The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-30
The Two Priests of konnoto.

| buO WI VCStS VI S<OiuIOto.
From Macmilian's Magazine. In Fou
| Parts.)
PART III.
The lieutenant lighted a cigar and knit
ted his brows in the unusual effort. Thel
| he burst out into a ringing laugh: &c
| have it; We'll go as devils
| Captain Sinclair bent down and place.
his hand on Smiths forehead, looked int
| his eyes, and then said, gravely: Lii
| down, and take quinine. You've got toucl
| of the SUM-
Tn only reply was another burst Of laugh
| ter, and raising his voice the leutenan
asked: ANY red lead in the store, Ser
seant Koffee?''
The soldier stood attention as he answer
ed: Yes, sab, be plenty too much ret
paint, san
well, then. Koffee, you fit to max.
wood-devil?' The Yoruba stared in open
mouthed astonishment: but the officer con
| t,nued, smiiingly: .'Dahomey man max:
devil-feast, chop God-palaver-man; sup
pose Yorlba make wood-devl and taks
him out; savvy?'
Then the sergeant broke out into the
hearty laughter of the African as ne an.
swered: Give Yorubas ten rounds and
liz tin red paint, and make first-class devil
sah,"
Captain Sinclair brought his hand dowr
on the table with a crash that made the
glasses ring. by Jove, Charlie, the very
idea, l knew you could if you tried very
bard he SAID.
On the following night David Kinnett lay
a close prisoner in a fetid but, with despair
in MS heart, for he knew that the people
81,
his health, had flung his teachings to the
winds, and reverted to their horrible rites
of devil-making. Outside, amid pande.
mon!um of drunken revelry, Bussa stood
in the black ashes Of what had been the
missionary's house. and stirred up the
hearts of the natives to destroy his rival
But the tribesmen held back. After all.
the white priest had done them good, and
the black one only evil; besides. they
dreaded the vengeance Of the white men
almost as much as they feared the Ju-Ju
devils; so for the present they decided to
celebrate the forthcoming rites by the muir
der of three Egba captives alone.
Presently the excited groups broke up.
The dancers staggered off in search of their
huts; the drum-beaters pillowed their WOOL
ly heads upon the discordant instruments
and lapsed into drunken slumber, and ST
lence settled down upon Konnoto. There
were, however, two men who did not sleep
that night. The one was Amaro, who won
dered how and when the British would
come; that they would come he felt as
sured, and he puzzled his sluggish brain
10 discover how he might explain matters
to the French frontier officer. He had not
warned that gentleman, as whenever Lieu
tenant Strasbourger bestowed the light of
his countenance upon konnoto, he fined
the town heavily in oil and rubber for dis
turbing the peace. The other was the mis-
sonary, who, having seen his work crum-
BILE to dust and ashes around him, was
wondering if his blood also would be re-
quired TO crown his rivals triumph The
burning grasp of the fever was upon him,
and he was faint from want of food, hav-
ing eaten nothing for two days through
fear Of poison.
so for a space the silence which hung
over Konnoto was only broken by the rus
ting of palm boughs and the monotonous
song Of the river. Then a succession OF
fend.sh howls rang out of the misty for
est, and a sheet of red fame roared aloft
from thatch to thatch. Staggering to their
feet, but half awake and still dazed with
drink, the startled villagers saw a dozen
wild red figures advancing through the
eddying smoke, and, all their superstitious
fears aroused. fled for their lives. The only
two who resisted the panic were Amaro
and the Ju-Ju priest. The former smiled,
and, Ike wise man holding his peace,
drew back into the black shadow of the
Palms; but, although there were many
kinds of devils known to Bussa, his myth
ology did not include evil spirits armed
S,aid 80 he
in the center of the square, and commenced
to harangue the flying crowd. One or two
of the drawer sort gathered round him,
turning their spear-blades towards the
ghostly visitors. The fugtives halted, and
In few moments the deception would have
been discovered and the white men hard
pressed to save their lives that night But
a burly apparition, wonderfully like Cap
tain Sinclair In figure, charged through
the center OF the wondering mob. and seiz-
ing the Ju-Ju man by his waist CLOTH
staggered towards the steep bank OF the
river, and hurled him into the stream
twenty feet below. With bowls of fright
the villagers turned and ran for the friend
y bush; and when at dawn they returned
n fear and trembling, the evil spirits had
gone, as had also the white priest and
he Ju-Iu man.
When Bussa crawled painfully from the |
liver. and had wiped the foul slime from |
lis eyes and mouth, he fed secretly south |
owards the residency of Captain Stras- |
Now this officer had been placed at the |
read Of fifty Senegalis to guard against |
my entertainments which perfdious Albion |
night make in the way of extending her |
boundaries, and his special duty was TO |
leep a watchful eye on Captain Sinclair.
However, like most of his class. he was
and sociable, and as the two
British officers We're the only white men
o be seen for months at a time, and,
kept a choice assortment OF
pirltuous comforts. he was accustomed to
avel forty miles periodically to fraternize
With them. The Ju-Ju man, therefore in
tead OF receiving many cases of sin as
reward, was put in irons. while with !
light bearers Lieutenant Strasbourger was
AIRED in his hammock through dismal
wamps and ripping forests towards the
British station.
one morning. as Captain Sinclair bent
yer the couch OF the fever-stricken mis-
.onary, the hammock swung into the COM
ound. and the Frenchman, hot and
h.rsty, ahghted at the door.
Now for diplomacy" said the captain.
Charlie, get out the best drinkables and
.Sars. Come in, my friend"
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