The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-02-20
BY
GEORGE AGNEW
CHAMBERLAIN

| Nine times out OF ten the victim would
smile sheepishly and withdraw; in the
tenth case there would come look of
sullen wonder into the culprits face,
whereupon the white man would
promptly call halt and demand more
evidence. Such cases were then al
| lotted half an hour and even an hour
each, and without exception resulted
In the acquittal Of the prisoner at the
bar.
Andrea was suddenly aware OF
Msungo's voice indubitably addressed
to her though he kept his eyes to the
front and spoke in a toneless mono
logue as ii he were communing with
himself. Behold! Psychology on the
| job" he said. "Watch their faces.
Every native that knows his sentence
to be just, takes it with an apologize
smile; II he looks sullen, the chances
are a hundred to one that he's inno-
cent. I've never gone wrong. They
think I'm wonder. Nextw
One case alone that day was appar-
/ emily interminable. When at last 1t
was completed M'sungo dropped his
eyes for the first time and sat for a
long while with bowed head; then he
| drew erect, looked the prisoner In the
eye and spoke three words. A gray
hue crept into the blacks face as he
turned away. II have surrendered him
to the justice OF his tribe" murmured
M'sungo. "Poor devil - And Andrea
knew that she had witnessed the pre-
| cursor to m inevitable sentence OF
death.
That night M'sungo was too tired to
talk and excused himself Immediately
after dinner. Andrea read until her
eyes ached and then went to bed Won
dering II she were feeling only slight
| ed or II existence were actually be-
| coming monotonous. She shrank from
the latter admission for she knew
that, once made, 1t would shatter the
longest run OF sheer peace of spirit
which she had experienced in her short
but much bored life. She need not
have worried. When she stepped out
early next morning dressed for the
field in compliance with a message
from M'sungo to put on her toughest
and toughest she was so excited that
even the memory Of her doubt was
blotted from her mind Something was
In the air Of the craal that could be
felt rather than heard, the sort of
something that one could imagine pos
sessing hive just before 1t began to
hum.
Msungo was already sitting under
the dining tree engaged in a diminu-
tive palaver with three wizened blacks
who sQuatted on the ground squint-
ing up at him and speaking in turn
In answer to his patient questioning
Around them but at respectful dis
lance were gathered various members
of the camps personal staff. On the
faces Of the wizened three and also on
M'sungO's was the same look of
fanatical exaltation, the look that pro-
claims any group Of diverse men
brothers at heart.
"What is it?" asked Andrea, breath
less from hurrying.
Elephant" replied M'sungo. He
drew a chair to his side. "Sit down."
he said softly as one whose mind is
half-narcotized and fearful of losing
the dream, "Watch and listen, for
these men bring great tldings.p He
smiled almost like boy.
One of the wizened produced a thin
wand, about twenty inches in length,
ri 1y OF 10
1t to his companions; who stared at it
as though they saw 1t for the first in
stead of the hundredth time, fingered
it, gurgled over it and finally gravely
handed it to M'sungo. He went through
more or less the same process and re-
turned 1t to the man who first pro-
duced 1t with what was apparently a
sighting remark.
The man glanced up with a panied
look on his face, arose. laid the wand
on the ground as measure and with
laborious fingers began to trace a
mighty oval. Msungo leaned across
the table and gazed with fascinated
eye; Andrea, watching him, could see
the pulse throbbing at his temples. He
was new M'sungo, somebody young,
alproachable, lovable, an eager boy.
She leaned close to his shoulder
please, White Man." she murmured,
please tell me-"
Without turning he put one hand
out and grasped her wrist as though
to still her. 1.-THE little man." he ex-
planned, "is drawing the spoor of a
mighty beast. Look at it and learn it
Ivy heat, for it will be a photograph"
Having completed the circumference
of his oval, the native was making
various tracings on it's face, dividing it
as with maze of tracks. When he
had apparently finished, he sank back
on his heels and gazed critically at his
handiwork.
Watch" said M'sungo. Before he
gets up, he'll put in some mark. some
distinctive feature that distinguishes
this spoor from all Others"
No sooner had he spoken than the
black leaned forward and with a sure
touch deepened rwo of the cracks till
they formed long narrow v running
dagonally half across the oval. That