The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-01-19

war finery, cloak of leopard skin upon
his shoulders. At his feet lay the sense
less form of little Tota, to my left squat
ted Indaba-zimbi, nodding his white
lock and muttering something-proba-
bly, spells; while in front was my giant
antagonist, his spear aloft and his
plumes bending in the gentle breeze.
Then over all, over grassy slope, river
and koppie, over the wagons of the
lager, the piles of dead, the dense ranks
( OF the living, the swooning child, over
all shone the bright impartial sun, look
ing down like the great Indifferent eye
Of heaven upon the loneliness of nature
and the cruelty of man. Down by the
river grew thorn trees, and from them
fioated the sweet scent of the mimosa
flower, and came the sound of cooling
turtle doves. never smell the one OF
| hear the other without the scene flash
ing into my mind again, complete in its
every detail.
Suddenly, without sound, Bombyane
shook his assegai and rushed straight at
me. 1 saw his huge form come; like
man in dream, l saw the broad spear
flash ON high; now he was on me. Then,
prompted to it by some providential i'm
pulse, l dropped to my knee, and quick
as light stretched out my spear He
drove at me; the blade passed over my
head 1 felt weight on my assegai; it
was wrenched from my hand, his great
limbs knocked against me. l glanced
round. Bombyane was staggering along
with head thrown back and outstretched
arms from which his spear had fallen.
His spear had fallen, but the blade of
mine stood out between his shoulders-I
had transfixed him. He stopped, swung
round slowly as though to look at me,
then with sigh the giant sank down
dead.
For a moment there was silence; then
a great cry rosa cry of "Bombyane is
dead. The white spirit has slain Bomb
yane. Kill the wizard, kill the ghost
who has slain, Bombyane by witchcraft"
Instantly was surrounded by fierce
faces, and spears flashed before my eyes.
folded my arms and stood calmly wait
ing the end. In a moment it would
have come, for the warriors were mad
at seeing their champion overthrown
thus easily. But presently through the
tumult heard the high cracked voice of
Indaba-zimbi.
''Stand back, you foolsT it cried; "can
spirit then be killed."
''Spear him! spear him." they roared
in fury. ''Let JUS see if he is spirit.
How did spirit slay Bombyane with an
assegai? Spear him, rain maker, and we
shall see."
''Stand back" cried Indaba-zimbi
again, land l will show you if he can be
killed. l will kill him myself, and call
him back to life again before your eyes.
Macumazahn, trust me-" he whispered
in my ear in the Sisutu tongue, which
the Zulus did not understand. ''Trust
me; kneel on the grass before me, and
when l strike at you with the spear. roll
over like one dead; then, when you heal
my voice again, get up. Trust met is
your only hope
Having no choice, nodded my head
in assent, though l had not the faintesi
idea of what he was about to do. The
| lCSoSllSu SOlllS" lioiU, oiilu OllOt
: more the warriors drew back.
"Great white spirit-spirit of victory,
said Indaba-zimbi, addressing me aloud
and covering his eyes with his hand
''hear me and forgive me. These chill
, dren are blind with folly, and think
5 thee mortal because thou hast dealt death
i upon a mortal who dared to stand agains
tbaa naior,, 70 1-poa1 1o,,-,, lofo,.o ~,
, and let me pierce thy heart with thi
spear; then, when l call upon thee, arise
l unhurt."
| l knelt down, not because | wished to
but because must. | had not overmuci
S faith in Indaba-zimbi, and thought i
1 probable that he was in truth about tx
t make an end of me. But really l wa!
so worn with fears, and the horrors Of
1 the night and day had so shaken m,
4 nerves, that did not greatly care wha
befell me. When I had been kneelin.
t thus for about half minute Indaba
: zimbi spoke.
i 'People of the Umtetwa children O
TChaka," he said, ''draw back littl
r space, lest an evil fall on you, for nov
lllt all Is IlllCh w lU1 pIlOSlS.
: They drew back a space, leaving us il
a circle about twelve yards in diameter
= Look on him who kneels before you,
went on Indaba-zimba, ''and listen t
e my words, to the words of the witch
n finder, the words of the rainmake1
S Indaba-zimbi, whose fame is known t
# you. He seems to be man, does h
Y not? 1 tell, you, children of the Umtei
n wa, he is no man. He is the spirit VIII
e gives victory to the white men; he it
d who gave them assegais that thunde
:, and taught them how to slay. VIII
st were the impis of Dingan rolled back q
/ the Blood river? Because he was there
t, Why did the Amaboona slay the peopl
1t of Mosilikaaye by the thousand? Be
cause he was there. And so l say
,, you that, had 1 not drawn hir
d from the laager by my magic BIT
IS three hours ago, you would have bee
d conquered-yes, you would have bee
blown away like the dust before til
If wind; you would have been burned u
Is like the dry grass in the winter whe
the fire is awake among it. Aye, b.
tie cause he had but been there many
D, your bravest were slain in overcoming
y few-a pinch of men who could /
rs counted on the fingers. But because
y loved you, because your chief Sususa
X my half brother-for had we not or
g father?-I came to you, warned 20,
i. Then Won Draypd me and I drew Fl