Wichita eagle., 1888-02-09
TOMBAR.

IItc6C, according 10 GlS own testimony.
which no one thought it worth HIS while dis.
putting, he did have royal blood in his veins
being the son and heir apparent of power
ful African king. He could remember the
time, when child Of years, be, with his
father, mother and band Of armed warriors,
had made an expedition to the coast for the
purpose of procuring that article indispensa-
bic alike to the civilized and the savage-salt
1t was on the return journey that their
camp vas one night surrounded and, after a
desperate battle, his father, mother and most
of the warriors were slain. He was found
cliDging to tie bleeding body of his mother.
and with the rest Of the survivors was car
ried away captive
He could remember seeing men with red
coats or and great ship. He, with others,
was packed, like sardines, in the noisome
hold. He could recall the stencil, tie thirst,
the fever, the agony Of the voyage; the pitt
less sea beneath, the pitiless men in red coats
above. At last, after what seemed an eternity
of misery, the SLAYER anchored; he was driven
down the gangway and once more breathed
the pure dir of heaven-no longer 4 captive
but slave
he was bought by a Georgia planter who
carried him to his plantation near the coast.
Owing to his tender years he had little to do
Except to do odd jobs and engage in the sports
of his dusky companions. But their pas
times and gambols had few charms for him,
although he excelled them all in activity and
endurance. He was distinguished for a
gravity far beyond his years, being usually
moody and silent and consequently rather
unpopular with his playmates. Their aver
sion was, however, born of fear rather THAI
OF positive dislike. He would seclude him
self whenever he could and grove and
stretch bis hands toward the east and utter
words in an unknown tongue.
All bis life seemed tn go out in regret for
the country that was to be his no more
Hence the rest of the plantation darkies, with
the superstition of their race, regarded young
Tomhar as an uncanny being in league with
the evil one.
He was, himself, the victim of a strange
fancy, childish but poetical. Through the
edge of the plantation ran large river, on
the banks of which it was Tombar's delight
to stroll in his aimiess fashion. He was seen,
ore summers afternoon, to plunge into its
waters. Being an expert swimmer, it was
supposed that he was amusing himself by in
dulging in that exercise, but as he rose and
sank, making no effort to sustain himself,
one of the field hands, working near, jumped
in and rescued him. ''Not," as he afterward
explained, SUR de sake of de niger hisself;
he mout er drowned God knows, but case
Marse George mout er raised de debbil erlong
er me fur lettin' Of him do IT,"
When restored to consciousness and asked
the cause Of his strange conduct, he pointed
towards the ocean, saying that if he could but
sink in the river, it would carry him to the
sea- and the sea, in some unexplainable way,
would bear him under its waves to his loved
Africa and he would awake there as from a
dream.
After this he was watched closely. and
whenever he exhibited any tendency to sub
marine transmigration, which, for long
time, he frequently did, he was subjected t.,
the ovcrsecr's whip and put in solitary coz
finement. The latter punishment seemed
most effective, as he would receive the
former with sullen endurance ard all air
showing plainly that his spirit was uncon-
qrorable.
Tombar grew to be great man. stalwart,
broad shouldered and proud liz his bearing.
His superior intelligence, strong, almost
Caucasian features, proclaimed him to have
no kinShip with the ordinary Guinea negroes
with whom the plantation was stocked. His
physical peculiarities, coupled with his own
story, indicated that he belonged to some in
terror tribe remote from the coast. He never
did anything to incur the charge of voo-
dooism, yet the mere fact of his be-
ing an African was sufficient to make
the simple negroes regard him as a
mighty conjuror who could, if he chose
at any moment put them under the in
fluence of the evil eye. On winter nights
when grouped around fire of blazing logs,
relating stories OF ghosts, COLLINS, witches
and other monsters known to their folk lore,
Tombar was always associated, somehow, in
their minds with the eerie portion of the mar
rative. His silence rarely broken, and the
fact that never in all his life had he been
known to smile intensified their belief in his
supernatural powers. They would not have
Eeen surprised at any time to have seen him
disappear in sulphurons flames or metamor-
phoSe himself into huge black snake and
begin his diabolical mischief by swallowing
ali the little negroes on the place. Conse
quently none were surprised at what hap
pened in the sequel of this story.
1t was on hot summer afternoon that
Tombar stood in the lot grooming his mas
tsrs horse. 1t was work of which he never
tired. He seemed to find more congenial
company among Gods dumb creatures than
among his fellow slaves, who feared and re-
spected, bu. could not love him.
As be stood with one hand resting fondly
on the horses name there suddenly appeared
in the air above him q pure, snow white
dove. 1t circled around and around, as if
seeking resting place, and finally, as softly
as 4 feather, it lighted on Tombars head
After perching there for an instant it fluttered
fondly about his breast, then, cooing plant
lively, it mounted straight up and out OF sight
III moment. The negro seemed dazed.
vacant, far away look came into his eyes,
and he stood as motionless as if the current
Of his life had been suddenly arrested by
some powerful enchantment.
What was it, Whence did it Gomez Where
mad it gone! What did it mean! These were
some of the questions that were in the minds
Of the bystanders when they were capable OF
reflection. Never before had such bird
been seen in that neighborhood.
When the dazed negro camc 70 himself,
which he did with start, he said solemnly,
almost mechanically, to his master who was
standing near and had witnessed the occur
renee: "Good-by, Marse George; Tombar's
done been sen, for; Tonbar must go
Where arr you going, Tombarr asked
his master. But tic only aeply that he could
elicit was: rs gcin' to the Ian of the lien"
His master laughed at him for his supersti-
ton and before night had forgotten the
circumstance.
The rest Of the day, Tombar moved about
as one in q dream He evidently regarded
the incident Is q premonition of approaching
dsath, but, il be did be exhibited neither joy
acr sorrow q: tie prospective occurrence
TIE next day, at noon. TIE overseer re-