Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-30
OWEN CURES THE WOMAN.

them, were frightened for their place and
power, and fomented it openly and in Sc
cret. OF the women they asked what would
become of them when men were allowed to
take but one wife; of the heads of kraals,
how they would grow wealthy when their
daughters ceased to be worth cattle: of The
councillors and Generals. how the land would
be protected from its foes when they were
commanded to lay down the spear, and of
the soldiers, whose only trade was war, how
it would please them to till the fields like
girls? Dismay took hold of the nation, and,
although they were much loved, there was
open talk of killing or driving away the
King and Nodwengo. who favored the white
man, and of setting up Hafela in their
place.
At length the crisis came, and in this
fashion: The Amasuka, like many other
African tribes, had a strange veheration
for certain varieties of snakes, which they
declared to be possessed by the spirits Of
their ancestors. 1t was a law among them
that if ono of these snakes entered a kfaal,
under pain of death it must not be killed,
or even driven away, but must be allowed
to share with the human occupants any
hut that it might select. As a result of
such enforced hospitality deaths from snake
bite were numerous among the people, but
when they happened in a kraal lis owners
| met with little sympathy, for the doctors
explained that the real cause OF them was
the anger of some ancestral spiri, toward
his descendants. Before John was dis
patched to instruct Owen in the language
of the Amasuka a certain girl was sealed to
him as his future wife. and this girl, who,
during his absence, had been orphaned. he
had now married with the approval OF Owen,
who was preparing her for baptism. On the
third morning after mis- marriage John APP
peaTed before his master in the last eX'
tremity Of grief and terror.
Help me, Messenger" he cried, "for my
| ancestral spirit has entered our hut and
hilton INV wife aS she Law aglppD
"Are You mad?' asked owen. What is
an ancestral spirit and how can it have
bitten your wife,, -..-- ~
"a snake" gasped John, "a green snake
of the worst sort"
Then owen remembered the superstition,
and, snatching bluestone and spirits Of wine
from his medicine chest, he rushed to Johns
hut. AS it happened, he was fortunately in
time with his remedies and succeeded in
saving the woman's life, whereby his reputa-
ton as a doctor and a magician, already
great, was considerably enhanced.
"Where is the snake ?" he asked when she
was out of danger. ,,. .5t-ifT.t'
"Yonder under the kaross," answered
John, pointing to a skin rug which lay in
the corner. " r F-et 's.
Have you killed it?' 'u
mo, Messenger" answered the man. 81
dare not. Alas. we must live with 1t here
in the hut till it chooses to go away"
Truly" said Owen, 81 am ashamed to
think that you, who are a Christian, should
still believe SO horrible a superstition. Does
your faith teach you that the souls of men
enter, into snakes ?" NJ .--- .sr-s
Now John hung his head then spatching
a kerry. he threw aside the kaToss, reveal
ing a great green snake seven or eight feet
long. With fury he fell upon the reptile,
killed 1t by repeated blows, and hurled it
into the courtyard outside the house.
Behold. father" he said, 'and judge
whether / am still superstltious," Then his
countenance fell and he added: yet my
life must pay for this deed, for 1t is an
ancient law among US that to harm one
OF these snakes Is death"
Have no fear" said Owen, "a way will
be found out of this trouble"
That afternoon owen heard a great hub
bub outside his kraal, and going to see what
was the matter he found a. party of the witch
doctors dragging John toward the place of
judgment, which was by the Kings house.
Thither he followed to discover that the case
was already in course OF being opened be
fore the King, his council and a vast audi
ence of people. Hokosa was the aecuser.
In brief and pregnant sentences he pointed
out the enormity OF the offense against the
laws of the Amasuka, wherewith the pris-
oner was charged, producing the dead snake
in proof of his argument, and demanding
that the man WHIT had killed II should in
stantly be put to death.
what have you to say?" asked the King
of John,
This, o King" replied John, that I am
a Chflstlan, ana 10 mo that snake Is noth-
ing but a nOxious reptile. 1t bit my wife,
and had 1t not been for the medicine of the
Messenger she would have persisted of the
bite. Therefore / killed 1t before 1t could
harm others"
ut is a fair answer" said the King.
'Hokosa. | think that this man should go
free"
The Kings will is the law" replied Ho-
kosa. bitterly; but ii the law were the
Kings Will. the decision would be otherwise.
This man has slain, not a snake, but that