Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-07
A JUST RETRBUTION.

| was busy among my maps and charts
at the cabin table when a dull, heavy
sound, twice repeated, came through the
open windows. Dropping everything /
hurried up on deck
The marines were gathered along the
rail, looking off to the right bank of the
creek
WAS that firing heard?'' I inquired
eagerly.
4 think it was the report of a gun, cap
tain, " said Lieut.. Osborne. 1T came from
the shore, and at a distance of scarcely
half a mile.
All listened intently for a few moments,
and then came a 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 attach
ed 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 fifty miles up Van
mas creek to investigate rumor that the
Arabs had slave station near the head
waters somewhere.
Up to this time | had met with no sue
cess. The country seemed to be deserted.
OF course we could not reconnOiter far
from the banks, for our force was small,
and a sufficient guard must always be left
in charge of the gunboat.
For these reasons | hesitated to advance
into the jungle, but two more shots IN
rapid succession removed all doubts and
ordered boat to be lowered instantly.
landed my little force-a dozen trusty
marines-in a 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 a
southerly direction, and had marched
nearly mile when the two men whom
had sent forward as an advance guard hur-
ried back at full speed anu reported that a
number of natives and two white men
were only few rods distant and creating
a 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 a break in the
forest, and without any difficulty we gained
the edge of the bush and obtained a clear
view of the open.
Some fifty or sixty stalwart negroes
were dancing about and making strange
gestures while Z few yards away, at the
base of a small hillock, stood two stalwart
men. They were on the defensive evil
IDENTIFY, for they held rifles in their hands,
and three dead negroes lay PROSTATE on the
ground in front of them
Then | saw something else, for in the
center of the open lay one great mass of
glittering white ivory, tossed carelessly in
heap. 1t was an ivory caravan from the
interior; fer the negroes belonged to no
coast tribe.
What the dispute was about | could not
even guess, nor did | have any time to do
so, for of sudden the negroes dashed for
ward with fierce shout. The men must
have been overpowered In spite of their in
cessant and deadly fire; but just at the
critical moment we swept out from she
bushes, and the negroes fell back In amaze
ment.
The rescued men came forward with out
stretched hands, and | saw on close view
that they we.e Portuguese.
''Senor, you have saved our lives" said
the leader, In tolerably good English He
was an intelligent looking man of 30 or 35.
These scoundrels were determind to kill
us. My name is Torres" he continued
land this, y pointing to his companion. lis
my friend, CASTILLO. We are ivory traders,
and have brought these natives from the
interior at great cost. We pledged our
selves to send them home in safety but the
fools suddenly made up their minds that
we proposed to sell them to the Arabs,
and mad with rage, they made this sudden
attack on us.
| never did put much faith in Portuguese.
though this man was of better type than
many | had met. Still, he might be speak
In the truth.
/ hesitated not knowing what course to
pursue. The negroes were grouped CO.
gether at a little distance, sullenly watch
ing our movements, but making no hostile
demonstrations.
Suddenly one of them came forward. a
big stalwart fellow, with a leopard skin
about his waist, and stopped In front OF
me.
He began to jabber out mixture of bad
English and native African, and, more
from his gestures than from his speech. |
comprehended what he said. He declared
that the Portuguese intended to sell them
into slavery, and affirmed that he had seen
Torres lurking behind on the previous day
to talk to an Arab that had come out OF
the forest.
He told me that his name was Zuba.
that he was head man In his tribe. and
that he had picked up his English at Fan
zibar, where he had been on several occa-
sions He knew that | was English, and
that the English hated the Arabs, so he
hoped that l would protect his friends
from the Portuguese and the slaves hunters.
TorIes's swarthy face gre darker as
Zuba poured out his appeal.
The hound lies, he exclaimed,
angrily. When they take the ivory to
the coast they will be paid and sent back
home
But see here, Torres" l interrupted
for | was beginning to get an linking Of
the state of the case. You know well that
these natives are not safe within hundred
miles of the coast. 1t looks to me as
though you had deceived them, whether
you intended to sell them to the Arabs OF
not They are certainly ignorant of then
real peril :
The Portuguese GREW confused and