The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-24

al confidence He was proclaimed by
all chief OF Lingunja, and the band Of
bearded warriors INTERESTINGLY placed
themselves under his authority.
The stockades were at once strength
ened and put in thorough repair. and .
log pathway leading to the village was
danked on each side by tall spiked
fences, and near the end of this passage
deep pit was Ding. studded at the bot
tom with sharpened stakes and the
mouth Of it artfully concealed by lay
ers Of small sticks, earth and leaves. to
resemble the surrounding ground
In the Balui villages on tho morning
following Tchecheri's escape an occa-
sionsl drum beat announced to all that
some important c CEREMONY was about to
follow, and the changing Of old Ngila's
big iron gong summoned gathering Of
his followers Roars of savage delight
acknowledged the chiefs announcement
that he would celebrate the coming
fight by executing the young slave
Tchecheri, but their joy was changed TO
raging distraction when upon going TO
the hut to drag out the victim they
found he had escaped. Parties were
dispatched everywhere in search Of the
missing slave, some hunted through the
forests, Others padded of in their
canoes, but. Of course. no trace could
be found
The disappointment, however, was
soon forgotten; the proposed raid. with
its prospect of rich theft of slaves and
ivory, was too absorbing subject to
admit Of one slaves escape interfering
with it, for the season had now arrived
for the departure of the buccaneering
expedition. Early one morning the
warriors embarked, twenty-five in each
big dugout The women and few men
who remained behind as sentinels in the
village shouted with earnest admira-
ton at the fierce appearance of their
fellows
There were in all about four hundred
warriors, the very pick of the Balui
families Every dugout was trimmed
TO perfection. The fighting men, wear
ing plumed headdresses and leopard
skins, had painted their faces with col.
ored chalk in smudges and streaks, SO
as to render them as formidable as pos
sible, in order to intimidate an enemy
The long, slim dugouts sprang swiftly
ahead at every stroke from the power.
full paddles
Their progress was cunningly man
aged; these savages, usually SO noisy.
remained eagerly silent and padded
with mufaed strokes, and, as agreed
upon, they travelled only at night and
hid during the day.
If they could have known that their
escaped slave, Tchecheri was q native
of Lingunja, and bad already reached his
village with news of the planned sstacki
The Balui little dreamed that the help
less creature whom they had cruelty
tortured in their village was about
to defend Lingunja against them, and
had made every arrangement to check
and defeat them and harass their re-
treat.
The village Of Lingunja was situated
at the head OF a narrow creek along
which Tchecheri had placed his sentries
to bring in news Of the enemy's coming,
and band Of men was standing at
ascent of the Balui and then to prevent
the return Of the slavers' canoes by fell
ing trees on each bank which would |
fall and their branches fnterlock amid /
stream, SO Is to block the channel and /
prevent a retreat.
just before dawn, one day, the at
taoking party reached q point on the ,
creek, about three hundred yards from /.
the village of Lingunja; all was silent,
as though the villagers were unaware
of the enemy's approach. No sounds |
of insects and the Loud kong-kong Of the !
monster bats
The Balui crept stealthily around the |
stockades, seeking q means of entrance
into the village Finally they reached !
the passage between the two lines of
fence, and. uttering their war cry. they |
charged along the path, expecting TO
bewilder the natives and take the place /
by storm
They had fallen into the trap set for
them; IN their haste and excitement |
several broke through tho frail cover
ing over the mouth of the pit and were
held in agony on the sharpened stakes /
below. The angry yells Of the bafsed
Balui were answered BY the war cries /
of Tchecherl's warriors, and then CON- (
menced Lingunja's pitiless revenge for 1
its murdered chief Nl1,su. At the sharp 1
rattle OF the village battle drum. /
Tchecheri's fighting men sprang TO /
their stockades and hurled their spears 1
with deadly aim into the bewildered /
forces of the attacking party. The /
Balui were unneryed at the unexpected !
and fierce defense Of their ensmiea-
They realized at oncs that 70 carry the /
etockade against such resolute men WA
an impossibiEty.
The Balui raiders, despicable cow
ards, As all such robbers arc, tried 20 |
escape in their canoes they embarked
in a state OF confusion and pushed of /
into the stream, throwing their spears
at random at The persistent enemy fol-
lowing close at their heelA
As the refreshing canoes sped along
down stream the victorious villagers
followed on shore and kept up a deadly
hail of poisoned ARROWS and spear shafts
till the Bafui dngouts were heavily
weighted with dead and wounded
Upon reaching the narrow point and
finding the channel blocked TIE would
be slave catchers, deprived of the iast
hope Of escape, jumped into the stream
and were swept along into the branches
of the fallen trees, where, heIplessiy
tangled they fell m easy prey 70 the
Lingunja, who had sworn 70 utterly
destroy. II possible, the horde Of can
nibal Balui
The heroic young Tchechen was
kpo~n M Mnluyte rlenON |