Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-13

were dragged out. who. as it had been
found already, had worked for the Por-
tuguense on the coast at Fernando Pc.
Tell them they are free" said Vaughan,
and tell them that these rascals are to
be hanged as soon as we can get rope
enough"
Nolan put that into Spanish"-that is,
he explained it in such Portuguese as the
kroomen could understand, and they in
turn to such of the negroes as could un-
derstand them. Then there was such a
yell OF delight, clinching of fists, leaping
and dancing, kissing of Nolan's feet and
a general dash made to the hogshead by
way OF spontaneous worship of Vaughan,
as the deus ex machina of the occasion
Tell them" said Vaughan, well pleased
that ! will take them all to Cape
Palmas''
This did not answer SO well. Cape
Palmas was virtually as far from the
homes of most of them as New Orleans
or Rio Janeiro was: that is. they would
be eternally separated from home
there. And their interpreters. as we
could understand. instantly said "Ah,
non Palmas," and began to propose in
finite other expedients in most voluble
language. Vaughan was rather dis
appointed at this result of his liber-
atty, and asked Nolan eagerly what
they said. The drops stood on poor
the men down and said:
He says, Not Palmas He says
Take US home. take us to our own
country. take US to our own house.
take us to our own pickaninnies and
our own women He says he has an
old father and mother who will die if
they do not see him. And this one says
he left his people all sick. and padded
down to Fernando to beg the white
doctor to come and help them. and
that these devils caught him in the
bay just in sight of home and that he
had never seen anybody from home
since then. And this one says choked
out Nolan. that he has not heard a
word from his home in six months.
while he has been locked up in an in
fernal harracoon."
Vaughan always said he grew gray
himself while Nolan struggled through
understand anything of the passion in
volved in it. saw that the very ele-
ments We're melting with fervent heat
and that something was to pay some
where. Even the negroes themselves
stopped bowling. as they saw Nolcn's
agony. and Naughan's almost equal
agony of sympathy. AS quick as he
could get words, he said:
Tell them yes yes; tell them they
if they will. If l sail the schooner
the Great White Desert. they
shall go home"
And after some fashion Nolan said
so. And then they all fell to kissing
him again. and wanted to rub his nose
with theirs.
But he could not stand it long: and
getting Vaughan to say he might go
back, he beckoned me down into our
boat AS we lay back in the stern
sheets and the men gave way. he said
to me: "Youngster. let that show YOU
what il is to be without family. with
out a home and without country. And
if YOU are ever tempted to say a word
or to do a thing that shall put a bar
between YOU and YOUR family. your
home and your country. pray God in
His mercy to take you that instant
home to His-own heaven. Stick by your
family, boy; forget you have a self,
while you do everything for them.
Think of your home. boy; write and
send. and talk about it. Let it be
nearer to your thought, the further you
have to travel from it, ambush back to
it. when you are free. as that poor
black slave is doing now. And for