Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1892 — CAST UP BY THE SEA. [ARTICLE]

CAST UP BY THE SEA.

~k- _ . watering place of some village iu the lease jungle! Ned that conceal themselves and watoh for the women, who in those countries always fetch water in their before sunset; it was five o clock. selves'when e ’ M women * fmm trio fi.iv*! They "'*** ricittlVaakcd. and err.lt carried * largo qitotoern-waro 70:• .non her were a-■_•■.■ jotted by Httßpilfe att ‘of whom carried jars of various dimensions filled their jars at the well *Fim stepped forward and accosted them in bis own language, while Ned SPplffpttKl concealed lest bis strange appearance should frighten them At first they here startled at Tim s sttdden amval among them, but, as they spoke a dialect that somewhat resembled his language, they quickly ■understood him, and, after some explanation, Tim called to Ned that be Some of the women Were young and exceedingly pretty, with remarkably well shaped noses and fine eyes, although their hair was woolly. They showed some signsAt surprise at seeing Ned, who had appeared to Tim’s summons, but Without the slighest fear they ex amined his white skin and light browu hair, which Tim had pointed OUt for their admiration. Ned then epoke to them and explained that they were lost, and had straved there from distant tribe that had threat- j cued to kill them. He ended by Poking to be received as a friend, and explained that he had just killed a hippopotamus in a pool a few hundred yards distant that would supply them with meat. At this an notmeement several of the women started with their jars for the vil-J lage. which they declared was at no great distance, and they requested the strangers to remain until they should return with some 0! their it ’i'i ... .. P» About half an hour a large nnm--ber of men, armed with lances, were seen to issue from the forest, accompanied by the female messengers. Upon arriving within fifty yards of Ned, they stuck their lances in the Sand, and advanced unarmed toward him as a sign of friendship, and upon a near approach they went through t ie customary salute of raising bot h his bauds above his head. When Tim bad been subjected to a similar operation, they all sat down, and Ned described their history from the time of the shipwreck, and their escape from the tribe, which he now discovered to be their deadly enemy. *Hjr the time'that he and Tim had f-jijmi afegCteir stories, Ned expected ijlijHtbe hippopotamus must have floated; accordingly he led the men jh» the spot, and, happily, discovered that it had risen to the surface. The natives, having heard that it had been killed, were already provided with ropes and axes. Rush ng into the water in a body, with loud shouts to smuts theeroeodiles, they attached ropes to the legs and hauled it to the shorn. It was a tine, large male, and Tim’s proverb of Till de uig gee’s belly, make de nigger frens," was quickly exemplified, as they cut up the massive animal, and. heavily laden with fat and flesh, they conduced Ned and his companion to ~4ijjpii:.village with great re.oicing. T| was a small but pretty village, situated about a hundred feet above the level of the river, in the rocky hollow of a mountain that rose to the height of several thousand feet This had been a landmark by which Ned bad steered for the last two 1 <i§si®* ascent to the village was exceedingly precipitous, and it was entered by a narrow deft in the rock like an alley, the cliffs of which rose like walls on either side, to the height of several hundred feet Having ascended the rough blocks of granite that formed natural steps up to the cleft, a strong gateway of hooked thorns that protected the narrow entrance was passed through, and the party entered the peculiar hollow in which thevll'age was situated. This was of considerable extent, comprising about three acres, iu which were beautiful grove 3 of tmnaaas, shady sycamores and neat, gardens, surrounding about a hundred circular dwellings constructed of bamboos thatched with reeds. The vUnge appeared like a huge birdnest in toe heart of the mountain, which ruse abruptly on all sides and Completely encircled it with perpeu di -ular cliffs; these could only be scaled by a narrow and dangerous pithway that had. been cut out of tho enable Che inhabitants to esrape to the top of the mountain iu •jffitod and Tim slept soundly in a r&ewn but that bad been allotted to them. On the following morn Ins/I he women brought them a quantity of fresh milk, contained in la: ge go.mi shells, and a wooden dish of ex client porridge, mixed with pounded hip,K> potumus f’esfi and pumpkin and da vored with re.l pepper and suit Ttegtoplo were alread v asse.nblod beneath a large sycamore in the „ tor<»f the village.’and Ned olm-.-wd girt of Übmit nineteen /sat* u^n'Z 1 .« a .

BY SIR SAMUEL W. BAKER.

Whit? hsir arose and addressed the (jumq sod her people s *Great queen, Ihe said, “it is toe custom of our tribe to receive the Stranger with hospitality, as we ourselves may require assistance when in a strange country. According to our rule, we ham welcomed toe mas with the yellow hair; we have lodged and fed him and his companion, and we wilLkeep them for three days, as we are bound to do by our custom, but at the expiration of that time they must depart. We are and the Marita, from whom thev hrive escaped, are strong. T|>er r e'’is no rain to wash away JtW footprints; they will follow, pan we shall suffer at their hands for harboring those wh&have escaped from their lances. Is this not true, my brothers?" said the old man, as be turned to the assembly. “True!" shouted every voice but that of the young queen.' “We have no wish to remain;" said Ned. “We thank you, great queen, for ybur welcome,he continued, us he turned toward her and raised her hands above her head, “and we would be sorry to bring misfortune upon you in return for your kindness. I only beg you to keep us until tomorrow shall have passed, as our feet are sore with the hard march, and that you will give us a guide across the desert on the following das.".. _ ~

A Bhout of approval followed this speech, but the queen commanded silence. She rose and spoke, and Ned had. never seen a more graceful figure. She was tall and rather slender, al though her limbs were beautifully developed. Her head was prettily ornamented with a chaplet of various colored beads interspersed with bright feathers;tbe rest of her scanty attire consisted of a short fringe of about a foot in length, formed of innumerable single rows of small beads threaded upon the twisted fibre of the plantain, and fastened to a leather be t around her waist, from which they descended like a short kilt to a few inches above her knees. The beads were tastefully arranged in various colors, and 1 heir weight retained them in the necessary position to conceal the figure. She had bracelets of polished brass rings upon her wrists and above the elbows, and anklets of the same metals.ornamented with minute bells that tinkled as she moved. Her complexion was a deep copper color, aud when she spoke she exposed a beautiful row of teeth as 'white as pearls. Looking proudly at the assembly around her, she said, “Are my people like the apes that fear the apf 1 roach of the leopard, or are they ike the lion that guards hisowndeu? Did I not slay this Hon upon which I sit? and am I not a lioness that will protect my cubs? The strongers that seek mv protection are my children, and I will guard them as the lioness tights for her young." As the beautiful young queen said these words with determined emphasis, she cast her eyes upon Ned, who was not slow to perceive an expression of tenderness that he at once feared might lead to a difficulty. The people whom she addressed naturally feared their powerful neighbors; and not being smitten to the heart by Ned's personal attractions, they did not enter into their queen's feelings. But the old man who had before spoken had already too much experience to contradict the passionate young Amazon who rum them; accordingly he replied, like an old courtier, that “The queen's will was her people's pleasure, even should she command them to die.” After a rest of three days In tills delightful village, Ned requested a guide to lead them through the desert, which was described as a hard journey of three days without water. Tim had at once perceived that the young queea bad fallen desperately m love with Ned, and he dreaded the consequences, as she would endeavor to detain them in her country; he therefore advised Ned to leave the village and to push on os rapidly as possible, as the fickleness of a passionate young savage might eventually lead to a danger equal to that from which they had just escaped. Ned was equally aware of the dilemma, and he agreed with Tim that it was absolutely neoessary to be off without further delay, as he bad determined to push for Zanzibar at all hazards, where they would receive protection from the Portuguese and be forwarded to England. 1 Tim had already engaged a guide who prpfessed to know the desert route, and it was agreed that they were to start after sunset by stealth, and marched throughout the night as rapidly as possible, so as to f travel in a cool temperature and to consume as little water as possible. The goat skins were in good order, and Ned proposed that the guide should procure on ox, which should be loaded with two extra water-skins; they could then drive the ox throughout the night, and kill it when it should become distressed from thirst; they could then replenish their own water-skins and eat what they might require of the animal. It was about noon when these preparations were completed, and Ned 1 anxiously awaited the hour of sunI set. He was sitting in his hut, and i had just packed his few article of baggage, when be was sent for by the queen. When he entered her hut she was reclining upon an immense lion's skin: the shaggy black mane was supported by a bundle of sweet-scented grass so os to form a pillow, upon which she leant her beautiful rounded arm. and, without riling from y ber position, she told Ned to sit upon a leopard skin by her side. “Son of the yellow hair,” she said, as she looked fondly at him, “we ore aloor, and I wish I ■ epe.k to you on

'Ufsiost tho Kllt j I wwb ht and saved by a pair of strong white arms, and I found that I was’ in the grasp of the son ©< the yellow hair. 1 woke, and I was alone; be was not there! Again l alept. and dreamt I was sitting before my people, and the son of the yellow hair sat by my ride; the crown of beads tost I wear was upon his head, and three birds with bright feathers Jlerr around me and cried, in a loud voice, “Take to thyself the son of the yellow hair, and let him sit upon the lion's skin! We cannot disobey tho birds,” continued the queen. “Now come and sit with iqe upon toe Hons skin and be qyy chief, and all my people shall 'fibey you as their king." _ This was the climax to Ned's worst fears; the lovely queen had determined that he should share the throne with her, and he knew not bow to reply without giving dire offence. At this difficult moment he was suddenly relieved by the loud beating of an immense drum in the court of the queen’s dwelling; it was almost immediately followed by loud shouts and blowing of horns, while the old man who had spoken at the assembly rushed into the queen's presence and shouted: “My words are true! the Mazita are upon us! Up! son of the yellow hair, and fight! We suffer for you! We shall all be slain!” Ned started to his feet, as did the young queen also. A few moments before her eyes had beamed with love; but at the sound of war another expression took possession" of them, and they brightened with a fire of determined courage. Before making a reply, she coolly took from a peg a long bow made of an elastic wood; this was already strung, according to the custom of that country; she then took a piece of beeswax and carefully rubbed the string. There was a large quiver on the wall containing about forty arrows frightfully barbed aud poisoned; this she slung across her shoulders, and addressing Ned she said, “Son of the yellow hair, fight by myside! If we fall we die together; the lioness will protect her cubs.” The Mazita bad discovered Ned’s escape on the morning of his start, and as the socerers declared that no rain would Tall till he and the dog should be killed, they had at once collected a large force and followed so rapidly upon the tracks that they had before evening arrived at the skeletons of the buffalos, to which they had been directed by the clouds of vultures hovering in circles iu the air.

There wps no time to be lost, and Ned immediately armed himself and determined to ascend the rocks that commanded the narrow approach to the village, which he felt confident he and Tim could defend so long ns their ammunition lasted. He communicated his intention to the warlike queen, who was eager for the fray. \ , Already about two Hundred natives of the village had armed themselves with bows and arrows and waited for her commands. Ned advised that they should be stationed among the rocks, well concealed, and that they should guard the difficult approach by a constant flight of arrows, while he and Tim, with the undaunted queen, should protect the narrow defile. They had hardly reached their station before tho dense masses of the enemy were perceived advancicg to the attack from the grove of bananas below the. village; with wild shouts intermingled with tho harsh braying of their horns they rushed up the steep ascent and delivered a shower of arrows directed at Ned and Tim, who, with the heroic queen, were the first object that met their view.

The arrows all fell short and hit harmlessly against the face of the cliff. It was now the turn of the defenders. The queen stood erect upon the high shelf of rock, and drawing her bow steadily, with her left arm as rigid ah iron bar, dhe let fly at a chief who was lcadiiig the attack; be carried a shield before him, in the center of which thejswift arrow struck with a sharp sound that could be distinctly heard. Passing through the tough giraff’s hide, it nailed the shield to his breast and ho fell backward to die after a few brief struggles. A loud cheer from the defenders followed this successfulshot. With admirablejcoolness the queen exposed herself to-a flight of arrows, some of which she escaped by nimbly springing to one side; but quick in return she shot her poisoned arrows in rapid succession, neartv the whole of which buried their points in the enemy or stuck in their tough shields. She was a beautiful type of the Amazon,as she stood fearlessly upon the rock, and with a face beaming with courage and determination she sent death into their ranks at almost every twang of her bowstring. This was directly below the spot upon which the queen stood, supported by the guns from Ned and Tim, every shot of which told upon the dense throng which pressed through the difficult aoproacn. Ned requested Leona to kneel behind a large, (Jose mass of rock that would protect her as 4 she shot: but although the arrows were flying thick, the dauntless young queen scorned ooncealment. and with extraordinary strength she put her shoulder to the heavy fragment and moved it toward the edge of the perpendicular cliff. It crashed with a dull echo into the dense throng of lighting men. This was the signal for a storm of rocks and stones thut were now showered upon the attacking party from all sides, as many of the defenders had manned the cl ids. upon which a large store of such missiles bad been prepared to resist an assault upon the gateway. Leona had shot away her lost arrow, aud she now threw stones with greri rapidity from n large pile upon tue ledge. Ned and Tim directed their tire at the leaders, and brought them down one by one with fatal certainty, as thev reached the gate and attested to force an entrance. At length an enormous rOck of several tons weight that had been au original portion of the cliff, upon the edge of which It almost balanced, was set in motion by the united effortoofAbout twenty the install

it from its bed. This avalanche oi stone.rushed through the air, socom panied by a shower of smaller rocks that had been loosened by it* fall. ; With a tremendous drasfa it descended upon the heads of those below, crushing to Instant death about twenty of the enemy, and completely blocking up the alley, so that those between it and the gateway were shut up in a prison of rock. 'With a loud snout of triumph Leona leant over the edge of the cliff to watch the effect of this tremendous fall, but at almost the same moment her beautiful arms were thrown.convulsively in the air, as an arrow pierced her bosom and penetrated completely through her back. Ned saw thie barbed point Mb it protruded some inches through her soft dark skin, .and catchiDg her in his arms, ju3tin time to-prevent her from falling over the cliff, he supported tbs dying Amazon. The arrow had passed through her heart; she had instinctively clasped one arm around Ned’s neck, and she fixed her large eyes fondly upon him for a few moments as she vainly strove to speak. With a smile of love and triumph upon her beautiful features,Leona’s brave spirit fled. Ned laid her body gently down, and straightening her lovely limbs, he placed her bow and empty quiver by her side,and then renewed' toe fight. There was little left to complete the victory. The fall of the huge rock had created a panic ; those who had been hemmed within the narrow passage had been massacred to a man, and Ned and Tim now opened fire with fatal effect upon the re-creating-throng, who fell pell mell down the steep approach in frdutie efforts to escape from the cloud of arrows and' the bullets that whizzed among them.

The body of the courageous queen was laid upon the lion’s skin upon which she used to sit beneath the sycamore, and all the women wept and raised their loud shrill cry of distress, in which the men joined as they mourned for the beautiful Leona. Her bow and quiver lay by her side, and, although her lovely features were placid, the stern smile of triumph still lingered on her face as Ned for the last time'looked upon her with deep regret that he should have been the unwilling cause of her untimely death. “Massa Ned,**" said Tim, w dis a bad job ’tirely. De poor queen’s dead, but if she alive dat’s a worse job; she never let Massa Ned go way. Nebber see in all my life such eyes! De queen love Massa Ned like mad; bad ting dat. I know de nigger queen; all fire one day, nil water de next; love you in de night, kill you in de morning; dat's de trick ’xactly. Bad job de Door queen's dead, worse job if she alive; dat’s a fact ’xactly. Now, Massa Ned, let’s cut and run before anoder job begins.” Thephilosophical Tim having.given his opinion, with which Ned could hardly disagree, however much he might have admired the beauty dnd courage of the unfortuuate queen, he determined to start without delay, as fortune had hitherto smiled upon their journey beyond his most sanguine hopes. Once across the terrible desert, he would have little to fear. He had distinguished himself in the late fight, but had received a slight scratch upon the arm from an arrow as it had grazed his skin during its flight; be bad simply bound a piece of plantain leaf around the scratch to prevent the flies from troubling him. After an hour's quick walking they left the forest that bor-dered-.the river and entered upon a boundless plain of sand and pebbles, devoid of all vegetation except a few stunted miamosa and scattered tufts of a withered, wiry looking grass. (to be continued)