triifc lAKrdAsttftft aiLy tswtihiAal&xem. SAtfiniDAYr jAmtAftY i& i860. : m la? SS K U P,tJ EPS IRk, u. M., Wh 3 fa 'if & PWHf S WIFE. ft By IL RIDER HAGGARD. y.v ffimlhorcf"Celontl Quariteh, Yt C," "Jfr. s jTJfceiea's nW " TYrfe e Thn J ZAent, "Attan Qwtfcrmatn," "Site "Jew." We. w v , m& iwP I -jt t CHATTER I. T MAY be re- mcnibcred that in tbe last pages of his diary, writ ten just befere lita death. Allan Quatermni n makes allusion te his long dead wife, stating that lie has written of her fully else where When his death was known, his .papers were handed te myself ns his literary ex ex ecueor. .Among A " f .. . K fe&fWl ISSg'i b" $&PUWV. F'$?I I 1 S& thorn I found two manuscripts, of whicli the following is one. Tlie ether is simply . , r . i i.i. f. n. ..,.. , tjv ft rcceru ei evems in wmui v1"""1 Ewinaln was net personally concerned a Y(t Zulu novel, the story et wmcu was ieiu Ph te him by tbe here many years niter tlie fjij? tragedy had occurred. But with this S4jW0 have nothing te ue at present. iiH I have often thought (Mr. Qualcr- R main's manuscript begins) that 1 would && net dn n nn naner the events connected with my marriage, and the less of my most dear wife. Many years have new passed since that event, and te boiue cx- lnn Inin lma Knftmied tllQ old Ericf. though heaven knows it is still keen B oneuch. On two or thrce ocensiens I have even begun the record. Once I gave it up because the writing et it de pressed me beyond hearing, ence liecnuse I suddenly was called away upon n journey, and the third tlme because n Kaffir boy found my manuscript con venient for lighting tlie kitchen flre. i But new that I am at lelsure here in 'England, I will make ft fourth attempt, lit I succeed, the story may serve te in in in itercstsome one, In after years when I am dead and gene. It i3 n wild tale enough, and suggests sotne curious re flections. ' I I am the eon of a missionary. My father wa3 originally curate In charge of W-& (a small parish in Oxferdshire. He had te" Bireauy ut.cu ttuiuu juara uuiuieu w uiy dear mother when he went mere, nnu "he had four children, of whom I was the youngest. I remember faintly the place where we lived. It was an ancient, long, gray house, facing the read. There was a very large tree of seme sort in the garden. It waa hollow, nnd we children used te play about inside of it, and knock knots of weed from the rough f$Wj$ bark. We nil slept in a land of attic, $!$ and my mother always came up and ESsjl kissed us when we wcre in bed. I used svr.te wake up and sce her bending ever me, ila candle in her hand. Thcre was n m& curious kind of pole projecting from the ftS .,..'Hi evyr iu uuu, uiiuu x wtw uu-uu- FT-Pi.i1- ., . .' , i. -a fSS- luuy irigmencu oecause my cuic&t jbrether made me hang te it by my hands. That is all I remember about our old home. It has been pulled down ,long age, or I would journey thcre te sce it. if t Jiliuiu luruiur uuwu mu m.iu wua n E,Vv.?J large UUUSU WllU Ul HUH UlVD IU IV, IU1U t-if'K nh thn ten nf the train nllln.rn ait two stone liens, which wcre be hideous that I .Was 'afraid of thcrn. One could sce the beuse by peeping tnreugu me ears et tne LMlwith a tall yew hedge round it; but in Pk the Bummer tlme seme llewers grew H round the sun dial in the grass plat. jXlua Jiouse wai caiicn me unu, nud Squira Carsen lived there. One Christ masit must have been the Christmas jbefore my father emigrated, or I should net renieuiber it we children went te a Christmas trce nt the If all. There was a great party there, nnd footmen wearing red waistcoats Bleed at tbe deer. In the 'dining room, which was paneled with E6f' r jblack oak, was the Christmas tree. &Atf ' .Squire Carsen steed in front of it. He jwas a tall, dark man, very quiet in hit) , manners, and he wero a bunch of ecals en his waistcoat. AVe used te think him 'old, but as a matter of fact he was then net mero than forty. Ue had been, as I 'afterwards learned, a- great traveler in 'his youth, butf seme six or seven years Ibetenrtht's date-tadTinrrrtal n lady who ,was half a Spaniard-a papist, my father eii,i 1,. r"illfd linr. I can remember her well. She wan small nnd very pretty, with a rounded figure, large black eyes and glittering teeth. Shoepeko English with a curious accent. I cuppose that I must have been ' funny child te leek at, and I knew tthat my hair steed up en my head then as it ddes new, for I still have a sketch of myself tliat my mother made of me, in which this peculiarity is strongly 'marked. On this occasion of tbe Christ mas tree I remember that Mrs. Carsen Svj turned te a tall, foreign looking gentlo gentle m$ " man who steed beside her, and tapping Jiim. affectionately en tbe shoulder with iher geld eyeglasses said: I "Loek, cousin leek at that droll little boy with the big brown eyes; his hair is Jike a wliat you call "hltn? scrubbing brush. Oh, what a droll little boy!" 1 The tall gentleman pulled at his mus tache, and, taking Mrs. Carsen's hand In hls, began te smooth my hair down with it till I heard her whisper; t "Leave ee my hand, cousin. Themas i3 looking like like the thunderstorm." I Themas was the uame of Mr. Carben, her husband. I After tliat I hid myself ns well ns I (Swf .could behind a chair, for I was shy, and ?i3?i t .t..l lt(tlA cj..ll r- ...i. ... iW Ui. .n..ira ni i,:i,i . 41, , ,.!,;i 'dren presents off the trce. She was dressed as Father Christmas, with seme soft, white stuff round her lovely little (face, and had large, dark eyes, which I .thought mero leautiful than anything I Jbad ever seen. At last it came te my turn te have a present oddly cnergfh, considered in the light of future eventB, it was a large monkey. She reached it down from one of the lower boughs of the tree and handed it te me, saying: "Dat is my Christmas present te you, little Allan Qualennain." As she did se, her tleeve, which was covered with cotton wool, spangled ever with something that bhenc, touched ene of the tapers hew I de net knewand caught fire, and the 11a me ran up her arm towards her threat. Shcstoedquito till. I suppose that she was paralyzed with fear; and tlie ladies who were near screamed very loud, but did nothing. Then seme impulse seized me perhaps instinct "would be a better word te use, considering my nge. I threw myself vpbn the child, and, beating at the flre with my hands, mercifully succeeded in i. 'Jhg, exUpguishing it before it really get held. 4-j,TljrwrUU wcre be badly burned tliat ift" tJey had te be wrapiied up in wool for a V'j Ions; Uuie afterward, but with tbe ex yt wfiWoe of a single burn upon her threat, fa' Jitite Stella CarKin was net much hurt. t , Tills is all tliat I remember jabeut tbe '"jfLCbrUttnea tree at the hall. Wliat liai- atlerwarua is Ittit te me, but te 4ylu wyeletp I often tce tittle jftwp face Anq Ue stare of terror in ncr uttn cja 'us tnu iite i-an up ncr a,rm. This, however, Is net wonderful, for I had, humanly speaking, saved the life of her who was destined te be my wife. Tlie next event wlilch I can recall clearly is that my mother anil thrce brothers nil fell ill of fever, owing, as I afterwards learned, te the poiseulng of our well bysome evil minded person, who threw a dead sheep into it. It must have been while they wcre ill that Squire Carsen came ene day te the vicarage. The weather was Btill cold, for there was a flre in the study, and I pat befere the flre writing letters en a piece of paper with a pencil, while my father walked up and down the room, talking te himself. Afterwards I knew that he waa praying for the lives of lite wlfe and children. Presently a servant came te the deer and said that seme ene wanted te sce him. "It is the squire, sir," said the maid, "and he says he particularly wishes e sec you." "Very well," answered my father, wearily, and presently Squire Carsen came in. Ills face was wlilte nnd hag gard, nnd his eyes shene co ilercely that I was afraid of him. "Forglve me for intruding en you at such a tlme, Quatcrmalu," he said, in a hearso voice, "but te-morrow I leave this place forever, nnd I wish te speak te you bcfoie I go Indeed, I must speak tojeu." "Shall I hcnd Allan nway?'' i,ald my father, pointing te me. "Ne, let him bide. He will net under stand." Ner, indeed, did I nt the time, but I 7Ctneralcrcd every word, nnd In after years their meaning grew en me. "First tell me," he went en, "hew nre ihey?" and he pointed upwards with his thumb. "Jly wlfe and two of the iKiysnrol iKiysnrel iKiysnrol yend hope," my father answered, with a groan. "I de net knew hew it will go with the third. The lord's will lwdenpl'' "The linrd's will lw done," thu squire echoed, solemnly. "And new, Quatcr malu, listen my wife's gene." "Clenel" my father answered. "Who with?' "With that foreign cousin of hers. It seems from a Ictter hIie left that she al ways cared for him, net for me. fihe married me bocaune she thought me a rich English milord. New she has run through my property, or most of it, nnd gene. I don't knew where. Luckily, tshe did net care te encumber her new career with the child; Stella is left te me." "That is whnt comes of mirrylng n papist, Carsen," said my father. That was hli fault; he wn at geed nnd charllable ft man a ever lived, but be was bigoted. "What are you going te do-fellow her?" He laughed bltterly in answer. "Fellow hcrl" he Bald; "why hbeuld I fellow her? It I met her I might kill her or him, or both et them, because of the sbame they have brought upon my child'd name. Ne, I never want te leek upon her face again. I trusted her, I tell en, nnd she has betrayed me. Ict her go and find her fate. But I am going tee. I am weary of my llfe." "Surely, Carsen, surely," said my father, "you de net mean" "Ne, no; net that. Heath cemen seen enough. But I will leave thti vlwlused world that is a li Ing lie. "We will go right away into tbe wilds, my child and I, and hlde our shame, Where? I don't knew where. Any where be long ns there are no while faces, no Biuoeth, educated tongues," "Yeu nre mad, Carsen," my father an swered. "Hew will j ou live? Hew w ill you educate Stella? Be a man and llve it down." "I will be a man, and I will live It down, but net here, Quatcrmalu. Kdu Kdu catleul "Was net bIiu that woman who was 1113 wlfe was uoI'bIie highly educa ted? tbe cleverest woman in tbe coun try forsooth. Toe clever for me, Quntur main loe clever by half. Ne, no, Stella shall be brought up In a different school; if it be posslble, she Bhall forget her very naine. Qoed-by, old friend, geed -by for ever. De net try te find mu out, hence forth I fchall be like ene dead te you, te you and all I knew," and be was gene. "JIad," bald my father, with n heavy bigb. "nis treuble has turned his brain. But he will think belter of it." At that moment the inirse came hur rying in and whispered something in his car. My father's fuce turned deadly pale. He clutched nt tbe table te support blm Bclf, "hen Btaggercd from the room. My mother was dying. It was seme days afterwards, I de net -w Cinctly ,,ew lengrfwt my father J?k 10 ? the ha"a 'u,,d 'f ,no ullb,!Urs into the big room that had been my 1110- tbcr's bedroom. Thcre she lay, dead in her celli n, with flowers in her hand. Along the wall of tbe room were ar ranged thrce little wbite bcd.-i, and en each of the beds lay ene of my brothers. They nil looked as though they were asleep, and they all had llewers in their hands. My father told me te kiss them nil, because 1 should net see them any mero, nnd I did go, though I was very frightened. I did net knew why. Then he took me In his arms and kissed me. "The I.erd hath given," he Mid, "and the Let d hath taken away; blessed be thn uame of the 1ird." I cried very much, and he took me downstairs, and after that I ha e only n confused memory of men dressed in black earn Ing heavy biiulena towards the gray churchyard. ,Net comes n vision of a gieat bhlp and wlde tossing wntein. My father could 110 longer bear te live in England nfter the less that bad fallen en him, and made up his mind te emigrate te Seuth Africa. We must have been peer nt the time; indeed, I bcliove that a large portion of our iucoiue went fiem my father en my mother's death. At any rate we traveled with the btcernge pas sengers, nnd thu intense discomfeitof the journey with the rough ways of our fellow emigrants Btill icmaie upon my mind. At last it came te an cud, nud we reached Africa, which I w net te leave again for many, many years. In theso days ei ilizatleu had net made any great progress in heuthern Africa. My father went up the country and became a missionary among tlie Kaffirs, near te where the teun of Cradock new stands, and here I grew te manhood. There were a few Beer farmers in the neighbor hood, nnd gradually a little settlement of whites gathered round our mission fetatien a drunken Scotch blacksmith and wheelwright was alniut the most in teresting chatactcr, who, when be was sober, could quete the Scottish poet Burns and the "Ingeldaby Legend:)" lit erally by the page. It was from hhu that I contracted a fondness for the lat ter amusing writings which has nuvcr left me. Burns I never cared for se much, probably liecausu of the ScettIs.li di.ilect, whicli replied me. Wiiat little educa tion I get was from my father, but I never had much luanflig tewaul books, nor he much tlme te tc.icli them te mu. On the ether baud, I was always a keen observer of the ways of men nnd na ture. By the tlme that I was 20 I oeuld speak Dutch and lluee or four Knlllr dialects perfectly, and I doubt If there was anybody in Seuth Africa who un derstood uathe ways of thought and action mero completely than I did. Ale I was really a geed thet mid horseman, and I think ad, indeed, my subsequent , earner proves te have beea the case a great deal touguer tnnn tne majority of men. It may be wondered that I did net run absolutely wild in such surroundings, but I was held back from this by iny father's society. He was ene of the gen tlest and most refined men that I ever met; even the most snvage Kefllr loved hltn, and his Influcnce was a very geed ene for me. Ue used te call himself 0110 of the world's failures. Would that thcre wcre mero such failures. Every evening when his work was dene he would take his prayer book, and, sitting en the little steep of our station, would rea the even ing psalms ie himself. Sometimes thcre was net light enough for this, but it made no difference, he knew, thorn all by heart. When he bad finished he would leek out across the cultivated lands where the mission Knfilrs had their huts. But I knew it was net these he saw, but rather tbe gray English church, and the graves ranged slde by side befere the yew near the wicket gale. It was thcre en the steep that he died, He had net been well, and ene evening I waa talking te him, nnd hli mind went back te Oxferdshire and my mother. He sjioke of her a geed deal, saying that she had nevcr been out of his mind for aslngleday during nil these years, aud that he rejoiced te think he was draw ing near that land whither she had geno. Then be asked 1110 if I remembered that night when Squire Carsen came into tbe study nt the vicarage, nnd told hint that his wlfe had run away, aud that he was going te cbange his name and bury himself In fiome remete land. I said tliat I remembered it perfectly. "I wonder where he went te," said my father, "nnd If he nnd his daughter Stella nre btill nlUe. Well, well! I shall never meet them again. But llfe is a strange thing, Allan, and- you may. If you ever de, glve them my kind love." After that I left him, We had been suffering mero than usual from tbe dep redations of the Katllr thieves, who stele our Bheep nt night, and, as I had dene before, and net without Bliccew, I had determined te watch tbe kraal and scelf I could catch them. Indeed, it was from this habit of 111I110 of watching at night that I llrst get my native name of Ma cumaHihn, which may be roughly trans lated a.i "he who bleeps with ene rye open." Se I took my rllle und rese te go. But he called me te him nnd kissed me en the forehead, Baying, "Ged bless you, Allan. I hepe that you will think of your old father sometimes, nnd that you will lead a geed and happy llfe." I remember that I did net much like his tone at the time, but set it down te nn atlnck of low spirits, te which he grew very subject as the years went en. I went down te the kraal and watched till within an hour of sunrise, then, ns no thleves appeared, returned te tbe Bta Bta tien. An I came near I was astonished tosceaflguro sitting in my father's chair, At llrst 1 thought it must be a drunken Knlllr, then that my father had fallen asleep there. And se he had, indeed, for he was deadl -- CHAPl'EK II. HEN I had buried my father, nnd Buen his successor installed in his place for the sta tien was the prop erty of the bocI becI ety I Bet te work te carry out a plan which 1 bad long cherished, but been unable te execute, because it involved separa tion from my father. But shot try, It was te undertake! a trading journey of oxpleruliun right through the countries new known ui the Fice State nnd thi Transvaal, and as nmch further north ns I could go. It was an ndventureus hcheme, for, though the emigrant Beers had begun te occupy positions in these teniteiles, they wese still te nil practi cal purposes unexplored. But I was new nlenu in the world, and it mattered little what became of me; be, driven en by the oveimastcring leve of adventure, which, old as I am, will perhaps still be my cause of death, 1 determined te un dertake It. Accordingly I Beld such stock and goods nsue had upon tbontatlen, reserv ing enlv the two best wngens and two pairs of oxen. The proceeds I invested in such goed.i na wcre then in fashion, for trailing purposes, nud in guns nnd ammunition. The guns would have nieM'il any modem explorer te mcrrb ment; but such as they were I man aged te de a geed deal of execution with them. One of them was a hingU b.ineled, smooth bete, lilted for percus sion caps a iner we called it which threw a thrco-eunco ball, and waa charged with n handful of cearse black powder. Many Is the elephant that I killed with that reer, although it gener ally knocked 1110 backwnrdswhen 1 fired it, which I only did under compulsion. The best of the let, pcihapi, was a dou ble banded Ne. 12 shot gun, but it had flint locks. Alse, there were seme old tower muskets, which might or might net threw straight at Beventy yards. I took six, Katllrs v ith me, and tluce geed beise.s, which were supposed te be salted that la, pi oef against sickness. Among the Katllrs was an old fellow tamed In-daba-zimbl, which, being translated, means "tougue of iron." lsuposeho get this name from Ills strident voice and exhaust less eloquence. This man was a great character in hU way. He had been n noted witch doctor among n neighboring tribe, and came te tbe station under the following circumstances, which, ns he plays a con cen tidcrablu p.irt in this liUtery, nre per haps worth lecetding. Twe years befere my father's death I had occasion te seaich the country round for wmie lest ecn. After a long and useless quest it occurred te me that 1 had better go te the place whciethu oxen weie bred by a Knlllr chief, whose name I forget, but whose kraal was about fifty miles from our station. There I went, and found the oxen safu at home. The chief entertained 1110 handsomely, and en the following morn ing I went te pay my respects te him befere leaving, and was goiueu bat sur prised te find n collection of bouie hun dreds of men and women sitting round liiui nnxieusly watching the sky, in which the thunder-clouds were banking up In n very ominous way, "Yeu had better wait, white man," said the chief, "and see the rain docteis light the lightning." I Inquired what he meant, nud learned that this man, ludabi-ziiubl, had fur seme years occupied the position of wizard-iii-chief te the tribe, although he was net a member of it, having been born in the country new known as .ululand. But a mu of the chiefs, a man of ulieut SO, had lately set up as a rival in supernatural jxiweri. This irri tated Indatu-zlmbl beyond measure, and a quarrel endued IxUween the two witch doctors that resulted In a challenge te trial by lightning lieing given and ac cepted. These went the conditions. The rivals must await the coming of a bcrieus thunderstorm, no ordinary tem pest would BerTC-thfir turn. Then, carrying assegai 3 in tlleff -fcmds, they must take their bt.md within Jiffpaces of each ether upon u certain patiiji of ireiiiui wneni tlie bli thumlcrlielt wi wcre iW ebscrved te strike continually," and by the oxcrclse of their occult powers and invocations te the lightning, must strlve te avert death from themselves and bring it en their rivah Tite terms of this singular match had been arranged a month previously, but no storm worthy of the occasion hed arisen. New the local weather prophets believed It te be brewing. I inquired what would happen if neither et the men wcre struck, nnd was told that they must then wait for another storm. If they' escaped the second tlme, however, they would be held te be equal in power, and be jointly consulted by the trftxj en occasions of importance. The prospect of being a sjiectater of se unusual n sight ovcrcame my desire te Ik) geno, and I accepted the chief's in vitation te sce it out. Befere midday I regretted it, for though the western heavens grew darker and darker, and the still air heralded the coming of the storm, yet it did net come. By 4 o'clock it became obvious that it must burst seen at sunset, the old chief said, and in the company of the whele assembly I moved down te the place of combat. Tlie kraal was built en the top of a bill, aud In-low it the land sloped gently te the banks of a river about half a lniie nway. On the hither slde of the bonk was the piece of land that was, the na tives said, "loved of the Jightning." Here the magicians took up their stand, while the spectators grouped themselves en tlie hlllside about two hundred yards nway, wlilch waa, I thought, rather tee near te be pleasant. When we had sat thcre for awhlle my curiosity ovcrcame me, nnd I asked leave of the chief te go down and inspect the arena. He said I might de be at my own risk. I told him that the flre from above would net hurt whlte men, nnd went and found that it was a bed of iron ere, thinly covered with grass, which of course accounted for its attracting the lightning from the storms as they trav eled along the line of the river. At each end of this ironstone nrca wcre placed tbe combatants, Indaba-zimba facing tbe east, and his rival the west, and befere each thcre burned a little flre made of Bome scented root. Moreover, they were dressed in all the paraphernalia of their craft, Biiake skins, flsh bladders, nnd I knew net what Waldes, while round their necks hung circlets of baboons' teeth and lxmes from human hands. First I went te the western end where tbe chiefs son steed. He was pointing with his assegai towards the advancing storm nnd iiiMjkiug it in a volce et great ex citement. "Come, flre, nnd llckuplndaha-rlmbil "Hear me. Storm Devil, and lick In-daba-zlmbi with j our red tongue! "Spit en hhu w ith your mint "Whirl him nway in your breath! "Make him ns nothing melt the mar-rew-ln his benesl "Run Inte his heart nud burn away the lies! "Shew all the peeple who Is the true Witch Finder! "Let me net be put te shaiue in tlie eyes of this while man!" Thus he speke, or rather chanted, and all the while nibbed his bread chest for he waa a very fine man with seme filthy coirqeuud of medicine nf menti'. After a while, getting tired of his reng, I walked urress the ironstone, te where Iudaba-zimbi sat by his flre. He was net chanting at all, but his per formance was much mero imprcsshe. It consisted In staling at the eastern sky, which was perfectly clear of cloud, nnd every new and ngaln beckoning nt It with bis linger, then turning round te point with the assegai tewnrds his rivnk Fur a while 1 looked at him in silence. He was a curious wieued man, appa rently ever fifty yeats of age, with thin hands that looked ns tough us wlie. His noae was much sharper than is usual among these races, and he had a queer habit of holding lib bead sideways like a bird when be spoke, whicli, in addi tien te the humor that lurked In bis eye, gave htm a most comical nppearanec. Anether strange thing about him was that he bad n bingle wlilte lock of hair among his black wool. At last I speke te him: "lndaba-zlmbi, my friend," I said, "you may le n geed witch doctor, but you nre certainly a ftel. It is no geed beckoning nt the blue sky while your enemy is getting a stnrt with the storm." "Yeu may be clever, but don't think you knew utcrythiug, while man," the old fellow answeied, in n high cracked voice, nnd with something like a grin. "They call you Ironlengue," I went "you had better use it, or the bterm l)oil won't hear jeu." "The flre from aliove runs down iron," he answ ered, "be I keep my tengue quiet. Oh, ch, let lilm curse away, I'll put him out presently. Loekliow, white man." I looked, nnd in the eastern Bky there grew a cloud. At tlrst It was small, but ery black, but itgatheted with extraor dinary rapidity. Tills was odd enough, but ns I bad seen the name thing happen befere it did net particularly astonish me. It is by no means unusual in Africa for two thunderntei ins te ceme up at the same thne from different points of the com- pass. "Yeu had better goon, Indaba-zlnibi," I said, "the big storm is coming along fast, and will boeh eat up that baby of yours," and I pointed te the west. "Babies sometimes grew te giants, white man," said Iiidaba-ziuibi, beckon ing nway vigorously, "Ixiek new nt my cloud-child." I looked; the eastern Bterm had spread itself from earth te sky, and In slinpe resembled nn enormous man. There was its head, Its shoulders, and its legs; yes, it was like a huge giant traveling across the heavens. The light of the betting sun escaping from beneath the lower edge of tlie western storm bhet across the Intervening space in a Bheet of splendor, nud, lighting up the ad vancing Hgure, wrapped its middle in lines of glory, tee wonderful te be de bet ibed; but beneath and abeve this glowing belt his feet and bead weie black as jet. Presently, as I watched, an awful flash of light shot from the head of tbe cloud and circled it nlieut as though with a crown of living flre and vanished. "Alia," chuckled old lndaba-zlmbi, "my little boy is putting en his man's ring," nnd he tapped the gieen ting en his own bend, which natives assume when they reach a certain age and dig nity. "New, white man, unless you aie a bigger wizard than either of us you had better clear eH, for the flre light is alieut te begin." 1 thought this sound advice. "flood luck go with you, my black uncle," I said. "I hepe you don't feel the iniquities of a misspent life weighing 011 you at thu labt." "Yeu leek after yourself, and think of your own sins, young man," he an swered, with a giiui smile, and taking a pinch of suiitr, und nt that very moment n flash of lightning, I don't knew fiem which storm, struck the ground within thirty paces of me. That was enough for me. I fairly took te my heels, and us I went I heard old Indaba-ziinbi's dry chuckle of amusement. I climbed the hill till I came tc where the chief was sitting with his Induiuis, and sat down near te hhu. 1 looked ut the man's face and saw tliat he was in tensely anxious for hU son's safctv. nud ey no means confidant of tils powers te resist tlie tnngic of Indaba-zlrabl. lie was talking in a low voice te tbe Irnluna next te him. "Hearkenl" the chief was saying, "if the magie of lndaba-zlmbi prevails against my son, I will endure him he mere. Of this I nm sure, that when he has slain my son he will slay me, me also, and make himself chief in my place. I fear Indaba-zimbt On I" "Black ene," answered the Induna, "wizards dle as dogs die, and, ence dead, dogs bark no mere." "And ence dead said the chief, "wiz ards work no mera spells," and he bent nud whispered in the Indium's ear, look ing at tbe assegai in his hand as he whis pered. "Geed, my father, geed!" raid the In dunn, presently. "It shall be done to night, if the lightning docs net de it first." "A bad lookout for old lndaba-zlmbi," I said te myself. "They mean te kill him." Then I thought no mere of the matter for a while -the scene befere me was tee tretucndeiif. The two storms were rapidly rushing together. The silence deepened and declined, the shadows grew blocker and blacker, then suddenly all nature began te mean beneath tbe breath of an icy wind. On came the wind; the smooth surrncoel the river was milled by It into little waves, tlie tall grass bowed low befere it, iind In Its wake came the hissing sound of furious rain. Alii the storms had met. Prem each thcre burst nn awful dazzling blazoef light, and new the bill .011 which we sat rocked in tlie notse of the. following thunder. The light went out of the sky, darkness fell suddenly en the land, but net for long. Presently the whele land scajK) grew vivid In the flashes; It np np peared and disappeared; new every thing was visible for miles, new even tbe men at my slde vanished in the blackness. Suddenly the thunder nnd lightning ceased for a minute, and everything grew black, and, except for the rain, si lent. "It Is ever, ene way or the ether, chief ," I called out into the darkness. "Wait, white man, wait," answeied the chief in a veice thick with anxiety and fear. Hardly wcre the words out of hla mouth when the heavens were lit up again till they literally seemed te flame. Thcre weie the men, net four paces apart. A great flash fell between them; I saw them stagger beneath flie shock. Iudaba-zimbi recovered himself (list atiiuy 1 at e, when the next flash came he was standing belt upright, pointing with his assegai to wards his enemy. The chief's son was still en hi3 legs, but he was staggering like a drunken man, and the assegai had fallen from bis hand. Darkness, then again a flash, mero fearful, If possible, than any that bad genu before. Te me it seemed te ceme from the cast, light ever tlie head of Indaba-rimbl. Next instant I saw the , chiefs son wrapped, as it were, in the heart of it. Then tlie thunder pealed, thu rain burst ever us like a terienl, and I saw no mere. The worst of the bterm was done, but for awhlle the daikuess waa se dense that we could net move, nor, indeed, was I Inclined te leavu the safety of the hillside where the lightning was never known te stiike und eutuie down te the ironstone. Occasionally thciu still came Hashes, but, search as we would, we could see no trare of either of the wizards. Fer my pait, I beheved that they wcre both dead. New the clouds slowly lolled away down the ceurse of the liver, and with it went the rain; and new the stars shene out in their wake. "lA;t us go and see," said the old chief, lising and shaking the water from his hair. "The lltu light has ended, let us go and see who has conquered." I rese and followed him, diippiug as though I had swum a bundled yards with my clothes en, and after me came all the people of tbe kraal. We reached the bpet; even in that light I could see whom the ironsteno had been split and fused by the thunder bolts. While I was looking about 1110, I suddenly hemd the chief, who was en my light, give a low mean, and saw the people cluster round him. I went up and looked. There, en the gieuud, lay the body of his son. He was a dtcadful sight. His hair was burned elf his bead, the copper lings upon his anus were fused, thu assegai handle whicli lay near was literally shivered into threads, and, when I took held of his arm, it seemed te me that every Ikiiie of it was broken. The men with the chief steed gazing bilently, whilu the women wailed. "Great is thu magie of Itidaba-zinibi," said a man nt length. The chief turned und struck hhu a heavy blew with the keriiu in his hand. "C3re.it or net, thou deg, he shall die," he ciicd, "and seshalt thou if thou sing est his praises be loudly ." 1 said nothing, but tbinkhigitpiobable that Indaba-zinibi hadahaied the fate of his enemy, went te leek. But I could see nothing of him, and at length, lieing theiuughly chilled with tlie wet, started back te my wagon te get a cbange of clothes. On reaching it, I was lather sur prised te bee a strange Katllr beated en the diking box wrapped up in n blanket. "Hulle! ceme out of that," I said. The ilguroen tholiex slowly unrolled the blanket, and with great dclllioralien took a pinch of snulT. "It was a geed the light, white man, was it net?" said ludabu-zimbi, In his high, cracked eiee. "But he neer had a chauce against me, peer boy. He knew lietliuuA'lMHit it. See, white man, w hat comes 01 iresumptien in the j eung. It is sail, very bad, but I made the flashes fly, didn't 1?" "Yeu old humbug," 1 raid, "unless jeu tne careful you will boeh learn what comes of presumption in the old, for our chief is after you with an nssetrni. and it will t.il.e all your magie te dodge that." "New you don't bay se," said liulaha zhnbt, claiubei iug elf tlie wagon with rapidity; "and nil because of this wretch ed upstart. There's gratitudu for you, white man. I expose Mm, and they want te kill inc. Well, thai k you for the hint. We shall me, t iij;.,iu liefore long," and he was gene hU- a shot, and net tee seen, for just then 1.0:110 men came ut) te the wagon. On tlie following morning I started homewards. I'he tlrst fate I s.iw m ar riving ut the Mutieii waa that of Iudjba ziiiibi. "Hew de y mi de, Maeiuu.i.iil.iir he said, holding bis head en nite side and nodding his white hick, "I hear you are Christians here, and I v nt te tiy a new lellgieu. Mine must l a I .id one, seeing that my people wanud i Lill 1110 for exposing an imposter." CHAPTCIt 111. isfQ-s MAK1 no npel- &te egy te myself. or te anybody who 111.13 happen te lead this iiaira- tUein lutiiie, for having set out 1.Vi3 thoiiinuuei-ef my meeting with In- daba-zuubi; first, bt'enuse It was takes tiuue hand in thesubseuueut 1 ;.. KfiMf, k'jRJS events, tf that old man was a iiumeug, he was a fery clever one. What amount of truth there wss in his pretensions of Mpcraatural pew en R is net for me te determine, though I may have my ewa opinion en tbe subject, But there was no mistake as te the extraordinary in fluence he exercised ever hk fellow natives, When I was at length ready te start upon my expedition I went te old Indaba- slmbl te say geed-by te him, and was- rather surprised te find him engaged in rolling up medicine, assegais, and ether sundries in hk blankets. "Geed-by, Indaba-mbl," I said, "I am going te trek north." "Yes, Macumaxahn,"he answered, with his head en one side; "and se am I I want te see that country. Vk will go to gether." "Will we!" I said; "wait till you are asked, you old humbug." I "Yeu had better ask me, then, Macu Macu Macu moxahn.ferif you don't you will never come back alive. New that the old chief (my father) is gene te where the storms come from," and he nodded te the Bky, "I feel myself getting into bud habits again. Se last night I just threw up the bones and worked out about your jour ney, and I can tell you this, that if yeu don't take me you will die, and, what is mero, you will lese ene who is dearer te you than llfe." New I was no mero superstitious than ether people, but somehow old Indaba eimbl impressed me. Alse, I knew his extraordinary influence ever every class of native, and bethought me that he might be useful in that way. 1 "All right." I said: "I annetnt veu witchunder te the expedition without pay." , "First serve, then ask for wages," he answered. "I am glad te sce that you have enough imagination net te be alto gether a feel, like most white men, Macu mazahn. Yes, yes, it is want of imag ination that makes peeple feels; they won't bcliove what they can't under stand. Yeu can't understand my propho prepho prophe cies any mero than the feel nt the kraal could understand that I was his master with the lightning. Well, it is tlme te trek, but if I wcre you, Mecumazalin, I should take ene wagon, net two." , "Why?" I said. "Because you will leso your wagons, nnd it is hotter te leso ene than two." "Oh, nonsenset" I said. "All right, Mecumazalin, llve and learn." And without another word he walked te the foremost wagon, put his bundle into it, and climbed into the front seat. Se, having bid an affectionate adieu te my white friends, at length I started, and traveled slowly northwards. Fer the first three weeks nothing very particular be fell me. Such Kaflbrs as we came in con tact with were friendly, and game liter ally swarmed. The first real adventure that bcfell me en this particular jeurney was witii elephants, which I will relate because of its curious termination. Just befere we crossed the Orange river we came ten stretch of forest land seme twenty miles bread. The night we entered this forest we camped in a lovely open glade. A few yards ahead tambeuki grass waa growing te the height of a man, or rather it had been; new, with the ex ception of n few stalks here and thcre, it was crushed quite flat. It was already dusk when we camped; but after the moon get up I walked from the flre te sce hew this had happened. One glance was enough for me; a great herd of ele phants had evidently passed ever the tall grass net many hours befere. The sight of their spoor rejoiced me exceed ingly, for though I had seen wild ele phants, at that time I had nevcr shot ene. Moreover, the sight of elephant 6pecr te the African hunter is what "color in the pan" is te the prospector of geld. It is by ivory that he lives, and te sheet it or trade it is his chief aim in life. My resolution was seen taken. I would camp tbe wagons for a while in tlie forest, nnd start en horseback after the elephants. I communicated my decision te Inda-ba-zimbl and the ether Kaffirs. The lat ter wcre net leth, for your Kaffir loves hunting, which means plenty of meat and congenial occupation, but Indaba zinibi would express no opinion. I saw him retire, te a little flre that he had lit for himself, and go through seme mys terious performances with bones and clay mixed with ashes, which were watched with the greatest interest by the ethor Kaffirs. At length he rese, and, coming forward, informed me that it was all right, and that I did well te go and hunt the elephants, as I should get plenty of ivory; but he advised me te go en feet. I said I should de nothing of the sort, but meant te rlde. I nm wiser new; that was tbe first and last tlme that I ever attempted te hunt elephants en horseback. I Accordingly, we started at dawn, I, Indaba-zimbi aud thrce men; the rest I left with the wngens. I waa en horse herso herse back and se was my driver, a geed rider and a skillful shot for a Kafllr, but Iudaba-zimbi and tlie ethers walked. Frem dawn till midday we followed the trail of the herd, which was as plain as a high read. Then we oil saddled te let the horses rest and feed, and about 3 o'clock started en again. Anether hour or co passed, and still thcre was no sign of elephants. Evidently the herd had traveled fast and far, and I began te think that we should have te glve it up, when suddeuly I caught sight of a brewii mass moving through the thorn" trees ou tlie slde of a slope about a quar ter of a mile away. My heart seemed te jump into my mouth. Where is tlie hunter who ,110s net felt like this nt tbe sight of his first elephant? I called a halt, and then, the wiud being right, we set te work te stalk the bull. I Very quietly I rede down the hither side of tbe slepe till we came te the bot tom, which yas densely covered with bush. Here I saw the elephants had been feeding, for broken branches and upturned trees lay all about. I did net take much notice, howevcr, for all my thoughts were fixed upon the bull I was stalking, when suddenly my herse made a violent start that nearly threw me from the saddle, and there came a' mighty rush mid upheaval of something in front of 1110. I loeked: thcre was the hinder part of a second bull elephant net ftmr yards off. 1 could just catch Bight of its outstretched ears projecting en either side. I had disturbed it sleeping, nnd it was running away. Obviously the best thing te de would have been te let it run, but I was young in theso days nnd foolish, and in tbe excitement of tlie mo ment I lifted my "reer" or elephant gun and fired at tlie great brute ever my herse's head. The recoil of the heavy gun nearly knocked me oil the horse. I recovered myself, bov.erer. and ns I did se, saw tbe bull lurch forward, for the Impact of a three ounce bullet in the flanks will quicken the movements even of nu elephant. By this time I had real- Ized the felly of the shot, and" devoutly hoped that the bull would take no fur- ther notice of It. But he hada different view of the matter. Pullinir himself 1111 in n series of plunges, he spun around nnd came for me w ith outstretched ears and uplifted trunk, screaming terriblv. I was quite defenseless, for my gun was curious and sen- empty, and my tlrst thought was of es es eiidly U-.iii'.ehe cape. I dug my heels into U13 sides of my herse, but he would net meve nn inch, The peer animal was uaralvzed with terror, and he simply steed still, hk forelegs outstretched, and qalvering all ever like a leaf. On rushed the elephant, awful te sec; I made ene mere vain effort te stir the herse. New the trunk of the great bull swung aloft abeve my head. A thought flashed through my brain. Quick at light I rolled from the saddle. By the slde of the horse lay a fallen tree, as thick through as a man's body. The tree was lifted a tittle off the ground by the broken boughs which took its weight, and with a single movement, se active is one in such necessities, I flung myself beneath it. As I did se, I heard the trunk of the elephant descend with a mighty thud en the back of my peer horse, and the next instant I was almost in dark ness, for the horse, whose back was broken, fell ever across tht trce under which I lay ensconced. But he did net step thcre long. In ten seconds mere the bull had get bis trunk round my dead nag's neck, nnd, with a mighty effort, hurled him clear of the tree, I wriggled backwards as far as I could towards the roots of the tree, for I knew what he was after. Presently I saw the red tip of the bull's trunk stretching itself towards me. It he could manage te hook it round any pert of me I was lest. But in the posi tion I occupied, that was just what he could net de, nltheugh he knelt down te facilitate Ids operations. On came the snapping tip like a great open-mouthed snake; it closed upon my hat, which vanished. Again it waa thrust down, and a scream of rage was bellowed through it within four Inches of my head. New it seemed te elongate Itself. Oh, heavcnsl new it had me by the hair, which, luckily for myself, was net very long. Then it was my turn te scream, for next instant half a square Inch of hair was dragged from my scalp by the roots. I was being plucked alive, as I have seen cruel Kafllr kitchen boys Sluck a'fewl, The elephant, however, isappeinted with the moderate results, changed his tactics. He wound his trunk reuud the fallen troe aud lifted it. It stirred, but fortunately the broken branches imbedded in the spongy soil, and seme roots, which still held, pre vented it from being turned ever, though he lifted it se much that, had it occurred te lilm, he could new have easily fished me out with his trunk. Again he heisted with all his mighty strength, nnd I saw that the trce was coming, and reared aloud for help. Seme V shots wcre fired clese by in answer, but if they lilt tlie bull, their only ctiect was ie stir his energies te mero active life. In another few seconds my shelter would be tern away, and I should be dene for. A cold perspiration burst ever me aa I realized that I was lest. Then of a sud den I remembered that I had a pistol in my belt, which I often used for dispatch ing wounded game. It was leaded and capped. By this tlme the trce was lifted se much that I could easily get my hand down te my middle and draw the pistol , from its case, I drew and cocked it. Sce the trce was coming, and there, with in three feet of my head, waa the great brown trunk of the elephant. I placed the muzzle of the pistol within ati inch of it nud fired. The result was instanta neous. Down sunk tbe tree again, giv ing ene of my legs n considerable squeeze, nnd the next instant I heard a crashing Bound. Tlie elephant had belted. By this time, what lictwecn fright and struggling, I was pretty well done. I cannot remember hew I get from under the fallen tree, or indeed anything, until I found myself sitting en the ground drinking seme peach brandy from a flask, mid old lndaba-zlmbi oppesito me nodding his whlte lock sagely, while he fired off moral reflections en the narrow nets of my escape, and my unwisdem in net having taken his advice te go en feet. That reminded me of my herse I get up and went te leek nt it. It was quite dead; the blew of the elephant's trunk had fallen en the saddle, breaking the f ramowerk and rendering it useless. I reflected that In another two seconds it would have fallen en me. I called te lndaba-zlmbi and asked which way the elephants had geno. "Therel" he said, pointing down the gully, "and we had better go after them, Macumazalm. We have had the bad luck, new for the geed." There was philosophy in this, though, te tell the truth, I did net feel particu larly keen en elephants nt the moment. "I seemed te have had enough of them. However, it would nevcr de te show the white feather befere the boys, se I as sented with much outward readiness, and we started, I en the second horse, and the ethers en feet. When we had ' traveled for the best part of an hour down the valley, all of a sudden we came upon the whele herd, which num bered a little mero than eighty. Just in front of them the bush waa se thick that they 6eemed te hesitate about entering it, nnd the sides of tbe valley were se rocky and steep at this point that they could net climb them. They saw us at tbe same moment as we saw them, and inwardly I was filled with fcara lest they should take it into their heads te charge back up the gully. But they did net; trumpeting aloud, they rushed at the thick bush which went down befere them like corn befere a 6ickIe. I de net think that in all my ex periences I cer heard anything te equal tbe Bound they made as they crashed through and ever the shrubs and trees. Befere them was a dense forest belt from a hundred te n bundled nnd fifty feet in width. As they 1 tished en it fell, se that be hind them was nothing but a level road way btrewu with fallen ti links, crushed branches, and here 'and there a tree, tee strong even for them, left standing amid tlie wreck. On they went, and, netw ith standing the nature of the ground ever which they had te travel, they kept their distance ahead of us. This set t of thing continued for a mile or mere, and then I 6aw that in front of the elephants the val ley opened into a space coveted with reeds and grass it might have been fivu or bix acres in extent beyond which the valley ran en again. The herd readied the edge of this ex panse, nud for a moment pulled up, hes itating evidently they mistrusted it My men yelled aloud, as only Kaffirs can, and that settled them. Headed by tbe wounded bull, whose martial ardor, like my own, was somewhat cooled, they spread out and dashed into the treacher ous swamp, for such it was, though just then there was no water te be seen. Fer a few yards nil went well with them, though they clearly found It heavy go ing; then suddenly the great bull sunt: up te his belly In the stiff peaty soil, and remained flxed. The ethers, mad with fear, took no heed of his struggles and trumpetlngs, but plunged en te meet the came fate. In five minutes tlie whele herd of them were hopelessly begged, the mero they struggled te escape, the deeper they sunk. There was ene ex ception, indeed, a cow with a calf man nged te w fn back te firm bhore, nnd, lifting her trunk, prepared te charge us as we came up. But at that moment she heard the Bcream of her calf, nnd rushed back te its assistance, only te be begged with the ethers. Such n scene I nevcr Faw befere or since. The swamp waa spotted all ever with tlie l.irge forms of the elephants, and the nlr rang with their screams of rage and terror as they waved their trunks, wildly e and fro, New and. f -'--I- 'JK5& frflrt, tfriti-mr. u "Si ' A. "'.. 6 , , . as 1 s 4 .
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