The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-09-04
A JUST RETRiBUTION.

| was busy among my maps and
charts at the cabin table when a dull,
heavy sound, twice repeated, came
through the open window. Dropping
everything l hurried up on deck.
The marines were gathered along the
rail, looking off the right bank of the
creek.
"Was that firing heard?" l inquired
eagerly.
81 think it was the report of gun,
captain" said Lieutenant Osborne. "It
came from the shore, and at distance
of scarcely half mile"
All listened intently for a moment,
and then came repetition of the
sound. and mingled with it we seemed
to hear cry.
| hesitated what course to pursue.
An investigation ought TO be made;
and yet to venture off into the forest
with handful of men seemed a very
risky proceeding, for these Arab slave
dealers are no mean fighters, and
this firing evidently could portend
nothing else than that they were
about.
| was in command of a gunboat at
tached to the man-of-war Racer. which
was stationed on the East African
coast. some miles north of Zanzibar,
and which was engaged in the slave
blockade. had been dispatched
some miles up Vannas creek to inves-
tgate a rumor that the Arabs had q
slave station near the head waters
somewhere.
Up to this time had met with no
cnrpnSS Tho oOnotI.r- SoonnoH fn ho
deserted. OF course we could not re-
cOnnoiter far from the banks, for our
force was small, and sufficient guard
must always be left in charge of the
gunboat.
For these reasons I hesitated to ad-
vance into the jungle, but two more
shots IN rapid succession removed all
doubts, and ordered boat to be low.
cred instantly.
l landed my little force-a dozen
trusty marines-in small cove, and
we plunged at once into the forest.
We moved with great caution and
soon struck rude path that bore
traces of recent travel. We continued
along this in d southerly direction, and
had marched nearly mile when the
two men whom l had sent forward as
an advance guard, hurried back at
full speed and reported that number
of natives and two white men were
only few rods distant and creating 3
considerable disturbance.
This Information staggered me.
What white men could be doing here
was more than could understand.
We advanced slowly, with rifles in
readiness. Before US was break in
the forest, and without any difficulty
we gained the edge of the bush and
obtained a clear view of the opening.
Some fifty or sixty stalwart negroes
were dancing about and making
strange gestures, while a few yards
away, at the base of a small hillock,
stood two swartny men. They were
on the defensive evidently, for they
held rifles in their hands and three
dead negroes lay PROSTATE on the
ground in front of them.
Then l saw something else, for in
the center of the open lay one great
mass of glittering white ivory, tossed
careessly in heap. 1t was an ivory
caravan from the interior, for these
negroes belonged to no coast tribes.
4Yhat the dispute was about could
do so, for of sudden the negroes
dashed forward with fierce shout
The men must have been overpowered
in spite of their incessant and deadly
! fire; but just at the critical moment
we swept out from the bushes, and the
negroes fell back in amazement.
| Tie rescued men came forward will
outstretched hands, and saw on closer
| view that they were Portuguese.
! "Senor, you have saved our lives,
| said the leader in tolerably good En-
! glsh. He was an Intelligent looking
| man of 80 or 35. ''These scoundrel!
were determined to kill us. My nam'
is Torre," he continued, ''and this,
pointing to his companion, lis m.
friend CASTILLO. We are ivory traders
and have brought these natives from
the interior at great cost. We pledged
ourselves to send them home in safety
but the fools suddenly made up thei
minds that we proposed selling then
to the Arabs, aud, mad with rage, the.
made this sudden attack on us.
never did pnt much faith in Por
tuguese, though this man was of
better tyDe than many [ had met
Still, he might be speaking the truth.
hesitaIed. not knowing what cours
to pursue. The negroes were grouped
together at Il little distance, snllenl
watching our movements. but making
no hostile demonstrations.
Suddenly one of them came forward
big, stalwart fellow, with leOpar
skin about his waist, and stepped i
front of me.
He began to jabber out a mixture q
bad English and native African, ano
more from his gestures than from hi
speech. eoniprehended what he said
He declared that the Portuguese III
tended to sell them into slavery, an
affirmed that he had seen Tore
lurking behind on previous day t
talk to an Arab that had come out {
the forest.
He told me that his name was Zubi
that he was head man in his trib'
and that he had picked up his Englis
at Zanzibar, where he had been o
several occasions. He knew that wa
English, and that the English hate