Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-10-20

i
rhs Kin,ns Of me Cattle sof shs oeeasien
an Exoiting Event
A dozen magnificent long-horned
cattle were run into tbs kraal, and
seven stalwart warriors followed them
In. assaQais In hand. riCr0wding the
cattle in a bunch against the wall,
each warrior singled out a. victim,
and with a mighty thrust plunged
the keen, bright blade into the anil
mails heart. Generally speaking, the
one swift, sure blow was sufficient,
but In two or three cases the stricken
animals avoided theodeaths thrust,
and, goaded TO madness by the deep
wound, made matters exceedingly
lively for the Zulus for the next few
minutes, chasing them frantically
about the kraal until some we'll
hurled assegai brought them to earth.
One big steer, horned like a Texan,
kept his feet and fought Till dozen
assegai blades were hurled buried
in his body, and in his blind rushing
he knocked over a couple Of men, and
ripped one very badly up the thigh.
The whole affair was as exciting as
a Spanish bull-fight. When they
were all killed the crowd, who had
been enjoying the fun from the kraal
wall, hoped into the arena and as
sisted in the work OF skinning and
cutting up. AS many as could get
around an animal assisted, and one
could scarce imagine a more barbar-
Gus spectacle than horde of Zulus
skinning and dissecting a dozen cows
| The blood was allowed to remain In
the flesh, and men, women and chill
dren were seen carrying of huge
pieces of red, quivering flesh, slung
over their shoulders, with the blood
trickling down their sleek, dark skins
to their heels. Children besmeared
their faces and bodies for fun, and
about each Carcass a group Of tall,
black warriors hacked and slashed.
like the savages they were. While
the women boiled the beef in big iron
kettles obtained from Natal, the war
riors engaged in big dance.
You can never quite catch the
spirit of Zulu dance by merely hear
ing it described, any more than you
can realize the exhilaration of wine
without trying it. The warriors
turned out about 300 strong on this
occasion, and the dance took place on
level bit of ground outside the
kraal. The whole community was
gathered in a black mass, squatting
in irregular ranks on the grass to see
the dance. After the beeves had all
been cut up, the warriors retired tc
their huts. Then very shortly they
. came struggling out again, one by
one, the blood washed off and theil
bodies decorated with all the gew
, gaws Of war. Many wore kits o.
Zanzibar cat-tails or the tails o.
wolves and foxes, and round theil
|, calves and biceps were ornaments o
bead and Of leopard skin. On eacf
warriors head was discus of blacl
mimosa gum, polished until 1t looked
like a circle OF Jet. With ox-hid'
shields and bright assegais the.
trooped into the kraal until all wer
assembled.
Then, forming into ranks as natu
raj as a company OF grenadiers, the
marched out into the dancing ground
singing a strange, weird chant in &C
compartment to the rattle OF assega
on shield and measured tramp o
feet. One could see at a glance nov
that every Zulu is a warrior born
Here they were, the veriest savage
to all intent, naked as animals, we
playing soldier with a bearing an
precision of movement that Europea
troops, with all their scientific trair
ing, could hardly hope to beat. Fol
ward they stepped, then filing o
into semi-circle, two deep, they stood
proud and erect, the most splendi
specimens of martial manhood eve
saw, their black eyes glistening wit
suppressed fire, their chests heavin
and muscles twitching in anticip;
ton of the signal to begin. For
= minute they stood there, every foe
i in the crescent keeping time, an
n every assegai softly tapping tim
:. against the shield to a low, buzzin
!, melody.-Boston Bulletin.