The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-02-09


call upon my spirit. However, it would
have been no good to ask me before, for
have only just found the herb want,
and he produced a handful of leaves of
plant that was unfamiliar to me. 1t
kad prickly leaves, shaped very much
like those of the common English nettle.
ssNow, Macumazahn," he went on,
'sbid the men leave us alone, and then
follow me presently to the little glade
down there by the water"
did SO. When l reached the glade l
found Indaba-zimbi kindling small fire
under the shadow of tree by the edge of
| the water.
'!Sit there, Macumazahn, he said,
pointing to stone near the fire, land do
not be surprised or frightened at any
thing you see. If you move or call out
we shall learn nothing"
l sat down and watched. When the
fire was alight and burning brightly, the
old fellow stripped himself stark naked,
and, going to the foot of the pool, dipped
himself in the water. Then he came
back shivering wisl the cold, and, lean
ing over the little fire, thrust leaves
of the plant have mentioned into his
mouth and began to chew them, mutter
ing as he chewed. Most Of the remaining
leaves he threw onto the fire. A dense
smoke rose from them, but he held his
head in this smoke and drew it down into
his lungs till saw that he was exhibiting
every sign of suffocation. The veins in
his throat and chest swelled, he gasped
loudly, and his eyes, from which tears
were streaming, seemed as though they
were going to start from his head. Pres
emily he fell over on his side, and lay
senseless. I was terribly alarmed, and
my first impulse was to run to his assist
ance but fortunately l remembered his
caution and sat quiet.
Indaba-zimbi lay on the ground like a
, person quite dead. His limbs had all the
utter relaxation of death. But as !
watched 1 saw them begin to stiffen, ex-
, Then, to my establishment, perceived
them once more relax, and this time
, there appeared upon his chest the stain
of decomposition. Itspread and spread
in three minutes the man, to all appear
ance, was a Hvid corpse.
sat amazed watching this uncanny
e sight, and wondering if any further nat
ural process was about to be enacted
e Perhaps Indaba-zimbi was going to fall
q to dust before my eyes. As l watched
y observed that the discoloration was be-
S ginning to fade. First it vanished from
/ the extremities, then from the larger
limbs, and lastly from the trunk. Their
t in turn came the third stage of relaxa
l ton, the second stage of stiffness or rigor
I and the first stage of afterdeath collapse
When all these had rapidly succeeded
each other, Indaba-zimbi quietly woke
up.
/ was too astonished to speak; 1 simply
= looked at him with my mouth open.
- ''Well, Macumazahn," he said, putting
Z his head on one side like bird and nod
= ding his white lock in a comical fashion
. cit is all right; have seen her,"
'.Seen who?" l said.
l. ''The Star, your wife, and the littl
= maid. They are much frightened, bu
unframed The babyan-frau watche
L them. She is mad, but the balloons ODE.
10 her and do not hurt them. The Star wa
u sleeping from WEAKNESS, so Whispered
:, in her ear and told her not to be fright
q ened, for you would soon rescue her, an
~ that meanwhile she must seem to
IL pleased to have Hendrika near her."
u "You whispered in her carr" | said
, ''How could you whisper in her carp
IL "Bah! Macumazahn. How could
J. seem to die and go rotten before you
l. eyes: You don't know, do you? Wei
~ ~ eel you one thing. ] had to die
i,.a, the doors of space, as you call them
70 | had to draw all the healthy strengt
r. and life from my body in order to gathe
a power to speak with the Star. 1t was
% dangerous business, Macumazahn, for
J. had let things go a little further the
ID must have stopped so, and there woul
or have been an end of Indaba-zimbi. Al
d you white men, you know so much thu
ar you think you know everything. BIZ
N you don't! You are always staring {
III the clouds and can't see the things thu
8. lie at your feet You hardly believe N
w now, do you, Macumazahn? Well, 1 wi
IN show you. Have you anything on 20
of that the Star has touched or worm"
d. l thought for a moment, and said thu
x | had lock of her hair in my poke
H. book. He told me to give it to him.
did so. Going to the fire, he lit the loo
v. of hair in the flame, and let it burn
nd ashes, which he caught in his left han
ad These ashes he mixed up in a paste vii
he the juice of one of the leaves of the pla,
CHI have spoken of.
nd "Now, Macumazahn, shut your eyes
he said.
no did so, and he rubbed his paste on II
IS. eyelids At first it burnt me, then II
81 head swan strangely. Presently this {
ca feet passed off, and my brain was pc
"a fectly clear again, but l could not fe
IRE the ground with my feet. Indaba-zim
ITO led me to the side of the stream. Benea
on us was pool of beautifully clear waite
an 'Lock into the pool, Macumazahr
les said Indaba-zimbi, and his voice sound
ne hollow and far away in my ears.
les I looked. The water grew dark:
ZEN cleared, and in it was picture. l So
lad cave with a fire burning in it, Agar
we Cne wall Oh lne cave reSCeu OlelId. Il
IAN dress was torn almost off her, she look
eat dreadfully pale and weary, and her ey
IDS lids were red as though with weepir
nv But she slept, and could almost thi
that 1 saw her lips shape my name
lat her sleep. Close to her, her head up
the Stella s breast, was little Tota; she haC
not skin thrown over her to keep out
AN night cold The child was awake, q