Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-12-29

moved any modern Explorer to merri
ment; but such as they were man
aged to do good deal Of execution
| with them. One Of them was singh,
barreled, smooth bore, fitted for percus
sion caps-a roer we called it-whicl
threw a three unce bah, and wa
charged with q handful Of coarse blacl
powder. Many is the elephant that
killed with that reeF, although it gener
ally Knocked me backwards when I free
it, which I'only did under compulsion
The best of the lot, perhaps, was dou
BILE barreled No. 12 shot gun, but it hao
flint locks. Also, there were SEINE ole
tower muskets. which might or nigh,
not throw straight at seventy yards.
took six Kaffirs with me, and three good
horses, which were supposed-to be sailed
that Is, proof against sickness. Among
the Kafirs was an old fellow named In
daba-zimbi, which, being translated
means ''tongue of IRON"
suppose he got this name from his
strident voice and exhaustless eloauence.
This man was a great character in his
/ q
doctor among neighboring tribe, and
came to the station under the following
circumstances, which, as he plays con-
siderable part in this history, are per-
haps worth recording.
/ Two years before my fathers death
had occasion to search the country
round for some lost oxen. After long
and useless quest it occurred to me that
l had better go to the place where the
oxen were bred by Kafir chief, whose
| name | forgot, but whose kraal was
about fifty miles from our station.
| There / went, and found the oxen safe
| at home. The chief entertained me-
handsomely, and on the following morn
ing went to pay my respects to him
before leaving, and was somewhat sur
| prised to find collection of some hun
dreds of men and women sitting round
him anxiously watching the sky, in
| which the thtnder-clouds were banking
up IN very ominOus way.
"You had better wait, white man."
said the chief, "ard see the rain doctors
fight the lightning"
inquired what he meant, and learned
that this man, Indaba-zirlbi, had for
some years occupied the position Of
wizard-in-chief to the tribe, although he
was not a member Of it, having been
born in the country now known as
Zululand. But son of the chiefs, a
man of about 80, had lately set up as a
rival in supernatural powers. This irri-
tated Indaba-zimhi beyond measure, and
quarrel ensped between the two witch
doctors that resulted in a challenge to
trial by lightning being given and ac-
cepted. These were the conditions.
The rivals must await the coming of a
serious thunderstorm, no ordinary tenn
pest would serve their turn. Then,
carrying assegais III their hands, they
must take their stand within fifty PAGES
of each other upon . certain patch of
ground where the big thunderbolts were
observed to strike continually, and by
the exercise of their occult powers and
invocations to the lightning, must strive
to avert death from themselves and
bring it on their rival. The terms of
this singular match had been arranged
a month previously, but no storm worthy
of the occasion had arisen. Now the
local weather prophets believed it to be
brewing.
l inquired what would happen if
neither of the men were struck. and
was told that they must then wait for
another storm. If they escaped the
second time, however, they would be
held to be equal in power, and be jointly
consulted by the tribe on occasions OF
Importance.
The prospect of being spectator OF
so unusual sight overcame nay desire
to be gone, and 1 accepted the chiefs in
vitation to see it out. Before midday /
regretted it, for though the western
heavens grew darker and darker, and
the still air heralded the coming of the
storm, yet it did not come. By o'clock
it became obvious that it must burst
soon-at sunset, the old chief said, and
in the company of the whole assembly
moved down to the place OF combat
The kraal was built on the top of a hill,
and below it the land sloped gently to
the banks of river about half mile
away. On the hither side of the bank |
was the piece of land that was, the ma
tives said, ''loved Of the lightning"
Here the magicians took up their stand,
while the spectators grouped themselves
on the hillside about two hundred yards |
away, which was, thought, rather too
near to be pleasant.
When we had sat there for awhile nv |
overcaLne me, and | asked |
leave Of the chief to go down and inspect !
the arena. He said might do so at my |
own risk. told him that the fire from !
above would not hurt white men. and
went and found that it was bed of iron
ore, tninlv covered with grass, which of
course accounted for its attracting the
lightning from the storms as they trav-
eled along the line of the river. At each
end of this ironstone area were placed
The conbatants, Indaba-Imba facing the
east. and his rival the west, and before
each there burned little fire made OF
some scented root. Moreover. they were
dressed IN all the paraphernalia of their
craft, snake skins. fish bladders, and
know not what besides. while round their
,ecks hung circletS of baboons' teeth
md bones from human hands First l
vent to the western end where the
,hief's son stood. He was pointing with
lis asegai towards the advancing storm
nd invoking it in voice Of great ex-
itement.