The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-03-26

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brave, unspeakably cruel Matabele
'Ingodusi, who first told it, was an
induna in Lobengula's pet regiment, or
impi, which afterward came to be the
great Imbezzu impi. Since the tale is
from such high authority, think it
must be true.
Ingodusi is a ring man and head
induna and can have more than one
wife and can speak his thoughts aloud
in the kings indaba.
1t happened when Ingodusi was
nineteen years old and was undergoing
Mahunda with about a hundred other
young Matabele away UP in the heart
of Matabeleland, somewhere between
Inyungo and the Umfuli river.
By some fearful mischance, at the
very height of the Mahunda indaba,
Otto Marks trekked full upon it. But
the matter must be told from Otto's
point of view.
Otto was a sergeant in the Salvation
Army. He came from Toledo, o., to
Mafeking, In Bechuanaland, which was
then as far north as the railroad went.
Otto used to play the little organ every
evening at the gatherings in the Sal
walton barracks at Mafeking until his
superior officer decided to boom saliva
ton in that mysterious wilderness OF
South Africa known Unfortunately
as "up country" or Charterland or
Rhodesia or Matabeleland.
Otto Marks started up in April be-
fore the rains were done with a trans
port rider named West and little mig
ger voorlooper, a ten-year-old Zulu
boy.
their wagon, but their load was made
up chiefly Of two parlor organs from
Boston that were to help outfit the bar
racks in some up country settlement
That was a strange sight-the eight
cen lean Basuta bullocks, very slow
paced, led by the little Zulu voorlooper,
and the big, strange Transvaal wagon,
loaded only with these two boxed up
organs, the name of the Boston firm
stenciled on the outside of the boards.
For two months Otto trekked stead
lily northward, singing hymns upon oc.
casion and on Sundays spanning out
all day long. At times he tried to re-
vive the spirit of righteousness in his
transport rider, West, who blasphemed
the bullocks hourly in more ways than
you would believe possible, and at
times he would try to convert the little
voorlooper.
The little Zulu was stunned and be
wildered by Otto Marks clamor, but
Otto's swinging revival songs with
their tambourine accompaniment sent
him into a frenzy of delight, and he
would invariably set to dancing, shak
ing his fists with vague and furious
gestures.
After two months they were stopped
by the Umnyati river, which was il
food, and were obliged to make long
cross country detour, with the line Of
telegraph poles as their guide.
The huge wagon lurched down int
the bed Of the SLUT, plowed across
through the scattered powders ant
took the rising slope of the opposit,
bank with the heave and crash of ;
stranding galley. West dashed at thu
wheel bullocks with the sjambok o
rhinoceros hide and then Swore in Be
chuana at the little voorlooper becaus
he was not prodding on the lead bul
locks, but was standing motionless a
the head of the span. his hands dan
Cling at his sides. staring stupid
across the bush. He was dumb wit
terror.
The wagon slipped backward int
the bed of the SLUT. and the bullock
fell into confusion as the voorloope
came running back along the spar
waving his arms wildly.
AS was said before, Otto Marks ha
trekked full upon an impi of Matabel
doing Mahunda, and when that hal
pens to q white man he We're best &
himself to death as swiftly as he ma
for a swift death, even if it be the kir
that lies in the crook of ones forefi
ger, is better than the kind that com,
slowly and in the midst of thick smol
and screams and horrid twistings
the body. But Otto did not know thi
and West, who should have known
chose to think that they might eve
then escape.
Otto climbed down from the WACO
and he and West ran up the bank
the SLUT and looked out far across tt
bush and saw the Matabele comil
down on them slowly in two long line
but West observed that they advanc
with regular cadenced moveme
and that many of them staggered
the ranks. sometimes reeling almo
to the ground.