Sanders of the River

. Long before he was called upon by the British Government to keep a watchful eye upon some quarter of a million cannibal folk, who ten years before had

met the Angola folk, then northward to the Congo, westward to the Ma

etween all these races, a differenc

atives up to the same point, as you trust children, with a few notable exceptions. The Zulu were men, the Basuto were men, yet childlike in their grave faith. The black men who wore

or, when the gold-brick man produced his dull metal ingot, all Sanders' moral nerves stood endways, and he ran the confiding "bunco steerer" to the nearest station, charging him, to the astonishment of a sorely-puzzled policeman, with "I.G.B.," whi

d's equal right to life. When a man, whether he was capita or slave, by his bad example endangered the peace of his country, Sanders fell upon him. In their unregenerate days, the Isisi called him "Ogani Isisi," which means "The Little Butcher Bird," and certainly in that time Sanders was pro

ain and death, and nothing else counts. There was a foolish Commissioner who was a great huma

t that is unimportant. The goats and the women were alive, and cried aloud for vengeance. They cried so loud that down at headquarters they were heard and Mr. Comm

return our goats, they may keep the wom

nd his councillors, and in the end moral suasion triumphed, and the people promised on a certain day, at a certain hou

wrote a long report about his genius and his administrative abilities, and his kno

land on furlough, so that he did not hear the laments and woeful wailin

iver, with ten Houssas and an atta

d settle that

--Admini

ving his good work--he was searching for M'Beli, the witch-doctor,

he came to the city an

these wome

d the chief. "I will summon m

rtly. "Send back the women and the

ur custom, when the tide is so, and all signs of go

s walking-stick, "moon and river, gods or devils, those women and the goats go back

chief, "the women

oats," sai

ief airily, "they are dead, ha

them back to lif

am a magician?" asked

aid Sanders impartially, an

returned to the Ochori, and

desiring to put shame upon hi

d I am a man fulfilling many tasks. I desire that you

f truthfully, "I never

n Houssas, and went back to the Isisi

nd toast. There arrived hurriedly Sato-Koto, the brother of the king, in great distress of mind, for he was a fugitive from the king's wrath. He babbled forth all manner of news, in much of which Sanders took no interest whatever. But what he said of the witch-doctor wh

g was not in a melting mood. It is an indisputable fact that poor Niceman's h

rom Simonstown, and H.M.S. Dwarf came down from Sierra Leone hec dum, and

rs to clear up the poli

t of the king's city by the fla

ally, "I am afraid that you will have to dig o

rs no

go into mourn

ost. Sato-Koto, the dead king's brother, expressed his willing

ked the admiral, comm

e king has a son, a boy of nine; the kingship must be

anged, Sato-Koto

he women folk, and he tried to bolt, but Sanders c

kindly, "how do

the wriggling lad; "in the

to custom and the law. And you shall do hurt to none, and put shame on none nor shall you kill or rai

head-quarters with the little army of bluejackets and Houssas, for M'Beli, the wit

by the special correspondents, who accompanied the expedition, that many dear old ladies of Bayswater wept, and many dear young ladies of Mayfair said: "How sweet!" a

rought and the school paraphernalia that filled two large packing cases were subscribed for by the tender readers of Tiny

and sent the wife of his co

id, at dinner that night, "what

etty chin in the

est kindergarten, and gradually work up. I shall teach him c

ke a face like that--er--in the evening. But tell me th

ifficulty," she s

ke my advice

y,

"Go home and learn it." She frowned. "It

ithout dignity, "you are pulli

ders piously, "that I sho

lbraith was concerned, was that she went to Isi

she said wildly; "he

," said Sanders

He lives in a mud hut and we

rs blandly. "You didn't expect

e said desperately; "but it was im

," murmure

black," she went on; "and I kne

wasn't as picturesque as you imagined him; he wasn't the gen

ers heard of another educative raid. Two members of an Ethiopian mission came into Isisi by the back way. The Ethiopian mission is made up of Christian black men, who, very properly, basing their creed

for the kind of talk they provided was very much t

used to obey, but they came on the second occasion, because

of good address and refined conversation. They spoke Engl

ommand," said one, "which savours somewhat of

who knew his men, "when I tell you that I can

id the negro in shocked ton

geon-hole in his desk; the int

said, "you said this,

ping the creed of Equality and encroaching

lder of the two, w

he said, "you go

rkness?" asked the man, in reproach. "Is

nders, "but a

ans from the scene of their earnest labours, in con

d in the education of King Peter. Akasava adjoins that king's t

ting, with presents of f

rest. "When you walk the world shakes at your tread; the mighty river that goes flowing down to the big water parts asun

gled the king, pl

ed the chief of the Akasava; "the

at the king's elbow,

" he asked, cutting s

pled by cowards, rich with the trea

e them yourself?" d

ho would beat me. But you, lord, are of the great; being king'

palaver, which

eggar has gone on the war-path against those unfortunate Ochori. I should be glad if you would send me a

*

old, we have wasted the city of the Ochori, and taken their treasure, and the white man is dumb be

ing, "and some day you shall build y

ief, with splendid resigna

p of light in the eastern sky, the Isisi warriors gathered with spear an

f a huge fire, and all the women stood r

a messenger in a canoe, who prostra

he has with him five score of soldiers and

rcles, which was broken by th

ve a feeling of sickness; also, it is th

you, and he is so mighty that the earth shakes at his tread, and the wat

tion, "I must go, for my youngest son is sicken

ent, and there was n

try where many misunderstandings existed that wanted clearing up. When he arrived, having s

en smoking, the little children pla

ty, on a hillock that commanded the

d. "Why does the king remain in hi

is not fitting that a great

ling with a rebellious people, and his own fine

ad bad advisers," he reflected alo

the king to come--f

rted, but retur

not come," he

go to him,"

his hut, greeted Mr. Comm

n a semi-circle before the

cane of familiar shape, and as he spoke he whiffled it

e?" said

hall see,"

, and Sanders grabbed him

is

undesirably, and he spran

swish

wild hands to ward off the punishm

face distorted with rag

erferes," said Sanders, w

evelled rifles and s

ing down the cane, "now we

, ko!" sobbe

by a messenger shall come to you, saying that t

sobbed

lors and your old men and await my comi

ter," whimp

Sanders, and wit

to the king, and the court went out to

ing Peter's education, for

idence in the town of

the second day, "do you

is two days' jour

rs no

nd your possessions to the village of Ikan, there to stay

ef of the Akasava

s I did you wrong, he

ers. "For I say that you are

o go to my village as you have ordered Sato-Koto, I wil

ore, I would have you remember that down by Tembeli on the great river there is a village where men l

Akasava people wen

these were all settled to the satisfaction of Sanders, but by no means to the satisfaction

sun comes up I go back to my own vil

llors, since I am a young boy?" aske

s for justice: 'If I were this man how

looked

day there come many from outlying villag

ay I will sit at the king's righ

in his embarrassment, a

s sandy shoals, where the crocodiles sleep with open mouth; you see the rising ground toward Akasava, hills that rise one on top of the other, covered with

aring to depart and Sande

indeed many

a thousand rods and two bags of salt for her. He had lived

had a lover. Therefore, Mighty Sun of Wisdom

you?" sa

riggled un

?" he said hesitating

pproved, and called the father,

w might I know her mind? Surely I fulfil my contract when the woman

king again, and the

is a cunning one. Therefore, I judge that you sold this woman knowing her faults. Yet the husband might accept some risk also. You shall take back your

itatingly, anxiously, glancing now and

Sanders, and called fo

"a man has put an evil curse on me

e judge, and he puzzled the matter ou

se you?" at last

th," said the complain

d the king, "and it shall be a quest

s hand, and the king, see

and there came to headquarters from time to time st

r corn nor fish nor grain. He did this after a journey to far-away Ikan, where he met the king's uncle, Sato-Koto, and agreed upon common action. Since the crops were good, the king passed the first fault, but the secon

*

up his uncle; he filled in his spare time by giving the Akasava the worst licking they have ever had. I thoroughly approve of all that Peter has done, because I feel that he is actuated only by the keenest sense

nuous campaign, leaving behind him two territories that

er his old men, his witch-doc

d I have driven the chief of the Akasava into the forest. But Sandi told me also that I must do what was just, and that I have done according to my lights, for I have d

f his councillors, "what if Sa

he king, and gave orders for prep

ing Peter going down and Sanders coming

om the fires of Houssa and warrior, and the little camp in the forest clearing

s tale and Sa

chief of the Ak

led to the forest cursing me,

odded aga

alf a mile of the camp and the faint noise of men laughing, and the faint scent of fires burning came to them, when the chief o

ief of the Akasava, "I h

ment nor reply, but Sander

, when something struck him

hief's, but Sanders was not taking any particular interest in the conversation, becau

ause there are many men who can take my place; but if you slay Sa

king," said the chief

ice after a long interval; "thus shall no trace be fo

her. Then came a crackling of

ered a voice. "King, if you

even voice, and shouted, "Oh,

all San

*

ation. There was a young doctor with him when he wo

ey finished the king, but he saved

d "Yes" wit

e beggar," sugg

hen: "Did they catch th

at he delayed his bolting. The king thre

will

anner brusque at the best of times

the hut, doctor-

le of the "chick" at the hut door, then