Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-10-31

court, beaten hard and swept clean
as a floor. Within its bounds were
two acacia trees, thickly fronded.
wide-spreading. Around the court,
thirty high-peaked huts stood like SEN
tineIs. Behind the huts other but far
smaller structures Swarmed-chicken
houses. strongly withed, granaries on
four stills, pigeon cOtes, a stockaded
cattle kraal and a smaller goat fold.
But what puzzled her were the AT
ricans themselves. A flying machine
had dropped in their midst and dis
charged two fair if not exceptional
specimens of a white and dominant
race, vet the blacks continued their
various occupations and disoccups-
lions apparently unperturbed. What
ever their occupation they made no
sudden move of variation; even their
tongues kept still.
In the shade of one of the vast
acacias there was Il Yeritable con-
course of men. They sat for the most
part on their heels smoking white,
slOw-burning cheroOts. Two only
could be said TO be working. They
were very old and sat with their backs
against the trunk of the tree, their
legs stretched straight out before
them and at their sides neat bundles
of stripped palm leaves. They were
weaving baskets. The men at least
were not tongue-ted. They seemed to
be going through some oral ceremony
First one and then another would
take the cherOot from his lips and
make a single remark; then the rest
would all grunt in unison and with
deep-chested expelling of all the
breath in their bodies that gave al
most the effect of an explosion.
1t annoyed Andrea that her com
panion seemed to share the stole calm
of the natives in what TO her mind
ought to have been an occasion of
much excitement and chatter. 1t never
to her that he was unmOved
because he could understand what the
men were saying and was merely
bored.
At the moment the wheels of the
flying machine had struck the ground
the apparently interminable and, to
Andrea. meaningless chant had been
started by the native chief, wizened
figure distinguished in dress from his
only by the ebony-black
ing of polished wax that he wore like
l halo of darkness on his close
,ropped and grizzled head.
The white man threw up his head
md a1annad bic hondS Onaa
.hief grunted; silence fell. He spat
o one side and spoke deliberately.
Let us arise to greet the master"
They came forward and stood in
ong file The chief took one step in
Idvance, raised his right hand and
astened his gaze on the white mans
ace. His own seemed to be working
q a sudden excitement. "Bai-ye-tep'
e rOared, and there followed SO
uickly that it seemed but another syl-
able of the salutation, a mighty grunt
rom the depths of thirty chests,
Huh -
In a moment the whole scene under
'ent a startling transformation The
le broke and became garrulous. Chill
rem stopped their play and ran to
)in in the rabble. The men dropped
leir work and crowded into a com
act group from which came suddenly
cry that startled Andrea and jerked
er around to face it as though she
ad been yanked by string.
The cry was shrill, high, continuous,
was produced by rounding the
non month and ,r~o,.I~;rr- ~,
terally in a vibration as rapid as
lat of a serpent's. 1t was CHASTITY to
atch, incredible in the rapidity of the
ulation, but once heard, unforget
de- 1t lasted much longer than
ndrea could have held her breath. let
one used it, and ceased as suddenly
it had begun.
GAN very interesting" said Andrea
rning to her companion, "but why
dn't they DO it before?"
He looked at her absently. "There
a ceremonial" he said, "a dignity.
'out the African that is absurd till
u've known it for years."
For years." repeated Andrea. cit
this your home"
iAc clioph HIS utdu. No, AlTlCd-
is sort of thing-is never home to
white man. It's a place where he
es to forget his sins. I've been
ing it-whenever life has given me
chance-as sun bath for the SOUL
Andrea stared at him, a puzzled
'wn on her brow. She wondered
~ his bluntness did not offend her,
'ndered If it would ever fall to her
to hear him say a senseless thing
laugh aloud. While she still won
red he turned from her and began
ling out meaningless words: "Shil
g Five! Tin hiatt Bathtuba
ercoatr'
At each name, for names they were
native stepped forward. They were
bright-faced youngsters. fourteex
nfteen years of age. and their garb.
de up of clean cloth bound tightly