The School Friends; Or, Nothing New
Page 30
theyhaving often to carry loads in addition to their children, who clung totheir backs. The boys were manacled in the same way as the men; whilethe younger girls, though fastened together to prevent their runningaway, were allowed to travel without loads, not from any feeling ofmercy on the part of their captives, but that they might appear tobetter advantage on their arrival at the slave-market. Some of the menwho had apparently been refractory were secured by having their necksfixed in forks at the end of heavy poles, the fork being secured by ironpins bolted in at the broader end so as to prevent them from slippingout their necks. Two or three dozen of the stronger men were thusfastened together two and two, some having also chains round theirwrists. A number of men--some armed with spears and swords, and otherswith muskets--stood ready to prevent the possibility of the captivesescaping.
Martin hurried to the spot where the boys were collected, eagerlyscanning the faces of the young captives. He had passed by a number,among whom he in vain searched for Kibo. There was one more group alittle further on, still sitting or lying down. The reason of this wasat once apparent. One of the poor lads being unable to rise, hiscompanions in misfortune were kicking and pinching him to make him getup, with the exception of one, who was endeavouring to protect him fromtheir cruelty. In that one, though deprived of his English clothes andnaked like the rest, Martin recognised his friend Kibo. He was soengaged in his generous efforts to protect the sufferer that he did notat first observe Martin approaching. Kibo, at length seeing Martin,uttering a cry of joy, endeavoured to spring forward, but his chainquickly checked him. The other lads on this ceased tormenting theircompanion, and gazed with astonishment at the stranger and his flag.Martin, speaking in English, told Kibo why he had come to the camp, andadvised him not to say who he was lest the chief should increase theamount he might demand for his ransom.
"There is my friend," he then said, turning to the headman who hadaccompanied him. "You see, as I told you, that he speaks my language,and you will now believe that everything else I have told you about himis true. Set him at once at liberty, and I will send the goods as soonas I return to the camp."
Greatly to his joy, Martin saw Kibo's manacles knocked off, and theystood together grasping each other's hands. Kibo, however, did not movefrom the spot, but casting his eyes towards the poor lad on the ground,he said, "Can you get him set free too? he is sick already, and will dieif made to travel with the rest. I have been telling him about JesusChrist, and he says how much he wishes to know Him better, and that hewould come to this country and teach people to be happy. Oh, howgrieved I should be if he were to die and not know more about Him!"
Martin at once pointed out the sick lad to the headmen, and told themthat if they would knock off his chains and carry him to their chief, hewould pay a ransom for him as well as for his friend. As the savagessaw that this would be a clear gain, well knowing that the lad would dieif compelled to march with the rest, they at once complied; and Martingrasping Kibo by the hand, followed by a couple of men carrying the poorlad, returned to the hut, in front of which the chief was seated smokinghis pipe, and surrounded by several persons. One of these, though hisskin was as brown as that of the rest, had European features, and wasdressed in shirt and trousers, and Martin rightly conjectured that hewas an agent of the slave-dealers on the coast, and had instigated theraid which had unhappily been so successfully carried out. Martin hadbrought a list of his remaining goods, and the chief appeared satisfiedwith those he offered in exchange for Kibo and the other lad. He was inhopes that the matter would quickly be settled, when the white manadvised the chief to refuse the articles offered and to insist on havingtusks instead. Martin had been too long accustomed to deal with thenatives to yield at once, or to acknowledge that he had any tusks.
"I tell you truly that I offer you all my remaining goods," he answered."If you will send messengers to receive them, I promise to send them toyou as soon as I can get back to my camp."
The chief, instigated by the slave-dealer, insisted on having tusks,finally agreeing, however, to receive twelve for Kibo and two for thepoor sick lad, who, he remarked, was not likely to be of much use to anyone. He would probably not have allowed his captives to go free untilhe had received the tusks, but when Martin promised on the faith of hisflag to send them, even the slave-dealer advised him to consent,observing that Englishmen, though he hated them from his heart, alwaysfulfilled their promises. Martin, thankful that his enterprise had thusfar succeeded, set out with Kibo, accompanied by fourteen men, who wereto go a part of the distance and there to wait till the arrival of thetusks. On consideration of receiving payment, they agreed to carry thepoor lad whose freedom Martin had obtained. As they approached the spotwhere he had left his companions, he and Kibo hurried forward to givethem warning. Their joy at seeing their chief's son was very great, andthey declared that Martin ought to be made a chief himself. Martin,committing the two rescued lads to the charge of the Makololo, urgedthem to hasten on to Kanenge, while he followed with Masiko, as he wasanxious to separate the hostile natives as soon as possible, fearingthat either one or the other might be guilty of some act of treachery.He advised those who had come from the camp to remain at the spot wherehe left them till his return. The men begged that he would leave hisflag, as no one, they observed, would then venture to attack them, andit would be an additional proof that he intended to fulfil his promise.This he gladly agreed to do. He then set out with Masiko, and travelledon with all speed, supported by the feeling that he had succeeded in hisundertaking, and by his wish to fulfil his promise. For many miles thecountry was desolate, and no food was to be obtained. In the evening,however, they overtook their companions, who had sufficient for theirwants. Kibo gave a good report of his friend Telo, who by hisdirections had been carried on a litter.
"I have promised that you, Martin, will take him with you to themissionary, who will instruct him in the religion of which I have beentelling him. He says that as all his friends have been killed orcarried off as slaves he will gladly go with you."
"But I must get you also to go with me, if your father will let you,"said Martin. "You will then learn English, and obtain more knowledge ofthe Bible; and you may some day return to this country with a whitemissionary, to whom you may act as interpreter, and be able to instructyour people in the truths of the Gospel."
Kibo, who had not been attracted by the examples of savage life he hadwitnessed, gladly promised to try and obtain his father's leave toreturn with Martin. He did this more willingly as he found with regretthat Kanenge was in no way disposed to listen to him when he tried toexplain the Gospel, and he hoped that a missionary would be moresuccessful. The discussion of their plans for the future occupied themduring the remainder of their journey. Kanenge received his son withjoy, and expressed his warmest gratitude to Martin for bringing himback. Though he confessed that a very high price had been demanded forhis liberation, he seemed rather flattered than otherwise by it, andinsisted on replacing the tusks taken from Martin's store. He showed,however, that he was still the savage by observing that Martin had beenover-generous in rescuing poor Telo, who was not worth the two tusks hehad promised. Martin did not consider it necessary to argue the point,merely replying that he would give them from his own store.
As soon as he had rested, leaving Kibo with Kanenge to look after Telo,he and Masiko set out, attended by several men carrying the tusks he hadpromised as a ransom for the two young blacks. He also selected anumber of articles to distribute among the party who had escorted himfrom the camp. He found them anxiously waiting his return, and in fearof being attacked on their march to overtake the rest of their party.No sooner had they received the tusks and presents than they hurriedoff, and Martin and Masiko returned in safety to Kanenge's camp. In ashort time Kanenge managed to obtain as many tusks as Martin had paidfor his son's ransom, with several in addition, which he presented as agift. Martin having thus, greatly to his satisfaction, rescued Kibofrom slavery, was anxious to rejoi
n Mr Warden as soon as possible.
Still, eager as he was to set out, he determined not to go, if possible,without his friend. He had frequent conversations with Kibo on thesubject.
Martin went to the chief, who again expressed his gratitude to him forrescuing his son.
"Yes," said Martin, "I, it is true, redeemed him from slavery, but thatwas only the slavery which binds the body; you wish to bring back hissoul into slavery, which is ten thousand times worse than that fromwhich I saved him. If he remains with you, and follows your customs, hewill be Satan's slave. Allow him to return with me, and in a few yearsI trust that he will come back and be able to show you and your peoplehow you may be free indeed, and enjoy the blessings which my religioncan alone give you. You acknowledge that I have been the means ofrescuing him from your enemies; I have a right, therefore, to