Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-01-04
THE STRANGE STORY
 -OE-- Allan QuateTmain'S Wife
BY H. RIDER HAGGARD,

BY II. RIDER HAGGARD,
 company of the whole assembly moved down to the place of combat. The kraal was built on the top of hill, and below it the land sloped gently to the banks of river about half a mile away. On the other side of tho bank was the piece of land that was, the natives said, 'loved of the lightning" Hero 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 my curiosity overcame me, and I asked leave of the chief to go down and inspect the arena. He said might do SO at my own risk. I told him that the fire from above would not hurt white men, and went and found that 1t was bed of iron ore, thiply covered with grass, which of course accounted for it's attracting the lightning from the storms as they trav- eled along the line of the river. At each end of this iron-stone area were placed the combatants, Indaba-zimbi facing the east, and his rival the west, and before each there burned a little fire made of some scented root. More- over, they were dressed in all the paraphernaliao of their craft, snake-skins, hsh-bladders, and know not what be- sides, while round their neoks hung cir clets of baboons' teeth and bones from human hands. First I went to the western end where the chiefs son stood. He was pointing with his assegai towards the advancing storm, and in- voking it in voice of great excite ment.
 "Come, fire, and lick up Indaba- zimbi!
 "Hear me, Storm Devil, and lick h. daba-zimbi with your red tongue!
 "Spit on him with your rain!
 "Whirl him away in your breathl
 Make him as nothing melt the marrow in his bones!
 "Run into his heart and burn away the lies!
 ''Show all the people who is the true Witch Finder!
 "Let mo not be put to shame in tho eyes of this white man"
 Thus he spoke, or rather chanted, and all the while rubbed his broad chest for he was 8 very fine man-with some filthy compound of medicine di mont.
 After awhile, getting tired of his song, walked across the iron stone to where 1ndaba-zimbi sat by his fire. He was not chanting at all but his performance was much moro impressive. It consisted in staring at the eastern sky, which was perfectly clear of cloud, and every now and again beckoning at 1t with his finger, then turning round to point with the assegai towards his rival. orawhile I looked at him in silence. He was curious, wizened man, apparently 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 hold ing his head sideways like a bird when he spoke, which, in addition to the humor that lurked in his eye, gave him most comical appearance. Another strange thing about him was that he had a single white lock of hair among his black wool. At last spoke to him:
 '1ndaba-zimbi, my friend,' I said, ''you may be a good witch-doctor, but you are certainly fool. It is no good beckoning at the blue sky while your enemy is getting start with the storm"
 "You may be clever, but don't think you know every thing, white man." the old fellow answered, in a high cracked voice, and with something like grin.
 'They call you Irontongue," I went on; 'you hSd better use it or the Storm Devil won't hear you."
 "The fire from above runs down iron," he answered, "so I keep my tongue quiet Oh, yes, let him curse away. I'll put him out presently. Look now, white man."
 i looked, and in the eastern sky there grew cloud. At first it was small. but very black, but 1t gathered with extra. ordinary rapidity.
 This was odd enough, but as had seen the same thing happen before 1t did not particularly astonish me. It is by no means unusual in Africa for two