The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-09-09

L.- S'' M. uHL
of
Ring Kop.
Greater love hath no man than this,
That Il man lay down his life
For his friends"
CHAPTER III.
At first | paid very little attention
to the kafirs, hut after Hans had told
me a few more stories about them |
could think of nothing else. ! soon
found out that my guide was a first
rate fellow. He never seemed TO for
get the main Purpose of my trip to
Africa, so | was not at all surprised
when one day he said to me:
"Mr. Clipper, ] think l can under
stand the effect of the weather upon
YOU, but to my mind there is another
point to be considered. namely, what
influence can you have upon The
weather9I' He backed up this ques-
ton by two or three of the most I'M
canny yarns about Kaflir witch doe
tors and rain-makerS that ever fell
from human lips.
Never mind what / believed and
what did not, | saw the point and.
determined to hunt up a rain doctor
without any delay. So we made
forced marches up country Jill we ar
rived at Newcastle. then we crossed
the Drackcnsburg mountains into the
Tr%ansvaal. left the town of Utrecht
on Il left and gave ourselves very
little rest until we went into camp
on the other side of the Blood river,
close to the great kraal of kabooli in.
Zululand.
Here was the home of an old sor-
man we had determined to inyesti-
gate.
One day after a lot of katfr Ell
view with the old man. We found
him seated on Il rock in The shade.
busily asking himself questions and
answering them, Hans Informed me.
He was very old, very dirty, all dried
up and covered with c:ittails, feathers,
teeth and other charms. You cant
hurry a kaiiir, so after n few hours
beating about the bush we offered him
some gold to give us an exhibition of
his rain-making power. He at once
shook his head and said the rain was
too far away down in the Zwasi
country, where they had more need Of
it. In fact the old fox was 50 stub
born that we had almost made up our
minds to leave Inn alone when Haus
hit upon a plan to tickle the rascal's
cupidity and his stomach.
Every morning for Il week we sent
two of our latest oxen to feed close
to the old mans hut. We wished him
to feast his eyes and his mind OF, n
vision of beef. Then one evening we
sent him a present of Il huge chunk OF
raw meat. Next morning at sunrise we
found him seated at osr fire talking to
one of the wagon drivers. He said he
had come to tell us that he was fond
Of beef.
"Well.'' said Hans. we will give you
two beautiful oxen for Il shower OF
rain
The old doctor sat at the fire buried
in thought for nearly two hours, then
he arose, walked away a short dis
tance, turned around aud called QUIT to
Hans:
"This fine old Kaflir doesn't want
your oxen, but if he should happen to
send for you. be sure you come in a
hurry
The very following night. about g
O'Clock. a Katiir boy came to the wa
CONS aud said 10 US, come along.
1t was almost midnight when we ar
rived at the top OF a rocky hill and
found the rain-maker in the middle OF
a clulnp of bushes busiiy stirring a pot
which was boiling over Il blazing
cracking fire. The stars We're shining
brightly and in our vicinity great
crags and rocks doomed up on all