davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02

his waist he wears a broad leather
scabbard. Very often he has also
knobkerry, usually of some hard wood,
but / have one in my possession
carved out of rhino horn. In his left
hand he carries large oval shield,
and in his right hand a spear. To
one or both of his ankles he ties
peculiar ornament made of feathers,
and on his head he wears a similar
arrangement of black ostrich feathers
fastened to a leather band which
passes round the forehead and occiput.
The Nasal sword has a straight
leather-covered hilt The blade is mar
row, but gradually gets broader to-
wards the end, where it suddenly term
mates in a point. The weapon an
swers its purpose of slashing rather
than of piercing an enemy. The shields
are made of bullock-hide and are orna-
mented with various patterns in white,
red and black. The spear is very
handsome. though somewhat peculiar
The long double edged blade is rather
narrow, and tapers to a point To
pOise this unwieldy mass of metal, the
wooden shaft is almost entirely COW
cred about the middle, where the hand
grasps the spear.
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
BABY WASTED TO SKELETON

my little son, when about year
and a half old, began to have sores
come out on his face. l had a physt
clan treat him, but the sores grew
worse. Then they began to come out
on his arms, then on other parts q
his body, and then one came on his
chest, worse than the others. Then I
called another physician. Still h
grew worse. At the end of about 3
year and a half of suffering he gree
so bad that l had to tie his hands h
cloths at night to keep him iron
scratching the sores and tearing The
flesh. He got to be a mere skeleton
and was hardly able to walk.
my aunt advised me to try CUT
cura. Soap and Cuticura Ointment I
sent to a drug store and got a cake q
Cuticura Soap and a box of the 0int
ment and followed directions. At IL
end of two months the sores were all
we'll. He has never had any, sores
Of any kind since. can sincerely ~
that only for Cuticura my child would
have died. 1 used only one cake Il
Cuticura Soap and about three boxsD
of Ointment.
Il am a nurse and my professioa
brings me into many different fan
lilies and it is always a pleasure for
me to tell my story and recommend
Cuticura Remedies. Mrs. Egbert Shet
don, Litchfield, Conn.,, Oct. 20, 1907
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02

his caravan and massacred all but a
very few. Poor West! He was down
with illness at the time, and they
thrust their spears through the tent
and speared him where he lay on his
bed The black woman who had been
Vests faithful and intelligent help
mate for many long year was
speared by his side. The savages car
ried off everything, but the naked bod
les of the slaughtered were left to be
devoured by hyaenas.
A curious sequel to this story l
heard many months afterwards. 1t
was on my return journey to the coast.
| was asked, by one of the officials
met, to take along with me to the
coast a man who professed to have
belonged to the late Mr.. Vests cara
van and who said he had only now
succeeded in making his escape from
the hands of the Wanandi.
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
Looking After the Eqqs.

Lady Betty. who is four years old
and never misses a trick, was taken
the other evening to a restaurant for
her supper. and with all the Importance
and sprightly dignity of her Year,
calmly ordered poached eggs on toast
While the little family group was
awaiting its service the "kiddje"
amused herself by looking out Of the
window, pressing against screen to
get closer view of something below.
She was warned by her mother that
the screen might give way and let her
fall to the sidewalk, perhaps injurine
her terribly. She drew away, thought
a minute, and then said naively:
Would fall If the screen went out!s
"You certainly would" was her moth
er's reply. And would / get awful
hurted?" Very likely" Then what
would the man do with the eggsr'
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02

out of danger, charm or no charm.
and the Swahili was meditating to ef-
feet his own escape shortly.
In his heart, the Swahili yearned
for freedom, and his wife determined
to help him and to accompany him,
leaving her children in the meantime
in the care of the old grandfather.
Owing to her knowledge of the coun-
try, this devoted wife got the Swahili
safely out of it. Both lived afterwards
for a while in a Kavirondo village,
and then the wife decided to return to
her fathers village to fetch her chill
dren to the new home and probably
to bring her old father as we'll.
Bom-bom finding that the Swahili
had managed to escape, decided to
make another effort. He succeeded;
t,ad this is how he came to accompany
ne to the coast.
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
Looted Native VILLAGE.

l had rather a curious experience
on my first journey. l was asked to
accompany a fleet of about 20 of these
boats from Sio Bay lin Kavirondo) to
Luba's lin Usoga); my companion was
to join me later on. We rowed almost
without a break from early dawn to
p. m, then the Wasoga boatmen
gave me to understand by signs, for
there was not soul present who
could speak to them, that they had
done enough work for the day and
would like to land; they pointed to a
spot where smoke indicated the pres
ence of huts. Believing that they
must know their own business best,
nodded assent. At once the boats
placed themselves in sort of line-of-
battle array, and with incredible
speed, the boatmen shouting and yell
ing like mad, we dashed towards one
of the numerous inlets.
Instead of the expected peaceful
landing, | witnessed with surprise
what looked for all the world like a
bold attack on an enemy's country
Most of my crew rushed ashore armed
with shields and spears. Some terri
fed inhabitants ran away into the
woods, while my lawless mob of boat
men pOunced on fowls and chickens
tore up vegetable marrows and pump
kins, cut down banana trees right and
left to get at the fruit. Screams made
me hurry unarmed ashore, just in time
to save poor old woman from having
three young goats snatched from her.
AS soon as | had enabled her to re-
treat to the safe shelter of the woods
/ had to save a man whom the boat
men had seized and, for all I knew,
were going to spear. The wretches
bolted off when they saw me, and the
man / had saved ran for his life and
escaped.
Then some armed natives deployed
out of the banana groves. At the
sight of this score of armed men, my
400 cowardly Wasoga robbers fed to
the boats. A shower of stones was
flung at us and wounded a few. A
stone about the size of my fist struck
me in the pit of the stomach. Fortu-
nately it was spent stone, or |
should have been doubled up on the
spot and would then most probably
have been speared. 1t served as a
hint that unarmed l should only be
throwing away my life by remaining.
Under cover of this shower of stones
some tried to rush us with spears,
when "bang!" went of some muzzle
leaders, proving that the natives could
muster few guns.
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
Horrible Cruelty of Nasal

Two of these fierce warriors had
darted in pursuit of two naked urchins
who, turning round and finding them
selves hard pressed, stopped running
and held out entreating hands to their
pursuers. The Nasal were jerking
their spears horizontally with the Pc
culiar thrusting movement used in
striking a victim. Friends and foes
stopped fighting to watch this sudden
side-act, as Trojans and Greeks may
have paused to watch Achilles pursu-
ing Hector round the walls of Troy.
One of the Nasal did not strike his
captive. but, passing shield and spear
to one hand, he grasped the little boy
with the other, hoisted him on to his
shoulder, and darted back to our ranks
amidst the loud laughter of our savage
allies. But the other villain poised
his spear and struck the poor tremb-
ling child full in the chest. AS the
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
Return of Poor B0m-bom

When | saw the man, l at once
recognized him as "Bom-bom," one of
my Wanamwezi porters who had ac-
companied Vests ill-starred caravan.
The man, of course, knew me too, and
was delighted to see me again. He
accompanied me to the coast, and, as
he was in rags, for the sake of auld-
lang-syne | rigged him out in a new
cotton cloth.
He related to me some curious ex-
periences. West had sent him and
two others to certain village to
fetch tusk of ivory. Arrived at the
village, one of the three remained in
the hut assigned to them by the ma
tives, whilst the other two were told
to accompany two old men to the
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02

mountain stream which, when swollen
by the heavy rains, may become a
fierce torrent but in the dry season
is only ankle-deep. Formerly cara
vans lost day in crossing the ravine.
By the present caravan route, few
hundred yards higher up the river,
caravans can pass without any diff
Guilty whatever. The former ravine
crossing is. however, worth a visit.
Pretty ferns, amongst them the maid
en- hair. grow here in wild profusion.
Mr.. James Martin, the officer in
charge of the Ravine station, is vet
eran traveller, having done score
of journeys, though not always right
up to Kampala. He was the first of
the bachelor officials who got married.
and his example has been followed by
others from storekeeper to commits
sioner. Since English Mission ladies'
by their presence demonstrated that
Uganda suited European ladies', there
has been quite a matrimonial cpl
demic
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
DRINK WATER TO CURE
KIDNEYS AND RHEUMATISM
The People Do Not Drink Enough
Water to. Keep Healt' j.
Says WeII-known
Authority.


The numerous cases of kidney ana
bladder diseases and rheumatism als
mainly due to the fact that the drmE
ing of water, natures greatest meor
cine, has been neglected.
Stop loading your system with mee
icines and cure-alls; but get on tns
water wagon. If you are really sicn'
why, Of course, take the proper meor
cines-plain, common vegetable treas
ment, which will not shatter tns
nerves or ruin the stomach"
To cure Rheumatism you must maze
the kidneys do their work; they sv
the filters of the blood. They mus
be made to strain out of the blood tne
waste matter and acids that causs
rheumatism: the urine must be nep
tralized so 1t will no longer Do
source of irritation to the bladder, anu
most of all, you must keep these acios
from forming in the stomach. I'M.
Is the cause of stomach trouble ano
poor digestion. For these conditions
you can do no better than take tne
following prescription: Fluid Extracs
Dandelion, one-half ounce; Compouno
Kargon, one ounce; Compound syrup
Sarsaparilla, three ounces. MIX ~
shaking well In bottle and take j.
teaspoonful doses after each meal anu
at bedtime. but don't forget tn'
water. Drink plenty and often.
This valuable information and SIM
pie prescription should be posted W
in each household and used at tns
first sign of an attack of rheumansm'
backache or urinary trouble. no mAS
ter how slight.
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
A Memorable Bath

From the Ravine the traveller next
passes on to the cold and wind-swept
Mau escarpment, over 5000 feet above
sea-level. Sometimes it is very cold
here. / have seen hoar-frost on the
ground and a thin coating of ice on
the edge of shallow springs. On my
fourth journey it was so cold during
the night, that my boy in the early
morning found TO his astonishment,
the water in the pail frozen into a
solid lump. He had seen sleet, but
never anything like this. When he
came to tell me that my matutinal tub
was not ready, l was only too glad of
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02

river. There the two natives looked
for an Insignificant dry twig, washed
hither and thither by the current.
This twig was buoy, and by pulling
at it they drew two magnificent tusks
of ivory, each over five feet in length.
out of the river. Bom-bom and his
companion were asked to carry the
tusks to the village. Encountered with
the heavy load of ivory, they were
suddenly set upon by young Wanandi
warriors in full war-paint of red
earth and grease, who deprived them
at once of their rifles and then threat
ened them with death. Bom-bom tells
me that if it had not been for the two
old men interceding with the young
warriors. he and his Swahili compan-
ion would have been massacred on the
spot. But one of the old men claimed
him as a slave, and the other claimed
the Swahili.
They now returned to the village
Here pool of blood was pointed out
as the spot where the third man they
had left at the village was killed DUR
ing their absence. Near it there were
few other drops of blood, said to be
from chicken their companion was
just killing for dinner, when the
treacherous murderers stabbed him to
death from behind. Bom-bom thought
he had a chance of escaping, when no
one was watching; but the young war
riors were on the lookout, and Bom-
bonn fled back to the old mans hut,
where the murderers were kept with
difficulty from following and spearing
him
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
Death of Mr.. Dick

met these gentlemen a few weeks
personally, gathered from them some
particulars of the fight. They told me
that Dick fought most fearlessly and
bravely and, being an excellent shot,
dropped one Nasal after another. He
went to pick up the shield and spear
of Nasal he had just slain, when
the enemy made desperate rush,
and at a critical moment Dicks rifle
1ammed. He turned round to his men
to get another, when a Nasal rushed
forward and speared him through the
back, killing him on the spot. The
Frenchmen killed Dicks assailant, but
fighting against overwhelming odds,
they were compelled to retreat to the
Fort. In a couple of days they re-
turned to the scene of the fight in
order to bury Dick. They found the
body stripped naked, and buried it on
the Kedong escarpment. They erected
q plain wooden cross over the grave
which | saw still standing when
journeyed that way. The inscription
simply states that the cross was
erected by his comrades in arms to
the memory of the deceased. slain by
the Nasal. One of these two French
men has died since; he suffered from
fever on his way down the Congo;
broken in health he reached Paris, and
died
| have met Wanderobo men near
NaivaSha, but the first Anderobo
woman | saw at the Ravine; she was
dressed in monkey skins. The Wan
dero5o are race of elephant-hunters
Those / saw resembled the Nasal in
dress and ornaments. The Eldoma
mountain range is inhabited by
race called the Kamasia.
Where caravans used to cross form
erly. the ravine has steep sides, and
deep down at the bottom there is
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02

Miss Jackson, dar won't be no pow
erful fuss. Oar can't be. Who was l
when l dun promised to marry you?"
"You was Moses White, of co'se.
Don't take me for no idiot"
"And who am l to-day?"
de same Moses White"
Oats whar you am mistook, Miss
Jackson. OATS why dar won't be any
powerful FUSS Instead of bein' Moses
White. drivin' ten-cent 'spress wagin.
fss Noses White. ESQ.,, assistant
freight agent of de Richmond and Dan
vile railroad wild ebery prospect dat
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
DR.. West Goes to His Death

The last time l saw Mr.. West alive
was at Mumia's. He was then on the
point of going to the Nandi country
to buy ivory in exchange for cows. l
asked him whether he was not afraid
to venture with such a small number
of men. barely 20 porters, among a
race not yet brought under subjection
and reported to be hostile. He replied
that it might be dangerous for any
other white man to try, but not for
him, as he had already once visited
the country, and although it was only
at frontier village, that he had made
blood-brotherhood with a chief. The
porters whom he selected were picked
men, some of the best of the porters,
with whom | had only a short while
previously arrived from the coast.
Little did / reckon, when we shook
hands and said goodbye, that it was
the last | should see of him, and that
he was another about to meet with q
violent death.
The next news we heard was
caravan. covered with CHASTITY wounds
which | had to treat. According to
them, West was received with appar-
ent friendship by his so-called blood
brother. He then sent off some of his
men to the surrounding villages to
purchase various tusks of ivory said
TO be for sale. West felt so secure.
that he tied up all his rifles inside
his tent. Without any provocation on
his part. and simply prompted by lust
of blood and plunder, the treacherous
natives one night fell upon him and
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
Swimming for My Life

When l turned round, l found my
men had got into their boats and were
vigorously padding OF. l was quite
alone. l reached the lake, threw my
self in, and struck out for the boats.
l am a very Indifferent swimmer, as l
get too quickly exhausted. l would
not have ventured upon such a per-
formance in time of peace on any in
ducement. 1t is astonishing what un-
dreamt-of feats the pressure of cir
cumstances may get the most reluct-
ant of us to attempt! 1t was my first
swim with my clothes on. I did not
relish it and l have no desire to re-
peat 1t. Not one of the boats came
to my help. only wonder 1 did not
get drowned before l reached a boat.
The crocodiles had probably been
scared of by the awful din. Many of
the nearer boats padded away the
quicker when l approached thems in
their terror taking me for desperate
enemy wishing to board them. My
boy had remained in the boat, but
when he drew my rife out of its can
vas covering, my boatmen paused, al
lowed me to reach them, and drew me
into the boat.
With the boat at pretty safe dis
tance, and with me aboard, and now
armed with rifle, my boatmen be.
came quite plucky again. Pointing to
a solitary sentinel posted on a con.
spicuous rock, they begged me to
shoot him, / felt more inclined to
shoot them for having been the ag.
gressors. l was told afterwards, that
we had landed on one of the Uvuma
islands, inhabited by a plucky but
treacherous race which hates the Was.
oga. The Uvama islanders fall, for
administrative purposes, under the
jurisdiction of the official in charge OF
lIsoga.
Copyright. 1909. by Benz. B. Hampton.)
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
Bom-bom Regains His Freedom

Bom-bom and the Swahili now re-
signed themselves to their condition
of slavery. They lived separated, as
their owners did not belong to the
same household. The old man who
owned the Swahili decided one day to
sell him, and for this purpose took
aim to another village; but such a
wretched sum was offered for the
slave, that no sale was effected. The
Swahili was a very merry fellow who
submitted to his slavery with the
greatest equanimity. The old mans
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
Burning of the Fortified Village

The reason why the Kavirondo have
several entrances to their village, ap-
pears to be to enable them to escape
by one if overpowered at any of the
Others. This happened in the present
case. Several natives burst out from
a gate the existence of which was un-
suspected. They escaped, though, Of
course, there was an immediate rush
by our men towards the spot. Strict
orders had been given to spare women
and children; a few. of the women and
children, however, perished. This
might happen, and probably does hap
pen, at the siege and capture of every
fortified place. There were a great
many wounded, and had busy time
of it. The village was plundered and
burnt There was very little for our
savage allies to foot-a few shields
and spears and some Kavirondo drums,
harps and stools.
A Nasal on the warpath is horrid
object. He is naked, except that at
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02

"You bet you has! Why, you dun
promised to marry me fo' weeks ago!
What you gwine to do about it?"
Promised to marry you? Yes, meb-
be did. Yes, shouldn't wonder"
And Tze here to ak when you gwine
to do it. Talk right up like white
folks, Moses"
Il hain't nebber gwine to marry you,
Miss Jackson" he replied.
What? What's dat, You hain't
gwine to keep your blighted word to
me? If you don't I'll raise powerful
fuss!"
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02

and the brown. The one | got by set
ting a trap gun. The trap is easily
set Tie the bait over the muzzle OF
the rifle. Use in preference a piece OF
offal, for instance bit of highly odor-
ferrous goatskin. Suspend or fasten
the rifle horizontally at such a height
from the ground, that the hyaena can
conveniently grab the bait. Attention
must be paid to expose the bait in
such way, that the hyaena cannot
seize it from the side, but has to ap-
proach the front of the muZZle. Place
the trigger at full cock and tie it by
a bit of string to the tree or bush be-
hind it; now pull the muZzle forward,
and, if the trap is in good working or
der, the trigger will at once respond
and strike. IL the trap works salts
factorily, the rifle may now be loaded
and left in stu. Any prowling hyaena
is sure to be attracted and to immo-
late itself: the bullet is almost certain
to blow its brains out. In a wilder
ness the only precaution necessary
is to warn every one of the caravan,
and to see that the gun points away
from the camp. Hyaenas seem to be
attacked by the same sort of tick
which is parasite of rhinos
At Sakwa's village in Kavirondo a
donkey was so badly mauled by hy-
aena that it died. Most travellers take
some goats or sheep along with their
caravan in the event of failing to
shoot game or to buy meat from the
natives. The animals should be care
fully penned up at night and sur
rounded with a strong protecting
thorn-fence, called bona" by the Swa-
hilies. On my second journey, We had
bought some sheep and goats at XII
kuyu, in anticipation of continuing our
march next morning. The animals
were placed for the night in the GUS
tomary penfold, outside of the fort
Next morning we found that hyaenas
had carried off two of the sheep, badly
lacerated a third which we had to
kill on the spot, and wounded fourth.
One such lesson serves lifetime, not
to trust to any enclosure offering a
single weak point to a possible noe
turnal visit from these marauders.
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
bask in the sun on a muddy shore an,

bask in the sun on muddy shore and
scamper of on being disturbed. Many
of them keep the ends of their long
tails dipped in the water while they
lie on the sun-heated mud or sit on
mangrove roots. 1t has been suggest
ed that there may be an organ of res
piration in the end of the tail addition
al to the similar organs in the gills. An
other suggestion is to the effect that
these fish are able to store a sufficient
quantity of water in their gills to
maintain aquatic respiration during
their prolonged absences on the shore.
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
Supreme Test.

II thought you said this bathing
suit was in fast colors," said Binks
Indignantly, to the bathing master o.
whom he had bought his dollar suit
that morning.
"Yes, that's what l said," returned
the bathing master.
We'll, every blessed stripe on the
blooming thing has come on on my
back" retorted Binks.
"Ah, but wait until you try to gel
'em of your back" smiled the bath
ing master, suavely. Then you'll
see."--Harper's Weekly.
Tensas gazette., 1910-12-02
HoStiIities Beqin

In the latter part of 1895 a large
caravan of Wakikuyu and Swahilies
was returning from the Ravine to Fort
Smith; 1t reached the Kedong valley
and came across some Nasal kraals.
How the subsequent bloOdshed arose
Is not exactly known, as only a few
survivors managed to escape. Accord
ing to one story, the Swahilies be-
haved aggressively toward the Nasal
and, relying on their superior num-
bers, tried to levy blackmail. The
Nasal resented it, and in a moment a
fierce carnage was going on. Over
400 of the unfortunate Wakikuyu and
Swahilies were slaughtered; for the
lust of blood once reused, innocent and
guilty were indiscriminately butchered
The news of the disaster was brought
to Fort Smith, and was Immediately
followed by another tragedy; for
trader, Mr.. Dick, was on his way
up-country. A French scientific mis-
sion also was on its way to Uganda;
arriving at the Fort, two of their num-
Der. military men, volunteered to re-
call Dick. They found him, but in
stead of persuading him to return with
them to the security of the Fort, he
persuaded them to accompany him
across the Kedong. What were the
motives which prompted the trader, no
one will ever know. According to
some. he wanted to pay out the Nasal
for the horrible and wholesale butch
cry they had just perpetrated; ac-
cording to others, he thought it good
pretext for capturing their valuable
herds. He did seize a lot of cattle,
for several hundred head were brought
in by the Frenchmen to the Fort