The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-08

"Well, and are you not my friend ?"
asks the Book-man; land am l not your
friend?"
"Why-you-call me-stranger then?-
stranger no friend"
II see. / see," observes the willy Book
man, you mistake my meaning. You are
no stranger to me, but to my ancestor you
are; still. as my friend, he will be rejoiced
to see you-quite delighted, I'm sure-but
he would not like one or two other stran-
gers, nor would | and you. too, as a chief
would not like it-of course not Don't
you see"
No, the old man sees nothing; his eyes
are closed and his head, surcharged with
witchery, has fallen upon his chest, with
his double chin acting as "buffer. The
Karamo iah is little bit disturbed.
"Come, come" he expostulates. patting
his good friend" on the shoulder, II
make good sense of this. l make your
heart get up! Come, hear what I say!"
The chiefs head gets up first; his eyes
open, his mouth opens and his ears are no
doubt open also, to receive as conductors
to his heart the assuaging JUNCTION.
You no see my big book" asks the
Big Book-man.
Il see him-I see HIM good" responds
the chief.
Very WELL then. You no see them
three lots one side my big lot-them three
lots. all the same, t'other side ?-all seven
lots make one very big farm. You no see.
s'pose | sell you one small lot, | spoil book,
and spoil farm, too? And s'pose l sell
tother two lots to make good book and
good farm, l make three small farms, and
have one or two strangers alongside of
me? My ancestor make them seven lots
one farm, he don't like small farms, and,
tell you again, he don't like the stran-
gers! He would like you as my friend no
doubt. You no see speak true, eh2 l no
pull you to this palaver, my friend-you
pull yourself?''
The mental vision of the old man is now
susceptible of this new light. and hope.
not quite extinct, in making rallying
effort to revive, prompts him to exclaim
as his friend" seem. about to depart:
eyes, yes; see, see; stop lilly while,
stop" He pauses to take breath, and the
Karamojah pauses to tell him he must be
off. S'pose," he continues, az buy two
lots, Ell that no small farm"
Every true" says the Karamojah, Eyes,
that would make a very good farm-fit for
chief but there would still remain one
small lot, and | must have one stranger.
Unless, indeed, / only sold two instead of
three. l might do that; but no, my good
friend; no, no; l see, see"
''9es, yes! come, come! now good
friend, nowls' exclaims the old man i'm
ploringly. you let me hab t'oder lot,
eh come, comeP'
"Well really, you quite embarrass me.
| shall not reach Calabash Creek before
sunset. / suppose must oblige you; but
| am making great sacrifice. Let me
see-ten and ten are twenty, and seven
and seven are fourteen. / snail lose six
yes, actually six. ] must not do that;
must split the difference. You must give
me ten slaves for this second lot, and
shall then be loser of three"
''Ten," exclaim. the chief, "ten. Oh!
no, no; seben, seben. Say seben, same as
t'oder LOTT"
But the Karamojah is obdurate. Ten
more slaves are now added to the others
and the whole seventeen are loaded with
his traps, to proceed with him to Calabash
Creek. They are jubilant. They do not
know which to admire most, poor, simple
minded people, the magnificence of the
chief in giving his guest seventeen slaves
for bunyah, or the extraordinary merits OF
the Karamojah who could deserve so
much at his hands. They carelessly say
farewell to their old master and are gone.
And now, my friend" says the Kara
mojah, ~ hope / have made you HAPPY;
your heart now lie down easy; trouble no
more come, eh ~
NO" replies the old man. "no care for
trouble now-when you glib me book-no
trouble up dere."
We'll, then, GOMEZ responds his com;
panion, drawing the precious shook"
again from under his robe. and spreading it
carefully before the eager eyes of his good
friend" You see my house live in this
middle lot, and shall sit down dere. Now
tell me which two of them other lots.
you likc?' And while he speaks he
draws from sheath suspended from his
waist sharp-pointed knife, or dagger, for
the purpose of severing the lots selected.
The chief scrutinizes the six lots with the
deepest interest, specializing, no doubt, on
the local advantages of those he may
decide upon; but the more he speculates
the more is he puzzled. The convey
ANGER, too, seems puzzled.
Very odd." he exclaims; "this bad
business; you no see can't pull them two
lotsP" Poor old man. dizziness has come.
over his brain. There is something wrong,
he knows, he cannot imagine what.
Come, come. my FRIEND" continues the
Book-man; mo go tie your face that
fashion; let US try make some sense of