The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-11-03
one advantage enjoyed by few other

petty chief, over sixty years old,
head of a considerable tribe of notably
formidable warriors, was suffering
with and slowly dying of necrosis of
the tibia. The local white missionary
was no surgeon, and the simple medi-
cines he could give the old man were
powerless against his malady. DR..
Johnston examined the case and pro-
posed to chloroform the chief and cut
away tho dead bone. The missionary
conceded that would probably be the
proper thing to do, but formally
washed his hands of all responsibility
of the job. eff you succeed" he said,
sit will give You a great reputation
among the natives, near and far, as
mighty medicine man, for no such
thing has ever been done in this part
of Africa; but if you fail and the man
dies on your hands-which, being old
and weak, he is liable to-his warriors
will inevitably kill you. Probably they
VIII spear you at once, if he dies on
the operating table, but at all events
inevitably, if he succumbs soon after,
even if they have to follow you across
the continent for the purpose"
DR.. johnson examined the old mans
heart. found it's action good and said:
81 will take the chances" The opera
ton was performed in the open air in
presence of one hundred and fifty of
the old chiefs warriors, each grasping
his keen spear and viewing with We
hement distrust the strange white man
and his glittering array of surgical
tools. Under the first influence of the
anesthetic the old man struggled Wig
orously, and as the missionary would
not touch him the doctor had his
hands full to hold him down. the war
riors meanwhile growing greatly ex-
cited. They were upon the point of
filing the surgeon with an assortment
of spear heads when the patient sank
down and slept. They saw he was not
dead, for his chest heaved, but how
he could sleep in evident unconscious
ness of pain while his leg was sliced
open, the black dead bone gouged out
and the wound properly cleansed
and dressed they could not COM
prehend. Altogether the operation
took some fifteen or twenty minutes,
and, to the utter bewilderment of
the crowd pressing close around,
the chief slept placidly all the time.
When he awoke and said nothing had
hurt him the dense black, odorous
mass of live amazement suddenly
transformed itself into one Of untram-
meled enthusiasm. and DR.. Johnston
received such an ovation as probably
no other surgeon ever did.
At one point in his route DR.. John
ston encountered the fleeing remnants
of trading caravan and was told:
go back. If you do not you will en-
counter the warriors who robbed us
and murdered some of us yesterday,
and they will do the same to YOU" He
went on and the next night reached the
brush inclosure from which the traders
had been driven when the robbers at
tack was made upon them. In it he
made camp and hardly had he done so
when the robber chieftaiu, with two
hundred and fifty warriors brandish-
ing their spears. charged in and ad-
vanced threateningly upon him. He
retained his seat at the door of his tent
while the black leader insolently de-
manded why he was there? Where he
was going? What he had Of value?
And so on. The doctor ignored him
and stepped to the camp fire to light
his pipe. Instantly the chief sat down
upon his stool. which, in the court eti
quette of African kings, is a grave in
suit. DR.. Johnston. with unruffled
calm, lifted the stool by one leg, dump
ing the chief upon the ground. Ths
invading warriors raised their spears
and murderous attack seemed immi-
nent. Then the doctor placidly called
up his head-man and interpreter, San
who said to them: 'Wait be-
fore rushing upon your fate, until you
see how the white man fights. See
him shoot" Dr. Johnston, who had
drawn his revolver. began blazing
away at tree near by. and, as he is
a good marksman, shot after shot
knocked off the bark. The saw
ages, who had never seen a reyol-
yer, or any other gun that spoke
more thar once without reloading.
backed away in CONSERVATION. Hold"
cried Sanambello. "he has not finished
yet" and handed to him Winchester
containing fourteen cartridges AS
rapidly as possible he fred eight or ten
shots at still more distant tree, hit
ting it every time. That completed
their generalization and they began
fleeing in dismay, but the interpreter
called after them: stop. He is a man
Of peace and will not harm you if you
do no harm to him" They came back.
Some of them said: AT last the gun
can speak no more. II is done" ''Oh,
nor replied the interpreter, and the
doctor recommended firing, reserving.
however, one shot for a possible emerg-
ency. 1t was not needed The chief
and his men went away awed and
peaceful That night the doctor sent
to his camp some small presents Gifts
OF food were returned and a treaty OF
anity was established in palaver.
When the explorer left, two days later,
they escorted him a long distance on
his way-"giving him the path" as
they term it-and they parted good |
friends. J. II. CogSCEIA-E-
Well Treated.
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