, ?-ind.rattled down
the si rpo wit!. long, convulsive strides,
breat?'ng in gasps. We did tiiat three or j
lom- niiJcs moro swiftly than any since we
bad started on our wild ride, but I felt it to j
Tv a last, effort, and I vas light Suddenly
my poor In-rse took thc bit between her teeth
and ?"'Ired curiously along a stretch of level
ground for some 3?0or4v;.' yunis, ami then,
with two or"three jerky snides-pulled her-j
self up and fell with a cra^h right ou LO her
bead, 1 roiling niyseii iree na sue did no: As
I straggled onto my feet the brave beast
raised her headland looked at mp with^iteoas'
bloodshot eyes; and then lier head dropped
"with a groan and she "was dead. Her hears
was broken.
Umslopogaas pulled up beside tho carcass,
and I looked at him in dismay. There wer#
still more than twezffy miles to dd by dawn,'
and how were we to do it with one horse?. ft
^seemed hopeless, but I had forgotten the old'
Zulus extraordinary runningpowers."
Without a single word he sprang from tili
saddle and began to hoist inc into ic
"What wilt thou dor I asked.
"Pom," be answered, seizing my^ stirrup
leather.
Then off we went again, almost as fast as - .
before; and, oh, the relief it was to me to get
that change of borges" Anybody "who ha*
ever ridden against timo will know what if
Tflaeant. ... 1
Daylight spe?l along at a. long stretching
hand gallop: giving the gaunt Zulu ? Kft*at
every stride. It was a wonderful thing,to
see old Umslopogaas run mile after utile, bi?
lips slightly parted and his nostrils agape Mk?
the horses. Every five miles or so ^estopged
for a few minutes to let him get a?s breath",
and then flew on again, * -- &
"Canst thoa go farther,** I said rt* tte jfcird:
of these stoppages; "or sliali 1 leave thee ta
follow me?" ~; '
He pointed with lui ax to a'?^.ma?*^
fore us.- It was the Temple of the Sun, now
not more than five miles away. r
"I reach it or I die," h.* gasped.
Oh, that last five milos! The skia was
rubbed from the inside of ray legs, and every
movement of my horse gaye rae anguish.
Nor was that alL I was exhausted with tod,
want of food and s?eep, ami also suffering
veiw much from the blow I had received
on my left side; it seemed as .though a piecfc
of bone or something was slowly piercing;
into my lung. Poor Daylight, too; was pi etty
nearly finished, and no wonder. But there*
was a smell of dawn in the air, and we "might
not sta\"; better that all three of ns should
die upon the road than that we should linger
while there was life in .us. The air was thick
and heavy; as itsometimes isbefore>thedasm
breaks, mid-another infallible sign ia cer?
tain parts of Zu-Vendis that sunrise is*'at -
hand-hundreds of little spiders pendenfcon_
the end of long tB?gh webs were floating
about in it. These early rising creature^of*
rather their webs, caught upon tho hor?e**
and our own form? by scores; and as we had
neither rho time nor the energy to brush them
".off, we rushed along covered with hundreds
bf long gray threads that streamed out a yard
or more behind us-and a very strange ap?
pearance they must have given us. ;
And now before us are the. hugCi'Jbiaom -
gates of the outer wall of the Frowning"6Ityy
and a new aud horrible doubt strikes^mer
What if they will not let ns in? <
"Open! open1." I shout im"periou?y, attics
same time giving the royal password"' "Open!
open ! a messenger, a messenger with ' tidings
of thc war!" _ . _
"What hews?** cried the guardr -*Andwho
art thou that -ridest so madly? and rWho is
that whose tongue lolls outV-and it actually
did-**and who nins by thee like a doy ty s
chariotr y*. % ?
'*It Ls the Jjoxd Macurnyaku, and wjiharrri
is his dog, his black dog. Open! open! I.
bring tidiugs.** 1 --5
The great gates ran back on their rollers,
and the drawbridge fell with a rating crash,
and we dashed on through the one and over
the other. . . ? > y-.
"What news, my lord? what news?" cried
the guard. ... .. .!.;1- " V:;
"Incubti rolls Sorais bac?c/?s fh? wind a
cl?ud," I answered; and was gone.
One more effort, gallant horse;" and yet
more gallant man! -. {
So, fall not now* Daylight; and hold thy.
life in* thee for fifteen short niinutes more, old
Zulu war dog, and ye shall both livo' forever
in the annals of the land?
on, clattering through the sleep m g street*.
We are passing the Flower Teinple iiow-7?na
mile more, only one little mile-hold on, licejf
your life lu ye, see the houses nm past of
themselves. Up, good horsey np, there-but
fifty yardsjnow. Ah! you see your stable?,
and stagger On gallantly.
"Thank God. tho palace at Hast!" and see^
the first arrows of the dawn are striking; caf
the temple's goiden dome. But shall I get ??
here, or is the deed done and the way barred ?
Once more I give the password and shout
.'.Open! open!"
Ko answer,'?nd my heart grows very faint;
Again I call, and this time a single vuce re-'
plies," and to my joy I recognize it as belong?
ing to Kara, a fellow officer of Ny"epth&*i
guards, a man I know to be ns honest as..the
light-indeed, thc same wkom Xyleptha had
sen t to arrest Sorais on the day she ?ed to tb?
temple.
'-*Is it thou, Kara?" I cry; *T am" ilacuma
zahn. Bid the guard let down the bridge aof
thnnv wide the gate. Quick, quickl**
Then followed a space^ that seemed to m?
endless; but at length the bridge fell and ona
half of fhc gate opened, and we got- into the
courtyard, where at last poor Daylight felt
down beneath -me. as I thought., teed. X
struggled free, and leaning against a post?
looked around; Except Kara, there was.nor
body to be seen; and his look was wi!d,*un<i
bis garments yfere all toni. He had opened
the gate anil !et down the bridge alone, and
was now getting them up and shut ?gain (as,"
owing to a very ingenious arrangement <.f
cranks and levers, one man. could -easily do;* *
and indeed generally did do>.
"Where are the guard C I gasped, fearing"
his answer as I never feared anything before,"
"I know not." he answered: "two hours ago,'
as I slept, wis I -se?-"^! and bo .md by tho -
watch under me, at?! but now, tins very jnor
rtent. have I freed myself with my teeth.. ?
fear. I greatly fear, that we are -betrayed.^*
His words gave me fresh energy. Catching"
him by the arm, I >tuggeix\i, followed by
Umslopogaas. who reciod " after ns like a'
drunken man. through the courtyards,m> the'
great hal?, which vi*as ?lent as the grave; te
wards the queer.".. ?d<-~pir.g place.
We reached tin*1 ti st ant-.n-*:m-no guard?;"
the second, still no guards. Oh, surely tho
thing was done! we were too late after ali/
tocHatel TI JO silence and solitude of thoso*
great chan:bers was dreadful and weighed
mc down like an evil dream. Ou* right into
Xyientaa's cuambcr we rnsbed and staggered^
sick at heart, fearing thc very wcrsi? we saw*
there whs a light in it. nye. ?nd a figuro
hearing the light Oh,- thank G**T% it is th? '
White Qae?i? !rr?!=eif; the quecu unharmedt
There she stands in her night gear, roused by
tito clatter of our conting from lier bcdvtho
heaviness of siee;>yet i:i her *y?s -and a red
blush of fear and shame mantling her lovely
breast and rhook.
"Who i ; i. f she cries. '"What means this?
Oh. Macumazabn. is it thou? Why lookes*
thoa so wildly ? Thoa, comest a< ono bearing
evil tiding.-:-and my lord-oh, tell me not'
my loni is dead-not dead!" she wailed,'
wringing her white hands.
"I left Ineubn w?v.:nd? J. T:t leading tho
advance against Sorais ' last night at sun-"
down: therefore let thy heart. h:ivo rest.'
Sorais is beaten back all along her lines and
thy a rms" prevail.** *
"i knew it." she cri ?1 in triumph, "I knew
that lie would win : and thev called him an;
outlander and si:ook tlieir wise heads when I
gave him th<- eo.nnsaad; Last night at StU>'
down, sayest thou, and rt is not yet dawn?*
Surely"
-Throw a cloak around thee, l?yleptha/* I
broke itt, "and give us wine to drink; av, and'
call thy maidens quick if thou wouldst sive*
thyself alive. "Say, stay not,**
Thus adjure-.!, she ran and called thropgh
tho curtains towards some room beyOad/and'
then hastily "put On !?or sandaLs aud a tbiclr
cloak, by w hich t ime a dozen or so of half
dressed women were pouring into "the room. .
"Follow us and be silent," I said to them as"
they gazed Arith wondering eyes, clinging'
cue "to another. So wo went ift?o/thc first
anteroom. .
"Kow." I said, ' give us win* to drink and.
food, if ye have it, for we are near to death.'"
The mun was used as a mess room fnr?fS-"
cers of the guards, andfromra capl?>ard some"
flagons o C wine and some cold fieslrwere'
brought ?orth, and Un?slopogaasai?lFfH?ranTt
and felt life flow l?ack into v?t velus's&t?i?^"Vr^^i
gexxl red wine went down.*
"Hark to me, Nyleptha,** ? said, as I'p^*?^:^
iowa tlie empty tankard. "Hasr tho? ht-rs
among these lbj: T^a?t?ng" la??cs' auy two ot.;' . J
discretion'" r ' -5 .^ '18
* Av.** sh* saldar "sorely' * ^ . .-j_h j >;
C0XT1XC5O o** yc?sm PA??? ?.?.?S~?
?... - h