The Globe-republican., 1890-09-03
AN AFRICAN ROMANCE.
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
When I had buried my father and
Seen his successor installed in his place
for the station was the property of
the Society," set to work to carry out
plan which had long cherished, but
been unable to execute because it would
have involved separation from my
father. Put shortly, it was to under
take a trading journey of exploration
right through the countries now known
e. the Free State and thu Transvaal,
End as much further north as l could
60. 1t was an adventurous scheme, for
Enough the emigrant Beers had begun
20 occupy positions in these territories,
thy were still, to all practical pur-
poses, UNEMPLOYED. But l was now
alone in the world, and it mattered lit
tie what became of me; SO. driven on
by the overmastering love of adventure,
which, old as l am, will, perhaps, still
be my cause of death, L determined to
undertake it.
Accordingly 1 sold such stocks and
goods as we had upon the station, re-
serving only the two best wagons and
two pairs of oxen. The proceeds l in
vested in such goods as were then in
fashion, for trading purposes, and in
gums and ammunition. The guns would
have moved any modern explorer to
merriment; but such as they were man
aged to do a good deal of execution
with them. One of them was a single
barreled, smooth bore, fitted for percus-
sion caps-a roer we called (which
threw a three-ounce bali, and was
charged with handful Of coarse black
powder. Many is the elephant killed
with that roer. although it generally
knocked me backwards when 1 fired
It, which only did under compulsion.
The best Of the lot, perhaps, was a
double-barreled No. - 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 Kafirs with me, and
hree good horses, which were supposed
to be salted-thst is, proof against sick
ness. Among the kaftirs was an old fell
low named Indaba-zimbi, which, bein5
translated, means tongue of iron" l
suppose he got his name from his
strident voice and exhaustless eloquence.
This man was great character in his
way. He had been a noted witch-doc-
Dor among neighboring tribe, and came
to the station under the following cir
cumstances, which, as he plays a con-
siderable part in this history, are, per-
haps, worth recording.
Two years before my fathers death
bad occasion to search the country round
for some lost oxen. After long and
useless quest it occurred to me that
had better go to the place where the
oxen were bred by kafir chief, whose
name 1 forget, but whose kraal was
about fifty miles from our station.
There went, and found the oxen safe
at home. The chief entertained ne
handsomely, and on the following morn |
ing l went to pay my respects TO him |
before leaving, and was somewhat sur |
prised to find collection of some hun
dreds 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."
sdlu tuc CulcA, du0 stu lue
fight the lightning"
l inquired what he meant, and learned |
that this man, Indaba-zimbi. had for
some years occupied the position Of
wizard-in-chiet to the tribe, although |
he was not member OF it, having been
born In the country now known as Zu-
luland. But son of the chief, q man
Of about thirty, had lately set up as a
rival in supernatural powers. This
irritated Indaba-zimh beyond measure,
and quarrel ensued between the two
that resulted in a chal-
lenge to trial by lightning being given
and accepted These were the condi-
tons: The rivals must await the COM
ing of a serious thunderstorm; no
ordinary tempest would serve their
turn. Then, carrying assegais in their
hands, they must take their stand with
in fifty PAGES of each other upon a GER
tain patch of ground where the big
were observed to strike
and by the exercise of their
SCOUT powers and invocations to the
lightning must strive to avert death
from themselves and bring it on their
rival. The terms of this singular match
had been arranged month previously,
but no storm worthy of the occasion had
arisen. Now the local weather-prophets
believed it to be brewing.
I inquired what would happen II
neither Of the men were struck, and was