Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-10-01
CHAPTER vi.
Continued.

THE white man is cleverer than a
jackal.
Eyes, so shall it be, and may the
Snake Of the Butiana people stand up
upon its tail and prosper the war, for
50 shall we be rid of Wambe and the
tyrannies of Wambe"'
After that the girl Maiwa stood up.
and once more producing the dreadful
little dried hand, made her father and
several of his head councillors swear by
It and upon it that they would carry
tut the war of vengeance to tho bitter
end.
1t was a very curious sight to see,
and the fight that ensued was, by the
way, thereafter known among the
tribes of that district as the WAR of
the Little Hand"
The next two days were busy ones
for us.
Messengers were sent out, and every
available man of the Butiana tribe was
ordered up to "a great dance
The country was small, and by the
evening of the second day some twelve
hundred and fifty men were assembled,
At dawn of the following day, the
fourth from the departure of the her.
AIDS, the main Impi started under the
command of Nala himself, who. know.
ing that his life and chieftainship hung
upon the issue of the struggle, wisely
determined to be present to direct it.
With him went Maiwa, who was to
guide them up the secret path.
or course we had to give them two
days start. as they had more than
hundred miles Of rough country to pass
including the crossing of the great
mountain range which ran north and
south, for it was necessary that the
Impi should make wide detour ID
order to escape detection.
At length, however, at dawn on the
sixth day, took the road, accompanied
by my most unwilling bearers, who did
not at all like the idea of thus putting
their heads into the lions mouth
Indeed. it was only the fear of Nala's
spears, together with a vague conf
dence in myself, that induced them to
accept the adventure.
With me also We're about two hun
drcd Butianas, all armed with guns of
various kinds. for many of these people
had guns, though they were not very
proficient in the use of them.
But they carried no shield and wore
no head-dress or armlets; indeed, every
cult
avoided.
With our party went also a sister of
Maiwa. though by different mother,
who strongly rcscmbled her in face
and form, ard whose mission it was to
personate the runaway wife.
That evening we camped upon the
top of the cliff up which we had so
barely escaped, and next morning at
tie first breaking 0f the light we rolled
away the stones with which we had
Blocked the passage some days before,
md descended to the hillside beneath.
Here the bodies or rather the skele-
tons. of the men who had fallen before
ms rife still lay about.
The Matuku soldiers had left their
comrades to be buried by the vutures.
descended the gully into which poor
Cobo lad fallen, and searched for his
Lody, but in vain, although found the
spot where lie and the other man had
struck, together with the bones Of the
,attp:, which recognized by the waist
cloth.
Either some beast of prey had car
red Gobo off, or the Matuku people
had disposed of his remains, and also
OF NY express rifle which he carried.
At any rate, l fever saw or heard
Crv more Of him. -.
Once in Wambe's country we adopted
Very cimcumspect method of pro-
ccad,nc.
About fifty men marched ahead, In
lOcSa order to guard against surprise,
vhi,c rs many more followed behind.
The other hundred were gathered In
q bunch between, and in the centre OF
these men marched, together with the
girl who was personafing Maiwa. and
all my bearers.
We were disarmed, and some of my
Een were tied together, to show that
we were prisoners, while the girl had
blanket thrown over her head. and
moved along with an air of great dc.
lection.
We headed straight for Wambes
place, which was at distance Of about
twenty-five miles from the mountain
pass.
When we had gone some five miles
we net Il party of about fifty of VAN
be's soldiers, who were evidently Oh
the lookout for us.
They stopped us and their captain
asked where we were going.
The headman of our party answered
that he was conveying Maiwa, VAN
bc's runaway wife, together with the
white hunter and his men, to be givcl
Up to Wambe in accordance with his
command.
The captain then wanted to know
why we were so many, to which ou
spokesman replied that l and my mel
were very desperate fellows, and tina
IT was feared that if we were sent will
a smaller escort we should escape ant
bring disgrace and the wrath Of Wan
be upon their tribe.
Thereon this gentleman, the Matuk'
captain, began to amuse himself at m.
expense. and mock me, saying tina
Wambe would make Inc pay for tn
soldiers that had killed.
He would put me in the Thing tina
bites'-in other words, the lion trap