The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-02-26
AN AFRICAN ROMANCE.
CHAPTER II.

When had buried my father ant
seen his successor installed in his plac,
for the station was the property o.
the Society," set TO work to carry out
aplan which had long cherished, but
been unable TO execute because 1t would
have involved separation from my
tather. Put shortly, 1t was to under.
take q trading journey Of exploration
right through the countries now known
% the Free State and the Transvaal,
snd as much further north as l could
20. It was an adventurous scheme, for
though tho emigrant Beers had begun
% occupy positions in these territories,
they were still, to all practical pur-
poses, unexplored. But l was now
alone In the world, and 1t mattered lit
tie what became Of me; 30, driven on
by the overmastering love Of adventure,
which, old as | am, will, perhaps, still
be my cause OF death, / determined to
undertake it.
Accordingly l 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 / in
vested in such goods as were then in
fashion, for trading purposes, and in
guns and ammunition. The guns would
have moved any modern explorer to
merriment; but such as they we're / man
aged 10 do q good deal Of execution
with them. One OF them was a single
barreled, smooth bore, fitted for percus-
sion caps-s roer we called it-which
threw q three-ounce ball, and was
charged with handful OF coarse black
powder. Many is the elephant l killed
with that roer, although 1t generally
knocked me backwards when / fred
II, which only did under compulsion.
The best Of the lot perhaps was q
double-barreled No. 10 shotgun, but 1t
had fintlooks. Also there were some
old tower muskets, which might or
might not throw straight at seventy
yards. took six Kaffirs with me, and
three good horses, which were supposed
10 be salted-that is, proof against sick
ness. Among the Kafflrs was an old fell
low named Indaba-zimbi, which, bein9
translated, means tongue OF iron" /
suppose he got his name from his
strident voice and exhaustless eloquence.
This man was o great character in his |
way. lie had been q noted witch-doo- |
tor among neighboring tribe, and came
TO the station under the following cir
which, as he plays q con-
siderable part in this history, are, per-
bsps, worth recording.
Two years before my fathers death
had occasion 10 search the country round
for some lost oxen. After q long and
useless quest 1t occurred to me that /
had better 60 TO the place where tho
oxen were bred by Kaffir chief, whose
name / forget, but whose kraal was
about fifty miles from our station.
There went, and found the oxen safe
lt home. The chief entertained me
and on the following morn
ing ! went 10 pay my respects TO him
before leaving, and was somewhat sur
prised TO find collection OF some hun
ireds Of men and women sitting round
MIN anxiously watching the sky, In
which the thunder-clouds were banking
up in very ominous way.
"You had better wait, white man."
,aid the chief, "and see the rain-doctors
aght the lightning"
inquired what he meant, and learned
hat this man, Indaba-zimbi, had for
'ome years occupied the position OF
TO the tribe, although
le was not member OF II, having been
BORN In the country now known as Zu-
inland. But son Of the chief, O man
4 about thirty, had lately set up as q
ival In supernatural powers. This
Indsba-zimbi beyond measure,
md quarrel ensued between the two
gitch-doctors that resulted In o chal-
enge TO trial by lightning being given
nd accepted These were the condi-
ions: The rivals must await the COM
ng OF q serious thunderstorm; no
tempest would serve their
urn. Then, carrying assegais In their
ands, they must take their stand with
a fifty PAGES Of each other upon cer-
ain patch Of ground where the big
were observed TO strike
and by the exercise Of their
ccult powers and invocations TO the
Ightning lnust strive 10 avert death
rom themselves and bring IL on their
wal The terms Of this singular match
I'd been arranged month previously,
ut no storm worthy Of the occasion had
risen. Now the elocal weather-prophets
elieved IL 10 be browning
I inquired what would happen II
sither Of the men were struck, and was