The herald., 1912-10-24
Saved From
Cannibals
By ALBERT T. KENYON

lev went all over Africa, each plo'c''
ing alone. it did not occur 10 me 'i"'
| would be in danger travelling Win
Marty. | discovered that the danger
depended upon the kind OF people
should fall in with. One day, rs we
were moving farther into the interior
than white men usually care 10 20
while passing through a negro 'lhaSe
we were told that if we went Tar
enough in the direction we were going
we would enter a district occupied 10y
cannibals. But my survey would DC
incomplete without penetrating the
district we were approaching, ana de-
termined TO push on.
Suddenly on emerging from a forest
we came upon large African village
AS soon as the natives saw us they set
I'D howl of delight and began TO close
around us. BY their looks ana ses-
lures knew that their joy meant that
they expected to have fine feast upon
Ms Their demonstrations being hos
tile, we formed circle. so that some
of us would face any quarter, and were
inclosed in q much larger circle. we
cooked our guns, waiting an onset,
believing that at the first ire we wouiu
scatter these ignorant people, VINO had
no knowledge of weapons except those
Of a primitive kind.
But they seemed to understand OUT
superiority. for they were slow TO au-
vance. Raising my gun, took aim at
a man standing before me hundred
feet away, but did not fire till had
attracted the attention of many blacks.
The natives heard a crack and saw
the man | was pointing at drop. ms
struck terror into them for awhile, out
finally they began to shoot arrows
among US, and thus a running hgnt
was kept up between us till our am
munition was exhausted. Seeing that
it was all up with us and that l should
be obliged to rely on my wits to save
myself and my party directed one OF
my negroes to say to our enemies that
wished to be taken before their
chief
We were marched to the hut Of the
ruler of these people and found him
worthy representative Of them. In
deed he and they were about as low
grade as | met with in Africa. had
lived q peculiar life during my younger
days. picking up "a living as best l
could. For a timeI had travelled with
a circus as conjuror. l had no i'm
Elements with me by which to do
tricks, but l resolved to do the best |
could to impress this superstitious old
king with my marvellous gifts. | told
ened that if he did not give me a
safe conduct out of his territory |
would kill every one Of them by magic.
He pretended to diSbelieve me, though
| saw that he was frightened. | was
obliged to rely on sleight of hand to
asked him for one of the ornaments he
wore on his person. the size of silver
dollar. and. placing 1t on the ground
before him. covered it with a handker-
chief. Then, lifting the handkerchief.
showed him that it had disappeared.
He looked very much puzzled and
somewhat frightened. | asked one of
his attendants if he felt anything In
his ear. He said he did not. | told
the chief that the man was lying;
had sent the lost article into his head
and would pull 1t out through his ear.
Approaching him. put my hand up
to his ear and took out the ornament.
OF course | either held the thing In
the palm Of my hand or in my sleeve
! While | was moving about 1 managed
to pick up some leaves unnoticed, and
my next evidence Of my being a god
was picking these leaves out Of the air
l would run here and there. graspine
for what the SavageS could not see and
every now and then would appear to
catch one out Of nothingness and hold
it up before the chief
acted on the cupidity of the old ras
cal as well as his superstition. We hat
brought some beads and other articles
with US with which to buy favors from
the natives, and l displayed the bead:
before the chief Then I contrived
through a confederate. to drop then
under the old mans seat After this
listened with my hand up to my ear n:
IL spirit were talking to me and told
the chief that his mother, who haC
died many years ago. had asked me t,
give the beads to him. He would fint
them under his seat.
This made more favorable impress
sion than any Of my other divine per
formances, and | continued to lister
to the requests OF his dead ancestor,
til all our money and other article
that we could give away had been be
slowed on the chief and his wives an,
children. Finally. when l found tina
we were cleaned out. said:
81 have done only good magic to yo,
to show you that am a god. but /
you allow one Of your people to injur
me or mine | will call down fire from
heaven to destroy you and all you
people"
The hungry blacks who could not ge
near enough to witness my proofs O
supernatural power were meanwhile
bowling for US to eat. The chief. how
ever, feared to crafty them. He oil
dered that we be conducted back fror
whence we had come So l gave hir
my blessing. bid him goodby and, SUI
rounded by "a guard he sent to protec