Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-10-24
Saved From
Cannibals
By ALBERT T. KENYON

ing alone 1t did not occur to me that
] would be in danger travelling with
party. discovered that the danger
depended upon the kind Of people |
should fall In with. One day, as we
were moving farther into the interior
than white men usually care to go,
while passing through negro village
we were told that II we went far
enough in the direction we were going
we would enter a district occupied by
cannibals. But my survey would be
incomplete without penetrating the
district we were approaching. and de-
termined to push on.
Suddenly on emerging from forest
we came upon large African village
As soon as the natives saw us thy set
up howl Of delight and began to close
around u.s. by their looks and ges-
lures | knew that their Joy meant that
they expected to have fine feast upon
u.s. Their demonstrations being hos
tile, we formed a circle. so that some
of us would face any quarter and were
Enclosed In much larger circle We
cooked our guns. waiting an onset.
scatter these ignorant people, who had
no knowledge of weapons except those
of primitive kind.
But they seemed to understand our
superiority. for they were slow to al
vance. Raising my gun, took aim at
man standing before me hundred
feet away. but did not fire TIL had
nttra cted the attention OF many blacks.
The natives heard crack and saw
the man | was pointing Mt drop. This
struck terror into them for awhile, but
finally they began to shoot arrows
among us. and thus n running fight
was kept up between us TIL our am
muntion WINS exhausted Seeing TINT
It was all up with us and that ! 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 ms low
grade M ! met with In Africa. had
lived n peculiar life during my younger
days, picking up living ms best |
could For time | had Travelled with
a circus M conIuror. | had no i'm
plements with me by which to do
tricks but | resolved to do the best !
could to Impress this superstitious old
king with my marvellous gifts. | told
him Mt once | wns god and threat
h~
safe conduct ont of his territory |
would kill every one OF them by magic.
lie pretended to disbelieve me, though
I saw that he was frightened. | was
Obliged to rely on sleight OF hand TO
impress him with my divine power. |
asked him for one Of the ornaments he
wore on his person, the size OF silver
dollar, and, placing II on the ground
before him. covered II with II handkcr
chief. Then. lifting the handkerchief,
] showed him that 1t 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.
or course | either held the thing In
the palm OF my hand or In my sleeve
While | was moving about | managed
TO pick mp some leaves unnoticed, and
my next evidence of my being god
was picking these leaves out OF the mir
! would run here and there, grasping
for what the savages could not see and
every now and then would appear to
catch one out of nothingness and hold
Il up before the chief
acted on the cupidity OF the old rus.
cal MS well as his superstition We had
brought some beads and other articles
with us with which 10 buy favors from
the natives, and | displayed the beads
before the chief. Then | contrived.
through confederate, to drop them
under the old mans seat After this
listened with my hand up to my ear as
If spirit were talking to me and told
the chief that his mother, who had
died many years ago, had asked me to
give the beads to him. He would find
them under his seat.
This made more favorable impress
sion than any OF my other divine per.
formances, and l continued to listen
TO the requests OF his dead ancestors
till all our money and other articles
that we could give away had been he.
slowed on the chief and his wives and
children Finally. when found that
We were cleaned out, l said:
II have done only good magic to you
TO show you that am god. but II
you allow one OF your people to injure
me or mine | will call down fire from
heaven to destroy you and all your
people,
The hungry blacks who could not get
near enough to witness my proofs OF
supernatural power were meanwhile
bowling for us to eat. The chief, how.
ever, feared to crafty them He or.