The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-01-10

"SAC very Olu anu sat With their bdChS
against the trunk of the tree, their
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 single remark; then the rest
would all grunt In unison ana with
a deep-chested expeliing 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
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, a 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 a
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 y
he roared, and there followed, SO
quickly that it seemed but another syl-
liable of the salutatiOn, a mighty grunt
from the depths of thirty chests,
"Huh!"
In q 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
a cry that startled Andrea and jerked
her around to face 1t 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 a vibration as rapid as
that of serpent's. 1t was CHASTITY tc
watch, incredible In the rapidity of the
ululation, but once heard, unforget
able. 1t lasted much longer thar
Andrea could have held her breath, lei
} alone used 1t, and ceased as suddenly
as it had begun.
"All very interesting" said Andres
turning TO her companion, but why
didn't they do 1t before?'
He looked at her absently. "Ther'
is a ceremonial" he said, "a dignity
about the African that is absurd til
you've known it for years"
For yearsY repeated Andrea. cit
is this your homer
: He shook his head. mo. Africa
this sort of thing-is never home t.
white man. It's a place where hi
goes to forget his sins. I've bee.
using it-whenever life has given m'
a chance-as sun bath for the SOUL
Andrea stared at him, a puzzled
frown on her brow. She wondered
why his bluntness did not offend her
wondered If Ii would ever fall to he
lot to hear him say a senseless thini
or laugh aloud While she still won
dered he turned from her and began
calling out meaningless words: "Shil
ling! Fivel Tin hat! Bathtub
Overcoat
At each name, for names they were
aSnative stepped forward. They wer
all bright-faced youngsters, fourteen
or fifteen years of age, and their garh
made up of clean cloth bound tight.
around slim hips and falling to tn
knees, and a red fez with tassel In
tact. marked them as houseboys-
trusted pickaninnies who alone hat
the right to enter the white man.
} quarters and were collectively his rec
ognized mouthpieces in conveying OF
ders.
! "Bathtub. :" repeated the white man
: A youngster quickly saluted ant
stepped out of the line. grinning iron
: ear to ear at being distinguished evel
a for a moment above his fellows.
With a jerk of his head toward An
!, drea the white man began to talk rap
: idly. Bathtub's eyes rolled from hi
+ face to Andrea's and back again. The,
7 widened, they narrowed, and. each 0
. the three times the white man sal
''Kiboco" with a peculiar emphasis
q they seemed to vince.
l Andrea Interrupted, what doe
'Kiboco' mean. pleaseT'
e 1T means a whip Of raw rhin
; hide" said the man. AN implemen
i that draws blood with whisper"
til Andrea went white: her eyes blaze.
r "So you whip your servants7" sh
/ said with curled lips.
: II have whipped boy once" al
o swered the man eoolly. 'They hay
r never forgotten" He turned to he
.sThis boy, Bathtub, is yours. II
t ever fails you ] shall thrash him witt
: In an inch Of his nine lives" he oil