Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-01-18

py no means confident OF his powers to
resist the magic Of Indaba-zimbi. He
was talking in low voice to the 1nduna
next to him.
''IIearken!" the chief was saying, 'if
tho magic OF 1ndaba-zimbi prevails
against my son, ! win endure him no
more. OF this am sure, that when he
has slain my son he will slay me, mo
also, and make himself chief in my place.
fear Indaba-zimbi. On"
'Biack one," answered tho Induna,
wizards die as dogs die, and, once dead,
dogs bark no more"
"And once dead" J" said the chief, "wiz-
ards work no more spells." and he bent
and whispered in the Induna's ear, look
ing at the assegai in his hand as he whis-
pered.
"Good, my father, good!" said the In
duna, presently. at shall be done to-
night. II the lightning does not do 1t
first"
"a bad lookout for old Indaba-zimbi,
said TO myself. "They mean to kill
him." Then thought no more Of the
matter for a while. the scene before me
was too tremendous.
The two storms wcrc rapidly rushing
together.
The silence deepened and dccpcned,
the shadows grew blacker and blacker,
then suddenly all nature began to moan
beneath the breath Of an icy wind. On
came tho wind; the smooth surface Ol
the river was ruflled by II into little
waves, the tall grass bowed low before II,
and in its wake came the kissing sound
Of furious rain.
Ali the storms had met. From each
there burst an awful dazzling blaze Of
light, and now the hill on which we sat
rocked in tho noise Of the, following
thunder. The light went out of the sky.
darkness fell suddenly on the land, but
not for long. Presently the whole land
scape grew vivid In the flashes; 1t ap-
peared and disappeared; now every
thing was visible for miles. now even
the men at my side vanished In the
blackness.
Suddenly the thunder and lightning
ceased for q minute, and everything
grew black, and, except for the rain, 81
lent.
at is over, one way or the other, chief,
called out into the darkness.
"Wait, white man, wait, answered the
chief in voice thick with anxiety and
fear.
Hardly were the words out Of his mouth
when the heavens were lit up again till
they literally seemed to flame. There
were the men, not four PAGES apart. A
great flash fell between them; saw then
stagger beneath the shock. Indaba-zimb
recovered himself first--at any rate, wher
the next flash came he was standing bolt
upright, pointing with his assegai to
wards his enemy. The chiefs son was
still on his legs, but he was staggering
like drunken man, and the asscgai had
fallen from his hand.
Darkness, then again flash, more
fearful, if possible, than any that had
gone before. To me it seemed to comC
from the east, right over the head ol
lndaba-zimbi. Next instant saw the
chiefs son wrapped, as it were, in The
heart Of it. Then the thunder pealed
! the rain burst over US like n torrent, ant
/ saw no more.
The worst of the storm was done, but
for n while the darkness was SO dens,
that we could not move, nor, indeed
was | inclined to leave the safety of tn
hillside where the lightning was neve
known to strike and venture down +
tho ironstone. Occasionally there still
came flashes, but, search as we would
we could see no trace of either of tn
wizards. For my part, believed tina
they were both dead. Now tho cloud
slowly rolled away down the course O
the river, and with it went tho rain; am
now the stars shone out in their wake.
'Let us go and see," said the old CHIEF
rising and shaking the water from hi
hair. 1.-THE fire fight has ended, let II
go and see who has conquered
rose and followed him, dripping q
though | had swum a hundred yard
with my clothes on, and after me cam
all the people of the kraal.
We reached tho spot; even in tha
light ! could see where the ironston
had been split and fused by the thunde
bolts. While l was looking about me,
suddenly heard the chief, who was O
my right, give low moan, and saw til
people cluster round him. l went Il
and looked. There, on the ground, la
the body of his son. He was dreadfl
sight His hair was burned off his heat
the copper rings upon his arms wei
fused, the assegai handle which lay nes
was literally shivered into threads, an,
when took hold of his arm, it SCENE
to me that every bone of it was broker
Tho men with the chief stood gain
silently, while the women walled.
''Great is the magic of Indaba- zim hi
said man at length. The chief turne
and struck him heavy blow with Il
kerrie in his hand.
Great or not, thou dog, he shall die
he cried, "and so shalt thou if thou sin
est his praises SO loudly"
said nothing, but thinking it probab
that Indaba-zimbi had shared the fate
his enemy, went to look. But / cou
see nothing of him, and at length, beil
thoroughly chilled with the wet, start,
back to my wagon to get change
clothes. On reaching it, was rather sll
prised to see strange Kaiiir seated
the driving box wrapped up in blanke
"Hullo! come out of that" said.
The figure on the box slowly unroll,
) the blanket, and with great deliberate
took n pinch of snuff.
1T was a good fire fight, white ma
was it not?' said Indaba-zimbi, in d
high, cracked voice. "But he never h;
a chance against me, poor boy. !
knew nothing bout it. See, white ma
what comes on presumption in the youn
1t is sad, very sad, but made the flash
fly, didn't l?'
, "You old humbug," | said, "unle
you are careful you will soon learn VIII
comes of presumption in the old. {
your chief is after you with an assegi
a !, III ,li