The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-02-03
JUST MISSED DEATH
MISSIONARIES FEARFUL EXPERT.
ENCE IN OLD VAULT.
Cowardice OF His Two Zulu "Boysu
Nearly Led to Oisaster-Wife
Helped Rescue Him in the
Nick Of Time.


all-tradeS, remarked Rev. Yande
Collins. who was home on a furlOucf
after twenty years in South Africa
There was an underground room
about eight feet deep by eight square
walled with brick and plaStered with
tarred cement, beneath the children's
bedroom in our mission house at Mu.
poia; II was for storing corn. or meaIie.
as they call il In Natal. | didn't like
10 use II because il was 50 damp. and
Tor year | had been using galvanized
iron tanks that | riveted and soldpred
myself. | had almost forgotten Inc
existence of the old corn cellar when.
toward the close of the next rainy seq
son, we noticed strange. sickening
door pervading the house. When I
removed the square wooden lid over
one end of the old vault. the stencil
WAS enough 10 knock YOU down. \
rev quarts Of nodded mealle had
been left on the cellar floor: rats had
enlarged crack in one corner in or
der To get AT this provender. and the
heavy rains had seepcd 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 Mutvani, two
gigantic Zulus. to clean out that
vault; but they refused. unless I
would go down first. They firmly be-
lieved that demon dwelt in that
black hole,
so | got the two boys TO stand over
the trapdoor while | prepared to de-
scend the short ladder that leaned
against the wall a foot from the OMEN
ing. | lowered pail on the end Of
stout rope, which l made MaluSi
take hold Of, and then. with a lighted
candle In one hand and a shovel in
the other. | swung down on my elbows /
until my feet found the ladder, |
tested 1t. found # apparently firm.
look another step downward: and then
WIN one last, long breath | let 90 my
mold on the floor and trusted my whole
weight to the ladder.
The ladder was as rotten os evarv-
thlng else In that pit. had not taken
more than one step when ii gave way
with soft, bending squash: nv can
die flickered out. and | sat down with
mighty splash in six inches of muck,
i felt sick all over, and when 7
'rled 10 rise | could hardly stagger 70
my knees. | touched the rope tied 70
the pail, and grasped it firmly.
Pull on the rope" | cried and
gave the cord an anxious Jerk. 'NIaIusi
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 nv wife.
)ut ! got no answer.
My temples thrObbed as If they
'ould burst, my ears roared. strange
tights danced before nv eyes and q {
powerful hand seemed to be construct.
ne my throat and chest so that T
ouid not breathe. | was being moi
oned by the nOXious gases. With n
tremendous effort | dragged myself to
ny rect; Just then | heard nv wife's I
oice above me. Can't you get outY !
he called. i
Inc absurdity of the question had
stimulating effect upon me. Z
No, of course nOtr | roored an r
rily The ladder is broken felt /
ny knees giving away, and I ended i
'lth cry like that Of sick child {
ielpr
Don't get mad she soothed q o
ave been after those boys. Here's W
Ialusi. Where's the roper She had Il
ersuaded that big Zulu baby 70 ra- L
Urn. He was as strong as an OK. but h
had dropped the rope when | had n
rugged TO my feet. It's here at nv 81
'et, but l don't dare to 90 after n W
ever gas l called. 81
What" my wife gasped: then she ri
He'd out cheerfully, We'll nevar ~
IND; keep up your courage! I'll pi
ten another roper OF
I'm afraid l can't last mucb .
nger,' l faltered. !!
My wife answered promptly. Here de
en- Malusi will reach down his hand tn
alus1, reach down your hand, Crab -
Id
AS she spoke l felt the hand of rho
tive touch my hair. cIutched -
nvulsively, and then went linn all =
er; but | felt him get his other r
no In the collar of my shirt. When
'ame to. l was lying outdoors on tho
ass and the world never seemed ca
ght and fair as it did then. Won
, as soon as Malusi had rot his
orinous paws on me was safe: but |
mystery to me how he eyer
igged me out of that hole. STRONG |
he is. My wife SAYS she halnod
, which. Of course, explains every.
ng,
mat AFTERNOON, with new ladder
plenty Of ropes. the Zulus cleaned
the vault, and the next dav wont
Tn myself and cemented the rot,
e. and Splashed a lot of good c,aon
tar round, and the job was done"
-outh's Companion. Ia