The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-03-25
r oxsrr. TO ZANZIBAR ENCoUN-
TIERS A MURDEROUs NATIVE
white Mans Prerogative Too Free's
Exercised Excites
full servant to the Rescue
.,,.nco 81 the Indianapolis Journal

characteristic enterprise are ouiidihs uP
new industry i'm East Africa Ana IL was
while ON a trip from Tanga TO these coiee
plantations that I met with a rather eA-
citing experience. 1 had as a ura'en"e
comma MON a Young German. who had an
uncle living on one of the plantations we
,ef, Tansa in the morning by train over a
little n-arrow-gauge railroad that runs out
in the direction Of the mountains TOT d us
lance of about thirty miles FROM Tue
terminus of the railroad we had 10 VAIN
IN our destination. We took with US sohne
porters to carry our luggage and proVi-
sions. and two servant boys. Some eien'
mr. ten miles from the ermin of the ran
road there are some Makutf huts, or Dun
ga,ows. where people coming down from
or going out to the European settieheh'
in the range can find sneiter ioi
the night. Ii was after noon wnen we iei'
the railroad. and late in the evening wheh
wo arrived at the bungalow, where we were
to stop for the night. Just before reaching
camn we came up with some natives
whom. Judging from their appearance we
took to be Wadigos. a heatnen trioe '"a'
is very numerous along the coast country
One of them, who looked to be a hait-caste
Arab. was sitting by the roadside, MS Ieet
extending across the trail. 1 was walking
i'm front of our little caravan. and wheh
came IN to where the man was sitting he
made no effort to get out OF the way. L
| fear that a ten-mile march through the
sand under a tropical sun had not nad the
| effect of improving my amiability, ana l.
| smoke to him in Swahili, rather sharply or
dering him out of the way. To my surprise
he paid no attention. 1t is one OF the
| customs of the East, and particularly IN
Africa. that no white man shall stand any
| impudence from a native. So l proceeded
| to impress my desire upon the fellow and
| punish him for his insolence by kicking
| him out of the way. He got up slowly,
| not even looking around. and started on
| picking his way deliberately among some
thorn bushes that grew by the roadside
| and into which the force OF the KICK nau
sent him. When he had gone a short dis
| lance he looked back over his shoulder,
| and 1 saw then that he had a most ma
| licious face. There were hatred and MUIR
| der in his look. Pale wa chin5an dana
kama tazama Bwana," said my faithful
| Swahill servant. who had seen the sullen.
| malicious look of the man as he SUNK
away in the bush. He had warned me TO
look out for the man.
We were soon in camp and the odor Of
boiling coffee and the smell of cooking
| food caused me to forget the episode
with the native on the road. After sup
| per pipes were lighted. and my German
companion and 1 sat for a long time
smoking and enjoying the novelty of a
| night under the whispering palms in Africa.
When we retired we occupied separate
bungalows. but very near and facing each
other. The porters and servants were to
occupy a hut some distance from those Sc
lected for ourselves. but to my surprise
my servant boy, Juma, declared his in
tention of sleeping on the baraza, which
is a common feature in all native houses.
1t is a place built usually of stone and
mud, against the wall beside the front
door, to a height of eighteen inches or
two feet. and about as wide as it is high.
II is covered and protected from the sun
and rain by the thatch roof projecting
out over it. 1t is used by the natives. who
have no chairs, as a place to sit during
the day, and frequently as a place to
sleep.
"A MlDNlGtI
AS I lay in the center of the hut. the
light of a tropical full moon shedding a
flood of silver light through the open door,
1 thought of the many stories of African
life that had excited my boyish fancy. But
the fatigue of the tramp during the day
had worn off the wire edge of my nerves
and l soon fell asleep. How long 1 had
slept 1 could not tell, but suddenly
found myself wide awake staring out into
the brilliant moonlight. / was convinced
that I had slept several hours for the
moon had changed so that a deep shadow
fell across the front of the bungalow. Di-
rectly in front of the hut / was occupy
ing were a number of palm trees. The
moonlight streaming through their feath-
cry fronds was weaving strange shadows
upon the ground. AS / lay there looking
out upon the moonlit scene. / saw a dark
object passing quickly from the shadow of
one tree to another. 1t occurred to me
that 1T was some wild animal. And when
/ that we were in a country
where leopards and lions roam in their
native freedom, where hyenas and jack
ais are common and where even elephants
and rhinoceroses still wander about pro-
miscuously, / felt that one Of the beas
would not be a welcome guest in the bung-
allow at night. But as l watched and wait
ed, 1 saw the form of a man clearly ont
lined in the moonlight. AS he stood close
to one Of the trees near the bungalow
could see that he was naked, except for
a loin cloth, and l also saw the flash Of
polished steel. and knew that he had a
knife in his hand. What did he want
What could he mean by prowling about a,
that time in the night? were questions tina,
/ asked myself.
Then saw the form drop to the ground
and move slowly towards the door of IN.
hut. The moon was shining brightly upor
an open space he had to cross, and 7 coulf
see his movements plainly. AS he crouchet
upon the ground. the mans form lookef
like that of a wild beast, crawling can
tiously towards its prey. Suddenly II 90
CURED to me that 1t was the balf-cast.
Arab to whom 1 had administered The k,c,
on the previous evening, and that he Ia,
come Tor revenge. Slipping from the bpn,
upon which 1 was lying. / made my wa,
carefully to the farther corner of the hu,
where was shielded by the darkness. an,
from where l could see plainly any obiec
entering the door. With revolver i'm hama
stood waiting for the man to enter faa,,,,
a~a2 49,