Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-03-28
of silver beneath the narrow space OF open

while the lnky head of the cloud-giant
to the east was continually suffused with
white and deadly glow that came aud
went in pulses, as though a flood of fame
was being pumped into it from the heart
of the storm.
The silence deepened and deepened, the
shadows grew blacker and blacker: then
suddenly all nature began to moan be
meath the breath of an icy wind. On
came the wind: the smooth surface of
the river was ruff1ed by it into little waves,
the tall grass bowed low before it, and in
its wake came the kissing sound of furi-
Gus 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 the noise of the following thun-
der. The light went out of the sky, dark
ness fell suddenly on the land, but not for
long.
Presently the whole landscape grew
vivid in the flashes; it appeared and dis
appeared, now everything was visible for
miles, now even the man at my side van
ished in the blackness. The thunder roll
ed aud cracked and pealed like the trump
of doom, whirlwinds tore round, lifting
dust and even stones high into the air, aud
hiss of the rushing rain.
put my hand before my eyes to shield
them from the terrible glare. and looked
beneath it towards the lists of iron-stone.
As fash followed flash, l from time to
time caught sight of the two wizards
They were slowly advancing towards one
another, each pointing at his foe with the
assegai in his hand. | could see their
every movement, and it seemed to me that
the chained lightning was striking the
iron stone all round them.
Suddenly the thunder and lightning
ceased for minute, and everything grew
black and, except for the rain, silent.
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 We're lit up again till
they literally seemed to flame. There
were the men, not four PAGES apart A
great flash fell between them. | saw
them stagger beneath the shock. Indaba-
Zimbi recovered himself tirSt-at any rate,
when 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
a drunken man and the aSsegai had fallen
from his hand.
Darkness. then again flash, more fear.
full, if possible, than any that had gone
before To me it seemed to come from
the east, right over the head of lndaba-
zimbi. Next instant saw the chiefs son
wrapped, as it were, in the heart of it.
Then the thunder pealed and the rain
burst over US like torrent, and saw NO
more.
The worst of the storm was done, but
for a while the darkness was so dense
that we could not move, nor, indeed, was
| inclined to leave the safety of the hill
side where the lightning was never known
to strike and venture down to the iron
stone. Occasionally there still came
flashes, but search as we would, we could
see no trace of either of the wizards.
For my part, l believed they were both
dead
Now the clouds slowly rolled away down
the course of the river, and with it went
the rain: and now the stars shOne out in
their wake.
LET rs go and see, D." said the old chief,
rising and shaking the water from his
hair. The fire fight has ended, let us go
and see who has conquered"
rose and followed him. dripping as
though | had swum Il hundred yards with
my clothes on, and after me came all the
people of the kraal.
We reached the spot; even in that light
/ could see where the iron-sto had been
split and fused by the thunderbolts.
| While | was looking about me, suddenly
% who rio
| give a low moan, and saw the people cIus-
ter round him. l went up and looked.
| There, on the ground, lay the body of his
son. He was a dreadful sight. His hair
was burned off his head, the copper rings
| upon his arms were fused. the assegai han
| die which lay near was literally shvered
| into threads, and, when took hold of his
| arm, it seemed TO me that every bone of it
| was broken.
| The men with the chief stood gazing sill
emily, while the women walled
Great is the magic of Indaba-zimbi,"
said man, at length. The chief turned
and struck him n heavy blow with the
| kerre in his hand.
Great or not, thou dog, he shall die" he
| cried, land so shalt thou if thou sngest
his praises so loudly"
said nothing, but thinking it probable
| that Indaha-zimbi had shared the fate of
| his enemy, went to look. But could see
nothing of him, and at length, being
thoroughly chilled with the wet, started
back to my wagon to get change of
clothes. On reaching it, ! was rather
surprised to see a strange Kaf1ir seated
on the drivingboX wrapped up in a
blanket.
"Hullo! come out of that" said.
The figure on the box slowly unroIIed
the blanket, and with great deliberation
took "A pinch of snuff
1T was a good freight, white man, was
1t not?' said lndabazimbi, in his high,
cracked voice. But he never had
chance against me, poor boy. He knew
nothing about it. See, white man, what
comes of presumption in the young. 1t is
sad, very sad, but | made the flashes fly,
didn't I?'
You old humbug," said, "unless you
are careful you will soon learn what
comes of presumption in the old. for
your chief is after you with an assegai.
and it Will take all your magic to dodge
that"
Now you don't say So" said Indaba-
zimbi, clambering off the wagon with
rapidity; land all because of this wretch
ed upstart. There's gratitude for you,
white man. expose him, and they want
to kill me. Well, thank you for that hint.
We Shall meet again before long" md
he was gone like a shot and not too soon,
for just then some men came up to the
wagon.
On the following morning I started
homeward. The first face l saw on ar
irving at the station was that of Indaba-
zimbi
How do you do, Macumazahn?" he
said, holding his head on one side and
nodding his white lock. 81 hear you are
Christians here, and want to try new
religion. Mine must be a bad one seeing
that my people wanted to kill me for ex-
posing an impostor"
CHAPTER III.
make no apology to myself, or to any
body who may happen to read this nara
tive in future, for having set out the man
ner of my meeting with Indaba-ZimbI:
first, because it was curious, and secondly.
because he takes some hand in the subse-