The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-09-05
AN AFRICAN ROMANCE.
CHAPTER IL

been unable to execute because it would
have involved separation from my
father. Put shortly, it was to under
take a trading journey of exploration
right through the countries now known
cas- the Free State and the TransEaal,
and as much further north as / could
go. 1t was an adventurous scheme, for
though the emigrant. Beers had begun
to occupy positions in these territories,
they were still, to all practical pur-
poses, UNEMPLOYED. But / was now
alone in the world, and it mattered lit
tie what became of me; so. driven on
by the overmastering love of adventure,
which, old as 1 am, will, perhaps, still
be my cause of death, determined to
undertake it.
Accordingly I 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 were Imam
with them. One of them was single
barreled, smooth bore, fitted for percus-
sion caps-a roer we called (which
threw a three-ounce ball, and was
charged with handful of coarse black
powder. Many is the elephant killed
with that roer, although it generally
knocked me backwards when 1 fired
it, which only did under compulsion.
The best of the lot, perhaps, was a
double-barreled No. 10 shotgun, but 1t
had fiint-locks. 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
to be salted-that is, proof against sick
ness. Among the Kaffirs was an old fell
low named Indaba-zimbi, which, beinS
translated, means ''tongue of iron" /
suppose he got his name from his
stridentvoice and exhaustless eloquence
This man was a great character in his
way. He had been a noted witch-doc-
tor among a neighboring tribe, and came
to the station under the following cir
cumstances, which, as he plays a con-
siderable part in this history, are, per-
hsps, worth recording.
Two years before my fathers death 1
had occasion to search the country round
for some lost oxen. After long and
had better go to the place where the
oxen were bred by Kaffir chief, whose
name 1 forget, but whose kraal was
about fifty miles from our station.
There went, and found the oxen safe
at home. The chief entertained me
handsomely, and on the following morn
ing l went to pay my respects to him
before leaving, and was somewhat sur
prised to find collection of some hun
drcds of men and women sitting round
him anxiously watching the sky, in
which the thunder-clouds were banking
up in very ominous way.
"You had better wait, white man."
said the chief, ''and see the rain-doctors
fight the lightning"
inquired what he meant, and learned
that this man, Indaba-zimbi, had for
some years occupied the position of
wizard-ia-chief to the tribe, although
he was not member of it, having been
born in the country now known as Zu-
luland. But a son of the chief, man
of about thirty, had lately set up as
rival in supernatural powers. This
irritated Indaba-zimbi beyond measure,
and a quarrel ensued between the two
witch-doctors that resulted in a chal-
lenge to trial by lightning being given
and accepted. These were the condi-
lions: The rivals must await the COM
ing of a. serious thunderstorm; no
ordinary tempest would serve their
turn. Then, carrying assegais in their
hands, they must take their stand with
in fifty PAGES Of each other upon a GER
tain patch of ground where the big
thunderbolts, were observed to strike
continually, and by the exercise of their
occult powers and invocations to the
lightning must strive to avert death
from themselves and bring it on their
rival. The terms of this singular match
had been arranged month previously,
but no storm worthy of the occasion had
arisen. Now the local weather-prophets
believed it to be brewing.
I inquired what would happen if
neither of,the men were struck, and was
told that they must then wait for an
other storm. If they escaped the sec
ond time, however, they would be held
to be equal in power, and be jointly con-
suited by the tribe on occasions of i'm
portance.
The prospect Of being spectator of
so unusual sight oyercame nv desire
to be gone. and accepted the chiefs in
Vitation to see it out. Before midday re-
GREETED it for though the western heavens
grew darker and darker and the still air
heralded the coming of the storm, yet it
did not come. By four o'clock it be-
came obvious that it must burst soon
at sunset, the old chief said-an6 in the
company of the whole assembly
moved down to the place of combat The
kraal was built on the top of hill, and
below it the land sloped gently to the
banks of river about half mile away.
On the other side of the bank was the
piece of land that was, the natives said,
loved of the lightning" Here the
Inagicians took up their stand, while the
spectators grouped themselves on the
hillside about two hundred yards away,
which was, thought, rather too near to
be pleasant When we had sat there for
awhile my curiosity overcame me, and 1 |
asked leave Of the chief to go down and
inspect the arena He said might do so |
at my own risk. told him that |
the IRE from above would not
hurt white men, and went and |
found that it was a bed of iron
ore, thinly covered with grass, which of |
COURSE accounted for its attr.nt;.s- A..