Adventure Magazine Cover — page 103: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Kos, the Witch-Doctor conclusions that he did that the milkers were reptiles instead of human beings. IV wim KOS finished drawing the rough dia- mim gram of a hawk and then gazed at it intently. His eyes glazed over as he concentrated on the task in hand. The sun outside mounted higher and higher un- til it reached its meridian. At that time the craft of witch-doctors all over the country opened their minds to receive the impressions of what had oc- curred within the recent hours. Jumbled thoughts first flashed across the blanked spaces of their minds. There were councils of tribes ‘sitting, deciding what policy to pursue in the matter of tribal warfare. A battle at its height, a bird in the air, but above all a council in session, was the im- pression that persisted until the face com- manding the whole council became distinct in a faint way. Kos was calling his fellow-craftsmen by concentrating his mind on his own identify- ing mark, the hawk, which would be caught up in the minds of other witch-doctors who were at that hour taking in impressions of the happenings of the last twelve hours. The Kos sign persisted especially in the minds of the witch-doctors of the Amazulu, Basutu and Maponda, so these three set out for Kos’ country right way. The sun was hardly past its meridian when these witch-doctors prepared themselves for the journey—one issuing from his cave in the mountainside, another from his hut in the heart of the forest, the third from his hole home in the hollow of a tree. They trav- eled in different ways, one on a big Kaffr goat, another on an Umsutu pony, the third on a gegu (Ox). Early next morning they arrived at the path leading to Kos’ kraal. Kos appeared among them suddenly. “Indaba yako?” (Your chorused. Kos related to them the smelling-out scene of ‘the night and how he had accused the other gira (witch-doctor). He explained to them that he wanted them to tell him which would be the best death for a man who had killed the king. Different tor- tures were suggested, but Kaseko of the Amazulu suggested the one that met with the whole company’s approval. This sug- story?) they 97 gestion was that a thong be tied to the horns of an inkuzi (bull), one of the man’s wrists being tied to the other end of the thong. After a number of small pebbles had been put into the bull’s ears the animal was to be turned loese. Kos invited them all into his cave, where he gave them some of his home brew, a mixture of wild sweet honey and mazimba (Kaffir corn) that had been boiled and then allowed to steep in water until it became sour. Another lot of mazimba had been cooked like a porridge, the top taken off and put into a calabash for several days; then the honey, the first maztmba and the cooked lot had been put into a vessel, water added and let simmer and then boil, taken off and let cool, after which it was poured into a large calabash and let stand overnight. During that time it acquired a kick like an ostrich male at the breeding-season, and every day and night that it stood it acquired added strength. When Kos’ conferees ar- rived the home brew had been standing for about four moons, and Kos had three large calabashes full. After each gira (witch-doctor) had had three good swigs the gira of the Amazulu suggested trying out his idea on one of their number then and there. Kos reminded them that the sun was climbing higher and higher. The other givas bade him hlala kahle (stay in peace) and went out of the cave door not quite so steadily as when they came in. Kos left immediately for the kraal but by a different path from the one his recent friends had gone by. He walked swiftly to the kraal, and in a short while arrived at the gate and then turned into the kohla (coun- cil) hut, where the xkosi (chief) and his mapakatis (counselors) were still arguing and counter-arguing as to what kind of death. the witch-doctor should die. Songela was new to power and had not yet realized that his word was law. As Kos entered, Songela had just finished talking about a doctor younger than Kos, also remarking no test of guilt had been tried out on the accused gira. Kos over- heard the last remarks and then and there unfolded the trial to be given. No sooner was it heard than a band of abafan was dispatched in haste to bring back a strong ox from the main herd. They left the kraal on the run, and in a compara- tively short time came back leading a bull with a large span-width of horns. Comicloool< (C@