Litchfield enquirer., 1877-11-08

steef. WtiD staAkReAfched eds ithAugA hAa aseyes1 sSSMed buFniBgi indhisb heaaitnwhekaA 0yerpaWeEing motive wasahis, ,tQf fkeep At it6 The Kafinf fgrinnaa in fEieldly style aRds said, .SEhey EaienlTz zhttlA AtenesiE0ne ind here! Look htltAisp pinoleoIaxa Iiadl haa [ bHe toHehad A small rGlf Q5 pattQh hARgsi ing on his ehestrnbes WOFen0tAiRg else be, sides feathers- -and opushed back the end 0f ie. HIrekstear, mAw AanakhiDG Whiehl shook his ss whole faith, in thg pehblas ohp, had scr laborienlY sael ells0ted doi sEpgx the,I .Kaffr exposed an angle, sharp and true ag instrument eeuld cut glassg white. .I and shining in the suns raysy like a .stafs He, asked the KafiF to unwind 1t sWhollY but this the man refused t9 dno saving jt Waa, fetish. cpd nsFer to, be, seen. HisI gr9pde fatheH f9npd .ik and luck had followed the. kraal ayeE lsince.s, Nothing would induce him to show, much mere tQ part with ujk but Ereksteers might pass biz fngers0Yer. the roll He did so 5 and he declares that 1t was at least Ap inch and half in diane1I ter; the angles seemed to be- alh sharp and rnnbFaken, 80 that the gem must haver weighed five, hundred IearAts ak the lowest estimate Treksteer could not believe ln a diamond of this sineS and soFFowfully ,eopcluded that fortune had oncesm6f6 be- af The bors woke mp while this discussion proceeded, and came to the spot. yawning and stretching their huge limbs. They had felt no disappointna ents in l1fe-noth-' ing to make them distrust the Fates. es- peeially when kind. They fell into fierce raptures over the stone--one offering a farm for it. another 12' span of oxen, a third 50 guns. This last proposal shook NnGG Gn% %N kall <s& six years ago. when few grand chiefs own ed 50 guns. But superstition OutWelghed cupidity, and he refused with frnness. The beers looked at one another. They had rifles and revolvers, 50 shots at least, and the Kaffirs round had only spears, Probably the man took alarm; he said, 'W hat security have I for the 50 gunsI You may take my fetish, and strike me dead with it., A great fetish it must be. or you would not offer SO much money, Come, make me termsP' So they all sat under the cameeldorn and argued, the schoolmasters negotiating, of course. The shrewd Kaffir proposed that one should fetch the guns, while the rest remained with him. But this would not do, for the envoy must carry the fetish with him to ascertain it's value, and not one of the boers would trust another to return. The debate continued till afternoon, and mean while group after group of Kaffrs came strolling to the spot without demonstra- tion The whole force of the kraal as- sembled gradually, each man with asse- gais and knobkerry. The bee were too much occupied to notice until five hun dred marrlors or more squatted within range of them. Then Feelipautze rose up, and good humoredly declined to make bargain. The boers sprang to their feet with anger, and the Kafirs did like
 wise. Each party looked the other ln the face for moment, the white men sur prised, the negroes firm and ready, asse- ga1sI perpendicularly poised, shivering like reeds in breath of Summer wind. ssMy children have come to seek me, ''said Feelipautze; ''now will go with them, /" He shook hands all round, and marched across the VeLdt, his warriors behind him.
 Ahundred yards away Feelipautze struck up his war-song in low grave tones; his followers took up the strain, and as they wound of into the distance they chanted it with the full power of their stout lungs. The beers have had reason to study each intonation of that threatening chorus. and they well understood the hint, Begun in low key, and accompanied by no foam ing dances, it meant grave warning on- ly, an indication that the Kaffirs stood up- on their guard. s.'' 7's's
 There was heated discussion in the boS CTS camp that night. Some of them pro- posed to st0rm the kraal, and kill their Verdo12nst skelIat1ss without more ado; but others argued that the measure would be unjustifable. when they did not even know for certain that the fetish was dia- mond. They would have to ride for it af- ter such an act, abandoning teams, wag- ons, and all ill them. How they would be laughed at in Petoria if the object gain. ed with such enormous lvss should prove
 worthless! As for 50 guns, they could we'll afford that as 8 speculation; but wagons and oxen and full cargo of hides are matters much more serious. So it was re- solved to visit the kraal next day, and ac- cede to the Kafir's terms. They would cast lots in Bible which should take the diamond away, and the schoolmasters were set to draw binding document which should assure all parties their rights. a1@' " #
 Next day they called on Feelipautze. Intimate knowledge of the Kaffir customs told them at glance that the tribe was alarmed Cattle had vanished, and young children; while of fighting men scarcely one could be absent. Feelipautze, ,howev- CT, was all politeness and good humor. He gave them Kaffir beer to drink, and al- lowed every one to see the corner of his amulet; bat as for selling it, he was more than ever resolved to decline. And the beers, sobered by morning reflections, and rather startled to see the chiefs fighting force, did not try to bully him. But their confidence in the diamond So much in creased. that they positively offered all the rifles of the party for it; to be there and then delivered over, Such temptation was never resisted by Kaffir, and boer nev- or proposed such an act of madness. But Feelipautze explained with frankness that he dare not part with his fetish. His owu people would not allow it, and Emboonda,
 his suzerain, would certainly cut him in-
 tn little hits for sueh an act of treason
 Treksteer's patron. however, warmed by Kafir beer, had an order written for fifty guns, directed to his agent at Pretoria,
 and sent it by a mounted Hottentot, there and then, and spite of all assurances that it would do no good. But other troubles arose.
 ;. The chies possessed an otter skin Eaross which hung over ba a cross beam in $ his kraal, He possessed also aspr6tty ,daugh- tef-a y.1y pretty ldanghteg asI'reksteer reports. One boer fell in love with the bGr0ss, and one with the girl oFeelipart! zs was willing to- part with either at his own price. bRnk he asked three pouRds--. ian ox. that is-for the, kaFosssi, the aboer
 would glye hlm no 24. and offered only
 two pounds fn gold. Otter is tue most
 valuable of ali fufs at the Caps. Excited by the previeasld ldiscnssien, and iknoRing
 himself to be- prepared for events, lSthe chief did not bargain with athab bldeference thought becoming in black mans tOGafa q beer. When tA 0 sovereigns were forced into his hand. he threw them angrily
 away. and one could not qHs found upon a
 search. Words grew very threatening in- deed, the bOer asking his sovereign or his
 b0rDss, the rKafirs declaring t.,at he hlm- self had poeketed the coin. In the midst of ithls row a messenger. forced his way through the crush. and told Feslipantzs that q r little son Of his was tossed by a
 bull. The affection of Kafars for their children while young is almost exaRgera-