CHAPTER XVI
NEGRO DIPLOMACY
The glare was almost intolerable when Ormsgill and his carriers walkedinto the space of trampled dust round which straggled the heavilythatched huts of the native village. The afternoon sun flooded it witha pitiless heat and dazzling brilliancy, and there was not a movementin the stagnant atmosphere. Beyond the clustering huts the forest roseimpressively still, and there was a deep silence for a few momentsafter the line of weary men appeared. Then as they came on with a softpatter of naked feet a murmur rose from the groups of half-nakednegroes squatting in the dust under the shadow flung by a great tree.It was not articulate, but there was a hint of anger in it, for whitemen were not regarded with any great favor in that village, which wasnot astonishing.
They moved quietly forward across the glaring dust, with a guard ofdusky men in white cotton marching rifle on shoulder behind them.Indeed, the carriers only stopped when they reached the shadow of thetree under which the Headman and the elders of the village hadassembled. Then as Ormsgill raised his hand the men with rifles swungout to left and right, and stood fast, an inconsequent handful ofmotionless figures with the unarmed carriers clustering behind them.Their white cotton draperies, which they had put on half an hour ago,gleamed in the sun glare dazzlingly.
Ormsgill was quite aware that a good deal depended on his composureand steadiness of bearing, but he had just come out of the shadow ofthe forest and he blinked as he looked about him. Close in front ofhim the fat village Headman sat on a carved stool, but there wasanother older man of somewhat lighter color and dignified presence whowas seated a little higher, and this promised to complicate theaffair, since Ormsgill recognized him as a man of some importance inthose forests, and one who claimed a certain domination over thevillages in them. It was known that he bore the white men little goodwill, but his presence there suggested that he had some complaintagainst the villagers, or was disposed as their suzerain to listen totheir grievances, and Ormsgill realized that he had arrived at asomewhat unfortunate time. Then his eyes rested on another man he hadexpected to see. He stood among the elders, big and brown-skinned,with loose robes of white and blue flowing about him, smilingmaliciously, though Ormsgill fancied that for some not very evidentreason he was not quite at ease. Nares, who now stood beside hiscomrade, recognized him as Domingo, the labor purveyor.
"I'm 'most afraid you are going to find it difficult to get thoseboys," he said. "One could fancy these people had affairs of their ownto discuss, and it's by no means certain that they'll even listen tous in the meanwhile."
Ormsgill, who did not answer him, glanced round at his boys. Hefancied that none of them felt exactly comfortable, but they, atleast, kept still, and he sent forward two of them with the presentshe had brought before he turned to the Headman.
"I have come here to justice," he said in a bush tongue, and Nares whohad a closer acquaintance with it amplified his observations. "Thatman," and he pointed to Domingo, "has with him boys who belonged to myfriend the trader Lamartine. He stole them, and I have made a longjourney to get them back again."
"If they belonged to Lamartine, who is dead, they can not be yours,"said the Headman shrewdly. "You do not say you bought them from him."
"In one sense it's almost a pity you hadn't. He has made a point,"Nares said quietly.
It was evident that the rest of the assembly recognized the fact, forthere was laughter and a murmur of concurrence. Ormsgill, who did notexpect to be believed, flung a hand up.
"If you will listen you shall hear why I claim them," he said, and hespoke for some minutes tersely while Nares now and then flung in aword or two.
Another laugh rang along the rows of squatting men, and there wasblank incredulity in the dusky faces. This was, however, by no meansastonishing, since the motives he professed to have been actuated bywere distinctly unusual in that part of Africa. It was inconceivableto those who heard him that a man should trouble himself greatly abouta promise he need not have kept, as this one said he had done. Theywere too well acquainted with the white men's habits to believe athing of that kind could be possible. The fat Headman looked round andgrinned.
"I think," he observed, "we should now hear what Domingo has to say."
Domingo had a good deal to say, and framed it cunningly, playing uponthe dislike of the white men that was in those who heard him, but asOrmsgill noticed, it was the old man of lighter color he chieflywatched. The latter sat silent and motionless, regarding him withexpressionless eyes, until he ceased, and Ormsgill realized that if itdepended upon the opinion of the assembly Domingo had won his case.Still, though he was by no means sure what he would do, he was, atleast, determined it should not depend on that, and there was a traceof grimness in his smile when Nares turned to him.
"I'm afraid it has gone against us," he said.
"Against me, you mean," said Ormsgill dryly.
"No," and Nares's gesture was expressive, "what I said stands withoutthe correction."
Before Ormsgill could answer, the old man made a sign, and there wasno mistaking his tone of authority.
"Bring the boys," he said.
They were led in some minutes later, eight of them, and three or fourran towards Ormsgill with eager cries. He waved them back, and therewas silence for a moment or two until the old man rose up slowly witha curious smile in his eyes.
"It seems that this man has not beaten them too often," he said. "Youhave seen that they would sooner be his men than Domingo's. Let one ofthem speak."
One of them did so, and what he said bore out some, at least, ofOrmsgill's assertions. Then the grave figure in the plain white roberaised a hand, and there was a sudden silence of attention.
"After all," he said, "this is my village, and it is by my permissionyour Headman rules here. Now, this stranger has told us a thing whichappears impossible. We have not heard anything like it from a whiteman before, but when a man would deceive you he is careful to tell youwhat you can believe."
There was a little murmur which suggested that the listeners graspedthe point of this, and the old man went on.
"I know that Lamartine was an honest man, for I have bought tradegoods from him. They were what I bought them for, and I got the weightand count in full. Lamartine was honest, and it is likely that thisman is honest, too, or he would not have been his friend."
He stopped a moment, and smiled a trifle dryly. "Now, we know thatDomingo is a thief, for he has often cheated you, and it is certainthat he is a friend of the white men. I have told you at other timesthat you are fools to trade with him. If a man is in debt or has donesome wrong you part with him for this trader's goods. The rum isdrunk, the cloth wears out, but the man lives on, and every day's workhe does on the white men's plantations makes them richer andstronger. As they grow richer they grow greedier, and by and by theywill not be satisfied with a man or two from among you. You will havemade them strong enough to take you all. That, however, is not thequestion in the meanwhile. I think it may have happened, as thisstranger says, that Domingo stole these boys from Lamartine, but evenin that case there is a difficulty. The boys are with him, and in thiscountry what a man holds in his hand is his. Perhaps the white manwill offer him goods for them. I do not think he would ask too much,at least, if he is wise."
He looked at Ormsgill, who shook his head.
"Not a piece of cloth or a bottle of gin," he said.
There was a little murmur of resentment from the assembly, butOrmsgill saw that his boldness had the effect he had expected upon theman whose suggestion he had disregarded, and he had not actedinadvisedly when he dismissed all idea of compromise. Domingo hadinfluential friends in that village, while, save for the handful ofcarriers, he and his companion stood alone. He also knew that ifmisfortune befell them no troublesome questions would be asked by theauthorities. The whole enterprise was in one sense a folly, and thatbeing so it was only by a continuance of the rashness he could expectto carry it through. Half measures were, as he realized, generallyusel
ess, and often perilous, in an affair of the kind, for there areoccasions when one must face disastrous failure or bid boldly forsuccess. Nares also seemed to recognize that fact, for he smiled as heturned to his companion.
"I think you were right," he said.
Then the Headman said something to his Suzerain who made a sign thatthe audience was over.
"It is a thing that must be talked over," he announced. "We shall,perhaps, know what must be done to-morrow."
Ormsgill acknowledged his gesture, swinging off his shapeless hat, andthen led his boys away to the hut one of the Headman's servantspointed out to him. It was old, and had apparently been built for aperson of importance for, though this was more usual further eastamong the dusky Moslem, there was a tall mud wall about it, and asmaller building probably intended for the occupation of the womeninside the latter. It was dusty and empty save for the rats andcertain great spiders, and during the rest of the hot afternoonOrmsgill sat with Nares in the little enclosed space under thelengthening shadow of the wall. The boys had curled themselves upamidst the dust and quietly gone to sleep.
There was nothing they could see but the ridge of forest beyond thehuts, and though now and then a clamor of voices reached them fromoutside, it supplied them with no clue to what was going on. Ormsgillsmoked his pipe out several times before he said anything, and then heglanced at the wall meditatively.
"It seems thick, and there's only one entrance," he observed. "Ialmost fancy we could hold the place, though I don't anticipate thenecessity. Still, Domingo, who does a good trade here, has a certainfollowing, and it might be an advantage if I knew a little more aboutour friends' affair. Their Suzerain seems to have some notion of fairplay. I wonder what he is doing here."
"I have been asking myself the same question," said Nares. "It seemsto me these folks have been a little slack in recognizing hisauthority, and he has been making them a visitation. In one respectthey're somewhat unfortunately fixed. The Portuguese consider theybelong to them though they have made no attempt to occupy the country,and it's a little rough on the Headman who has to keep the peace withboth."
Ormsgill made a little gesture of concurrence. "No doubt you'recorrect. The question is who the Headman would sooner not offend, andit's rather an important one because we are somewhat awkwardlycircumstanced if it's the Portuguese. Our friend from the Interiornaturally doesn't like them, but it's uncertain how far we could counton him, and Dom Luiz will probably turn up to-morrow night or the nextday, and then there would be fresh complications."
"In that case we should never get the boys."
The lines grew a trifle deeper in Ormsgill's forehead, but he smiled."I wouldn't go quite so far, though if Domingo still had the boys itmight delay things. As it is, I don't think he will have them. How I'mgoing to take them from him I don't quite know, but I expect to makean attempt of some kind to-morrow. You see, these folks have noparticular fondness for the Portuguese, and that will probably countfor a little."
Nares said nothing further on that subject, and Ormsgill talked aboutother matters while the shadows crept across the little dustyenclosure and the forest cut more darkly against the dazzling glare.Then it stood out for a brief few minutes fretted hard and sharp inebony against a blaze of transcendent splendor, and vanished with analmost bewildering suddenness as darkness swept down. The smell ofwood smoke crept into the stagnant air, and a cheerful hum of voicesrose from the huts beyond the wall, through which odd bursts oflaughter broke. It would not have been astonishing if it had jarredupon the susceptibilities of the two men who heard it, but, as ithappened, they listened tranquilly. They had both faced too manyperils in the shadowy land to concern themselves greatly as to whatmight befall them. In one was the sure belief that all he was to bearwas appointed for him, and the other thought of little but the task inhand. They were simple men, impatient often, and now and then driveninto folly by human bitterness, but there is, perhaps, nothing taughtin all the creeds and philosophies greater than their desire to do alittle good. The formulas change, and lose their authority, but thedown-trodden and those who groan beneath a heavy burden always remain.
By and by one of the Headman's retainers brought in food and a nativelamp. He had nothing to tell the white men, and they, recognizing it,judiciously refrained from useless questions. When they had eaten theysat awhile talking of matters that did not greatly interest them untilOrmsgill, who had already stationed his sentries, extinguished thelight.
"Whether the boys can be depended on to watch I don't know, and it'sprobably very doubtful," he said. "Anyway, I think we shall be safeuntil to-morrow, and I'm going to sleep. After all, I fancy we couldleave the thing to the Headman. He's a cunning rascal, and it's tosome extent his business to find a way out of the difficulty. As yousuggest, he stands between his Suzerain and the Portuguese, and can'tafford to offend either of them."
He stretched himself out on his hard native couch, and apparently sankinto tranquil slumber, but it was some time before Nares' eyes closed.He was of different temperament, and, though he was not undulyanxious, the surroundings had their effect on him. There was, asusual, no door to the hut, and he could see the soft blue darknessbeyond the entrance. The figure of a big, half-naked man who carried aheavy rifle cut against it shadowily now and then. The village wassilent, and he could hear a little hot breeze sweep through it andstir the invisible trees. At last, however, he sank into sleep, andwas awakened suddenly some time later. He did not know what had rousedhim, but as he raised himself he dimly saw Ormsgill slip across theroom. Then there was a footfall outside, and he made out the sentryhalf-crouching in the entrance.
He rose, and stood still, quivering a little, while, perhaps, aquarter of a minute slipped by. The stillness was very impressive, andseemed emphasized by the footsteps outside. They were soft andcautious, and it was evident that the man who made them was desirousof slipping into the hut unseen. Then there was a thud in theentrance, and a scuffle during which Ormsgill hurled himself upon thepair of struggling men.
"Let him go," he said in a bush tone. "Take your hand off his neck.Now get up."
A man who gasped heavily staggered to his feet, and Ormsgill laughedas he turned to Nares.
"I believe he's a messenger, but he can hardly blame us for welcominghim as we did," he said. "Now if you have anything to say go on withit."
Nares could only just see the negro, who was probably attempting torecover his senses, for he said nothing.
"Who sent you?" asked Ormsgill, who gripped his arm tightly, in thenative tongue.
"It is a thing I am not to tell," said the man. "I have a message.Domingo left our village with the boys an hour ago. He heads for thewest."
Nares turned to Ormsgill. "Well," he said, "I am not altogetherastonished, and the Headman's hint is plain enough. Of course, thething may be a trap, but it is quite possible he is not unnaturallyanxious to get rid of us and Domingo."
Ormsgill looked at the negro. "If he has gone an hour ago how are weto come up with him?"
"The road twists across the high land," said the man. "There is ashorter path through a swamp."
"Then if you will lead us across the swamp so we can reach firm groundin front of Domingo you shall have as much cloth as you can carry."
It was a tempting offer, and though the negro appeared to havemisgivings he profited by it, and in another few minutes Ormsgill hadroused the boys in the compound.
"If we have no trouble in getting out I think we can feel reasonablysure that the Headman doesn't care whether we worry Domingo or not,"he said.
"Well," said Nares reflectively, "I almost think you're right. Still,he may, after all, have something different in his mind. As you said,we could probably hold the hut, and we are not out of the villageyet."
Ormsgill seemed to smile. "In that case," he said, "he may have reasonto be sorry he ever entertained a notion of that kind."
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