The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-05
THE KING OF BRASS.

IL suppose there IL pc q iedEIui euiHuy
if he dies under my treatment" and the
speaker pulled at his pipe as he lay out.
stretched on one Of the Madeira sofas on
the comfortable poop of the Rosy Morn
trading hulk in the Brass river of the
Niger delta.
On the opposite side Of the room Will
Jams lay, also smoking.
The hulk had long since been rooted
over and matched with palm leaves, and
the original poop boarded off into sleeping
chambers, while the stern, with its long
row of old-fashioned, overhanging window
ports, was fitted up as dining and sitting
room.
"Have a drink, DOCTOR" replied Will
Jams, ''and don't worry. If the worst
comes to the worst suppose it'll only be
. matter of a big fine, altho' have heard
that the fetch men are kicking up an
awful row about Loke's illness and say
you and Tom have chopped medicine
(made secret compact) together to do for
the old king-here, Jim Doe" and q
minute later tall, broadchested, clean
limbed Kruboy, whose smiling face be-
tokened good temper, as the gentle, yet
straightforward look in the honest black
eyes denoted courage, stood respectfully
before his master.
The first speaker, an Irish doctor named
O'Conor, had been summoned fortnight
previously from the larger trading settle
ment of Bonny, some fifty miles of, to at
tend Williams's assistant, a young English
man named Crowther. Between Bonny
and Brass the nearest route lay through a
network of creeks and lazy tidal back
waters which connect the many mouths of
the Niger, flowing through its swampy,
forest-laden delta. The canoe sent to Bonny
for the doctor had been piIoted through
these creeks by young Amakree, native
of Brass, and nephew of the reigning
King Loke, and therefore heir presumptive
to that cruel old monarch. Amakree,
when quite lad, had been entrusted to
Williams predecessor on the Rosy
Morn" a Captain Jones. to acquire what
is termed ''whiteman fashion," and to
learn the tricks of trade while serving as a
'slingster," or interpreter, between the
white trader and his native customers on
shore.
Amakree had, however, adopted the
ways and ideas of his white master, and
for Williams he entertained a sincere
affection, such as dogs ever, and negroes
often, have for those who treat them
kindly. With Jim Doe, the Kruboy
servant, one of gang of fifty of those
sturdy laborers from the Liberian coast,
on board the hulk, Amakree, or Tom, as
he had been nicknamed by Williams, re-
garded himself as one of the mainstays of
the ''Rosy Morn"
Returning with O'Conor, the canoe had
halted for some little time at the town of
Brass in sight of the Rosy Morn, which
lay anchored mile or SO out in the great
river, to enable Tom to visit his friends,
and during this halt he learnt of Uncle
Loke's illness.
Despite the openly shown hostility of
Ejabu and the other fetch doctors who
surrounded the sick king, Tom had in
duced O'Conor to prescribe for the invalid.
On reaching the hulk Williams had in
vain endeavored to dissuade the doctor
from his expressed intention of further
treating the sick king. Crowther'sl fever
having luckily passed its critical stage,
O'Conor had been free to return to Loke /:
and it was on coming back after his third
visit to the king that he now expressed his
fear to Williams of the old monarch's be-
ing on the point of death.
Jim Doe, returning with the called for
cocktails, remarked that "Dem Tom he
live for come" and Amakree, or Tom, as
he must be called, soon after entered his
masters presence with a grave face.
"Well, Tom, how's Loke now?" asked
O'Conor.
"Loke, he live for die (viz: just about
to die), and all men say it be you and me
we done kill him, sir. Dem fetch man
for Ju-ju town and Creek town make
plenty palaver; and / think, sir, we go
look plenty trouble" said Tom, turning
ruefully to Williams.
''Why, Tom, suppose palaver live; he
no fit pass ten luncheon; and doctor he
do plenty fine thing for Loke and make
good medicine: but them time men be old
so. all same them Loke. he tit for die sup
pose he catch lilly bit sick. No be palaver
for doctor; be palaver for them God; like
take old man for him country"
al saveZ, sir, but dem people for town no
savez all same white man; and Eiabu be
bad too much" said Tom in burst OF
wrath "better YOU sent doctor back for
Bonny one time tat oncel. so dem time
loke finish die doctor no live for Brass VI
Nonsense Tom" laughed OConor
Pm not going TO run away from all the
fetch men in Brass. They're not such
fools as 10 make any trouble with me
They must know Loke's old and weak and
that he was likely TO die at any time with
out my having anything 10 do with it,.
but Tom only continued his requests fol
the doctor to go.
While thus discussing distant cry from
the shore-long and wailing-made Tom
start, and, turning 10 the open windows
he pointed To the town and cried excitedly
~ on hear, you heart Loke he live for
die-plenty trouble go come--looki Canoe
come, now You so see J" and sure enough
several canoes might be seen leaving the
beach.
As they approached the hulk the same
long. mournful dirge rose from group
seated in the leading canoe and the wall
ing echoes of the paddlers' chorus tioateo
across the water at the end of each verse
OF the chant.
MAN he sing Loke no die, but the doc
tor and Tom he done kill him-listen =
and as Toms uplitted finger commanded
attention the chant broke out anew and
rose in volume 10 a perfect shout, and the
three canoes with a great whirrins OF
paddles and dashlng of spray shot along
aide the gangway ladder.
Then solemnly with much parade OF
mysterious amulet and all-powerful charm
OF feathers, shells and red csm-wooi a,
tached TO Il carved stick % pOrtentou.
length. arose the form of Elabu from amid
his following of medicine men and slaves
As the fat and greasy form of the chic
medicine man assembled the ladder in
slow and dignitied manner. his slaves il
fhe canoes beat small drums and rams
bells. while others in the bows Kissed GU
imprecations on the evil spirits OF air ans
water, while they struck st both elements
With Ions Tustting switches Of thin spill
canes.
Followed hy dozen or so of minor
lights. Ejabu stepped upon the poop room
of the Rosy Morn" and after greeIin!