The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-10-30
CHATTER Y.
THE MESSAGE OF MAIwA.

On the following evening we once
more dined together. and Quatermain,
after some pressure. for Goods remark
still ranked in his breast, was per-
suaded to continue his story
At last The went on) few minutes
before sunset, the task was finished.
We had labored at it all day, stop
ping only once for dinner, for it is no
easy matter to hew out five such tusks
as those which now lay before me in
white and cleaning line.
It was dinner worth eating, too, l
can tell you, for we dined off the heart
of the great one-tusked bull, which
was so big that the man whom sent
inside the elephant to look for his heart
had to remove it in two pieces.
I'VE cut it into slices and fried it with
Pat, and never tasted heart to equal
it, for the meat seemed to melt in ones
mouth
BY the way, examined the jaw of
the elephant; it never had but one
tusk; the other had not been broken
off, nor was it present in rudimentary
form.
Well, there lay the five beauties, or
rather four of them, for Gobo and an
other man were engaged in saving the
grand one in two.
I had at last, with many signs, or
dered them to do this, but not until
had, by practical experiment proved
that it was impossible to carry it in
any other way.
One hundred and sixty pounds Of
solid ivory, or rather more in its green
state, is too great weight for two
men to carry for long across broken
country.
/ sat watching the job and smoking
the pipe of contentment, when sudden
ly the bush opened. and very hand
some and dignified native girl. appar-
emily about twenty years of age stood
before me, carrying basket of green
mealies upon her head.
Although 1 was rather surprised to
see native girl in such wild spot
and, so far as knew. long way from
any kraal, the matter did not attract
my particular notice; merely called
to one Of the men and told him to bar
gain with the woman for the mealies,
and ask her if there were any more to
be had in the neighborhood.
Then l turned my head and CON
tinned to superintend the cutting of the
tusk.
Presently a shadow fell upon me.
looked up, and saw that the girl was
standing before me, the basket Of
meaIies still upon her head.
"Mareme, mareme, she said, gently
clapping her hands together.
The word mareme among these Ma
tuku Though she was no Matuku) an
sweFs 70 the Zulu ''koos," and the clap
ping Of hands is form Of salutation
very common among the tribes of the
Basutu race.
what is II, girIT' asked her in
Sisutu. Are those mealies for saIe?"
"No, great white hunter she an
swered In ZuIu; II bring them as a
gift"
Good / replied. Put them down.
"A gift for q gift, white man.
"Ahg' / grumbied, "the old story
nothing for nothing in this wicked
world
what do you want-beads7'
She nodded. and was about to tel
cne Of the men 70 90 and fetch somt
from one OF the packs, when She
checked me.
"a gift from the giyer's own hnns
- twice gift" She said; and
thought that She spoke meaningly.
You mean that you want me to gIvl
| them to you niyeelfY
Surely
rose to go with her.
How IS il that being Of the Aatukl
you speak III tic Zulu tonguey
| asked, suspicl0usIy.
7 am not 81 the Matuka,y she an
gwered, AZ soon AZ We we're out o
hearing OF the meu.
II nm Of lie people Ct Main. who's
tribe II the Butiana tribe. and VIII
live there and she pointed over tn
mountain
Also am one Of iIie wives 0
Wambe," ana Der eyer flashed as sh
said the name.
"And how aid you come hcre9g
ION my feet hhe answered, lacor
icaIIy.
We reached the packs, and, undoln
one Of them. extracted a handful 9
bcaas,
NOW SAID, "A sift Tor a glf
Hand over the nealIeSe
Sic took fhe beads without eve
looking Al sbem. which stlpek mo d
curious, ana putting tho bhskek 4
mealiea Oh TIE ground empfed r.
4 At the bottoms pf ne baskel wei