The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-01-05
CLEAR me, Storm Devil, and lick In
daba-zimbi with your red tongue!
SsSr,t or, b;o, rr;tI ~o..

"Hear me, Storm Devil, and lick In
daba-zimbi with your red tongue!
"Spit on him with your rain!
"Whirl him away in your breath!
MAKE him as nothing-melt the mar
row in his homes!
run into his heart and burn away the
lies!
''Show all the people who is the true
Witch Finder!
Let me not be put to shame in the
eyes of this white manp'
Thus he spoke, or rather chanted, and
all the while rubbed his broad chest-for
he was Il very fine man-with some filthy
compound of medicine al month.
After a while, getting tired Of his
song, l walked across the ironstone, TO
where Indaba-zimbi sat by his fire. He
was not chanting at ali, but his per-
Torrance was much more impressive.
1t consisted in staring at the eastern
sky, which was perfectly clear of cloud,
and every now and again reckoning at
it with his finger, then turning round to
point with the assegai towards his rival.
For a while [ looked at him in silence.
He was a curious wizened man, appa-
rently over fifty years of age, with thin
hands that looked as tough as wire. His
nose was much sharper than is usual
among these races, and he had a queer
habit of holding his head sideways like
a bird when he spoke, which, in addi-
ton to the humor that lurked in his eye
gave him a most comical appearance.
Another strange thing about him was
that he had a single white lock of hair
among his black wool. At last I spoke
to him:
"Indaba-zimbi, my friend" 1 said,
"you mag be a good witch doctor, but
you are certainly a fool. 1t is no good
reckoning at the blue sky while your
enemy is getting a start with the Storm -
you may be clever, but don't think
you know everything, white man." the
old fellow answered, in q high cracked
voice, and with something like a grin.
"They call you ~Irontongue," 1 went
on; you had better use it, or the Storm
Devil won't hear you"
"The fire from above runs down IRON
he answered, $50 l keep my tongue quiet.
Oh, yes, let him curse away, I'll put him
out presently. Look now, white man."
l looked, and in the eastern sky there
grew a cloud. At first it was small, but
very black, but it gathered with extraor-
binary rapidity.
This was odd enough, but as I had
seen the same thing happen before it did
not particularly astonish me. 1t is by
no means unusual in Africa for two
thunderstorms to come up at the same
time from different points of the COM
pass.
You had better go on, Indaba-zimbi,'
[ said, "the big storm is coming along
fast, and will soon eat up that baby of
yours" and [ pointed to the west.
Babies sometimes grow to giants,
white man." said Indaba-zimbi, beckon-
ing away vigorously. "Look now at my
cloud-child."
l looked; the eastern storm had spread
itself from earth to sky, and in shape
resembled an enormous man. There
was its head, its shoulders, and its legs;
yes, it was like a huge giant travelling
across the heavens. The light of the
setting sun escaping from beneath the
lower edge of the western storm shot
across the intervening space in a sheet
Of splendor, and, lighting up the ad-
yancing figure, wrapped its middle in
hues of glory, too wonderful to be de-
scribed; but beneath and above this
glowing belt his feet and head were
black as jet. Presently, as l watched,
2a awful flash of light shot from the
cad of the cloud and circled it about as
though with a crown of living fire and
vanished.
Aha" chuckled old Indaba-zimbi,
my little boy is putting on his mans
ring" and he tapped the green ring on
his own head, which natives assume
when they reach a certain age and dig
nifty. "Now, white man, unless you are
a bigger wizard than either of us you
had better clear off, for the fire fight is
about to begin"
l thought this sound advice.
Good luck so with you, my black
UNCLE" l said. Il hope you don't feel
the iniquities of a nisspent life weighing
on you at the last"
"You look after yourself, and think of
your own sins, young man." he an
swered, with q grim smile, and taking a
pinch of snuff, and at that very moment
a flash of lightning, 1 don't know from
which storm, struck the ground within
thirty PAGES of me. That was enough
for me. fairly took to my heels, and
as | went l heard old Indaba-zimbi's dry
chuckle of amusement.
l climbed the hill till I came to where
the chief was sitting with his Indunas,
and sat down near to him. 1 looked at
the mans face and saw that he was in
tensely anxious for his sons safety, and
by no means confident of his powers to
resist the magic of lndaba-zimbi. He
was talking in a low voice to the Induna
next to him.
"Hearken.' the chief was saying, s.if
the magic of Indaba-zimDi prevails
against my son, I will endure him no
more. Of this am sure, that when he
has slain my son he will Stay me, me
also, and make himself chief in my place.
l fear Indaba-zimbi. On!'
'Black one," answered the Induna,
"wizards die as dogs die, and, once dead,
dogs bark no more"
"And once dead" said the chief, "wiz-
ards work no more SPELLS" and he bent
and whispered in the Induna's ear. look