By Sheer Pluck
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G. A. Henty >> By Sheer Pluck
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"They are afraid of the Fans," Mr. Goodenough said. "The other tribes
all have a species of terror of these cannibals. We must reassure
them as soon as possible."
A long palaver then took place with the chief, with whose language
one of the Fans was sufficiently acquainted to make himself
understood. It was rather a tedious business, as each speech had
to be translated twice, through Ostik and the Fan.
Mr. Goodenough informed the chief that the white men were friends
of his people, that they had come to see the country and give presents
to the chiefs, that they only wished to pass quietly through and
to journey unmolested, and that they would pay handsomely for food
and all that they required. They wished to obtain bearers for their
baggage, and these they would pay in cloth and brass rods, and as
soon as they procured carriers the Fans would return to their own
country.
The chief answered expressing his gratification at seeing white
men in his village, saying that the king would, no doubt, carry out
all their wishes. One of the boxes was opened and he was presented
with five yards of bright colored calico, a gaudy silk handkerchief,
and several strings of bright beads. In return a large number of
plantains were presented to the white men. These were soon distributed
among the Fans.
"Me no like dat nigger," Ostik said. "Me think we hab trouble. You
see all women and children gone, dat bad. Wait till see what do
when king come."
That day and the next passed quietly. The baggage had been piled
in a circle, as usual, in an open space outside the village; the
tent being pitched in the center, and Ostik advised Mr. Goodenough
to sleep here instead of in the village. The day after their arrival
passed but heavily. The natives showed but little curiosity as to
the newcomers, although these must have been far more strange to
them than to the people nearer the coast. Still no women or children
made their appearance. Towards evening a great drumming was heard
in the distance.
"Here is his majesty at last," Mr. Goodenough said, "we shall soon
see what is his disposition."
In a short time the village was filled with a crowd of men all
carrying spears and bows and arrows. The drumming came nearer and
nearer, and then, carried in a chair on the shoulders of four strong
negroes, while ten others armed with guns marched beside him, the
king made his appearance.
Mr. Goodenough and Frank advanced to meet him. The king was a tall
man with a savage expression of countenance. Behind Mr. Goodenough,
Ostik and the Fan who spoke the language advanced. The king's chair
was lowered under the shade of a tree, and two attendants with palm
leaf fans at once began to fan his majesty.
"Tell the king," Mr. Goodenough said, "that we are white men who
have come to see his country, and to pass through to the countries
beyond. We have many presents for him, and wish to buy food and to
hire carriers in place of those who have brought our things thus
far."
The king listened in silence.
"Why do the white men bring our enemies into our land?" he asked
angrily.
"We have come up from the coast," Mr. Goodenough said; "and as
we passed through the Fan country we hired men there to carry our
goods, just as we wish to hire men here to go on into the country
beyond. There were none of the king's men in that country or we
would have hired them."
"Let me see the white men's presents," the king said.
A box was opened, a bright scarlet shirt and a smoking cap of the
same color, worked with beads, a blue silk handkerchief and twenty
yards of bright calico, were taken out. To these were added twelve
stair rods, five pounds of powder, and two pounds of shot.
The king's eye sparkled greedily as he looked at the treasures.
"The white men must be very rich," he said, pointing to the pile
of baggage.
"Most of the boxes are empty," Mr. Goodenough said. "We have brought
them to take home the things of the country and show them to the
white men beyond the sea;" and to prove the truth of his words, Mr.
Goodenough had two of the empty cases opened, as also one already
half filled with bird skins, and another with trays of butterflies
and beetles.
The king looked at them with surprise.
"And the others?" he asked, pointing to them.
"The others," Mr. Goodenough said, "contain, some of them, food
such as white men are accustomed to eat in their own country, the
others, presents for the other kings and chiefs I shall meet when
we have passed on.
"The fellow is not satisfied," he said to Ostik, "give him two of
the trade guns and a bottle of brandy."
The king appeared mollified by these additional presents, and saying
that he would talk to the white men in the morning, he retired into
the village.
"I don't like the looks of things," Mr. Goodenough said. "I fear
that the presents we have given the king will only stimulate his
desire for more. However, we shall see in the morning."
When night fell, two of the Houssas were placed on guard. The
Fans slept inside the circle formed by the baggage. Several times
in the night the Houssas challenged bodies of men whom they heard
approaching, but these at once retired.
In the morning a messenger presented himself from the king, saying
that he required many more presents, that the things which had
been given were only fit for the chief of a village, and not for
a great king. Mr. Goodenough answered, that he had given the best
he had, that the presents were fit for a great king, and that he
should give no more.
"If we are to have trouble," he said to Frank, "it is far better
to have it at once while the Fans are with us, than when we are
alone with no one but the Houssas and the subjects of this man.
The Fans will fight, and we could hold this encampment against any
number of savages."
A quarter of an hour later the drums began beating furiously again.
Loud shouts and yells arose in the village, and the natives could
be seen moving excitedly about. Presently these all disappeared.
"Fight come now," Ostik said.
"You'd better lower the tent at once, Ostik. It will only he in
our way."
The tent was speedily lowered. The Fans grasped their spears and
lay down behind the circle of boxes and bales, and the six Houssas,
the two white men and Ostik, to whom a trade musket had been
entrusted, took their places at regular intervals round the circle,
which was some eight yards in diameter. Presently the beat of
the drums again broke the silence, and a shower of arrows, coming
apparently from all points of the compass, fell in and around the
circle.
"Open fire steadily and quietly," Mr. Goodenough said, "among the
bushes, but don't fire fast. We must tempt them to show themselves."
A dropping fire commenced against the invisible foe, the fire being
no more frequent than it would have been had they been armed with
muzzle loading weapons. Presently musketry was heard on the enemy's
side, the king's bodyguard having opened fire. This was disastrous
to them, for, whereas the arrows had afforded but slight index as
to the position of those who shot them, the puffs of smoke from the
muskets at once showed the lurking places of those who used them,
and Mr. Goodenough and Frank replied so truly that in a very short
time the musketry fire of the enemy ceased altogether. The rain of
arrows continued, the yells of the natives rose louder and louder,
and the drums beat more furiously.
"They will be out directly," Mr. Goodenough said. "Fire as quickly
as you can when they show, but be sure and take good aim."
Presently the sound of a war horn was heard, and from the wood all
round a crowd of dark figures dashed forward, uttering appalling
yells. On the instant the dropping fire of the defenders changed
into an almost continuous fusillade, as the Sniders of the Houssas,
the breech loading rifle of Mr. Goodenough, and the repeating
Winchester of Frank were brought into play at their full speed.
Yells of astonishment broke from the natives, and a minute later,
leaving nearly a score of their comrades on the ground, the rest
dashed back into the forest.
There was silence for a time and then the war drums began again.
"Dey try again hard dis time, massa," Ostik said. "King tell 'em
he cut off deir heads dey not win battle."
This time the natives rushed forward with reckless bravery, in
spite of the execution made among them by the rapid fire of the
defenders, and rushed up to the circle of boxes. Then the Fans
leaped to their feet, and, spear in hand, dashed over the defenses
and fell upon the enemy.
The attack was decisive. Uttering yells of terror the natives fled,
and two minutes later not a sound was to be heard in the forest.
"I tink dey run away for good dis time, sar," Ostik said. "Dey hav'
'nuf of him. Dey fight very brave, much more brave than people down
near coast. Dere in great battle only three, four men killed. Here
as many men killed as we got altogether."
This was so, nearly fifty of the natives having fallen between the
trees and the encampment. When an hour passed and all was still,
it became nearly certain that the enemy had retreated, and the
Houssas, who are splendid scouts, divested themselves of their
clothing and crawled away into the wood to reconnoiter. They returned
in half an hour in high glee, bearing the king's chair.
"Dey all run away, sar, ebery one, de king an' all, and leab his
chair behind. Dat great disgrace for him."
A council was now held. The Fans were so delighted with the victory
they had won, that they expressed their readiness to remain with
their white companions as long as they chose, providing these would
guarantee that they should be sent home on the expiration of their
service. This Mr. Goodenough readily promised. After discussing the
question with Frank, he determined to abstain from pushing farther
into the interior, but to keep along northward, and then turning
west with the sweep of the coast to travel slowly along, keeping
at about the same distance as at present from the sea, and finally
to come down either upon Cape Coast or Sierra Leone.
This journey would occupy a considerable time. They would cross
countries but little known, and would have an ample opportunity for
the collection of specimens, which they might, from time to time,
send down by the various rivers they would cross, to the trading
stations at their mouths.
It was felt that after this encounter with the natives it would be
imprudent in the extreme to push further into the interior. They
would have continual battles to fight, large numbers of the natives
would be killed, and their collecting operations would be greatly
interfered with. As a lesson to the natives the village was burnt
to the ground; the presents, which the king in the hurry of his
flight had left behind him, being recovered.
A liberal allowance of tobacco was served out as a "dash" or present
to the Fans, and a bright silk handkerchief given to each. Then
they turned off at right angles to the line they had before been
pursuing and continued their journey.
Two days later Mr. Goodenough was prostrated by fever, and for
several days lay between life and death. When he became convalescent
he recovered strength very slowly. The heat was prodigious and the
mosquitos rendered sleep almost impossible at night. The country at
this place was low and swampy, and, weak as he was, Mr. Goodenough
determined to push forward. He was, however, unable to walk, and,
for the first time, a hammock was got out and mounted.
There is no more comfortable conveyance in the world than a hammock
in Africa. It is slung from a long bamboo pole, overhead a thick
awning keeps the sun from the hammock. Across the ends of the
pole boards of some three feet long are fastened. The natives wrap
a piece of cloth into the shape of a muffin and place it on their
heads, and then take their places, two at each end of the pole,
with the ends of the board on their heads. They can trot along at
the rate of six miles an hour, for great distances, often keeping
up a monotonous song. Their action is perfectly smooth and easy,
and the traveler in the hammock, by shutting his eyes, might imagine
himself swinging in a cot on board ship on an almost waveless sea.
After two days traveling they got on to higher ground, and here they
camped for some time, Mr. Goodenough slowly recovering strength,
and Frank busy in adding to their collections. In this he was in
no slight degree assisted by the Fans, who, having nothing else to
do, had now come to enter into the occupation of their employers.
A good supply of muslin had been brought, and nets having been
made, the Fans captured large quantities of butterflies, the great
difficulty being in convincing them that only a few of each species
were required. They were still more valuable in grubbing about in
the decaying trunks of fallen trees, under loose bark, and in broken
ground, for beetles and larvae, a task which suited them better
than running about after butterflies, which, moreover, they often
spoilt irreparably by their rough handling. Thus Frank was able to
devote himself entirely to the pursuit of birds, and although all
the varieties more usually met with had been obtained, the collection
steadily increased in size.
Frank himself had severe attacks of fever, but none of these were
so severe as that which he had had on the day of the death of the
leopards.
At the end of a month Mr. Goodenough had recovered his strength,
and they again moved forward.
CHAPTER XII: A NEGRO'S STORY
On arriving at a large village one day, they were struck as they
approached by the far greater appearance of comfort and neatness
than generally distinguish African villages. The plots of plantations
were neatly fenced, the street was clean and well kept. As they
entered the village they were met by the principal people, headed
by an old white haired negro.
"Me berry glad to see you, white men," he said. "Long time me no
see white men."
"And it is a long time," said Mr. Goodenough, shaking hands with
him, "since I have heard the sound of my own tongue outside my
party."
"Me berry glad to see you," repeated the negro. "Me chief of
dis village. Make you berry comfortable, sar. Great honor for dis
village dat you come here. Plenty eberyting for you, fowl, and
eggs, and plantain, and sometime a sheep."
"We have, indeed, fallen into the lap of luxury," Mr. Goodenough
said to Frank; and they followed the negro to his hut. "I suppose
the old man has been employed in one of the factories upon the
coast."
The interior of the hut was comfortably furnished and very clean.
A sort of divan covered with neatly woven mats extended round three
sides. In the center was an attempt at a table. A doubled barreled
gun and a rifle hung over the hearth. A small looking glass and
several colored prints in cheap frames were suspended from the walls.
A great chest stood at one end of the room, while on a shelf were
a number of plates and dishes of English manufacture.
The negro begged his guests to be seated, and presently a girl
entered, bringing in a large calabash full of water for them to wash
their hands and faces. In the meantime the old negro had gone to
his chest, and, to the immense surprise of the travelers, brought
out a snow white tablecloth, which he proceeded to lay on the table,
and then to place knives, forks, and plates upon it.
"You must 'scuse deficiencies, sar," he said. "We berry long way
from coast, and dese stupid niggers dey break tings most ebery
day."
"Don't talk about deficiencies," Mr. Goodenough answered smiling.
"All this is, indeed, astonishing to us here."
"You berry good to say dat, sar, but dis chile know how tings ought
to be done. Me libed in good Melican family. He know berry well
how tings ought to be done."
"Ah, you have traveled a good deal!" Mr. Goodenough said.
"Yes, sar, me trabel great deal. Me lib in Cuba long time. Den me
lib slave states, what you call Confederate. Den me lib Northern
state, also Canada under Queen Victoria. Me trabel bery much.
Now, sar, dinner come. Time to eat not to talk. After dinner white
gentlemen tell me what they came here for. Me tell dem if they like
about my trabels, but dat berry long story."
The dinner consisted of two fowls cut in half and grilled over a
fire, fried plantains, and, to the astonishment of the travelers,
green peas, followed by cold boiled rice over which honey had been
poured. Their host had placed plates only for two, but they would
not sit down until he had consented to join them.
Two girls waited, both neatly dressed in cotton, in a fashion which
was a compromise between European and negro notions.
After dinner the negro presented them with two large and excellent
cigars, made, as he said, from tobacco grown in his own garden, and
the astonishment of the travelers was heightened by the reappearance
of one of the girls bearing a tray with three small cups of excellent
black coffee.
Their host now asked them for the story of their journey from
the coast, and the object with which they had penetrated Africa.
Mr. Goodenough related their adventures, and said that they were
naturalists in search of objects of natural history. When he had
finished Ostik, in obedience to a whisper from him, brought in
a bottle of brandy, at the sight of which the negro broke into a
chuckle.
"Me tree months widout taste dat. Once ebery year me send down to
coast, get coffee, tea, sugar, calico, beads, and rum. Dis time de
rum am finish too soon. One of de cases get broke and half de bottles
smash. Dat berry bad job. Dis chile calculate dat six dozen last
for a year, dat give him one bottle each week and twenty bottles
for presents to oder chiefs. Eighteen bottles go smash, and as de
oder chiefs expec' deir present all de same, Sam hab ta go widout.
De men start three weeks ago for coast. Me hope dey come back in
six weeks more."
"Well," Mr. Goodenough said, "you need not go without it till they
come back, for I can give you eight bottles which will last you
for two months. I have got a good supply, and as I never use it for
trade unless a chief particularly wants it, I can very well spare
it."
The old negro was greatly pleased, and when he had drank his glass
of brandy and water he responded to Mr. Goodenough's request, and,
lighting a fresh cigar, he began the story of his adventures.
"I was born in dis berry village somewhere about seventy years ago.
I not know for sure widin two or three year, for when I young man
I no keep account. My fader was de chief of dis village, just as
I am now, but de village was not like dis. It was not so big, and
was berry dirty and berry poor, just like the oder nigger villages.
Well, sar, dere am nothing perticlar to tell about de first years
of my life. I jus' dirty little naked nigger like de rest. Dose
were berry bad times. Ebery one fight against ebery one else. Ebery
one take slabes and send dem down de river, and sell to white men
dere to carry ober sea. When I grow up to seventeen, I s'pose,
I take spear and go out wid de people of dis village and de oder
villages of dis part ob country under king, and fight against oder
villages and carry the people away as slabes. All berry bad business
dat. But Sam he tink nothing, and just do the same as oder people.
Sometimes oder tribes come and fight against our villages and carry
our people away. So it happened to Sam.
"Jus' when he about twenty years old we had come back from a long
'spedition. Dis village got its share ob slabes, and we drink and
sing and make merry wid de palm tree wine and tink ourselves berry
grand fellows. Well, sar, dat night great hullyballoo in de village.
De dogs bark, de men shout and seize deir arms and run out to fight,
but it no good. Anoder tribe fall on us ten times as many as we.
We fight hard but no use. All de ole men and de ole women and de
little babies dat no good to sell dey killed, and de rest of us,
de men and de women and de boys and girls, we tied together and
march away wid de people dat had taken us.
"Berry bad time dat, sar. De season was dry and de water scarce.
We make long march ebery day, and berry little food given. Dey beat
us wid sticks and prod us wid spear to make us go. A good many ob
de weak ones dey die, but de most ob us arribe at mouth ob riber;
me neber know what riber dat was, but we were berry nigh two months
in getting dere. By dis time Sam arribe at the conclusion berry
strong, dat de burning ob villages and carrying off ob slabes berry
bad affair altogether. Sam hab changed his mind about a great many
things, but about dat he am fixed right up to dis time.
"Well, at de mouth ob dat riber Sam saw de white man for de first
time; and me tell you fair, sar, Sam not like him no way. Dey were
Spanish men, and de way dey treat us poor niggers was someting awful.
We huddle up night and day in a big shed dey call a barracoon. Dey
gabe us berry little food, berry little water. Dey flog us if we
grumble. Dese men belong to ships, and had bought us from dose who
brought us down from up country. Deir ship not come yet, and for
a long time we wait in the barracoon wishing dat we could die.
At last de ship came, and we were taken on board and huddled down
below. Law, what a place dat was to be sure! Not more than tree feet
high, just high enough to sit up, and dere we chained to deck. De
heat, sar, was someting terrible. Some ob us yell out and scream
for air, but dey only come down and beat us wid whips.
"De day after we got on board de ship set sail. Tree hours after
dat we hear a great running about on deck, and a shouting by the
white men. Den we hear big gun fire ober head, almost make us jump
out of skin wid de noise. Den more guns. Den dere was a crash, and
before we knew what was de matter dere was a big hole in de side,
and six niggers was killed dead. Ebery one yelled berry loud. We
tink for sure that de last day come. For a long time de guns keep
firing, and den everyting quiet again. At de time no one could tink
what de matter, but I s'pose dat British cruiser chase us and dat
de slaber sail away.
"Dat was an awful voyage, sar. At first de sea smoove, and de ship
go along straight. Den de ship begin to toss about jus' as nigger
does when he has taken too much palm wine, and we all feel berry bad.
Ebery one groan and cry and tink dat dey must have been poisoned.
For tree days it was a terrible time. De hatches were shut down
and no air could come to us, and dere we was all alone in de dark,
and no one could make out why de great house on de water roll and
tumble so much. We cry and shout till all breaff gone, and den lie
quiet and moan, till jus' when ebery one tink he dead, dey take
off de hatch and come down and undo de padlocks and tell us to go
up on deck. Dat berry easy to say, not at all easy to do. Most of
us too weak to walk, and say dat we dead and cannot move. Den dey
whip all about, and it was astonishing, sar, to see what life dat
whip put into dead nigger. Somehow people feel dat dey could crawl
after all, and when dey get up on deck and see de blessed sun again
and de blue sky dey feel better. But not all. In spite ob de whip
many hab to be carried up on deck, and dere de sailor men lay 'em
down and trow cold water ober dem till dey open dere eyes and come
to life. Some neber come to life. Dere were about six hundred when
we start, and ob dese pretty nigh a hundred die in dose tree days.
"After dat tings not so bad. De weather was fine and no more English
cruisers seen, so dey let half ob us up on deck at once for tree
or four hours ebery day. Dey give us more food, too, and fatten us
up. We talk dis ober among ourselves, and s'pose dat dey going to
eat us when we get to land again. Some propose not to eat food,
but when dey try dat on they get de whip, and conclude dat if dey
must be eaten dey might as well be eaten fat as lean.
"At last we come in sight of land. Den we all sent below and stay
dere till night. Den we brought on deck, and find de vessel lying
in a little creek. Den we all land in boats, and march up country
all night. In de morning we halt. Tree or four white men come on
horses and look at us. Dey separate us into parties, and each march
away into country again. Den we separate again, till at last me and
twenty oders arribe at a plantation up in de hills. Here we range
along in line before a white man. He speak in berry fierce tones,
and a nigger by his side tell us dat dis man our master, dat he
say if we work well he gib us plenty of food and treat us well,
but dat if we not work wid all our might he whip us to death. After
dis it was ebident that de best ting to do was to work hard.
"I was young and berry strong, sar, and soon got de name of a
willing hard working nigger. De massa he keep his word. Dose who
work well not bad treated, plenty ob food and a piece of ground
to plant vegetables and to raise fowls for ourselves. So we passed
two or tree year, plenty ob hard work, but not berry much to grumble
at. Den me and a gal of my own village, who had been bought in de
same batch wid me, we go to massa and say we want to marry. Massa
say, berry well. I fine strong nigger and work well, so he gib de
gal four yards ob bright cotton for wedding dress, and a bottle ob
rum to me, and we married.
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