The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1908-08-06

The old man told the story as be and
/ SAT By the edge " the water watch
Ing fhe sun sink On the bot prairie.
l was travelling IA command OF a
ANAL body Of mounted infantry across
the plains OF Northern Nigeria. from
Lokoja TO Lake Chad
The eountry was soorched and black.
The grass between the wifhered trees
was dry as finder aud only served 10
reject the intense heat Now and agnin
We crossed the paths Of vast bush ires.
Water holes were few and far apart
or the streams aud tributaries OF the
great lake none secmed 10 now on orr
side. The land cried out for the life
giving tornadoes and torrenfiai rains
OF the spring
Birds and beasts there were none.
Even the insects had disappeared. Ex-
eept Tor . small party Of wandering
Mahommcdan traders, with mouths and
noses well mufsed from the bot dust.
Ne had met with no living creatures
throughout that day.
From these men We learned that not
far away water was 70 Be- found IN
abundance. bat knowing the unrelia-
billy u such information II was with
establishment a. well a. relief that We
came late thar afternoon on large
and clear running stream.
AZ the smell q the water the faded
horses raised feeble irog down 10 the
ford where nafire 9omen were fliing
their jars
The banks q the sfrcam were green
with bushes snd trceN under wboee
shade men BOUNCED watching their
cattle pasture A small nsnd.waiIed
fowu stood mar By. and the surround.
Ing gardens and farms grecn ana weii
tended. proved water 20 - abundant
sat outside the camp watching the
limo u pickcfed horses and the men
who. rested a{,d refreshed. prepared
their evening meal. Right beneath the
rcd sun q cloud % dust marked the
approach ~ a beiafcd caravan. From
The rpof Of n tiny mosque there came
AAlE aHHA A"lN ~ ~" HNIAAtatlNtH ~ ININI VI
A long provision Of turbancd figures
emerged from the main gate Of the
toxin. and marched 20 the waters
sdrr. where they halted. They formed
into q line facing the water The
workers In the fields and by the stream
ceased their toll and stood silent ~ the
worshipern. bowling down. repeated
what was evidently q formula whose
purport I could not catch. Then ris-
ing they shouted thrice In unison.
-Adjuial. Adiuiail Hoi AdjnlaIi-
after which they disappeared
Later that night / received visit
from an old man. sub-chief Of the
town. who had found a relation among
the soldiers. and cane TO pay me bis |
respects I was on the point Of dis.
missing him when the little ceremony |
! had witnessed REQUIRED to me and |
asked him It's meaning.
1--WE called upon Adjulni." he said. |
"A name much In honor In this coun- |
Try. Once a year do all men come to |
he banks Of this river. which r. called
Congo Allah In your tongue the Gift
of Allah to thank him for bringing
bur fathers Into the true faith, and for
making the dry land garden. Does
my father wish TO hear the storyf"
nodded. and the old man proceeded. /
-Long ago. then. before the days OF
The Mohammedans when the people
here stili worshIpcd the fefishes. one
Adjulai. a wandering missionary, came
Town far Journey from the north.
md sat down at this town OF Ingrum-
mai.
lie remained here teaching the PEG.
Die the faith OF the Prophet and curing
sickness with drugs and slmples. He
vas welcomed for his plety and good.
less. nor did the fetish harm him. for
hough he was OF another faith he did
rot trouble the people, but lived in
,eace among them, staying quietly In
iis house and stirring up no strife.
Now In those days, this river, The
3ongo Allah. which my lord sees before
lin. did not exist All the land was
Try from here mp TO Lake Chad. even
10 the desert through which my lord
'as passed. All the water the people
tot was from water holes which the
ain storms filled. and n they we're
implied before the next rains came the
'eople suffered and made sacrifices to
heir false fctishes.
III. Is said. for this was very long
go. when the good man had sat down
long time teaching the faith, that
or all that time the water holes were
ever dry nor was there famine. The