RAIN-MAKING. 
CHAP. X.] 
271 
upon their flocks. Ill teach these rascals to insult 
me!” 
With all this bluster, I saw that old Katchiba was 
in a great dilemma, and that he would give anything 
for a shower, but that he did not know how to get out 
of the scrape. It was a common freak of the tribes to 
sacrifice their rainmaker, should he be unsuccessful. 
He suddenly altered his tone, and asked, “ Have you 
any rain in your country ? ” I replied that we had, 
every now and then. “ How do you bring it ? Are 
you a rainmaker ? ” I told him that no one believed 
in rainmakers in our country, but that we understood 
how to bottle lightning (meaning electricity). “I don’t 
keep mine in bottles, but I have a houseful of thunder 
and lightning,” he most coolly replied; “but if you 
can bottle lightning you must understand rainmaking. 
What do you think of the weather to day ? ” I imme¬ 
diately saw the drift of the cunning old Katchiba; he 
wanted professional advice. I replied, that he must 
know all about it, as he was a regular rainmaker. “ Of 
course I do,” he answered, “ but I want to know what 
you think of it.” “Well,” I said, “I don’t think we shall 
have any steady rain, but I think we may have a heavy 
shower in about four days (I said this as I had observed 
fleecy clouds gathering daily in the afternoon). “ Just 
my opinion! ” said Katchiba, delighted; “in four or 
perhaps in five days I intend to give them one shower ; 
just one shower ; yes, I’ll just step down to them now 
and tell the rascals, that if they will bring me some 
goats by this evening, and some corn to-morrow morning, 
I will give them in four or five days just one shower.” 
To give effect to his declaration he gave several toots 
upon his magic whistle. “ Do you use whistles in your 
country ? ” inquired Katchiba. I only replied by giving 
so shrill and deafening a whistle on my fingers that 
Katchiba stopped his ears; and relapsing into a smile 
of admiration he took a glance at the sky from the 
doorway to see if any sudden effect had been produced. 
“ Whistle again,” he said ; and once more I performed 
