Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-13

their approach the villagers came pour
ing out, and Usanga advanced with two
of Iris warriors to palaver with the
chief. The experiences of the day had
50 shaken the nerves of the black ser
g"ant that he was ready TO treat with
these people rather thar take their viii
Iage by force of arms, as would ordi-
narily have been his preference but
now there Influenced him a vague on
viction that there watched over this
part Of the jungle II powerful demon
who wiehied miraculous power for evil
against those who offended him. First
tSunga would learn how these villagers
stood with this savage god, and if they
had his good will Csanga would be
most careful to treat them with kind
ness and respect.
At the palaver it developed that the
village chief had food, goats and fowl
which he would be glad to dispose of
for a proper consideration. but as the
consideration would nave meant parting
with precious rifles and ammunition or
the very clothing from their backs,
lsanga began to see that after all he
might have to wage wal to obtain food.
\ happy solution was arrived at by
Il suggestion of one of his men that the
soldiers 90 forth the following day and
hunt, bringing the villagers in so much
fresh meat in return for their hospital :
ity. This the chief agreed to, stipulat-
ing the kind and quantity of game to be
paid in return for -four, goats and fowl
and Il certain number of huts that were
to be turned over to the visitors. TIL,
details having been settled, the new
corners entered the village, where they
were assigned to huts.
pERTHA KIRCHER found hersel
- alone in II hut close to the palisad,
at the far end of the village street
and though she was neither bound mol
guarded, she was assured by Usangt
TINT She could not escape the villag,
without running into almost certain
death in the jungle, which the villagers
assured them was infested by lions O.
great size and ferocity.
AS the brute left her, the girls fran,
was racked by a shudder, and she sanl
TO the floor of the hut and covered hel
face with her hands. She realized nov
why the women had not been left t
guard her; it was the work of the Gun,
ming tsanga. But would not his woman
suspect something of his intentions
She was no fool, and further, being i'm,
bued with insane jealousy, she was eve
looking for some overt act upon tn
part of her ebOn lord. Bertha Kirche
felt that only the negress might say
her, and that she would save her i
word could be but gotten to her. Blu
how
The natives seemed to have forgottel
her existence 'nO one came near tn
hut, not even to bring her food. Sh
could hear them at the other end of tn
village laughing and yelling, and kney
that they were celebrating with foo
and native beer-knowledge which onl
increased her apprehension. To b
prisoner in a native village in the yer
heart of an unexplOred region of Cen
tral Africa, , the only white woma.
among a band of drunken savages
The very thought appalled, her. We
there was u slight promise in the fac
that she had so far been unmolested-
/. the promise that they might, indeed
have forgotten her and hat soon the
might become SO hopelessly drunk as
be harmless.
Darkness had fallen, and still no on
came. The girl wondered if she dare
venture forth in search of Naratu
I Usanga's woman. No one was near q
she stepped out of the hut and mad
her way toward the part OF the yillag
e where the jewellers were drinking an
flmaking merry about a large fire, a
} shs approached, she saw the yillagef
/ and their ypesle squakting Ia a larz