The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-11-28
THE STRANGE STORY
Or
Allan guatermain'S Wife
BIZ III. RIDER HAGGARD, 1
AUTHOR OF "SHE," "KNG SoLoMoN's
MINES" "JEss," "CLEo-
PATRA," ETC.
AN AFRICAN ROMANCE.
TCHAPTER x1.-coSr1surp.

All.-NONTlNbED.
1 sat down and watched. When the
fire was alight and burning brightly the
old fellow stripped himself stark naked.
and. going to the foot of the pool
dipped himself in the water. Then he
came back shivering with the cold, and,
leaning over the little fire, thrust leaves
of the plant 1 have mentioned into his
mouth and began to chew them, NUT.
tering as he chewed. Most of the re-
manning leaves he threw on the fire. A
dense smoke rose from them, but he
held his head in this smoke and drew il
down into his lungs till saw that he
was exhibiting every sign of suffocation
The veins in his throat and chest
swelled, he gasped loudly, and his eyes,
from which tears were streaming,
seemed as though they were going to
start from his head. Presently he fell
over on his side, and lay senseless.
was terribly alarmed, and my first i'm
pulse was to run to his assistance, but
fortunately l remembered his caution
and sat quiet.
Indaba-zimbi lay on the ground like a
person quite dead. His limbs had ali
the utter relaxation of death. But as
watched saw them begin to stiffen,
exactly as though rigor morris had set in.
Then, to my establishment, perceived
them once more relax, and this time
there appeared upon his chest the stain
of decomposition. 1t spread and spread
in three minutes the man, to all appear.
ance, was a livid corpse. ....
l sat amazed watching this uncanny
sight, and wondering if any further
natural process was about to be enacted.
Perhaps Indaba-zimbi was going to fall
to dust before-my eyes. As 1 watched
noticed that the discoloration was be-
ginning to fade. First it vanished from
the extremities, then from the larger
limbs and lastly from the trunk. Then
in turn came the third stage of relaxa-
ton. the second stage of stiffness OF
gIgor, and the first stage of after-death
collapse. When these had all rapidly
succeeded each other Indaba-zimbi
quietly woke up.
was too astonished to speak. SIM
ply looked at him with my mouth open.
"Well, Macumazahn," he said, putting
his head on one side like bird, and nod
ding his white lock in comical fashion;
'it is all right; have seen her."
'Seen who?" said.
''The Star, your wife, and the little
maid. They are much frightened, but
unframed. The Babyan-frau watches
them. She is mad, but the balloons
obey her, and do not hurt them. The
Star was sleeping from WEAKNESS, so l
whispered in her ear, and told her not to
be frightened, for you would soon res
cue her, and that meanwhile she must
seem to be pleased to have Hendrika
near her"
"You whispered in her carp" said /.
slow could you whisper in her ear?'
"BahI Macumazahn. How could I
seem to die and go rotten before your
eyes? You don't know, do you? Well,
will tell you one thing. had to die
to pass the doors of space, as you call
them. / had to draw all the healthy
strength from my body in order to
gather power to speak with the Star.
1t was dangerous business, Macuma-
zahn, for if had let things go little
further they must have stopped so, and
there would have been an end of In
daba-zimbi. All, you white men, you
know so much that you think you know
every thing. But you don't! You are
always staring at the clouds and can't