The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-03-19
CHAPTER XII.

MacCloster's craal was master
piece of ingenuity. In its center rose
the stupendous Gaia that had aston
ished Andrea even from a mile away.
Around the monster hut was an i'm
passable bona or barrier of thorns
pierced by single entrance; outside
the bona, in the form of ring, came
an enormous beaten court which en-
braced a large shade tree, indispensa-
BILE as a nucleus for pow-wows and
mems gossip. Around the beaten circle
were three thickly serrated rows of
huts and their dependent outhouses.
Enclosing the entire human beehive
was stockade of giant cactus with an
arched entrance at each point Of the
compass.
Aside from the repulsive fundamen-
tai idea Of the enterprise, MacClosters
establishment was astoniShingly
moral. II was true that he had con-
tracted for over u hundred and eighty
wives in strict accordance with native
law but 1t was equally true that he
allotted this army of consorts, without
exception, to veritable husbands of
his own choosing. The only point of
divergence from native custom was
that he demanded no payment of obolo
from these Grones and as a conse-
Quence retained the right of disposal
of their female offspring.
This innovation would have struck
at the root Of the Africans conception
Of vested interests had 1t not been for
the giant singers canny astuteness in
facilitating to the drones the purchase
Of one wife each in their own right,
thus killing two birds with one stone;
for the native male normally works
but once in his life and that to earn
the sum with which to acquire the
mate who will not only theneeforth
support him but eventually bring him
a return of two or three fold on his
investment.
AS consequence, Manchester never
lacked boatboys, machilla carriers,
ivory hunters or porters and controlled
as well an army of women and girls
whose spare time was applied first to
the preparation of food and wood and
water fetching and then to the culti-
walton of the enormous shambas
which produced corn and millet in
great abundance for the lucky men,
bers of the close corporation.
That there was subtle poison at
work somewhere in this social cos
was evidenced by the fact |
that while there was always a long
waiting list Of recruits for the estab-
lishment there was also a tendency on
the part Of many natives to face star
walton rather than accept the ques-
tionable intrusion of the white man in |
the intimate structure of their family |
life. II was further evidenced by an
abnormal apathy which seemed to
possess MacCloster's people in direct
ACAt-lCu
and lazy sickness.
This, however, was a phenomenon
that did not trouble him so long as
there was a constant demand in ex-
cess Of the supply of manageable
girls; on the contrary. while 1t puzzled
him, he welcomed 1t as making toward
he easy enforcement of a strict dis
cipline. In all matters that affected
he internal life of the strange camp,
he was sole arbiter beyond any eayil-
ing, and a martinez.
Andrea could have taken a rea-
'onably calm interest in all the details
hat crowded to her attention during
Ter rapid progress into the heart of
stronghold had it not
,een for an incident that revivified all
Ter fear and repugnance toward the
nan and which occurred as they en-
cred the ring court. Manchester. strid-
NC ahead Of her. suddenly paused and
lis horrible face apparently achieved
he impossible by undergoing q de-
'asing transformation. Ii