Evening star., 1923-04-29

4 L did not see the fire put out and
the new one built. AS it grew later
the mob became wilder and Osa and
/ went home. We slept with our
guns handy-and we did not sleep
much at that, for the boo-boos sound
ed all night and the shouting and
singing sometimes surged very near.
We decided that we had seen about
enough Of Malekula and Vac.
The day after we made this deci-
sion, a small cutter nosed into the
passage between Vac and Malekula.
The owner was a full-blooded Tongan
trader named Fowler. He agreed to
take us to Espiritu Santo, some
forty miles distant. The natives
helped US with will and showed real
regret at parting with us, for they
knew that they would never again
get so much tobacco in return for
so little work.
! Shortly after dark one day we an
/ chored off Tongoa, a small island a
/ stones throw from Santo. Fowler
/ agreed 10 remain with us. He was
a great, good-natured giant, never
out Of sorts and strong as an OK.
The natives trusted him. His dark
skin and his ability to grasp the Ian
guages of the island tribes stood him
In good stead.
We found the men of Santo differ
ent in type from the Malekula bush
savages. They were smaller and
more gracefully built.
WITH Fowler, three of his boys
w and fifteen trustworthy Tongoa
natives. we tramped inland for about
three hours, when we came suddenly
upon a group Of little men. They
! were all, with the exception of one
of their number. who carried a gun
as big as he was. armed with bows
and arrows, but they did not show
any hostility. Instead, they just
gathered close together and stared
at us in terror.
got out some presents for them.
Soon their timidity wore off and I
persuaded them to walk one by one
under my outstretched arm. AL
though their fuzzy wool stood out in
great bushy mops, not a hair touch
ed my arm as they passed under.
| There We're sixteen of them all told
Five were old fellows with grizzled
I whiskers ten were of middle age and
one, the tallest of them all. was a
boy of about fifteen. That night our
little friends camped close by and the
next day. when we set out for the
beach, they followed US
I sent messengers into the hills to
hunt for chief who had achieved a
great reputation as prophet and
worker of magic. A year before
H. 1oJ rah1lr-it,cf ocrn
Then he had gone mad. He told the
natives there was going to be a great
food, which would cover Santo. He
himself, however, would not be
drowned, for he was going to bring
Hat Island IA little island off the
coasD. over TO rest on Santo Peak
The natives each clamored for place
on Hat Island. But reservations on
Hat Island could be secured only at
the price of ten pigs each. The
prophet secured. also, the most de-
sirable women in the vicinity. In
fact. he appropriated everything he
wanted and occasionally he ran
amuck and killed several of his COM
patriots.
At Villa. Commissioner King, who
had sent for him several times to no
avail, had given me a letter to pre-
sent to the old fellow in case ] should
go 10 Santo. I now sent word to the
chief that l had an important mes
sage that could be delivered only TO
him in person. Two days after the
message had been delivered the
prophet appeared.
had made everything ready for
motion picture show to entertain
my pigmies. Just before dark. as
was testing my protector, thirty
armed natives came down the beach
The dwarfs huddled behind us, fright
ened.
The newcomers were a naSty-look.
ing lot The prophet, ridiculous in
sinclet and overalls and a high hat
came up to me with no sign of hesi
tation and held out his hand. i coult
distinguish words in the greeting HI
grunted at me, but they had no con
nection.
1 presented Commissioner King:
letter, an imposing document with &
red official seal. When the prophe
saw the red seal. he rolled his eyes
, in terror.
me sick; me sick" he repeated
over ana over
After dark. we started the show
The dwarfs chartered and giggled like
, children, but our other guests were
unsmiling and ominously silent, ant
, 1 was glad when the prophet and hi:
. followers withdrew for the night.
n NIEXT day the prophet and his mer
IN departed in quest of a certain
kind Of shellf1sh to be found abou
five miles up the beach, and we de
cided in their absence to visit one O
the villages.
We walked for about three hours
Then we heard. faint in the distance
the sound of a tom-tom. Soon we
were within hearing Of chantet
song. We advanced until from be
hind a clump Of bushes we coult
watch the natives who danced in {
village clearing. The dance was JUS
the ordinary native hay-foot, straw
foot, around the devil-devils in the
i. center of the clearing, now slow
now gradually increasing in tempo
until it was a run.
What interested me was the feast
that was in preparation. / do moi
know what 1t was that made me sus.
peot the nature of the meat. Some
sixth sense whispered to me that il
was not pork.
For an hour we watched and took
long-range photographs. Then
1 rr a Is,.v