Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-11-09

Presently. however, this pleasing piece
was Interrupted Suddenly there was n
slight commOlion, and great, powerful
woman. whom | had noted as one Of the
most vigorous of the dancers. came, made
mad and drunken with unholy excitement
bounding and struggling toward US,
shrieking out as she came!
IL want black goat must have a
black goat; bring me black goat and
down she fell upon the rocky floor, foam
ing and wrlthing and shrieking for a blac@
goat-about as hdeous a spectacle as can
well be conceived.
Instantly most of the dancers came up,
and got round her, though some still con.
tinued their capers in the back ground.
''She has got devil. sung out one of
them. Run and get black goat
There devil. ceep quiet-keep quiet You
shall have the goat presently. They have
gone to fetch it, devil"
81 want black goat; must have a
black goat shrieked the foaming rolling
creature again.
"All right, deyil, the goat will be here
presently; keep quiet there's a good devil"
And so on, till the goat, taken from a
neighboring kraal, did at last arrive, being
dragged bleating on to the scene by its
horns.
H.. 20
shrleked the possessed.
Yes. yes, devil, as black as night
then aside, keep it behind thee; don't let
the devil see it has white spot on its
rump and another on its belly. In one
minute, devil There, cut It's throat,
quick Where is the saucer
The goat the goat. the goat. Give me
the blood of my black goat! | must have
it; don you see must have its OH oh.
oh, give me the blood Of the goat )"
AT this moment terried bah announc-
ed that the poor goat had been sacrificed,
and the next minute woman ran up with
a saucer full Of the blood. This the pos
foaming her widest, seized and drank,
and was instantly recovered, and without
trace of Mysteries, or fits, or being pos
sessed, or whatever dreadful thing it was
she was suffering from. She stretched her
arms, smiled family, and walked quietly
back to the dancers, who presently with
drew in double line as they had come
leaving the space between US and the bon
fire deserted
! thought the entertainment (sic) was now
over and feeling rather queer was about
to ask She # we could rise, when sudden.
" what at first | took to be babocn came
hopping round the fire, and was instantly
met upon the other side by a lion, or rather
human being dressed in lions skin.
Then came goat, then a man wrapped in
an oXs hide, with the horns wabblIng
about III ludicrous manner. After him
followed blesbok, then au impala, then
koodoo, then more goats, and many other
animals, including girl sewed up in the
SHINING scaly hide of a boaconstrictor,
several yards of which trailed along the
ground behind her. When all the beasts
dad collected they began to dance about in
a numbering fashion. and 10 initiate the
sounds produced by the respective animals
they represented, till the whole air was
alive with roars and beating and the hiss
ing of snakes. This went on for a long
time, till, getting tired Of the pantomime,
asked Ayesha If there would be any OBJ
lection to myself and Leo walking round
to inspect the human torches, and as she
had nothing to say against 1t. we started,
striking round 10 the left. After looking
at one or two of the flaming bodies, we
were about TO return, thoroughly disgust.
ed with the grolesque welrdness of the
spectacle, when our attention was attract.
ed by one of the dancers, particularly
active leopard, that had separated itself
from itf fellow beasts, and was whisking
about in our immediate nelghborhood, but
gradually drawing into a spot where the
shadow was darkest. equidstant between
two of the flaming mummies' Drawn by
we followed it, when suddenly
ii darted past US TO the shadows beyond,
and as it did so, erected itself and whisper.
ed Come in voice that We DO b recog-
nzed as that Of Ustane Without waiting
TO consult me, Leo turned and followed
her into the outer darkness, and | feeling
sick enough at heart, went after them
The leopard crawled on for about fifty
paces-a sufficient distance to be quite
beyond the light of the fire and torches
and then Leo came up with it, or rather |
with Ustane
'Oh, my lord, heard her wh.s,.r, $50 |
| have found thee Listen am in peril |