Mission station was soon afterwards taken
possession of by Africaner, and the houses burnt to the ground.

"A curious circumstance occurred during this affair: his followers were
seeking everywhere for plunder, when some of them entered the
burial-ground, and one of them, treading on an apparently new-made
grave, was astonished by soft notes of music proceeding from the ground
beneath.

"Superstitious as the natives are, and having most of them, in former
days, heard something of the Christian doctrines, they started and stood
transfixed with astonishment, expecting the dead to arise, as they had
been once told. One of them mustered courage to put his foot again upon
the spot, and the reply was soft and musical as before. Away they all
started to Africaner, to inform him that there was life and music in the
grave.

"The chief, who feared neither the living nor the dead, went to the
burial-ground with his men, and jumped upon the spot, which immediately
gave out the soft notes as before. Africaner ordered an immediate
exhumation, when the source of the mystery proved to be the pianoforte
of the missionary's wife, which, being too cumbrous an article to take
away, had been buried there, with the hope of being one day able to
recover it. Never having seen such an instrument before, Africaner had
it dissected for the sake of the brass wires; and thus the piano was
destroyed."

"I doubt if it would ever have been dug up in Caffre-land," observed
Alexander.

"I am convinced it never would have been, but have remained as a wonder
and object of fear as long as it held together," replied Swinton; "but
to proceed:--

"The Mission station having been for some time broken up by this attack
of Africaner, Mr C, a missionary, anxious to restore it, wrote a letter
to Africaner on the subject, and received a favourable reply, and a Mr
E was sent to the residence of Africaner himself. After a short time,
Africaner and his two brothers, with a number of others, were baptised.

"At first it must be admitted that their profession of Christianity did
not greatly improve their conduct; but this was very much to be ascribed
to the circumstance, that the duties of the station had devolved upon
one who ought not to have been selected for the task. Upon his removal,
and a more fitting minister of the Gospel taking his place, a great
change was soon observable in Africaner; and, from having been one of
the most remorseless pursuers