The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-11-08

4 i0So otTetcned 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-tied. They seemed to
be going through some oral ceremony.
First one and then another would
take the cheroot from his lips and
make 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
occurred 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 tie ground
the apparently interminable and, to
Andrea, meaningless chant had been
figure distinguished in dress from his
companions only by the ebony-black
ring Of polished wax that he wore like
a halo of darkness on his close
cropped and grizzled head.
The white man threw up his head
and clapped his hands once. The
chief grunted; silence fell. He spat
to one side and spoke deliberately.
LET us arise to greet the master"
They came forward and stood in
long file. The chief took one step in
advance, raised his right hand and
fastened his gaze on the white mans
face. His own seemed to be working
in a sudden excitement "Bai-ye-te !"
he roared, and there followed, so
quickly that it seemed but another syl-
liable of the salutation, mighty grunt
from the depths of thirty chests,
"Huh!'
In moment the whole scene under
went startling transformation. The
file broke and became garrulous. Chill
dren stopped their play and ran to
join in the rabble. The men dropped
their work and crowded into a COM
pact group from which came suddenly
q cry that startled Andrea and jerked
her around to face it as though she
had been yanked by string.
The cry was shrill, high, continuous,
1t was produced by rounding the
open mouth and working the tongue
laterally in vibration as rapid as
that of a serpent's. 1t was CHASTITY to
watch. incredible in the rapidty of the
uluation, but once heard, unforget-
able. 1t lasted much longer than
Andrea could have held her breath, let
alone used it, and ceased as suddenly
as it had begun.
"All very interesting" said Andrea
turning to her companion, "but why
didn't they do it before?"
He looked at her absently. There
Is a ceremonial" he said, "a dignity,
about the African that is absurd till
you've known it for years"
"For years| repeated Andrea. ut
is this your homer"
He shook his head. mo, Africa
this sort of thing-is never home to
a white man. It's place where he
goes to forget his sins. I've been
using it-whenever life has given me
a chance-as a sun bath for the soul"
Andrea stared at him, puzzled
frown on her brow. She wondered
why his bluntness did not offend her,
wondered if it would ever fall to her
lot to hear him say senseless thing
or laugh aloud. While she still won
dered he turned from her and began
calling out meaningless words: "Shil-
ling, Five! Tin hat Bathtub !!
OvercOat!
At each lame, for names they were,
a native stepped forward. They were
all bright-faced youngsters, fourteen
or fifteen years Of age, and their garb.
made up of q clean cloth bound tightly
around slim hips and falling to the
knees, and a red fez with tassel in
tact. marked them as houseboys-
! trusted pickaninnies who alone had
the right to enter the white mans
quarters and were collectively his rec
ognized mouthpieces in conveying or
ders.
"Bathtub r repeated the white man.
voungster quickly saluted and
stepped out of the line, grinning from
ear 10 ear at being distinguished even
for moment above his fellows.
With a jerk of his head toward An
drea the white mar began to talk rap
idlv Bathtub's eyes rolled from his
face 70 Andrea's and back again. They
widened. they narrowed, and, each OF
tho three times the white man said
.eKiboco" with a peculiar emphasis,
they seemed to vince.
Andrea interrupted, What does
.Kiboco' mean, pleaseY
ut means whip OF raw rhino
h,don said the man. IAN implement
tbat draws blood with whisper"
Andrea went white; her eyes blazed.
$50 you whip your servantsF she
said with curled lips.
81 have whipped boy once" an
swered the man coolly. "They have
never forgotten" He turned to her.
..This boy, Bathtub, is yours II he
over fails you ! shall thrash him with
in an inch Of his nine lives He dis
missed the boy with nod.