Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1920-01-01

flCdnS tuelHSelNeS. - hsiuS hiuSiiii'
| had dropped in their midst and dis
charged two fair if not exceptiona
specimens Of q white and dominant
race, yet the blacks continued theil
various occupations and disoccupa
tons apparently unperturbed. What
ever their occupation they made nc
sudden move of variation; even theil
tongues kept still.
In the shade of one Of the vaS
acaciaS there was a veritable 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, theil
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-tied. 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
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 the ground
the apparently interminable and, to
Andrea, meaningless chant had been
started by the native chief. wizened
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 q 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 q moment the whole scene under
went q 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 q vibration as rapid as
that of a serpent's. 1t was ghastly to
watch, incredible in the rapidity Of the
ululation, 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. cit
is this your homer
He shook his head. "No, Africa
this sort of thing-is never home to
white man. It's place where he
goes to forget his sins. I've been
using it-whenever life has given me
q 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 name, 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 clean cloth bound tightly
-around slim hips and falling to the
knees, and q 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