Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-03-21

1t was an adventurous scheme, Tor
though the emigrant Beers had begun to
occupy positions in these territories, they
were still 10 all practical purposes uuex-
plored- But | was now alone ia the world,
and it Inattered little what became of me:
So driven on by the overmastering love OF
adventure, which, old as am, viii per-
maps stlII be my cause Of death, l deter
mined to undertake it
Accordingly l sold such stock and goods
as we had upon the station, reserving only
the two best wagons and two pairs of
oxen. The proceeds l invested in such
goods as were then in fashion, for trading
purposes, and in guns and ammunition.
The guns would have moved any modern
explorer to merriment: but such as they
were l managed to do good deal of ex-
ecution with them. One of them was
single barreled, smOOth-bore, nuUeu lot
percussion caps-a roer we called it
which threw a three-ounce ball, and was
charged with handful of coarse black
powder.
Many is the elephant that killed with
that roer, although it generally knocked
me backwards when / fired it. which /
only did under compulsiou. The best of
the lot, perhaps, was double-barreled
No u shotgun, but it had flint locks.
Also, there were some old tower muskets,
which might or might not throw straight
at seventy yards. l took six kaf1irs with
me, and three good horses. which were
supposed to be salted-that is, proof
against sickness.
Among the Kaffirs was an old fellow
named Indaba-zimbi, which, being trans
lated, means tongue of iron" / suppose
he got his name from his strident voice
and eXhaustless elOquence. This man
was great character in his way. He had
been noted witch-doCtor among a
neighboring tribe, and came to the sta
ton under the following circumstance,
which, as he plays a considerable part
in this history, is perhaps worth record
ing.
Two years before my fathers death I
had occasion to search the country round
for some lost oxen. After a long and use
less quest it occurred to me that l had
better go to the place where the oxen
were bred by a Katfir chief, whose name
l forgot, but whose kraal was about fifty
| miles from our station.
There | went, and found the oxen safe
at home The chief entertained me hand
sOmely and on the following morning l
went to pay my respects 10 him before
| leaving and was somewhat surprised to
| find collection of some hundreds of men
and women sitting round him anxiously
watching the sky in which the thunder
| clouds were banking up in very OminOus
| way.
You had better wait, white man." said
| the chief, "and see the rain doctors fight
| the lightning"
inquired what he meant, and learned
! that this man, Indaba-zimbi, h3rd for
some years occupied the position of wiz
| ard-in-chief to the tribe, although he was
not a member of it, having been born in
! the country now known as Zuiuland. But
a son of the chief, a man of about thirty,
| had lately set up as a rival in sUpernaUu-
raj powers. This irritated Indaba-zimbi
| beyond measure, and quarrel ensued be-
| tween the two witch-dOctors that resulted
| in a challenge to trial by lightning being
| given and accepted.
| These were the conditions: The rivals
must await the coming of a serious thun-
| derstorm: no ordinary tempest would
serve their turn. Then, carrying assegais
| in 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 con-
| tinually and by the exercise of their oc-
| cult powers and inyoCatiOns to the light
| ming, 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.
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 a spectator of sc
| unusual a sight overcame my desire to be
! gone, and | accepted the chiefs invitation
to see it out. Before midday | regretted
! it, for though the western heavens grew
| darker, and darker. and the still air her
aided the coming of the storm, yet it did
| not nnnr2
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