Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

Now although Carter had been a trader
long enough to get very African notions Of
the negro and his ways, still he had an
Englishmans natural bias against forced
labor White Man sTrouble, who did not
the desrablity of working If others
would do it for him, openly suggested press
ing what hands were required for naviga-
ton. But Carter said no. He had no money
to pay them with on arrival, and the lower
castles of Africans do not understand the
delights of having outstanding accounts
with the white man for labor performed
The Krooboy and he must struggle down
the creeks and find the channel them
selves.
White Man Trouble shifted and scratch
ed himself, and said they would see And
presently when the time came for departure
the usual African surprise descended upon
them surely enough Seven naked saw
ages from the fishers village squatted on
the raft and refused to bulge. Their argu-
ments were simple. Carter was a great
ju-ju man. They knew he was great, be-
cause since he came the boo-baa -bumm
noises had been incessant. Moreover. these
were beneficent noises, since whilst they
filled the air no one had died in the village
from leopard, crocodile or alien spear
They, therefore, adopted him as their
master.
oh but look here" said Carter, Il can't
do this. 1t means 1 should be STAKEHOLDER,
neither more nor less. Besides, with you
seven great Jumps sitting there, the RATS
awash. If | take you l shall have to jetti-
son some of my tin-stone."
But they had no further arguments. They
sat placid. They had lived in cousnship
with fear all their squalid lives, and here
at last had arrived the strong man who
could certainly protect them if he would.
And they intended he should.
Carter thought for minute, and then,
Il won't have II" said he. Trouble,
drive them ashore.
White Man s-Trouble spoke, and nothing
happened. He laced into their bare backs
with his chiquot, but still they did not
bulge. One of them, who seemed to be
spokesman, merely talked to him quietly
The Krooboy explained. Dem bushmen
very uneducate. Dey say if you no take
'em dey lib for die. Dem big black fellow
there wild one ear, he say If you no take
him, he walk into dem ribber an de croco
ollie chop.
They'll do it, too. confound Them" Car
ter assured himself vexedly.
And so it came to pass. as he could not
very well condemn the enterprising seven
to death-for that Is what leaving them
amounted to-he was forced to take them
with him, and very idle, inefficient boat
men they proved. They knew nothing of
the river once the two miles Of their fish
ing had been passed. they had no idea of
the obvious set Of currents, no eyes for the
plainest shoal If they were left to them
selves for dozen minutes they would run
the raft into the bush, and as likely as not
get board a cargo of red ants that
seemed to have white-hot teeth when they
started to bite. They gorged upon the
watched, and never caught more unless they
were necessarily goaded. When the reek-
ing yellow river was more than usually full
of crocodiles they would bangle their legs
over the side: and when the raft was drift
Ing past village which was most probably
I hostile, they would break into song. They
always felt that the great white ju-ju man,
under whose protection they had elected to
place themselves. was competent to shelter
them If he desired. And if he wlled
otherwise, and they died. well, that did
not greatly concern them. They were very
exasperating animals, and Carter about
three times a day much wished that the
handling of them could be transferred to
some of those kind-hearted people at home
who always insist that the negro of the
West Africa hinterland is man and a
brother.
They had a small dugout canoe in tow,
and greatly they needed it. After twice
running the big raft down streams that
ended in impossible morass. and having
tediously to tow and punt her back against
the current, they always hereafter sent the
lighter craft ahead on voyages of discovery.
Or to be more accurate, Carter had to go
in her with one~af.t the fishers as assistant
The excellent White Man s-Troube had
limits to his intelligence, and there was no
driving into him that water which would
carry a canoe that drew three inches of
water was too shallow for a heavy raft
that drew three feet.