Chapter XVI:
Eva Starts Search for Her Husband
Six months passed, each day adding more and more to the suspense in her mind as to the fate of her husband.
Finally, calling Yanga to her one evening, she said, "Yanga, I can stand this suspense no longer. I shall take some of the boys and go searching for my husband. I know that you love Lucretia as if she were your own child, so I shall leave her in the care of you and Tobey. Lucretia is the only person Tobey really cares for and I know he would defend her with his life."
"Oh, Miss Eva, don't go away. You know I will gib my life for Miss Lucretia, but I want us all to be together," Yanga replied.
"But you do not understand, Yanga. I have no right to risk my daughter's life any more than we have already. I am leaving a letter to be given to Governor Row, in case we do not return in six months. If after that time we are not returned, you and Tobey must join the first caravan going to Musada. Tell King Banna Kelly of your desire to be sent to Governor Row of Freetown and he will send you on."
After completing the arrangements for her departure, Eva kissed Lucretia quietly as the latter slept upon her cot.
Taking Varnee as her escort, she started with eight carriers, two bearing her hammock and the others the camp supplies.
They proceeded along the river trail, camping at night, when they would put up a small camp tent for Eva.
One evening the boys were squatting around a fire near the tent, when a large leopard crept noiselessly along and sneaked in between the flaps of the tent.
Eva lay in a hammock stretched lengthwise. She opened her eyes upon its entrance, and lay gazing at the fiery eyes of the beast as it watched closely, and remained in a springing attitude.
Eva realized that the least movement on her part meant instant death. She therefore lay very quiet, not even daring to bat her eyes.
Just as she had given up hope of rescue, she heard a loud growl, and saw Varnee run in from the back end of the tent with a large torch of fire which he shook before the leopard, and it retired with furious growls. Eva lost consciousness for a few minutes, but soon recovered, and learned that when the leopard's tail disappeared within the tent the carriers had all deserted, saying that she was killed, and that they must seek safety. Varnee alone ventured to attempt rescue.
They decided that it was unsafe to remain longer in the neighborhood of the infuriated beast, whose growls could be heard in the distance.
Varnee hurriedly bundled a few things, which he strapped to his shoulders, as he also shouldered a Winchester rifle. He gave Eva a lighted torch, proceeded in a bending position, searching the narrow trail. Thus they continued, frightening the antelope and other beasts which scampered along the way. They finally came upon a small half town of bamboo huts and sleeping natives in the early morning. Eva questioned the frightened inhabitants, who could not understand Varnee's tongue, and with a pantomime conversation she soon realized that she could gain no tidings of Oliver from them.
After resting a day, Varnee managed to secure a canoe and paddles, and they started in the early morning by the water route.
As they were paddling near the bank, they came upon some wild cane which grew partly in the water. As Varnee was trying to extricate the canoe from the floating weeds, a hippopotamus was aroused from its siesta and plunged into the stream, upsetting the canoe in its hurried departure.
Eva managed to catch hold of the overturned canoe, and held on until Varnee rescued her just before the hippopotamus returned to investigate the cause of the recent excitement.
Taking to the woods with no means of making a fire and with no food, Varnee climbed into a tree to secure some monkey apples for their meal, when he saw a large elephant running in Eva's direction. He just had time to shout to her to climb a tree. It was close upon her before she reached a small tree which she hastily climbed.
The elephant wrapped its trunk around the slender tree and made an effort to uproot it. The tree top swayed and bent nearly to the ground, while Eva clung to its branches. It seemed only a question of a few minutes before the tree would be uprooted.
Several days after Eva had left the camp, Tobey ran to Yanga, who was preparing Lucretia's noon-day meal and said, "Gib me little un quick, quick, war lif for come for here."
Picking up Lucretia, he started for the woods, while Yanga, true to her precautious disposition, gathered up some articles of clothing, food, and the letter, which she tied into a large madras handkerchief and bundled it into a large blanket shawl. She then followed Tobey's bush trail, just as the war party was nearing the barricade.
Tobey had concealed himself and waited until Yanga approached when, still carrying Lucretia they ran further into the woods. But Yanga's delay had almost been fatal, for some of the warriors caught a glimpse of her calico wrapper as she disappeared into the woods. So that while the greater number despoiled and ravaged the camp, even to cutting up the canvas tents, a few pursued Yanga.
The warriors were very close upon them when Tobey handed Lucretia to Yanga and ran into view so as to throw them off Yanga's tracks.
His long cloth which he stoically wore across his shoulders even in a jungle flight readily deceived the party who had only caught a glimpse of Yanga's wrapper.
Yanga in the meantime lay down with Lucretia behind a large log and remained very quiet until their pursuers had disappeared in another direction.
Lifting Lucretia on one arm while she balanced the bundle upon her head with the other, she ran as rapidly as she could over the many roots and through the thick grass. When she reached a safe distance she stood Lucretia upon a rock and opened her bundle; after giving Lucretia a few biscuits, she had Lucretia hold on to her shoulders and sit upon her back as she tied the large blanket around her.
Yanga had frequently employed this method of conveyance since Lucretia was quite small, and now, although she was quite a little maid she still enjoyed the ride.
Placing the bundle upon her head Yanga held her shirt as she waded the ponds and marshy swamps.
When night approached she looked around until she found a large hollow tree. Taking a stick in her hand she prodded up the trunk and around until she was satisfied no serpents or poisonous insects were concealed within. She then gathered up a large pile of briars and thorny shrubs and placed them near the entrance. After placing Lucretia inside and creeping in upon her hands, she pulled the pile before the tree.
Opening and snuggling in with Lucretia, wrapped snugly in the blanket, while she sat and watched a large ape return to its lair. She dared not make a move, and looked in terror as the huge monkey attempted to pull away the brush. But after several of the thorns had stuck into its paws, with a cry of pain and rage, it ambled away.
Thus the night passed as she watched the buffalo, antelope, hartbeast and other wild animals pass by seeking their respective lairs or prey.
Thus they wandered through the forest, eating wild figs, pineapples and other fruits and sleeping among the roots of the large cottonwood trees or caves.
Emerging from the forest they entered a hot, sandy plain. As far as Yanga could see was only a barren desert. Holding Lucretia's hand they wandered on. Lucretia looked up into Yanga's face and said, "Oh Yanga, I am so thirsty and want my mamma and papa so bad." Yanga picked her up and struggled along until she was hardly able to stand upon her feet, when Lucretia began crying.
Yange threw up her hands in despair and lay exhausted for a while. Struggling to her feet she picked up her bundle and held Lucretia by the hand as they walked through the burning sands.
They finally reached a large tree when both Lucretia and Yanga fell exhausted under its shade and were soon asleep.
Lucretia first awoke, crying for water, when Yanga opened her eyes in time to see a small monkey climbing a tree with some fruit in its hand and mouth.
Yanga looked around and discovered quite a number of little brown rough skin plums which partially allayed the thirst of both. After securing quite a number they resumed their journey. The parched lips refused to be cooled by the plums and just as Yanga had given up hope she recognized in a short distance the traveller's tree (wrania speciesa). With renewed hope she picked up Lucretia and went as fast as her weak state would permit.
As soon as she reached the tree she opened a large pocket knife and cut away one of the fronds; as soon as the water flowed she satisfied Lucretia's thirst and then her own.
They entered a sparsely wooded forest and finally came upon a ruined native village. All of the houses except one small bamboo hut had been razed to the ground by fire. All of the vegetation and fruit trees near had also met the same fate.
It was about 4 p.m. when they reached the village, and Lucretia was fatigued.
Yanga fixed a pallet of the blanket in the small hut and lay Lucretia upon the same to rest.
After Lucretia had fallen asleep, Yanga wandered around in search for food. Lucretia awoke soon after she had gone and coming out of the hut she began crying and calling for Yanga. Just from behind a clump of dried banana bushes appeared a little black five-year-old baby girl, wearing only beads around her waist and holding the hand of a large chimpanzee almost as large as herself.
She looked in Lucretia's direction, first in fright, but the sight of Lucretia's tears overcame the first idea of flight.
Lucretia was so glad of human companionship and having a fondness for monkey pets, she did not hesitate very long but ran to meet the queer pair. Recalling some of the African words she had heard Varnee and Yanga frequently use she said: "Yakune?" (How do you do).
The little girl's face became full of smiles, showing her little white baby teeth.
"Uhnlakune," she replied, returning the same compliments.
"Wo Twe?" (What are your names?), Lucretia asked.
"Na tuhn Zina, ah tuhn Nogi," (My name is Zina and its name is Nogi), Zina replied, as she indicated the chimpanzee in her last reply.
Zina soon made Lucretia understand, with the addition of the African pantomime language, that the language they both spoke was a branch of the Mande tongue, and that she and her mother had lived long ago far, far away in the Mandingo country and had been caught in war and sold as slaves back farther into the interior.
Then the war had come upon the village a few weeks before and killed nearly all of the inhabitants, her mother among them. As she made the motion of cutting the throat, she burst into tears and was soothed by Lucretia, who patted her gently upon the back.
"Nogi," she continued, had fled with her to safety among the woods and had fed and acted as her mother ever since.
As the children conversed they wandered toward the woods, being led unconsciously by Nogi, which gently pulled Zina's hand as she ambled toward the forest.
Lucretia suddenly realized that it was becoming dark and she pulled Zina and Nogi back to the deserted village as she cried for Yanga.
But as the night shadows began to fall, Nogi, very insistently, led them toward the woods until they reached a small opening closed with brushwood.
Nogi opened the brush and entered the aperture and coming out again she gathered fresh leaves and carried them into the cave, after which she drew her charges in and pulled the brush before the opening.
After the children lay in the rear upon the leaves, Nogi stretched across the front in order to protect them.
One day a hunting party of Africans, clothed in cotton shirts and carrying spears, passed near the cave just as Nogi was about to enter with food for the children.
The man gave a shout as soon as they saw her. Nogi made no effort to escape nor to enter the cave, but threw down her fruit before the entrance in a defensive attitude.
One of the huntsmen wounded her before she could be removed from her stand.
The children heard the commotion and partly witnessed the struggle. They both began crying and when the men looked into the cavern they were overcome with awe at the sight of the two children, especially Lucretia, whose golden hair was in wild disorder and her blue eyes expanded in fright.
The men had never before seen a white person; they therefore fell upon their faces in a worshipful attitude.
When they arose they brought forth the two children and looking around saw Nogi dead beside the entrance. They buried her inside the cave and left.
Placing each child upon the shoulders of the two men they proceeded in the same direction which they came.
Varnee realized the imminent danger Eva was in; he therefore hastily descended from his safe perch and attracted the elephant's attention.
The huge animal suddenly unloosed his snout from the tree, which bounded back so quickly that Eva was nearly thrown out.
Varnee shouted to her to make her escape as the elephant chased him in fast pursuit.
One day as Eva wandered through the woods she heard voices of some natives passing on a nearby trail. She had been so long without human companionship that she preferred the risk of capture to the jungle terrors.
Emerging from the woods, she came upon the hunting party, bearing Lucretia. Calling out to Lucretia she ran as fast as she could, holding out her arms.
Lucretia recognized her mother and began kicking upon the man's breast as she screamed and called for her mamma.
The men halted at this other miracle and watched the two in their wild embrace.
Eva was too weak to walk with the party. The men therefore cut poles and bamboo and thatch and constructed a stretcher, upon which they placed Eva and Lucretia and which was placed upon the shoulders of four men.
They arrived at a large African town of mud huts, situated at the base of a mountain called the "Yawhey Mountain" or "Mountain of God."
The large clean town was arranged in circular streets.
The King and people decided that Eva and Lucretia had been sent by the "Moon God" whom they worshipped.
He therefore delivered Eva and the children to the priest from the mountain, and ordered that they should tend the fires and live upon the Yawhey Mountain.
They were led up the steep pathway to the summit, where a large space was cleared away and enclosed in a stout fence.
In the center stood a circular mosque shaped temple covered with thatch. In the center of the polished floor was a large ebony carved image of a man in a sitting posture. Upon its brow was a half moon shaped golden crown. In his right hand he held a long ebony staff surmounted by a half moon and a star in the center of the same metal.
Its stool was of gold, while large half moon rings were hanging from its ears and nose.
In the front of the idol a slow fire of sweet smelling twigs burned continually night and day.
At the back of the temple several small huts were reserved for the priests and virgins, who kept the fire burning.
Eva and the children were given a hut to themselves. They were given white robes, crowns and belts of gold to wear when performing the sacred rites.
When Oliver returned to his hut, Alpha called in a very bad mood. "What zee matter you no marry king daughter?"
"There is no need in discussing the subject again, Alpha," Oliver replied.
"Me makee you bigee man so me be bigee priest. You lif for spoil ebryting."
"Let me give you to understand now you will never add to your power by attempting to marry me to any one," Oliver replied, as he emphasized the same with his fist upon a log table.
Alpha then left in a rage. Some time afterward Twe came in and said: "Master Alpha done make a wide goatskin belt which he put all him beg pearls and put it round him waist. I think he lif for get ready to go away."
"Say, I guess we had better try our skill on the leopard hide and keep a watch upon his movements," Oliver replied.
The hide had been well tanned, so that they soon managed by punching holes to make a secure belt of five inches width, which they also filled with their best pearls.