CHAPTER II.

HALTED BY SAVAGES.

The chief leaned back in his chair and drew a long breath.

“That will mean,” he said, “one smart American the less in the world.”

“Well, I don’t think,” retorted Trim. “If you fellows could go out there and come back alive I don’t see why I shouldn’t.”

The chief shrugged his shoulders.

“Our expedition,” he said, “was made up of older men than you are, and when a fellow gets old enough to have a beard on his face he understands that caution is quite as important to success as courage.”

“I suppose you’re thinking,” responded Trim, “that I shall go out there and hit the first head I see?”

“Well, it doesn’t strike me as if you would be able to get along without a row. You don’t seem to be a fellow who will stand very much nonsense, and I just give you warning that these savages in Central Africa often make trouble for travelers and unless they are handled carefully the result is likely to be bloodshed.”

“You don’t know me,” remarked Trim. “I shall come back alive unless I’m carried off by a fever or an accident.”

“Of course I hope you’ll succeed in coming back alive.

“There isn’t the remotest chance that you’ll be able to get hold of Mulvey or any of his white men, although it is possible that you may run across Miller if you start at once.

“It’ll take him some time to go to Gordonia, and he may lose his way. If you should come across him I advise you to come back with him and let the others go.”

“I’ll see about that, chief, if it happens that I find Miller on the way.

“Meantime, if you have got any pointers that you can give about the roads and so on, I will be glad to have them.”

The chief rather unwillingly told Trim about the various travelers’ routes across Bechuanaland, and gave him, also, some little information about the many tribes whose territory he would have to pass.

At the end of the conversation Trim returned to his hotel where his old friend, Dobbin, was awaiting him, and together they made preparations for a journey westward.

Although Dobbin had learned to have confidence in Trim’s judgment, he was nevertheless a little in doubt about this excursion to the Narugas.

“What’s the good of it, lad?” he asked. “Why don’t ee take things easy a bit?”

“I don’t see any fun in sitting still, old fellow,” was Trim’s response.

“No, that ee don’t.”

“Would you rather stay quietly here in Kimberley until I come back?”

“Bless yer brave heart, no, lad. I could not sleep of nights if I thought ee was trampin’ across the wilderness without me by to look out for ee.”

“Well, if you can stand the journey I certainly hope you’ll come along.”

“I don’t suppose I can stan’ it as well as I could if there was a good ship’s deck under me feet, an’ perhaps I’ll not be able to walk as fast as you like, anyway——”

“I don’t think we shall do much walking!” interrupted Trim. “We shall travel by donkey.”

“Donkeys, is it?”

“Yes. It seems that is the animal that is used in this part of the world for long journeys.”

“Well, then, if the donkeys can stan’ it I fancy an old sailor like me can.”

As it was necessary that they should have a party of attendants as well as a large supply of provisions and a quantity of articles like glass beads to give to the savages, they were kept very busy for a full day in making ready.

Trim did not regard the time as lost, for he had no hope whatever of overtaking Miller, the man he was especially interested in, before arriving at the country of the Narugas.

Besides that his ambition was thoroughly aroused now. He would not be content to return with Miller alone.

His American pride had been touched by the chief’s sneers and he wanted to return to Kimberley either with all the white criminals who had escaped justice or at least with information that they were no longer alive.

It was for the reason that he hoped to bring back a number of prisoners that he engaged a rather large party of attendants.

Two of these were white men whom he had picked out as fellows likely to be daring and faithful and the others were half-civilized natives who had made many similar journeys as the carriers and servants of ordinary travelers.

The party started early in the morning. The single railway that runs through Kimberley was of no use to them, as its general direction is north and south.

For a long distance they were to proceed almost due west, and therefore from the very start they traveled upon donkeys.

Little needs be said of the first three days of their march. During that time they traveled upon a well-beaten road and passed several settlements of white men.

As long as they were in the boundaries of Cape Colony there was no probability that they would be interfered with by natives, or that they would meet with other than ordinary adventures.

This proved to be the case and it was not until they were well over the borders of Bechuanaland that their journey became especially interesting.

It was all interesting to Trim, however, because he was seeing a new part of the world and getting acquainted with methods of life that were unfamiliar to him.

At the end of the third day they camped near a small stream.

They had hardly begun to make their arrangements for the night when three black men appeared from the edge of the forest not far away and slowly approached them.

“Those be different lookin’ niggers than any we have seen yet, lad,” remarked Dobbin, eying the newcomers suspiciously.

“I reckon you’ll find them much the same as the rest,” responded Trim. “They’re probably curious about us and take the same sort of interest in us that children do in a circus parade.”

This, in fact, had been the kind of attention they had received thus far in the journey.

Wherever they went the black men whom they passed stared at them open-mouthed, and when they went into camp or paused for dinner they were often watched at a little distance by groups of natives.

Up to this time no natives had spoken to them.

These three came straight up to the camp and stopped at a little distance from Trim and Dobbin, who were seated carelessly upon a box.

One of the black men made a motion with his hand. Trim did not know what it meant, but he promptly imitated the motion and stood up.

“I presume that means how do you do,” he said to Dobbin.

The black then said a few words in his own language.

Among Trim’s party there were several who could act as interpreters, and Trim beckoned one of them to his side.

“What has the dark-complexioned gentleman got to say?” asked Trim.

“He demands to know,” was the reply, “who you are and what your purpose is in being here.”

“Ask him who he is and by what right he makes such a demand?” said Trim.

The interpreter spoke to the black man, who replied promptly in words that the interpreter translated as follows:

“We are elders of the tribe of Pombas. We live at peace with all men and trouble none who don’t come bringing war.

“We own this land, although the great white queen has asked for it. We have no trouble with the great white queen, but we still have the right to live here.”

“The great white queen,” added the interpreter, “is her Majesty, the Queen of England.”

“I suppose so,” responded Trim, “and they seem to have a good deal of respect for her. I reckon we shan’t have any trouble with them.

“Tell them that we are the sons of the western stars and that we are passing through their country simply on our way to where the stars have their thrones.

“Let them understand that we don’t intend to give them any trouble, and that we shall return by this same way at a later day.”

The interpreter delivered this speech which the black men received with solemn interest. Then they conversed together for a moment.

At length, facing again toward Trim, they made another speech through their spokesman.

The interpreter grinned as he turned to his employer to translate it.

“They say,” he said, “‘that it is the custom of well-meaning travelers to pay for the privilege of camping in this territory.’”

“We’ll settle that quick enough, then,” responded Trim. “Tell them that they shall be liberally rewarded.”

With this he opened the box upon which he and Dobbin had been sitting, and took from it a handful of the cheapest kind of beads and other such ornaments.

The eyes of the savages glistened as they saw the trinkets.

Trim gave them each a few of these articles and then held his hands over their heads, making gestures slowly and solemnly.

“Tell them,” he said to the interpreter, “that the western stars look kindly at them.”

The interpreter did as directed, whereupon the savages dropped upon their knees, touched their foreheads to the earth, mumbling all the time, and then departed.

“See here, Dobbin,” exclaimed Trim. “You’ve got to keep a straight face at such times as this!”

“Lord bless ee, lad,” returned Dobbin; “how could a man keep straight when ye was goin’ all through that monkey business?”

“It meant everything to them,” responded Trim, “and if you don’t stop grinning when such fellows are around you’ll break the snap.”

“I’ll be as sober as a deacon after this,” Dobbin declared.

They saw no more savages that night and met none during the next day’s journey.

On the day following, however, as it came on toward evening they observed that they were followed by half a dozen blacks who seemed to be doubtful whether they should come up to the party or not.

Trim did not like their actions and was prepared in his own mind for trouble.

He consulted a map of the territory that he had taken with him and found that he was now in the land of the Massais.

“In times past,” he said to himself, “the Massais have given a good deal of trouble to the great white queen and we are now so far from any white settlement that we may have to look sharp.”

The blacks followed along after them for several miles.

At last the travelers made ready to camp at the shore of a small lake.

As before Trim and Dobbin sat upon a box while their employees did the work.

Trim kept his eyes upon the blacks, who now approached rapidly.

When they came up their leader spoke in loud tones and in what appeared to be a threatening manner.

The interpreter whom Trim summoned was evidently uneasy.

“It’s the same question,” he said. “They demand to know by what right you are traveling here and why you camp in this spot?”

“Give them the same answer back,” responded Trim.

“Tell them I want to know what right they have to ask questions, anyhow.”

So the interpreter spoke, and after the black had answered he said:

“They say that they are warriors belonging to the tribe of Massais.”

“Is that all they say?”

“That is all.”

Trim reflected quickly.

“The very fact that they announce themselves as warriors is a threat. I shall have to meet them on their own ground.”

He arose and spoke to the blacks as if they could understand him. His voice was loud and stern.

“Go back to your tribe!” he said. “I will not waste words with warriors. If your tribe has anything to say to me it will send its elders.”

The blacks listened in evident surprise at the boy’s tones and manner.

When the interpreter had translated his remarks they looked still more surprised.

They conversed with each other for a moment and then slowly departed.

“That was a good bluff!” remarked Trim, with a long breath.

“I don’t half understand it, lad,” said Dobbin, seriously.

“The point is,” explained Trim, “that these tribes are governed by men whom they call elders, and as I understand them, the warriors have no right to act without the advice of the elders.

“If the elders should make up their minds that we ought to be slaughtered our case would be hopeless, but it’s my opinion that when they threaten the only way to meet them is by keeping up a bold front and giving them threats in return.

“As long as the stock of glass beads holds out I am willing to buy peace from all the tribes of Africa, but that must be done through the elders and not through the warriors.”

“I suppose ye are right, lad. In fact I have no doubt of it, but if it was to come to a fight with those chaps——”

“You and I could do up that little party single-handed!” interrupted Trim; “but if it came to two or three thousand of them where would we be then?”

Dobbin threw up his hands in despair.

“I hope they don’t come back!” he said.

About an hour later supper had been eaten and the travelers were preparing to bunk for the night, when they saw a larger party of blacks approaching.

Among them were the warriors who had addressed them. The blacks came close up to the camp and this conversation followed, the speeches being translated of course, by an interpreter.

“You have sent for the elders of the Massais,” began the chief black man, “and we are here.”

“You are mistaken,” Trim responded. “We didn’t send for the elders, but that is no matter. We are glad to see you. You are welcome.”

“Who are you and why are you here?” asked the black.

“We are travelers, as you see. We are at peace with the Massais and simply intend to cross their territory.”

“We think you don’t mean peace.”

“But we do mean peace! We have no wish to trouble the Massais and we are willing to make gifts to the elders to show our good will.”

As in the previous case Trim and Dobbin opened the box and took out a quantity of trinkets.

They approached the savages with these.

The eyes of the black men glistened with interest as they saw the trinkets, but they did not put out their hands to receive them. Trim accordingly laid the trinkets at their feet.

“You see,” he said, “we come as friends.”

The speaker for the black men looked doubtful.

“We will take your presents,” he said, after a moment, “and let you go in peace, but you must go back, not forward!”

Trim answered sternly to this.

“We shall go forward, not back! The Massais must not stand in our way!”

Trim’s determined manner evidently made an impression upon the blacks, for the elders consulted together for several minutes.

The warriors in the party meantime strolled impudently within the camp itself and having untied one of the donkeys, were starting off with it.

“Stop that!” commanded Trim. “Bring that animal back or there’ll be trouble right here!”

The elders called to the warriors, who unwillingly brought the donkey back and then withdrew to a little distance.

“We’ll think it over,” said the spokesman, finally, “but the white man must not go from this place until we have had more talk.”

With this they gathered up their trinkets and marched away.

Trim paced up and down for several minutes in anxious thought after they had gone.

“Be ee goin’ to turn back, lad?” asked Dobbin.

“No, I’m not!” answered Trim; “but I’ll admit that the situation is serious.

“We cannot afford to make enemies of this big tribe, and we cannot afford to show them that we are afraid of them, either.

“Perhaps I ought to have offered them another handful of playthings. We’ll try that on in the morning.

“Somehow or other, Dobbin, I’m going to make these fellows give us a free pass to the furthest side of their territory.

“If those mischief-making warriors can be kept quiet for another day I think we shall be all right.

“One thing is certain: we shall have to stay in camp here until we get the permission of the elders to go forward.”