Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-02-02
JUST MISSED DEATH
MISSIONARIES FEARFUL EXPERT.
ENcE IN OLD VAULT.
Cowardlee Of His TWO Zulu "6oys"
Nearly Led to Dlsaster-Wlfe
Helped Rescue Him in the
Nick Of Time.

"a missionary has TO be a Jack-of-
~all-t-adeS," remarked Rev. Yandel
Collins, who was home on a furlough
after twenty years in South Africa.
There was IN underground room,
about eight feet deep by eight square,
walled with brick and plastered with
tarred cement, beneath the children's
bedroom in u mission house ut Mu-
pola 1t was for storing corn, or mealie,
as they call 1t In Natal. / didn't like
to use 1t because it was so damp, and
for a year I had been using galvanized
Iron tanks that I riveted and soldered
myself. l had almost forgotten the
existence of the old corr cellar when,
toward the close of the next rainy sea-
son, we noticed a strange, sickening
odor %pervading the house. When l
removed the square wooden lid over
n end of the old vault, the stencil
was enough to knock you down. A
few quarts of nodded mealie had
beer left on the cellar floor; rats had
enlarged q crack In one corner In or
der to get at this provender, and the
heavy rains had seeped through the
rat hole and left about six inches of
water, wherein some of the rats had
drowned themselves. You can i'm
agine what the smell was like.
II ordered Malusi and Mutyani. two
gigantic Zulus, to clean out that
vault; but they refused, unless I
would go down first. They firmly be-
lieved that a demon dwelt In that
black hole!
$50 | got the two boys to stand over
the trapdoor while l prepared to de-
scend the short ladder that leaned
against the wall a foot from the OPEN
Ing. lowered a pail on the end of
a stout rope, which I made Malusi
lake hold of, and then, with a lighted
candle In n hand and a shovel in
the other, swung down on my elbows
until my feet found the ladder. I
tested 1t, found it apparently firm,
took another step downward and then
with one last, long breath I let 90 my
hold on the floor and trusted my whole
weight to the ladder.
THE ladder was as rotten as eyery-
thing else In that pit. l had not taken
more than one step when 1t ave wav
with a soft, bending squash; my can
die fiickered out, and l sat down with
a mighty splash in six inches of muck
i felt sick all over, and when I
tried 10 rise l could hardly stagger to
my knees. I touched the rope tied to
the pail, and grasped it firmly.
Pull on the roper I cried. and I
gave the cord ar anxious jerk. Malusi.
Mutyani, pull! The whole length of
rope slipped and splashed down beside |
me. The two boys had run off In a
panic.
Mary, get some help quick! I am
being poisoned! I cried to my wife;
but l got no answer.
my temples throbbed as II they
would burst, my ears roared, strange
lights danced before my eyes and a
powerful hand seemed to be construct
ing my throat and chest so that 7
could not breathe. / was being poi-
soned by the noxious gases. With n
tremendous effort I dragged myself to
my feet; just then l heard my wife's
voice above me. Can't you get out?'
she called.
THE absurdity of the question had
stimulating effect upon me. =
"'No, of course not!' I roared an
Sr1ly. The ladder is broken | felt
my knees giving away, and I ended
With a cry like that of a sick child.
Don't get mad she soothed. 4
AVE been after those boys. Here's
halusi. Where's the roper She had
persuaded that big Zulu baby to re- a,
urn. He was as strong as an OK. but
mad dropped the rope when | had
'truggled to my feet. It's here at my
'eet, but l don't dare to 20 after IL.
sewer gas;' l called.
What! my wife gasped; then she
allied out cheerfully, We'll, never
mind; keep up your courage! I'll
etch another roper
"I-Im afraid l can't last much
l faltered.
MY wife answered promptly, Here,
hen, Malusi will reach down his hand.
ialusi, reach down your hand! Grab !
"As she spoke I felt the hand of the
alive touch my hair. / clutched it
Dnvulsively, and then I went linn all
YER; but I felt him get his other
and In the collar of my shirt. When :,
came to, l was lying outdoors on the y
rass, and the world never seemed so y
right and fair as it did then. You Q
ee, as soon as Malusi had got his =
normous paws or me | was safe: but =
a mystery to me how he ever y
me out Of that hole, strong a
5 he is. My wife says she helped, IL
10, which, of course, explains every a
ling!
"Ihat afternoon, with q new ladder 4
40 plenty OF ropes, the Zulus cleaned ~
the vault, and the next day | went u
own myself and cemented the rat a.
1lp. and cplochad n lot o "