Sanders of the River

African forest on the Ikeli River, who are calle

with the marks of the devils" (so the grave native story-teller puts it), which was greatly worsh

esumably, the "ghosts of brass" went also. It was a great business, securing the stone, for it was set in a grey slab in the solid rock, and many spear-heads were broken before it could be wrenched from its place. But in the end it was taken away, and for several years it was the b

peace and good fellowship, and talked of a new king and a new law. The Akasava listened in dazed wonderment, but when they

in steamboats. There were too many to quarrel with, so the people sat quiet, a little frightened and very curious, whils

hand for a setback of this kind. If you have not the thing you require, go and take it. So, following precedents innumerable, the Akasava visited the Ochori, taking away much grain, and leaving behind dead men and men who

ing of the Isisi-"that the white man's law is made to allow weak men to triumph at

cause of all the trouble which had come upon the Akasava. The cause required little appreciation. The great stone had been stol

ing them very little, but rather burning them, so that they told wher

men would not tell where stolen things were buried, we

his head applaudingly; "also to tie men in the path of

that if the stone be with them we shall not overcome them owing to the two ghosts-though I do not remem

briefly in official records. The search was fruitless, and the Akasav

ve already told. That was long ago, as the natives say, cala-cala, and many things h

died the death for various misdoings, and

ry, a broad, strong, sullen stream that swirls and eddies and foams as it swings the corner of its tortuous course seaward. Sanders sat on a deck-chair placed under

d in the Isisi country somebody had discovered a new god, and, by a

ods of any kind were a beneficent asset. Milin

rne upon the shoulders of priests. It is so long and so wide, and there are four socke

god obeys the law, he may live in the Isisi country, paying no tax. But if he tells the young men to

re approach; there was another god who came with thunder demanding sacrifice-human sacrifice. This was an exceptionally bad god, and had cost the British Government six hundred thousand pounds, because there was fightin

he shade of a striped awning on

Ochori folk, who lived too near the Akasava for comfort, and, moreover, needed nursing. Very slow was the tiny steamer's progr

n his pyjamas, with a big pith helmet on the bac

a land palaver at Ebibi; Otabo, of Bofabi, had died of the sickn

d?" he asked suddenly; an

ter. "My people tell me that this old g

nders, with s

little garrison of thirty, visited his farm, admi

dispatch in the tiniest of handwriting on the fl

rvant, and Abiboo came back to h

red leg of the tiny courier and fastening it with a rubber band, "you'v

and, walked with it to the stern of

ting about their cooking-pot-th

s half-naked engineer cam

s; "get your wood ab

ire came up to a long canoe with four men standing at their paddles singing dolefully. Sanders remembered t

east of the canoe, and saw a de

with this bo

lord," was

places for the dead," said Sanders brusquely.

he died very suddenly because of a leopard. So quickly he died that he could not tell us where he had hidden his rods and

to such a lone island, all green with tangled vegetati

is N'Kema," said

slow ahead whilst he watched the canoe turn its

ahead, steered clear of a sand

nuinely c

nd an explorer had, in the early days, seen it through his glasses. Also the "ghosts clad in brass" he had heard about-these fantastic and warlike shad

o knew less would have been amused, but Sanders was not amused, because he had a great responsibility. He arrived at the city of Isisi in the afternoon, and observed, even at a distance, that something u

old men awaited him, and the

new god; the people are assembled on the far side of the hill,

ip thoughtfully,

The Keepers of the Stone' appea

d in big beads on his forehead,

ly," said Sanders calmly; "they have been

e king simply; and Sanders was sta

nders in English; then, "What

ess. They wore brass upon their heads and brass upon their breast

ass ghost I will not have at any price." He spoke English again, as was his prac

se?" sai

the elephant-hunters of the N'Gombi people carry.

was no

est shame of all, for my young men dance the death dance

Sanders; "presently I w

ne black cigar after another, the

way of thinking, I have

o, lord,"

gods. If I ask them myself, they will lie to me out of polit

y and the trees motionless. He came back with the information as Sanders wa

hree more have especial family fetishes, and two are Christi

d y

smiled at Sanders' a

rophet, believing only in the on

load wood, and Yoka shall have steam against

ur Houssas, serving out to each a short carbi

nce sat in his hut, a

ded, "and no blame shall come to you fo

l happen,

aid Sanders, p

ed hut. Generally they saw by the dull glow of the log that smouldered in every habitation that it was empty. Once a sick woma

r in awe of the mysteries of birth. "I wi

voice. "To-night the men go out to war,

-ni

r-so the ghosts

clicking noise

see," he said

re them, outlined against a bronze sky, was the d

the fires that gave it colour leapt or fell. Turning the

l was a broad strip of level land. On the left was

ire burnt. Before it, supported by its p

he pe

women, children, tiny babies, at their mothers' hips they stretch

, going and returning. These were they who replenished the fire, and Sanders saw them dragging fuel for that

hat we shall carry away this false god. As to which of us shall live o

majority until he came with his Houssas to the box. The heat from the fire was terrific, overpowering. Close at hand he saw that th

ers. Until then the great assembly had sat in silent wonder, but as the soldiers lifted t

ne hand raised, and silence fell

move until the god-stone has passed, for death co

nd the particular deity he was thinking of

ng and swaying, as a mob wi

gh the lane; they had almost passed unmolested when an

avered, "what will y

," said Sanders, "being by Go

, and the people in her vicin

woman in labour. "By the god's favour there shal

deep-voiced man begin the war-chant, but nobody joined him. Somebody-probably the same man-clashed his spear against his wicker shield, but his warlike example was not followed. Sanders gained the village street. Around hi

abi, the wife of Adak

t bay; his lips upcurled in a snarl

very quickly, "let any man r

te, and Sanders, over his

as the soldiers gripped the poles of the god

ult ceased, and the crowd darted backward and outward, f

aded, stood in open-mouthed

n he was alone;

like in short crimson kilts that left their knees bare; great brass h

t fever, it is madness," he muttered, for what he saw were two

so close that he saw on the boss of o

STUS

mphatically, and follo

, for his temperature was normal, and neither fever nor sun could be held

his pigeon had brought, bu

g the story; "but we'll get out the stone; it

, was of greyish granite, such as Sand

s,'" he said, as he turne

et were a number of printed characte

S ET A

. . . . .

. . . .

. .

rs, furbishing his rusty Latin, and

and Au

s of Nero

pe

etly with

the wild lands which Hanno,

, and the favour of the gods, we sailed to the black seas beyond. . . . . Here we lived, our

r greetings to Rome to Cato Hippocr

en he had finished readin