The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-11-24
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not heed her, she is crazy. The noun
tain is haunted; it is the place of ghosts
Look at the Stone Witch, who sits upon
it! Evil spirits live in the forest and no
man has walked there for many, years
Her son was foolish-he went to walk
in the forest, saying that he cared moth
ing for ghosts, and the Amatongo. the
ghost folk, killed him. That was many
years ago. and none have dared to seek
his bones. Ever she sits here and asks
of the passers by that they should bring
them, offering the great club for re-
ward, but they dare not.
They lie. said the old woman.
There are no ghosts there. The ghosts
live only in their cowardly hearts.
There are but wolves. know that the
bones of my son lie in the cave, for /
have seen them in dream; but. alitS
my old limbs are too weak to carry me
up the mountain path and all these are
towards. There Is no man among them
since the Zulus slew my husband, COW
ering him with wounds.
Now listened, saying no word, but
when all had done asked to see the
club which should be given to him who
dared to face the Amatongo, the spirits
who lived in the forest upon the Ghost
mountain. Then the old woman rose.
and creeping on her hands went into the
hut. Presently she returned again.
dragging the great club after her
"'Look on it, stranger! Look on it.
Was there ever such cluby and Galazi
held it up before the eyes of Umslopo-
gaas.
81 looked at it, went on Galazi, land
l tell you, stranger. a great desire came
into my heart to possess it.
6 How is this club named? asked
of the old woman.
s 'He>is named Watcher of the Fords,
she answered. and he has not watched
In vain. Five men have held that club
in war and hundred and seventy and
three have given up their lives beneath
its strokes. He who held it last slew
twenty before he was slain himself; for
this fortune goes with the club, that he
who owns it shall die holding it. but in
a great fashion. There is but one other
weapon to match with it in Zululand
and that is the great ak of Jilliza, the
chief of the People of the AK, who
dwells in the kraal yonder-the ancient
horn halted Imbubuzi, the Groanlnaker
that brings victory Were ak Groan-
maker and club Watcher of the Ford
side by side there are no thirty men in
Zululand who might stand before them.
| have said. Choose, and she watched
me cunningly through her horny eyes
At length she rose. La! lar she said
the Watcher is not for this one This
one is but child. must seek me a
man; must seek me manr
Mot SO fast, old wife, said; will
you lend me this club to hold in my
hand while go to find the bones of your
son and to snatch them from the people
of the ghosts?'
Boy, your eyes are honest, she said
still peering at me. Take the Watcher.
go seek the bones <..If you die, let the
club be lost with you; if you fail, bring
him back to me; but if you win the
bones, then he is yours, and he shall
bring you glory, and you shall die
great death at last, holding him aloft
among the dead
$50 on the morrow at dawn took
the club Watcher in my hand and lit
tie dancing shield and made ready to
start.
Nov, stranger, if you have strength
come to the mouth of the cave and look
out for the moon is bright"
So Umslopogaas rose and crept through
the narrow mouth of the cave There
above him, a great gray peak, shaped
like seated woman, lowered high into
the air, her chin resting upon her breast.
the place where the cave was being, as
it were. on the lapof the woman. Below
this place the rock ran down sharply
and was clothed with little bushes.
Lower down yet was forest. great and
dense, that stretched to the lip of cliff
and at the foot of the cliff. beyond the
waters of the river lay the wide plains
of Zululand.
Wonder stranger" said Galazi, point
ing. 'yonder is the kraal where the aged
woman dwelt There is the cliff rising
from the plain up which must climb
there is the forest where dwell the ANA
tongo, the people of the ghosts; there, on
the hither side of the forest, runs the path
to the cave, and here is the cave itself.
See this stone lying at the mouth of the
cave; it turns thus, shutting up the
mouth of the cave-it turns gently
though it is SO large child may move
it, for it rests upona sharp point of rock
"Only this, the stone may not be push
ed too far; for, look! if it came to here, :.
and he pointed to mark in the mouth
of the cave "then that man must be
! strong who can draw it back again
though have done it myself, who am
not a man full grown. But if it pass
beyond this mark, then, see, it will roll
down the neck of the cave like pebble
down the neck of gourd, and | think
that two men, one striving from within
and one dragging from without, scarce
ly could avail to push it clear. Look.
now, close the stone, as is my custom OF
a night, thu" and he grasped the rock
and swung it around upon its pivot, OH
which it turned as door turns. Thus
leave it, and though, except those to
whom the secret is known, none would