Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-05-30

his side, and lay senseless. l was terri
bly, alarmed, and my first impulse was
to run to his assistance. 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 watch
ed l saw them begin TO stiffen, exactly as
though rigor morris had set in. Then, to
my establishment, | perceived them once
more relax, and this time there appeared
upon his chest the stain of decomposi-
ton. 1t spread and spread; in three min
utes the man, to all appearance, was a
livid corpse.
| sat amazed watching this uncanny
sight, and wondering if any further natu-
raj process was about TO be enacted. Per
haps Indaba-zimbi was going TO fall TO
dust before my eyes. AS | watched | OBJ
served that the discoloration was begin
ming to fade. First it vanished from the
extremities, then from the larger limbs,
and lastly from the trunk. Then in turn
came the third stage of relaxation, the
second stage of stiffness or rtg0r. and
the first stage Of after-death collapse.
When all these had rapidly succeeded
each other, Indaba-zimbi quietly woke up.
l was too astonished to speak. / simply
looked at him with my mouth open.
well, Macumazahn," he said, putting
his head on one side like bird. and nod
ding his white lock in a comical fashion,
ait is all right; l have seen her."
Seen who?" / said.
1.-The Star-your wife-and the little
maid. They are much frightened, but I'M
harmed The babyau-frau watches them.
She is mad, but the balloons obey her,
and do not hurt them. The Star was
sleeping from WEAKNESS, so | whispered il
her ear and told her not to be frightened,
for you would soon rescue her, and that
meanwhile she must seem to be pleased to
have HeudrIka near her."
You whispered in her earl" | said.
'.How could you whisper in ner ear3''
Bah! Macumazahn. How could seem
to die and 90 rotten before your es? You
don't know, do you? Well, will tell you
one thing. l had to die to pass the doors
of space, as you call them. had to draw
all the healthy strength from my body in
order to gather power to speak with the
Star. II was dangerous business, Ma
cumazahn, for if had let things go little
further they must have stopped so, and
there would have been an end of Iudaba-
zimbi. All, you white men, you know so
much that you think you know every
thing But you DON'T You are always
staring at the clouds and can't see the
things that lie at your feet. You hardly
believe me now, do you, MacumaZrhn?
Well, will show you. Have you any
thing on you that the Star has touched or
worm"
Thought for moment, and said that l
had lock OF her hair in my pOCket-bOOh.
He told me to give it to him. | did So.
Going to the fire, he lit the lock of hair in
the flame, and let it burn to ashes, which
he caught in his left hand. These ashes
he mixed up in paste with the juice of
one of the leaves of the plant | have spOk-
en- of
Now, Macumazahn, shut your eyes,"
he said.
did So and he rubbed his paste on to
my eyelids. At first it burnt me, then
my head swan strangely. Presently this
effect passed off, and my brain WAS per-
feCtly clear again. but | could not feel the
ground with my feet. Indaba-zimbi led
me TO the side of the stream. Beneath us
was pool of beautifully clear water.
Look into the pool, Macumazahn,' said
Indaba-zimbi, and his voice sounded hol-
10" ana ldF away III my ears.
| looked. The water grew dark; it clear
ed, and in it was a picture. | saw a cave
with fire burning in it. Against the
wall of the cave rested Stella. Her dress
was torn almost off her, she looked dread
fully pale and weary, and her eyelids were
red as though with weeping. But she
slept, and | could almost think that |
SAW her lips shape my name in her sleep.
Close to her, her head upon Stella
breast, was little Tota; she had skin
thrown over her to Keep out the night
cold. The child was awake, and appeared
to be moaning with fear. Bv the fire, and
in such n position that the light fell full
upon her face, and engaged in cooking
something in a rough pot shaped from
wood, sat the babOon-wOman, Hendrika.
| She was clothed in baboon skins, and her
face had been rubbed with some dark
stain, which was, however. wearing Off it.
In the intervals Of her cooking she would
| turn on Stella her wild eyes, in which
! glared visible Madness with an expression
of tenderness that amounted to worship.
Then she would stare at the poor child
and gnash her teeth rs though with
hate. Clearly she was jealous of it.
Round the entrance arch of the cave peep
Ell anu pttltU the DeduS Oh uldny DdDOOIS.
Presently Hendrika made sign to one
of them; apparently she did not speak, or
| rather grunt, in order not to wake Stella.
The brute hoped forward, and she gave
it a second rude wooden pot which was
lying by her. 1t took it and went. The
last thing that l saw, as the vision slowly
vanished from the pool, was the dim shad-
ow Of the baboon returning with the pot
full of water.
Presently everything had gone. l ceased
to feel strange. There beneath me was
the pool, and at my side stood Indaba-
Zimbi, smiling.
You have seen things" he said
81 have" | answered, and made no fur
Their remark on the matter What was
there to say 'Do you know the path to
the cave'" l added.
He nodded his head 81 did not follow
It ali just now, because it Winds" he
said. But know it. We shall want the
ropes"
Then let US be starting; the men have
eaten"
He nodded his head again, and going to
the men | told them to make ready, add
ing that Indaba zimbi knew the way.
They said that was all right, if Indaba.
zimbi had 'smelt her out" they should
soon find the Star. So we started cheer
fully enough, and my spirits were so much
improved that 1 was able to eat a boiled
mealie cob or two as we walked
We went up the valley, following the
course of the stream for about mile;
then lndaba-zimbi made sudden turn to
the right, along another kloof. of which
there were countless numbers in the base
of the great hill.
On we went through kloof after kloof.
1ndaba-zimbi, who led us, was never at a
loss; ne turned up gulles and struck
across neCks of hills with the certainty of
hound Oh hot scent. AT length, after
about three hours march, we came to .
big, silent valley on the northern slope OF
the great peak. On one side of this val
ley was series Of stony koppies: on the
other rose q sheer wall of rock We march.
ed along the wall for a distance of some
two miles, Then suddenly Indaba-zimbi
halted
There is the place." he said, pointing
to an opening in the cliff. This opening
was about forty feet from the ground ard
elipse-Shaped. 1t cannot have been more
than twenty feet high by ten wide and
was partially hidden by ferns and bushes
that grew about it in the surface of the
clif. Keen as my eyes were, doubt If l
should ever have noticed it, for there were
many such cracks and crannies in tbs