Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-23
CHAPTER VIII.
THE FIRST TRIAL BY FIRE.

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On the following day, while Owen sat
eating his morning meal with a thankful
heart, a messenger arrived saying that the
King would receive him whenever it pleased
him to come. He answered that he would
be with him before noon, for already he had
learned that with natives one loses little by
delay. A great man, they think, is rich
in time and hurries only to wait on his
superiors. At the appointed hour a guard
came to lead him to the royal house, and
thither he went followed by John, bearing 6
Bible. Umsuka was seated beneath a reed
roof supported by poles and open on al
sides; behind him stood councillors and at,
tendants, and by him were Nodwengo, the
Prince, and Hokosa, his Mouth and Prophet
Although the day was hot he wore a kaross
or rug Of catskins, and his face showed
that the effects of the poisoned draught were
still upon him. At the approach of owen he
. rose with something of an effort, and, shak-
ing him by the hand, thanked him for his
life. calling him Doctor of Doctors
Tell me, Messenger" he added, how it
was that you were able to cure me and who
were in the plot to kill me2 There must
have been more than one and he rolled
his eyes round with angry suspicion.
king" answered Owen, "if | knew any
thing of this matter, the power that wrote
it on my mind has wiped it out again, or,
at the least, has forbidden me to speak of it.
| saved you, it is enough; for the rest, the
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the present and the future"
This white man keeps his word" thought
Hokosa to himself, and he looked at him,
thanking him with his eyes.
80 be it," answered the King; after all,
1t is wise not to stir a dungheap, for there
we find little besides evil odors and nests
of snakes. Now, what is your business with
me and why do you come from the white
mans countries to visit me? | have heard
of those countries, they are great and far
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wonderful men, who have all knowledge;
but | do not desire to have anything to do
with them, for whenever they meet black
people they eat them up, taking their lands
and making them slaves. Once. some years
ago, two of your white people visited us
here; but perhaps you know that story"
II know It," answered Owen; lone of
those men you murdered, and the other
you sent back with a message which he
delivered into my ears across the waters,
thousands OF miles away"
May answered the King, 1--WE did not
murder him; he came to us with the story
of a new God who could raise the dead and
work other miracles and gave such powers
to His servants. So a man was slain and
we begged of him to bring him back to
life; and since he could not, we killed him
also, because he was a liar"
"He was no liar said Owen, since he
never told you that he had power to open
the mouth OF the grave. Still, heaven is
mercitul, and, although you murdered him
that was sent to you, his Master has chosen
me 10 follow in his footsteps. Me also you
may murder If you will, and then another
and another. but still the messengers shall
come, till at last your ears are opened and
you listen. Only for such deeds your punish
ment must be heavy"
"What is the message. White Man,"
"a message OF peace, OF forgiveness and
of life beyond the grave, of life everlasting.
Listen, King. Yesterday you were near to
death; say now, had you stepped over the
edge of it, where would you be this day?"
Umsuka shrugged his shoulders. with
my fathers, White Man"
"And where are your fathers?"
"Nay, l know not-nowhere, everywhere;
the night is full of them; in the night we
hear the echo of their voices. When they
are angry they haunt the thunder cloud and
when they are pleased they smile in the
sunshine. Sometimes also they appear in
the shape of snakes or visit us In dreams
and then we offer them sacrifice. Yonder
on the hillside is a haunted wood. 1t is
full of their spirits. White Man, but they
cannot talk, they only mutter. and their
footballs sound like the dropping Of heavy
rain, for they are strengthless and unhappy,
and in the end they fade away"
so you say" answered Owen, who are
not altogether without understanding. yet
know little, never having been taught. Now