The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-12-19

1 D you thought it cruel work,
| did you not? But just consider, Gu
| liermo. we have brought more souls
into the folds of Christianity in this
one night than a whole mission would
in a year; and are they not a splendid
lot of men and women?
''They are all pure Kabindas. If
these girls were white they would
sell at Constantinople for $1,000 each,
and even black as they are they would
bring $500 a head more than their
closely related race, the Habshees or
Abyssinians of the Red Sea coast that
compete with the CHRISTIANS, at the
markets of the Golden Horn. n Cir
casSian can't hold a candle to a pure
Kabinda. Just wait until we get be-
yond the cruiser limits and get them
all washed and dressed up and merry
and dancing and you'll think them
all Adonises and VenuseS fresh from
the easels of the great masters
The next dawn the spare bower an
Choir was hung to the starboard cat
head, a hundred fathoms of stream
chain shackled to it and lighted along
the deck and ankle cuf's fixed to it at
about every three feet. But what is
this for?" | asked the captain as l
looked along the four long bights of
chain, bristling with slave irons.
"Oh, only to be ready in case of
need. self-preservation. you know, is
the first law of nature"
Then did it dawn upon me that his
purpose vas to drown the slaves IL
necessary, rather than run the risk of
having them found on board, and
sure enough it was only three days
before we had an English cruiser
chasing us, and she seemed to be gain
ing on us, for we could see the can
non balls drop closer each time a shot
was fired.
One after the other the new slaves
were passed up and shackled to the
g~rim-looking chaiu, and then the wOm-
en- and children, also until all We're
fastened for the cearful drop. Fortu-
nately. the poor creatures seemed to
have no idea of what it all meant and
stared vaguely on each other or on
the boa-like coil of the chain or at the
runs and or in the direction
of the cruiser.
Closer and closer came the cruiser.
her ensign flying. Now puff after
puff of blue smoke helched from her
bow as she gave the range of her
bow chasers a trial. Finally a shot
struck us on the port quarter, but fell
into the sea without doing any serious
damage. The captain came aft to me,
shook hands, and, with a smile half
sad, half heroic, said, "Adios." The
calling out to the carpenter to stand
by the anchor. and to the gunner to
stand by to fire, he sprang with Il
,,,+.l, ~ J;c hand and stood Inv the
fuse leading to the powder magazine.
CHANGING up to see that the ensign was
1ving clear he cried out to the gunner:
"Rafael. don't you think you could put
a shot through his fore mast head
The handsomest slave in the snip Is
yours if you do
Rafael, after taking steady aim, III
. cd our stern chaser charged with q
double charge that made the llhertao
: tremble from keel to truck; and the
shot striking it's mark a great BRA
yo." resounded all along our decks as
; the cruisers foretop and top gallant
: masts crashed down over her bows
: Another wild hurrah for Rafael rem
+ the air as he gave the cruiser anotnel
raking shot and we tarhtinGly signal
! ed her goodbye and dropped her on
\ of sight.
A few days later when the cruise
e limits had been passed the grim chail
was again slowed away, the horrible
t anchor was taken in, the slaves wer'
all freed from their shackeis and hap
{ tized, and each supplied with SOM
clothing and a comb and a small mil
, ror. and the slaves forgetful of tn,
u past and carried away by their impul
: sive love of pleasure and music, dane
! ed merrily. Sometimes instead of til
u guitar, they danced to their oWn rud
u instruments.
Finally. the thirtieth day we al
Z rived safe at Rio, where the slave
:. were all landed, cleaned and dresse,
in fine new muslins or calico, accor
ing to sex, and then tied to a on
Il rope. and single file marched throuS
Il the streets and plazas to the auctlo
mart. One of the girls brought ~
,s coo cash Observation-Disclosures IL
Quirer.