Chapter XVII:
Oliver's Flight
One day the town was assembled in the open court, and Alpha announced that the King's oldest son was bewitched and lay at the point of death.
That the King had demanded a sassawood trial (trial by poison ordeal), but that he had managed to locate the guilty party by occult means and thus that person only should be subjected to the ordeal.
The villagers were so glad to be relieved of the general test that they received this announcement with applause.
Alpha then named the nephew of Zodopanga; this announcement was received in silence. Zodopanga stepped forth and accused Alpha in turn and ended, "If you kill my nephew, and the King's son fails to recover, you and your moon man will drink the sassawood; if you escape harm my nephew was the witch."
This speech was greeted with loud cheers and met the approval of King Wanga.
Alpha led away a tall, muscular young man of about six feet. They returned shortly afterward with Fulle's (the suspected witch) head clean shaven.
Alpha directed the arranging of a fire upon the ground over which a large earthen pot of water was placed upon three stones enclosing the fire. He next held in his hands several pieces of sassawood bark, over which he made incantations and dropped into the boiling water.
After the liquid had boiled a sufficient length of time, he dipped in a gourd dipper and tested the strength by tasting a little.
"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.
The hide had been well tanned so that they soon managed by punching holes.
When the tea was cooled, Alpha made a speech and carried a quart of the liquid to Fulle, who squatted upon the ground in terror. He compelled the victim to drain the gourd dipper.
Fulle soon began to roll and groan in misery. The administering of the sassawood was continued two more times at half hour intervals. The victim finally rushed around in a twisted position and fell dead at Alpha's feet.
When Oliver returned home after witnessing the terrible ordeal, he was very much upset and had determined to use his last cartridge in defense when he should be brought for trial. Alpha crept in shortly afterward and whispered, "Git ready, we lif for run away to-night." They discussed their plans and decided upon their meeting place before Alpha departed.
Oliver stored his leopard claws within his belt, together with his pearls, and fastened it around his waist. Twe tied up the remaining pearls in a grass bag and bundled it with a few provisions and grass mats. He left about 4 p.m. and passed unmolested to the meeting place agreed upon.
Shortly after he had gone, women ran from the huts and rolled upon the ground as they screamed that the young prince was dead.
Oliver took advantage of the confusion to slip through the crowd and enter the woods.
He had no more than reached Twe, when Alpha ran upon them almost out of breath. He carried a large white parcel to which he clung tenaciously.
They started upon the river trail and had not proceeded very far when they heard sounds of their pursuers. They could distinguish several canoes upon the river, full of yelling mad men.
Suddenly they perceived that a portion of the pursuers had taken the river trail and were close upon them. They could hear the men piercing their spears into the bushes as they followed.
Unable to flee without revealing their presence, they hid behind a clump of bushes and remained very quiet, but the wary huntsmen continued prodding into the shrubs.
When they approached very near, Oliver had at first decided to use his last cartridge, but knowing the fury of the crowd and the large numbers likely to be attracted from the river by the report, he concluded to try a ventriloquist's trick with which he used to amuse his companions in his school days. He gave a very accurate imitation of a leopard's growl.
The brave man hunters ran away in fright from the dreaded beast. Alpha and Twe were also deceived and were it not that the men were in too great a haste to make their own escape, they would have seen Alpha also running in fright. Oliver decided not to let Alpha into the secret, but explained to Twe, who soon ran back to his master's side.
The party continued their trail free from their pursuers.
One morning they came upon a full grown bull rhinoceros which immediately charged upon the party. Oliver and Twe were quick in their movements and were soon up in the safety of two large trees.
Alpha was very much hampered by his wide gown, which flared in the wind, as the rhinoceros followed close upon him. When he attempted to climb a tree, the animal pinned the gown to the tree, and only when Oliver shouted several times did he slip out of the gown and continue his ascent.
The white gown soon covered the beast's head, and this infuriated the animal the more as it ran around trying to extricate itself. When it had finally trampled the gown to pieces, it kept a long vigil around the trees. Oliver stood the imprisonment for several hours, when he fired his last shot at the jailor.
Although the shot missed the mark, it had the desired effect, and frightened the beast away.
They left the old trail and came upon a large field of guinea grass. They suffered much for water until they reached a small cluster of palm trees. Twe climbed into a bamboo palm and tapped the top, from which the fresh palm wine spurted. He called to Oliver, but Alpha pushed Oliver out of the way and hastily ascended, fought with Twe and satisfied his own thirst first. Thus again he showed his selfishness.
They camped under the trees, first having burned away a large patch of the grass. They then gathered grass and twigs and made a circle of fire around them and divided the night into watches.
During Alpha's watch, he fell asleep and fire caught the surrounding field and caused a general conflagration. The heat awakened Oliver, who discovered upon all sides flames of fire, the heat and smoke becoming more and more unbearable. Climbing hastily into the scorched palm tree, he saw numerous wild animals running in a certain direction. He decided that a stream must be the goal, so informing his terrified companions of his surmise and desperate determination, they cut palm leaves and followed the tracks of the animals over the smouldering grass, fighting the flames which continually caught Alpha's gown.
They reached the stream almost overcome. But their trials were not ended, as the stream was filled with wild and terror stricken beasts of prey and elephants.
They were therefore compelled to climb a tree, when they discovered stout vines reaching across the stream. Twe ventured across first, then Oliver ad Alpha followed, swinging over to the wines with their blistered hands.
One day returning to the old camp, Oliver found himself in familiar grounds. With a cry of joy he rushed toward the hill of his old camp. When he reached the summit and saw the ruin and devastation that greeted him, he ran toward the frame of one of their old tents and threw up his hands in despair. Falling forward he was caught by Twe, who seated him gently upon the grass. Oliver remained sitting with his head in his hands for a whole day.
Finally recovering himself, he began to look around for some message from his wife. He remembered the hiding place of their strong box in which the private papers, the nuggets, rings, writing material and an extra compass were kept. Digging into the ground he uncovered it and opened it and found within: "My dearest, if you should reach the camp before I find you, Yanga will tell you how long I waited and suffered before starting out to search for you.
"Lucretia is in safe hands with Yanga and Tobey. I would not take the risk of removing her from this safe retreat. I am taking the same route that you took. 'Au Revoir,' dearie, until we meet again shortly. Your wife."
Oliver broke down in a good cry for the first time during his troubles. Twe found two pair of Oliver's trousers, hidden away under an old bamboo bed. Oliver and he donned them in place of the tattered ones which they had been wearing. Taking the box along, Oliver left the camp to search for Eva and Lucretia.
Alpha was very curious to know what the box contained, and the first night they camped, he slid upon his stomach until he was within reach of the box, which sat near Oliver's head. Twe awoke just as he was about to seize it and wrenched it away.
One day Oliver discovered a large diamond, second in size only to the Cullingham, lying among some debris at the edge of a deserted mining pit. He examined the blue soil, and soon analyzed it to be rich in diamonds of fine quality. He sat down and with the aid of his compass drew a plot of the location.
He then held the stone in his hand said aloud, "Oh Eva, what a price I have paid for this bauble and mine! Too late, I fear, has the fickle god of fortune given me the key to wealth? Would that I had heeded old Mulley and turned my footsteps homeward."
While he stood thus musing aloud, Alpha stood behind a clump of bushes at his back listening as his eyes glistened and watched the stone in rapacious cupidity. After securing the stone and the plot in the box, Oliver again continued the journey.
They reached a small half town, and Oliver traded a few of his leopard's claws for a canoe and food, after having discovered that the villagers could give no information about Eva and Lucretia.
When later finding that they would be unable to reach a native village by night, they chose a desirable camping spot and soon fell asleep, within the circle of fire which Alpha's tinder box always provided. Oliver removed the belt of pearls from around his waist and placed them upon his box. He was so fatigued that he soon fell fast asleep with one hand on his stomach.
Alpha drew a sharp dagger and held it in readiness to plunge into Oliver at the slightest movement as he crawled toward him on his knees.
Oliver's good angel guarded him and he never moved when Alpha lifted his hand and secured the box and pearls.
When Oliver and Twe awoke the next morning, they discovered that Alpha had not only stolen the box and pearls, but had cleaned the camp of everything and decamped in a canoe. With only the mats upon which they slept and their knives, which were secured around their waists, they set out upon the journey through the woods.
At night, discovering fire in the distance, they approached and saw Alpha asleep within the circle of fire and clasping a large white bundle to his breast.
"I go kill him while he lif for sleep, master," Twe whispered, as he drew forth his knife. Oliver caught his hand. "Put it back, Twe, we are not savages. I wish we had something to carry water in, we would have some fun taking away the package he embraces so fondly."
"See dem vine, master, hanging from dem tree? Dey get water, when we get lost and can't find water, we get dem vine and drink dem water," Twe replied.
They tiptoed to the vine and when Oliver tapped one, the milky water flowed freely.
"I guess you had better locate the canoe, while I extinguish the fire," Oliver said to Twe, as he turned the water on the fire, using the vines as hose. Alpha was so sound asleep that he did not hear the sizzling noise.
When Twe returned and indicated the location of the canoe, Oliver had completed his task and Twe crept to Alpha and pulled away the heavy bundle. Oliver and Twe escaped to the canoe as Alpha ran around bewildered in the darkness, striking his fists in rage.
Oliver decided that it was better to cross the river, than to run the risk of meeting Alpha again, so they headed the canoe in a south-easterly direction. The river was over half a mile in width and they congratulated themselves when the canoe grounded upon a narrow landing, before they had paddled half as long as anticipated.
They scrambled to the shore and found a steep bank which they ascended with the greatest difficulty owing to the darkness and the burden of the heavy parcel.
As they neared the top Oliver's hand pulled down a shower of dry bones, which they thought were chips of wood. Reaching the summit, they were surprised to find it barren of shrubbery. They sat upon the ground and waited for morning, and when it grew light they saw a small island covered with skulls and other dry bones.
"Dis be dem island dey bury dem witch people, who die from sassawood," Twe remarked as he shook in terror.
They proceeded toward the canoe, when they discovered that it had drifted away with the tide. They ran around the island, hunting in despair for some sign of their runaway craft, when several large alligators swimming close to the island warned them of the fruitlessness of attempting to swim the long distance to either of the opposite shores.
While Twe watched for a canoe, Oliver untied the bundle taken from Alpha and gave a shirt to Twe to use as a signal. He then unlocked his box and taking out the writing materials and compass, he emptied all of the pearls and the diamonds into it. He scooped out the leopard claws and placed the plot of the mine in the open ends of two of them, placing them also in the box. After looking it, he dug a hole and buried it, after which he wrote an accurate description of its location on a small piece of paper, which he folded and hid within the largest of his four remaining claws. This claw he had always intended to save for Lucretia, as a souvenir of the escape of her father from the man-eating beast. He placed the claws and writing material in his leopard skin belt, and took turns with Twe waving the signal.
After a long vigil spent during another night upon the gruesome island, they had fallen down from weakness and despair, giving up all hope. As the evening shades fell they heard the sound of approaching canoes.