Chapter XXI:
Oliver Meets Rev. Jones
REV. JONES, an American missionary from Baltimore, met the caravan as he was returning from the mission plantation.
He was tall, erect and clean shaven, dark complexion, more from tan, light brown hair and hazel eyes.
His quick and sprightly movements were typical of his great ready resourcefulness, while his face inspired instant confidence.
As soon as Zina saw the white man she jerked loose from the man who was holding her hand and ran toward Rev. Jones.
"Oh, Mister, please save me," she cried, in an almost perfect accent.
Rev. Jones was very much astonished and, taking her hand, inquired where she learned to speak English.
He soon obtained sufficient information from her excited story to arouse his interest, and after offering redemption money to Zina's owner, he left for the mission, taking Zina along, followed by her late owner.
The mission station consisted of a corrugated iron story and one-half bungalow, having a veranda surrounding it. It was situated upon a small hill and had at its side and back a small iron cottage and mud huts.
The stairway consisted of long wooden steps leading from the ground up to the side veranda.
When Rev. Jones reached the mission he was greeted by a short buxom lady of about forty, whose good nature showed in her smiling and sympathetic face.
Rev. Jones soon told her Zina's story. As they both cross-questioned her he said to his wife: "I would stake my last dollar that the woman and girl she speaks of are the wife and daughter of that unfortunate family the newspapers made such a stir about when the expedition traced them as far as Musadu and travelled to Timbuctoo in a fruitless search. The man's name was Mont something and he was the brother of Lord Dubley. Don't you remember? It must be nearly five years since the expedition returned in failure.
"I am going to set out to-morrow with one of the caravan party as a guide and take this child along with me."
Rev. Jones lost no time after coming to this conclusion. He persuaded one of the men to act as guide and with the Madam's prompt assistance his preparations were completed and he started early the next morning.
After the surprise of the gold workers was over, Oliver was compelled to smile in spite of his melancholy state, when he thought of the clever trick these craftsmen had played so successfully for years upon credulous villagers.
He presented the old priest, Dahpella, who was the head of the establishment, with one of his remaining claws.
He had the large claw containing the plot of his hidden treasure set in gold. The sharp end was enclosed in a gold tip with two narrow bars passing up to the wide ornamental cap which fitted tightly over the open end. The slender bars then clasped across the top, ending in a small loop.
Thus the cap was securely fastened to the claw. One of the workmen presented him with a slender platinum neck chain which was passed through the gold loop and fastened with a stout and intricate catch.
The other claw he had only a gold cap attached.
Dahpella presented him with a wide hollow gold band bracelet, that opened with a spring and revealed a cavity used for securing small articles of value, as poison snuff and other things so prized by the African.
Oliver enclosed the two leopard claws and the location and plan of the mine within the cavity and placed the bracelet upon his left arm. He left the cave dwellers with valuable gifts of nuggets, and proceeded on his errand.
Just as he neared the entrance to a town called Seehoker, he saw a white man coming toward him. Rev. Jones soon decided that the bearded white man in frayed trousers was no other than Oliver.
They soon shook hands in greeting and began explanations as they entered Seehoker.
Oliver was almost wild with grief and rage when he heard Zina's account of Lucretia's abduction.
"Had I only taken Twe's advice and permitted this scamp to drown, I should have been spared this terrible knowledge," Oliver repeated, as he attempted to go in instant pursuit.
"Be calm, my friend. You have suffered the most heart-rending misfortunes a man can have, but you have managed to live through them all for five years. You must now trust Providence, who has protected you during all of your adventures. Remember that the same Guardian who made the wild elephant pick up Lucretia in friendliness and provided a protectress in the old orang outang will surely deliver her from the hands of the kidnapping Arab. We must rest to-night in this village and proceed upon our search to-morrow," Rev. Jones said to Oliver in a sympathetic but firm manner.
When the report of Varnee's revolver reached the village, it caused quite a commotion. Even Alpha was puzzled as to the source, because he was sure that Oliver had had to abandon his revolver on account of its uselessness. He was the first, however, to recover composure, and he finally persuaded a small number of men to accompany him with torches.
When he saw the dead leopard man and the ropes which had bound Eva, cut into small pieces and laying where Eva had lain, he informed the men that an enemy had rescued their sacrifice, but the sight of the dead leopard man had caused such a panic that they all ran away as he spoke.
King Kype was very much wrought up over the report, and accused Alpha of being a false messenger, who had caused the lightning God to kill one of the Boreform priests.
He commanded the men to return with Alpha, so that the chase which coincidentally started after the bird fugitives was really after Alpha. As soon as the men left, Alpha decided to flee from the scene. He finally reached the village where he was badly used by the fisher women.
He decided to keep out of Yanga's sight and to lose no time in carrying out his revenge. He entered the village at night and immediately sought a private audience with the king. Old King Dofella was squatting upon a mat in his private hut before a fire. He was seventy years old and very homely.
Alpha presented him with some kola nuts and said: "Oh mighty and great king Dofella! I congratulate you upon your fortunate and happy position. You have had the beautiful young white maiden sent to you for wife. Blessed man to have been honored above all other kings."
Dofella did not understand at first what Alpha meant. "Where is the maiden?" he asked.
"She has lived in your presence for the last two months. She with the fair skin, deep blue eyes and sandy hair. "Tis she to whom I refer" Alpha replied.
"But she is a child of the moon god, and cannot marry mortals," Dofella said.
"She is but the daughter of a man like you, only his skin is white. They came from a far country to our country to steal our wealth, so the gods have decided that we should wed them, and you are chosen to be the first and to wed the fair young maid."
"But she is too young, oh priest of the great gods," Dofella feebly protested.
"Haven't you got the devil bush for preparing young girls for wifehood? Two years in it will be sufficient to make her eligible for your wife. Do not find excuses, oh fortunate man lest the gods think you unworthy of their choice," Alpha replied. This last argument settled the qualms of conscience which Dofella had felt before.
The next morning he presented himself before Yanga's hut, bearing gifts of kola nuts, fowls and a slave as the first dowry to his prospective bride. A close review of Lucretia incited him to act immediately.
As he presented the gifts to Yanga, he informed her that the Zoa, the head of the devil bush, would call at midnight for his bride. Yanga managed to keep her feelings under control, in the hope that she might be able to rescue her charge from the horrible fate he had announced.
Shortly after the king's visit, Ledia, the patroness of Yanga and the favorite royal wife, called upon Yanga in a very bad temper.
"Is this the way you repay my kindness, begging me to protect you from the white gown priest and then joining him in secret, to marry your white skin girl to the king?" she addressed Yanga upon entering.
As soon as Yanga heard of Alpha's connection with the proposition, she understood the scheme at once, and soon convinced her friend of her desire to rescue Lucretia from the same.
"Two slaves have just come from the town of my father and brought the news that two men of the same skin of your girl were entering the town as they left last night.
"If you really wish to run away with her, I will make plans for your escape to-night to join the white men. But tell them not to remain at my father's town, because Dofella will send a war upon my father when he learns of your refuge," the wife pronounced in restored good spirits.
Alpha had now to contend with a very sharp-witted antagonist. Ledia instructed her brother to engage Alpha in the game of Mo, a game very absorbing to people of the orient; and arranged her plans unobserved by the alert Arab.
After the king had paid his respects to Yanga and presented another dash, Yanga slipped out with Lucretia, and they disappeared from the rear of the hut into the woods. They were assisted to mount a fine horse by two silent men, who then mounted two other horses, placed Yanga's mount in the center and began a fast gallop to freedom.
At the same time three young men mounted the fastest ostriches and started in another direction, while two boys paddled away in the swiftest canoe of the village.
At midnight the horns were blowing and bells ringing announcing the approach of the Zoa. The news soon reached Dofella of the flight of the two. He was in a towering rage and ordered his fastest horses when he then discovered that the best horse, ostriches and canoe were missing. Being puzzled over the exact direction of the flight, he ordered his warriors to follow the water and every likely land route.
Oliver and Rev. Jones were on the same road to Dofella's town, when they met the fugitives. Although Oliver was wearing a long beard, Lucretia was not long in recognizing her father. Oliver mounted the foremost horse with Lucretia, Zina was placed upon the horse with Yanga and Rev. Jones mounted the rear horse, while Tobey and the Mission boys followed on foot. They lost no time, but hastened toward the mission town, through a long and tedious brush route.