Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-23

did not want to disturb their amusement
by not accepting the offer, and, besides,
l was anxious to know how the wedding
ceremony would be performed, so l let
them fetch her to my hut. - When we
remember what a high value among the
Australians is attached to a young and
pretty wife, it is easily seen that they
were ready to pay very high price for
my friendship. As soon as the natives
heard thBt / would accept the girl they
evidently felt somewhat treasured, and
their troubled countenances gave way to
a relieved expression and even joyful
talk. But Kelanmi did not feel at all
edited at the thought of marry
ing miami - The girls never like
TO leave their tribes, and in this case
she was to belong to white man, the
first she had ever seen. When 1 went
away l heard the natives talk harshly to
her and by threats compel her 10 go
with the stranger. 1 learned afterward
that she was originally intended for
young black, by name Kal-Dubbaroh,
for whom it seems she really felt kind
of affection, an occurrence that some
times if not often happens among them.
She asked him as n precautionary
measure to follow her. That he so
easily and willingly submitted to losing
his bride must not so much be considered
a fault of his, but rather be taken as an
example of the cowardice characteristic
of the whole race.
lit the fire IN my camp and waited
for the blacks to arrive with Kelanmi.
The moon was just rising, so l could
distinctly discern the black figures ap-
preaching, but did not at first see any
Mill (yOung GRID. She was behind one
of the men, who held her by the wrist.
Although she apparently did not follow
willingly, she did not offer any open re-
sistance, which would, of course, have
been of but little avail.
When the embassy reached my hut they
left the peace offering without a word of
explanation. The whole scene reminded
me somewhat of the Homeric passages
where Agamemnon IS messengers abduct
the beautiful Briseis from AchiIleu' s
tent and bring her to Agamemnon IS. l
asked her to enter my hut and sit down.
1t will never do. Even among canni-
balls, not to be polite.
She seated herself on the ground near
the fire, while 1 had an opportunity of
looking at my matrimonial prize. She
was dressed in her best garb, on account
of the dance, but not with the ruffies and
laces that Worth imposes on fashion g
devotees. My belle of Australia had her
face and the greater part of her body be-
smeared with red earth. l cannot say
very much for her beauty, although she
was the-best they had She was quite
young, apparently thirteen years old,
and as she sat there timidly awaiting the
orders of her new master she formed a
rather picturesque figure. In order to
the men around a lesson in gallantry, 1
at once brought her some meat and
bread, which she, however, put away
under her legs, fearing the men, because
such delicacies are not for women. l |
then gave her a piece of tobacco,
which she also put aside. Prob !
ably she wanted to give it !!
to her old 'lover,'' Kali Dubbaroh, |
who doubtless expected some COM |
pensation for the loss be had suffered. l |
felt pity for the poor, cowed, trembling |
little thing, and when [ saw how unhap- |
py she was, and being, in fact, myself !
very anxious as yet to escape the bonds |
Of matrimOny, told her in her own Ian |
guage, "You may go.'' She looked at |
me, rose and ran away, like bird flying |
from its cage. This puzzled the blacks |
very much; they could not imagine any |
other reason for my act than that she did |
not please me, and at once, therefore, |
they offered me another girl. But told |
them that everything was now all right, |
and that We all would go down and look |
at the dance. So we did, and all night |
through the natives kept up their amuse-
ment, merry and jolly after having ap-
peased the terrible wrath of the white |
man.