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 REV. AND MRS. H. D. CAMPBELL 
 
A 
 CONGO CHATTEL 
 
 The Story of an African Slave Girl 
 
 by 
 
 REV. HENRY D. CAMPBELL 
 
 Missionary of the Christian and Missionary Alliance to the 
 
 Congo Beige for a quarter of a century. Brevetted by 
 
 his Majesty ALBEIRT, King of the Belgians. 
 
 as Chevalier de TOrdre Royal du Lion. 
 
 CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 692 EIGHTH AVENUE NEW YORK. N. Y 
 
Copyright 1917 by 
 
 Christiat^ Alliance Publishing Co. 
 
 New York, N. Y. 
 

 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 A Congo Chattel is not simply a story. It is a 
 message and an appeal. It will cause a tug on the 
 heart-strings of one who loves the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, and make him wish he could plunge at once 
 into the midst of Africa's darkness and seek to set 
 some prisoners free. It will encourage some who 
 may have begun to wonder whether foreign mis- 
 sions are, after all, worth the sacrifice involved. 
 It will surely stir every honest Christian reader to 
 earnest prayer that the day of Africa's bondage may 
 speedily end. 
 
 Mr. Campbell does not expect a wholesale uplift 
 of the degraded masses of Africa by any utilitarian 
 schemes, so popular in our day, which leave out of 
 account the fact that the individual lost soul is dead 
 in trespasses and sins and can only be quickened 
 by a living faith in the Christ who died but lives 
 again. He has seen what commerce and education 
 and industrial advancement have accomplished but 
 turns from them all with the firm conviction that 
 nothing but the Gospel of Jesus Christ will save 
 Africa's millions, one by one. 
 
 The writer of this introductory note will never 
 forget the day, at Freetown, W. Africa, now more 
 than a quarter of a century ago, when he with two 
 
 6536 
 
4 Introduction 
 
 fellow-laborers welcomed Mr. Campbell to African 
 soil. With a large party, Mr. Campbell was bound 
 for the Congo and the ship made its first stop in 
 Africa at Freetown. When the brief visit was 
 ended, and the vessel was headed for the ocean, the 
 missionary party gathered on deck and sang: 
 
 "Launch out into the deep, 
 Oh, let the shore-line go. 
 Launch out, launch out in the ocean divine, 
 Out where the full tides flow." 
 
 Tears dimmed our eyes as the party sailed away 
 and we said one to another : "Yes, they are launch- 
 ing out and little do they know what it may mean 
 of hardship, of suffering, or of death." 
 
 If we could tell the story of the intervening 
 years it would show a record of fortitude and 
 heroism of the highest order. Some of the mis- 
 sionaries have been promoted to the presence of 
 the Master. Others have been compelled, by sick- 
 ness and other causes, to return to the homeland. 
 The broken ranks have again and again bfeen filled 
 up. Difficulties of climate and language have been 
 met and largely overcome. The great wall of 
 heathen superstition and demon oppression has been 
 broken down. A native church of several thousand 
 souls has been gathered in, the present membership 
 being over sixteen hundred. More than seventy 
 native teachers are giving the Gospel to their 
 
Introduction 5 
 
 people, while every church member takes some ag- 
 gressive part in spreading the truth. 
 
 In all of these trials and triumphs Mr. Campbell 
 has had an important part. It will be seen, there- 
 fore, that he does not speak as a globe-trotter or 
 a novice, but as one who has seen and knows the 
 problem of Congo. May the blessing of God make 
 A Congo Chattel a challenge to the Church of 
 Christ in English-speaking lands, rousing them to 
 greater faith and new endeavor for the spread of 
 the Gospel in dark Africa. 
 
 J. E. Jaderquist. 
 January, 1917. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Except for the happy ending, the story of Lelo 
 is a common one. Similar stories vary only in de- 
 tails, but in the main are much alike in revealing 
 the merciless exploitation of Congo's women. The 
 substantial facts of Lelo*s life were related to the 
 writer by Rev. A. R. Williams who gave her asylum 
 in time of direst need. The illustrations used are 
 taken from photographs made by missionaries of 
 the Christian and Missionary Alliance. 
 
 Lelo is not the real name of the subject of 
 this African story, but she is a real woman 
 of flesh and blood, covered with a black skin. She 
 is also a type. Some of her actual experiences 
 apply with equal truth to the sad lives of multitudes 
 of oppressed African women. Reared in the gloom 
 of superstition, their souls are dwarfed under an 
 overshadowing dread of impending evil. They live 
 out their animal days of toil and drudgery in the 
 cruel hands of brutal and brutalizing taskmasters. 
 
 Congo's women need friends. They need Christ. 
 May this imperfect narrative inspire to prayer and 
 service for the uplift of these sorrow-stricken souls. 
 
8 Preface. 
 
 May Lelo be typical in another and better way of 
 many soon to be brought from spiritual darkness 
 and physical degradation into the heights and light 
 of the knowledge of the love of God revealed in 
 Jesus. 
 
 H. D. C 
 
 Boma, Congo Beige, 1916. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chap. 
 
 I. A Girl for a Jug . 
 II. A Forced March . . . 
 
 III. Tasting Freedom . . . 
 
 IV. An Ordeal of Fire . . 
 V. A Digression on a Horse 
 
 VI. Tried and Acquitted . . 
 
 VII. Serving a New Master . 
 
 VIII. A New Wife for an Old 
 
 IX. A Generous Husband . 
 
 X. Courting a Mayombe Girl 
 
 XI. Judgment and Justice . 
 
 XII. Zuzi Temporizes . 
 
 XIII. Welcome Bonds . . . 
 
 Page 
 
 13 
 
 27 
 
 37 
 47 
 64 
 81 
 
 95 
 115 
 130 
 
 144 
 
 163 
 182 
 198 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Page 
 Rev. and Mrs. H. D. Campbell . Frontispiece 
 A Tribal Chief in Front of His Hut. Fe- 
 tiches Carved on Post i6 
 
 Gathering Nuts and Palm Wine. Man 
 
 IN Front Has Climbing Belt ... i6 
 
 Missionary Caravan on the Road . . 24 
 Interior of Hut Showing Coffin Used as 
 
 Strong Box . 24 
 
 Burden-bearers of Congo 32 
 
 Missionary Residence at Vungu Built in 
 
 1892 OF Sun-dried Bricks .... 32 
 
 A Wooden Idol ......... 48 
 
 Congo Chieftains 48 
 
 Witch-doctor Performing 64 
 
 Brick Press Invented by Native Evangel- 
 ist 64 
 
 A Corner of Kinkonzi Station ... 80 
 Fireplace at Base of Tree. In Lower 
 Left-hand Corner Are Charred Bones 
 
 of Victim Poisoned for Witchcraft 80 
 
 Idols and Broken Crockery on Grave . 88 
 
 Congo Teacher-Evangelist and Wife . 88 
 
12 Illustrations 
 
 Village on Lofty Ridge 96 
 
 Native Christian Village 96 
 
 Beginnings at Mboka . . . . . . 112 
 
 Congo Village 112 
 
 Decorations on Grave. Idols, Gunpowder 
 Kegs, Crockery, and Periodicals 
 Picked up on the Coast of West Af- 
 rica — Pinned to Striped Blanket . 120 
 Baptismal Service, Kinkonzi . . . . 128 
 Vangu, Lelo and Her Children . . . 144 
 Tattooed Backs — Women ..... 144 
 Railway Station and Residences of State 
 Officials, from C. and M. A. Mission 
 Hill 160 
 
 Group of Evangelists 160 
 
 Congregation at Dedication of Yema 
 
 Chapel 176 
 
 Group of "Zinkimba" — A Secret Society 
 
 FOR Boys 176 
 
 Native Pastor 192 
 
 Pit-sawing Planks for Chapel . . . 192 
 
 Outstation Pupils 200 
 
 On Itinerating Tour 200 
 
 A Missionary Home at Yema .... 208 
 
 Day School at Vungu 208 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 A Girl for a Jug. 
 
 HELO and her mother halted abruptly in 
 the forest path behind a living screen of 
 vines and ferns that hid the village of 
 Kinkoso. As they stood under the wet foliage, 
 dripping with the early morning mists, they stooped 
 under the burden of water jars in the baskets on 
 their backs. A clamor of voices raised in alter- 
 cation reached their ears. 
 
 "The palaver has begun," said the woman in 
 a whisper. 
 
 "What is it all about, Mama?" 
 
 "Chief Bungu, who came last night with his 
 caravan, left a jug with Tata Koso a long time 
 ago. When Bungu sent for it, Koso told the mes- 
 senger it had been stolen." 
 
 "Will Chief Koso have to pay?" 
 
 "I think he will," was the reply. And then with 
 a troubled look at the child, she added, "Bungu may 
 ask for a slave." 
 
 Entering the town, they deposited their bur- 
 dens at the door of a small grass hut behind the 
 largest house in the village, before which a noisy 
 crowd of principals and spectators were gather- 
 
14 A Congo Chattel 
 
 ing. Had Lelo and her mother foreseen the out- 
 come of that conference, they would not have found 
 any entertainment in the gestures and eloquence of 
 the actors. Maybe Lelo*s mother had some pre- 
 monitions of trouble in store. She drew the girl 
 close to her as they huddled together with the 
 other women at one side of the plaza, well out of 
 the way of the men. 
 
 "No, I will not take another," angrily shouted 
 Bungu, stamping the dust of the place from his 
 bare feet, and waving away disdainfully with a 
 brawny black hand the suggestion of such an alter- 
 native. "I want my own jug, and mine only !" 
 
 Koso endeavored to interject a conciliatory 
 word. He crouched upon the empty gin box that 
 served as his throne, the skirts of his long coat 
 gathered about him, and .winced under the storm 
 of anger he had aroused. 
 
 Bungu was within his rights and knew it well. 
 It seemed as if he did not propose wasting time 
 parleying with the unreasonable culprit. Possibly 
 the onlookers had not weighed his manner cor- 
 rectly, and maybe his attitude was put on for 
 effect. To say nothing of getting the highest dam- 
 ages, such a born orator and actor would make 
 the most of his opportunity of speaking on the 
 only stage in the land — the palaver court. He 
 stood, long carved walking-staff in hand, apparent- 
 ly ready for immediate departure if his demands 
 were not met at once. 
 
A Girl for a Jug 15 
 
 Bungu's appearance and dress harmonized with 
 the wild, tropical background. He was a broad- 
 shouldered, big- framed young man, with much of 
 his chocolate skin plainly visible beneath his scanty 
 costume. His short, tightly curled hair was par- 
 tially hidden by a long-tasseled scarlet fez cap 
 stuck on the back of his head. He had on a 
 moth-eaten, heavily braided red short soldier coat, 
 which had long since been discarded by some "civi- 
 lized" warrior beyond the seas. This treasure, so 
 valued by headmen in the Mayombe country 
 twenty-five years ago, he had obtained after a long 
 march and at a high price from a trader at Matadi 
 on the Congo River. Although decorated with 
 almost two rows of big brass buttons the coat was 
 open, revealing Bungu's bare and muscular chest. 
 Fastened around his neck yvas a string of wild boar's 
 teeth, with a single leopard's claw pendant. Tied 
 to a girdle about his waist were two monkey skins, 
 the tails of which flapped against his calves when 
 he lunged toward his own people, or whirled to 
 fix Koso with a verbal dart. On one ankle he wore 
 a brass ring as thick as a child's arm, the work 
 of a village blacksmith. 
 
 Koso's hut was built at the head of the single 
 narrow village street that was lined on both sides 
 with irregular rows of grass-thatched houses made 
 of split palm branches. The lane, trodden free 
 from grass and swept of rubbish, was the only clear 
 spot in the jungle. Massive, straight-trunked 
 
i6 A Congo Chattel 
 
 trees grew close up behind the huts, and so tall 
 were they that the village gathered but little shade 
 from their dense, far-away branches. The kingly 
 crowns of rich oil palms were visible above 
 the rank foliage of ferns and vines. Broad-leaved 
 plantains crowded against the papaw trees whose 
 delicious fruit clung in great clusters of twenty or 
 more about their tops. 
 
 Disconsolate Koso, although under his own ver- 
 anda roof, in his own village, and surrounded by 
 his own people, was peacefully inclined. In fear 
 of what might befall him he did not intend to 
 allow Bungu to go away dissatisfied and revengeful, 
 so decided, if possible, to propitiate him. He tried 
 to appear at ease leaning back against the post 
 that supported the ridgepole of his hut. On the 
 post just above Koso's head were rudely carved 
 figures of men and women in all manner of gro- 
 tesque postures. The front wall of the hut, about 
 ten feet from the post, had a narrow, window-like 
 door cut in it. On a shelf above the door were 
 several doll-like wooden images decorated with 
 charms made of bits of grass cloth, feathers, and 
 bird claws. An eagle's head skewered to the wall 
 and hung with medicinal plants was also added 
 to this group of heathen fetiches. 
 
 The people of Kinkoso were very "religious" ; 
 they also had idols to aid them in their devotions. 
 Propped against a stump at one side of the hut in 
 full view of the company, was a rough figure carved 
 
4t 
 
 GATHERING NUTS AND 
 
 PALM WINE. MAN IN 
 
 FOREGROUND HAS 
 
 CLIMBING BELT 
 
 A TRIBAL CHIEF IN FRONT 
 OF HIS HUT. FETICHES 
 CARVED ON POST 
 
A Girl for a Jug 17 
 
 to represent a woman with a child in her arms. 
 It was quite five feet high even after the white ants 
 had devoured the legs. The town goats now 
 scratched their backs against it, and where its proud 
 feet had once been planted the pigs had dug a 
 muck hole. However important in other days it 
 was now neither in favor nor feared; its brief 
 period of veneration and dread was past. 
 
 Bungu, answering the gestures and eager invita- 
 tion of Koso, allowed himself to be persuaded to 
 sit upon another gaudily-labeled and green-painted 
 gin box facing the old man. Koso was not more 
 than forty but then forty is "old" in the Mayombe. 
 His ceremonial garb was a long-tailed black frock 
 coat which had done good service overseas before 
 it reached the Missioni, and notwithstanding its 
 worn and faded appearance, was good value for the 
 goat he had given for it at the Mission barter 
 store. 
 
 What a story that coat could have unfolded 
 if coats of that kind were in the habit of talking 
 about their early experiences. Perhaps it could 
 have told of its first appearance on a European 
 boulevard, surrounded by a number of others of 
 the same elegant cut. Then a story of vicissitudes 
 that had brought it at last, thin and greasy, to 
 the obscurity of a tropical jungle. Maybe that 
 particular garment was specially made to adorn the 
 "orator of the evening" at some missionary meet- 
 ing. Its tails may have flapped sympathetically as 
 
i8 A Congo Chattel 
 
 i 
 
 its wearer warmed to his theme under stress of 
 feeling for the distant heathen. At any rate, even 
 if the former owner had not been able to reach 
 the heathen, here was his coat to warm the heart 
 of Koso, and there was the goat to cheer the mis- 
 sionary larder. Whether it had been sent as a free- 
 will offering in a barrel, or had come baled, by 
 way of an old clothes-shop, smelling of barter, 
 matters not, and, of course, cannot be known as 
 long as the coat itself could not relate the story. 
 Now, although rusty and snuff-spotted in front and 
 gray in the seams, it not only comforted Koso, but 
 was admired by his clan. And yet it was a great 
 change from prestige abroad to a place in Koso's 
 musty coffin strong box, to be aired only on 
 occasional palaver days. 
 
 From a buttonhole where it was attached by a 
 greasy cord dangled a small hollow gourd filled 
 with home-made snuff. An accident had befallen 
 one of the tails of the coat and it hung askew, re- 
 vealing the grimy grass cloth protection for the 
 old man's skinny legs. Koso's pineapple fiber cap 
 was without visor and dyed black. He sucked 
 nervously at a dark clay pipe inlaid with solder 
 taken from refuse tin cans in some white man's 
 backyard down at the Coast. One wrist was 
 covered with brass bracelets which clinked feeble 
 protests while keeping time with his mollifying 
 gestures. 
 
 The men were dressed in nondescript costumes. 
 
A Girl for a Jug 19 
 
 all much alike as to dirt. Some wore red blankets 
 about their shoulders, and all carried knives in their 
 belts. They were seated on mats very near their 
 respective principals who were in the places of 
 honor. The women and children were almost 
 naked except for a bit of cotton cloth about the 
 loins. They stood in groups by themselves out 
 of the way, awaiting the result before taking up 
 their baskets and hoes for the day's work in the 
 fields. 
 
 The few women of Bungu's caravan were hud- 
 dled near the feet of their bold leader. His men 
 grasped their guns, and the women held on to their 
 loaded baskets, all ready to move at the word of 
 command. Being in the enemy's territory they 
 were somewhat uneasy, and hoped their Chief 
 would not go too far. Koso's people were with him 
 to a man, but those experienced in palavers knew 
 his case to be hopeless. Present law and the 
 customs of the ancients were all in favor of the 
 wronged stranger. 
 
 "As for me," resumed Koso as soon as Bungu 
 sat down and composed hhnself to listen, "1 would 
 at once give up the jug if it were possible, but I 
 tell you it was stolen." 
 
 Before Bungu could remonstrate against such an 
 impossible excuse, a naked boy darted like a flash 
 under the eaves of the low-hanging roof into the 
 sheltered veranda space behind the two "Kings" and 
 grabbed a dirty, skinny yellow dog. Taking advan- 
 
20 A Congo Chattel 
 
 tage of the excitement, the cur had sneaked in 
 and was nosing into a pot of steaming beans and 
 palm oil intended for the refreshment of the noble 
 visitor. With a firm grip and angry curses the 
 boy dragged the cur away, and threw it whining 
 and snarling into the bushes, after cuffing it severely. 
 A little girl snickered at the first howl from 
 the wretched beast, which was the signal for a 
 general outburst of merriment. It is always so 
 amusing to see a habitually starved dog beaten 
 for pilfering, and so mirth-provoking to hear the 
 creature's yells ! The tension on gun grips re- 
 laxed and the women chuckled with relief over 
 the happy diversion. 
 
 Bungu talked mostly to his own retinue when he 
 rose to speak, turning occasionally to note the effect 
 of his arguments upon the opposing faction. His 
 own people had heard it all before, but it was a 
 righteous complaint and worthy of many tellings. 
 Several times he had detailed the affair to the cara- 
 van with minute exactness to beguile the tedium of 
 the journey. The gross offense of Koso was with- 
 out logical excuse, and he must be made to pay 
 dearly for it. Bungu would now condescend to 
 rehearse his wrongs for the last time. It was 
 enough; the culprit must settle without further de- 
 lay or take the consequences. 
 
 "I myself bought it down at the River," Bungu 
 repeated circumstantially; "it was full of malavu 
 (rum) and I gave the Mundele (white man, or 
 
A Girl for a Jug 21 
 
 man-in-cloth) a manload of palm kernels for it. 
 Is it not so ?" 
 
 "It is so indeed," chorused his loyal party. 
 
 Thus encouraged Bungu continued: "It was a 
 beautiful jug, colored and striped, with a handle 
 of clay. So strong was it that it would have made 
 a mark for my grave which neither sun nor rain 
 could ever destroy. In all this land show me one 
 woman who can make such a jug. Bah ! the jugs 
 of this land are but as egg-shells beside it. Mine 
 was no fragile, unpainted earthen jar, burned in a 
 fire of sticks in the open street. Mine was a jug 
 from kumputu (the foreign land) !" 
 
 "From kumputu indeed," chimed in Bungu's 
 crowd affirmatively, in answer to their leader's look 
 and expectant pause for their amens. 
 
 The wronged Chieftain stopped for breath, 
 while allowing time for the facts of the jug, its 
 value, durability, and general desirability to sink 
 into the minds of all unprejudiced persons. Then 
 taking up the strain and glaring at Koso, he de- 
 manded, "I left my jug in your hands, is it not so, 
 on this very spot?" 
 
 All eyes turning mechanically upon Koso had the 
 effect of upsetting him. He knew the danger of 
 admitting the truth, but what else could he do? 
 The facts were too well known to stand denial. 
 Sober-faced and speechless, he established the fact 
 of guilt with a nod of assent that would cost him 
 dear. Not that Koso himself would pay much, but 
 
22 A Congo Chattel 
 
 Lelo and her mother might find it hard to foot 
 the bill for the jug from which they had never 
 drunk. 
 
 Bungu's eyes reflected a glow of triumph and 
 satisfaction. No need of more proofs now since 
 Koso had acknowledged his guilt. All that re- 
 mained to be done was to settle the terms of in- 
 demnity. The vanquished one made the proposi- 
 tion tentatively — "I will send to the River, and get 
 you another jug. One of your own men may go 
 with my caravan to select the very size and pattern." 
 He offered his gourd to Bungu, but the snuff was 
 waved out of the way, almost as an impertinence. 
 
 The victor scowled at the presumptuous debtor, 
 and growled, "Would that be my jug, the one you 
 took from my own hands?" 
 
 Slobbering into his cold pipe, Koso cringed on the 
 gin box, while Bungu, secure in the great advantage 
 he had gained, scorned the displeasing offer, say- 
 ing, "Me, I tell you I will not take another jug, 
 nor two nor ten others ; give me back my own !" 
 
 Again the dull reiteration in an evasive under- 
 tone of the futile plea, "How can I ; it was stolen." 
 
 "I must have my own jug or a slave," tersely 
 claimed Bungu. 
 
 His demand met with a derisive denial from 
 Koso's people; they indignantly agreed that it was 
 exorbitant. While order was clamored for by the 
 cooler heads of the village, Bungu's quiet crowd 
 watched for the next move of their shrewd Chief. 
 
A Girl for a Jug 23 
 
 "A slave?" inquired Koso in well-simulated 
 amazement, as soon as he could hear his own voice. 
 
 "A slave," slowly repeated the wronged Chief 
 with an accent of finality. 
 
 "For one small jug? No, I will not!" The 
 refusal was made as if he meant to stick by it, but 
 noting the deepening cloud of wrath on his adver- 
 sary's face, he modified it by offering, "I will put 
 a goat 'on top' of a new jug, and drop the matter." 
 
 "No," said the owner of the precious missing jug, 
 spurning the promised goat, and conscious of the 
 justice of his cause, "I will not take a goat, nor a 
 pig, nor both 'on top.' Give me my jug or a 
 slave, and be quick about it, lest I take my case 
 higher!" 
 
 Bungu spoke with the confidence of one who 
 offered a good bargain, and affected absolute indif- 
 ference as to whether it were taken up or not. Be- 
 fore his adversary had finished speaking Koso had 
 made another rapid mental inventory of his live 
 stock. He had but few slaves, and no full-grown 
 ones that he could spare. By all means he must 
 stop the matter on the spot. He could not afford 
 to bribe any higher "King" and feed a crowd of 
 hangers-on through another hearing of the case. 
 He would probably lose and not get off with so 
 light a fine. His choice fell upon Lelo. It would 
 never do to accept the terms too soon, so he tem- 
 porized with Bungu's ultimatum. 
 
 "Me, I have no slave to spare; a King must 
 
24 A Congo Chattel 
 
 drink palm wine and eat fresh meat. Who will 
 climb my trees or hunt for me if I let all my slaves 
 go? Take one pig, one goat, and a new jug of 
 palm wine, and settle it so at my expense." But 
 Koso well knew that his insinuating offer would 
 not meet with a favorable reception. 
 
 "I have spoken,*' snapped Bungu. With a curt 
 shrug of his military shoulders, he arose and ad- 
 justed his monkey skins, grabbed his 'staff from a 
 henchman, and added, "Refuse my terms in the 
 presence of these witnesses, and let me go !" 
 
 "Since you are so obdurate," whined the older 
 Chief, contesting every inch of the ground accord- 
 ing to the rules of the game, "and as I long for 
 peace, let us then consider my slaves. I have no 
 man, but I have a boy. He is whole, growing 
 fast, and will soon be able to work." 
 
 "Indeed not," returned the victor, "I want no 
 baby. However, I might take a girl child to oblige 
 you, if she is strong and not too young." 
 
 Koso, with seeming great reluctance said, "I have 
 a fine girl, but I couldn't part with her, unless I got 
 something valuable to even up matters." 
 
 "Let me see her," was Bungu's non-committal 
 reply. 
 
 Koso, throwing off his cringing manner, turned to 
 Lelo's mother and shouted to her to bring her child. 
 The girl stood clinging to her mother, but was soon 
 hustled forward for inspection. Trembling in the 
 presence of her lord and the big stranger, tears 
 
MISSIONARY CARAVAN ON THE ROAD 
 
 INTERIOR OF HUT, SHOWING COFFIN USED AS 
 STRONG BOX 
 
A Girl for a Jug 25 
 
 moistened the long lashes hiding her large eyes, 
 and with her arms folded over her breast she stood 
 before them, a sweet-faced, well-formed child about 
 ten years old. A scanty cotton cloth that could 
 have been drawn through the brass bracelet on her 
 tiny wrist was her only covering. Her ornaments 
 were an anklet of brass and a necklace of blue glass 
 beads. Sick at heart she listened to the big men 
 who stood commenting on her little form. She 
 longed for her mother's touch, but mother was now 
 in the background with the other women behind the 
 crowd who were reckoning the market value of the 
 shivering, chocolate-skinned "chattel." 
 
 Bungu looked her over, searching for defects 
 while taking note of all good points. If not so valu- 
 able at present she would later on bring a fat bundle 
 of cloth, guns, and rum in the matrimonial market. 
 Taking increase of value into consideration, and 
 the children that would come, she might safely be 
 estimated as a good investment in exchange for a 
 bit of painted crockery. Without any apparent de- 
 sire for Lelo, talking as if bored with the long- 
 drawn-out affair, Bungu announced that he had 
 been expecting a full-grown slave, and failed to see 
 how he could relinquish his just claim to take a 
 half -grown girl. He allowed he might be persuad- 
 ed to take a woman. He said it would be a long 
 time before Lelo could do hard work and bear off- 
 spring, even if she lived. Sickness and accidents 
 had to be reckoned with, and even death. It was 
 
26 A Congo Chattel 
 
 a risk, but he was anxious to get back to his own 
 country, so he would take the chances with the 
 girl, giving full release for the jug he had been de- 
 prived of in such a suspicious way. 
 
 Koso offered but a feeble remonstrance, saying 
 he ought to have something to equalize the bargain 
 and salve his feelings, even if he were only given a 
 goat. It was hard, he said, to part with his precious 
 child. Lelo was valuable in any open market and 
 that he wanted Bungu to understand. Bungu 
 waxed indignant at the suggestion of dallying over 
 terms of surrender, and declared he would go and 
 leave the palaver hanging fire unless his ultimatum 
 were accepted at once. Dreading the discharge of 
 a weapon so well directed against his peace and 
 property, Koso with a final groan said, "Take her." 
 
 In that short sentence, so agreeable to Bungu, 
 Lelo listened to her condemnation to a lifelong 
 servitude. But, what of it! she was only a child 
 and a girl at that. What mattered it where she 
 lived and slaved? Who cared? Nobody — except 
 Lelo and her mother. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 A Forced March. 
 
 [OSO called loudly for palm wine. A bois- 
 terous manner was assumed to cover his 
 relief that the affair was over. "Bring 
 us a drink to bind the bargain, and a parting cup 
 for my good friend Bungu." 
 
 A slave hastening to obey brought the required 
 refreshment from the royal hut. He bore two large 
 gourds filled with the thirst-quenching, slightly in- 
 toxicating drink. He produced a huge mug deco- 
 rated with bright stripes, and a deep, thick soup 
 plate. Lifting the cleanest end of his loin cloth, 
 he deftly dusted the mug and removed some of the 
 grime from the plate by way of concession to the 
 honorable guest. 
 
 Bungu saw through the open door a great assort- 
 ment of crockery on the damp earth floor. Pottery 
 was a good investment, an evidence of wealth, and 
 widely used in barter. The supply included wash 
 bowls, pitchers, and one or two common articles, the 
 use of which was unknown to the owner. A pass- 
 ing glance sufficed for the display inside; Bungu 
 was more interested in the movements of the slave 
 before him. 
 
 After setting the mug on the soup plate between 
 
28 A Congo Chattel 
 
 the two "Kings," the man filled it to overflowing 
 with the thin, milky sap. Koso politely took a 
 hearty swig, thus ingenuously proving that no evil 
 substance had been dropped into the gourd. The 
 kneeling slave hastened to fill the mug to the top 
 and over, then shrank back humbly on his haunches, 
 while the noble visitor regaled himself. In turn, 
 according to their weight in the social scale, the 
 male strangers and headmen of Kinkoso partook 
 from the oft-filled vessel, until every drop had been 
 drained from the gourds. The attendant at last 
 sucked down the dregs of overflow from the full 
 saucer, and generously passed it on to an envious 
 youngster to lick dry. The "Kings" wiped their 
 mouths with the backs of their hands. Koso looked 
 furtively around from time to time to see whether 
 any of the women were breaking the law, but fortu- 
 nately for them they were found kneeling with 
 covered eyes during the ceremony of imbibing. 
 
 Before Lelo's affair was quite settled, a loud 
 sound, strange to the ears of Bungu, disturbed the 
 silence of the forest. Koso hastened to explain 
 to his wondering guest that it was only the bell at 
 the Missioni, and informed him that it was then 
 ringing to prayers, or to work, or to something. 
 Said he, "They ring early and late. But me, I don't 
 like it. We never had such an uncanny noise in 
 all these parts before, and I am afraid it will bring 
 some calamity." Bungu observed that he could un- 
 derstand the cloth, knives, and things of that kind, 
 
A Forced March 29 
 
 but felt that only mischief was to be expected from 
 the other new-fangled aifairs. He expressed mis- 
 trust of the ha Missioni generally, and the bell in 
 particular. 
 
 Lelo did not understand much about their plans 
 concerning her, but she knew quite enough to make 
 her feel miserable. Standing before them, not dar- 
 ing to move, and shrinking with vague forebodings 
 of evil in her mind, hot tears filled her eyes. She 
 tried to stifle a sob, but in vain. The tears trickled 
 down into her twitching mouth. Here was visible 
 evidence that Lelo, although a mere chattel, had 
 feelings; that, although a slave herself, she owned 
 a heart. Ignorant, naked, and black, she loved her 
 mother and dreaded the coming separation. 
 
 Koso had not a large assortment of chattels, but 
 the few that he owned were all greatly prized. Chat- 
 tels are movable property, and under that definition 
 his chattels consisted principally of women, weap- 
 ons, animals, crockery, and cotton cloth. Women 
 were rightly at the head of the list because of their 
 relative value compared with the other articles 
 named. Among other living chattels pigs were also 
 of first importance, because of the high prices they 
 commanded, and the steady demand for that kind 
 of stock. Not only were they delicious to eat, but 
 these Mayombe scavengers never balked so badly 
 but what they could be hustled along the road. In 
 this respect they were much better as an investment 
 than women, for women did balk at times, and 
 
30 A Congo Chattel 
 
 could not be budged when inclined to be stubborn. 
 Sometimes in a temper women even went to the 
 length of killing themselves, but within the mem- 
 ory of the oldest owner, no Mayombe-bred pig 
 had ever done anything so rash. On the whole 
 there were advantages in favor of pigs, since women 
 might, without due consideration for proprietary 
 rights and in reckless disregard of the feelings of 
 their liege lords, wantonly destroy valuable property 
 by taking their own lives. 
 
 Koso lived in a palaver-saturated atmosphere. 
 Most of his lawsuits were about women, but pigs 
 too demanded a fair share of his valuable time. He 
 handed Lelo over to her new master with as much 
 feeling as though she were a pig. The feelings 
 of a pig or of the girl were alike to him. He com- 
 miserated with himself on his loss but had no feel- 
 ing to spare for others. 
 
 Obeying a peremptory signal and a muttered 
 command from Koso, Lelo's mother drew her away 
 from the royal presence. Pushing the child 
 through the crowd they entered the semi-darkness 
 of her windowless hut, and shut the door. Such 
 as it was, it was the only home they knew, and a 
 place of thrice- welcome privacy. 
 
 Seizing her mother by her arm, Lelo whispered, 
 "What are they going to do with me, Mama?" 
 
 It was hard to tell the truth, but the mother knew 
 there was no time to waste in carrying out the royal 
 order to get the girl ready for the road. . Women 
 
A Forced March 31 
 
 did not travel much in the Mayombe country at 
 that time, and the journey would doubtless sepa- 
 rate them forever. It was too cruel to be true. 
 The baby had been all her own a few minutes be- 
 fore, and now without warning she was to lose her 
 altogether. It was all she could do, but for the 
 child's sake she managed to answer quietly, "You 
 must go with Bungu, he is your master now." 
 
 "But I don't want to go with him, I want to stay 
 with you, Mama." 
 
 "Hurry, Koso will not wait." 
 
 Lelo heard the order in dismay, but with a sus- 
 picion of hope in her faltering voice, she inquired, 
 "Will Bungu take you too, Mama ?" 
 
 "No, I cannot go," the mother answered, A vi- 
 sion of her own lonely future was before her. Lelo, 
 her last baby, was to be taken away. She was to 
 be deprived of her chief joy, her little comrade and 
 close friend. Her work in the fields would be 
 henceforth drudgery indeed; no light in the dark 
 little hut, and life would become a weary burden. 
 Happiness was ended. Oh! how quickly the little 
 chapter of love had closed. 
 
 The child's anxiety increased, and she cried, "Oh ! 
 let me stay with you, won't you. Mama ?" 
 
 Mother could hardly see through her tears the 
 few simple treasures she was gathering for the 
 child and stowing hurriedly into a small basket. 
 Lelo stretched forth her arms and snapped her tiny 
 fingers in the characteristic Congo fashion when 
 
32 A Congo Chattel 
 
 trouble comes. Such calamity and grief were 
 enough to affect one much less sensitive. Convul- 
 sive sobs shook her, and down her grimy little twist- 
 ing body tears washed crooked channels. Mother 
 hated the task and yet she was glad that her own 
 hands were permitted to do this last service for 
 the child. With deft fingers she put a small clay 
 cooking pot and a tiny water bottle into the basket, 
 and laid between them a few bananas and some pea- 
 nuts tied in a leaf wrapper. From a large basket 
 high up in a forked stick that the ants would not 
 climb, she took her daughter's holiday dress — 
 a fringed bit of cotton check a hand's breadth in 
 width, and as long as the arm which held it for a 
 moment before packing it away. 
 
 "Don't send me away," begged the child, clasp- 
 ing the mother's hand. 
 
 The plea was a blow. She would have parted 
 with everything else to keep her only treasure. She 
 loosed the girl's hands and said, **You must go. 
 Now \" She thrust the little one from the hut to 
 save her from needless punishment, hastily wiping 
 from the baby face the marks of grief. She then 
 placed the "V" shaped basket on the little child's 
 back and fastened the woven carrying band around 
 the burden and about the tender forehead. 
 
 Led by her mother, after the Elders had finished 
 their wine, Lelo joined the caravan, and took her 
 place with the women who were preparing to de- 
 part. The burden of separation was not all bearing 
 
MISSIONARY RESIDENCE AT VUNGU. BUILT 1892 
 OF SUN-DRIED BRICKS 
 
 BURDEN-BEARERS OF CONGO 
 
A Forced March 33 
 
 upon Lelo; her future of weal or woe was all un- 
 known; but deprived of her only joy, the mother's 
 barren and unhappy lot was all too plain. Rebel- 
 lious thoughts rose up within her, and she asked in 
 her heart why she should be robbed of all that made 
 life worth living. 
 
 . All of Lelo's worldly goods were in the basket 
 and on her person. Dangling from her bead necklace 
 hung a curiously carved nut, a sacred treasure. 
 She had worn it since she was a baby, and hitherto 
 it had seemingly served her well; but now when 
 most in need of its good offices it failed to help. 
 The business of the nut was to protect her from 
 sickness and all evil. A fetichman had received 
 several things for it before it passed into her 
 mother's hands. He got a good knife, a fathom of 
 blue cloth, and a full-grown fowl. Her mother had 
 been cheated if its present work was a criterion of 
 its worth. Apparently it was out of commission 
 and in need of reviving. What worse evil could 
 have befallen Lelo than slavery and being torn from 
 her home and from her mother, and what disease 
 worse than heartsickness ? 
 
 The two principals in the palaver parted at last. 
 Koso was glad to have escaped so cheaply and 
 Bungu delighted to be the owner of such a healthy 
 bit of live stock in place of his clay jug. No 
 traces of their true feelings were allowed to appear 
 on their solemn visages, but each one tried to look 
 as if disappointed with the outcome. No time was 
 
34 A Congo Chattel 
 
 wasted between them in long farewells. The cara- 
 van soon took up its march in single file along the 
 narrow, worn trail that was almost hidden under 
 the rank tropical growth on either side. 
 
 Lelo started as from under a blow when Bungu 
 abruptly bade her move on quickly. He was not 
 angry — far from it ; it was but his way of speaking 
 to females. It came naturally to him through long 
 years of dealing with human chattels and, as his 
 brutal mind chose to regard them, other shirking, 
 deceiving slaves. His eyes greedily took stock of 
 this promising chattel as she moved off. Certainly 
 he did not intend to injure the little body that bade 
 fair in the long run to bring in a rich return for 
 his modest outlay. Lelo would be safe from a blow 
 as long as he was sober. Drunk or enraged he 
 might foolishly disregard his own interest and do 
 her violence. 
 
 Lelo did not know ba from da (the syllables with 
 which the Congo primer begins), and was unaware 
 of the fact that she lived five degrees south of the 
 equator, but she did know that her heart had been 
 wounded in the loss of mother and home. How- 
 ever, with the philosophical unquestioning mind of 
 tlie native who recognizes her helpless position, she 
 quietly submitted to the inevitable, and even tried 
 to draw some comfort from thoughts of the new life 
 before her. Bowing under the burden of the basket 
 until her head almost touched the back of the 
 woman ahead of her in the path, she began her 
 
A Forced March 35 
 
 forced march. The noises of the village, the cry- 
 ing of the children, the dismal howling of the dogs 
 were soon left behind. A few minutes' march and 
 the uncanny silence of the forest covered them with 
 its pall. The caravan heard only the monotonous 
 yet rhythmical slapping of their own plodding, naked 
 feet in the narrow, clayey rut, the pattering that 
 sent the animals of the jungle slinking into their 
 quiet hiding places. 
 
 Not far along the way, something came gliding 
 through the dense underbrush on their flank with 
 the swiftness of an antelope ; somebody convulsively 
 seized Lelo in a grip that hurt, a roasted plantain 
 was thrust into the child's hand, and somebody tried 
 to say good-bye before being roughly pushed aside. 
 Lelo forced along by the crowd behind caught a 
 glimpse of her mother sprawling among the bushes. 
 She never saw her mother's face again. 
 
 Lelo is typical of the great host of African bur- 
 den-bearers who keep the trails free from grass by 
 the tread of their aching, weary feet. She had 
 joined the great multitude of female chattels that 
 drag out a tragic existence in the dark places of 
 the earth. The caravan spent two days on the road 
 to Kibungu, camping in the forest at night. The 
 monotonous drudgery of Lelo's life began at once; 
 she entered Bungu's family as servant to one of his 
 concubines. 
 
 Like all girls who live within the tropics she grew 
 rapidly to womanhood. Bungu looked upon her 
 
36 A Congo Chattel 
 
 one morning and saw it was high time for her to 
 marry, and he turned her over to the chosen man — 
 that is to say, the man of his choice. So it was not 
 many years after leaving Kinkoso that she became a 
 mother herself. 
 
 She cherished the memory of her own mother and 
 never forgot the spot where she was born. She 
 clung to the hope of returning to her "home," and 
 waited patiently for an opportunity of fleeing from 
 the land of bondage. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 Tasting Freedom. 
 
 HELO had left her old home at Kinkoso 
 under a burden of trouble, and now, fifteen 
 years later, she was again occupying the 
 center of the stage at the same place, the disputed 
 chattel of another palaver. Mbenza was now wear- 
 ing the old "King's" shoes, or, to be exact, his long- 
 tailed official coat. He in turn wielded the fly brush 
 with a pattern of elephant- tail hairs woven into the 
 handle, and, with Lelo standing behind him, he 
 viciously swished at the attacking insects, while 
 listening to the complaint of deceased Bungu's heir. 
 Except for the fact that the village had been re- 
 built on a new site nearby there was no apparent 
 change in the people or their surroundings. Hardly 
 a memory of her own mother survived among the 
 new generation. The dead were as quickly for- 
 gotten here as elsewhere and an exuberant mass of 
 vegetable life hid even the spot where they lay. 
 The people were as strange to Lelo as to the tiny 
 eight-months-old baby astraddle her hip and four- 
 year-old Wumba who clung to her bare leg. The 
 name of the village was now Kimbenza, taking the 
 name of the reigning headman and prefixing to it 
 "ki." 
 
38 A Congo Chattel 
 
 Koso had died and was buried — two distinct 
 events, with an interval of six months between. 
 After long smoking upon a bier with slow fires be- 
 neath and kept burning by his bereaved concubines, 
 and much winding of cloth around the wizened 
 body, it at last resembled a huge dirty bale of goods. 
 This bundle had been coffined in a great, rough 
 painted chest, and dragged on a rude wooden 
 funeral car over a wide road cut through the forest 
 and grubbed clean for the purpose. At the end of 
 the road, a quarter of a mile from the village, the 
 gruesome bundle was buried. It had taken weeks 
 to make the journey, stopping to drink, dance, and 
 fire off gunpowder by the way. The precious load 
 had at last been lowered into a shallow trench and 
 lightly covered with earth. This had all taken place 
 so long before, that the ornamental cloth and mats 
 on top of the grave had rotted away in the rain 
 and blazing sun from frequent drenchings and 
 scorchings. The crockery and idols too had fallen 
 and were buried under a profuse covering of weeds. 
 
 Lelo was now about twenty-five years old. She 
 had deep lines about her mouth and between her 
 eyes, stamped there by the drudgery of life at Ki- 
 bungu. The small of her back upon which had 
 rested her basket was as hardened as the palms of 
 her hands that had toiled for so many years in 
 wielding the short-handled hoe. Whether it was 
 something in the soil or an innate love for her own 
 kin that drew her, she had so longed for "home'* 
 
Tasting Freedom 39 
 
 that she must see it even though life itself paid the 
 penalty. The desire increased when the father of 
 her two children died, and with her little ones she 
 had taken flight during the night and escaped from 
 bondage. The heir who had been deciding on a 
 new husband for his "property" before the body of 
 the old one had become quite cold knew where to 
 seek when the news came of Lelo's flight. He fol- 
 lowed hard and reached Kimbenza soon after her. 
 
 Lelo is again the bone of contention. The snarl- 
 ing heir demands his rights and Mbenza has taken 
 up the cudgels on Lelo's behalf. She remembers 
 vividly how years before she stood, a trembling tot, 
 while they haggled over her body and bartered her 
 away for a worthless jug. Now again was a man 
 clamoring for her body as if she were but an animal 
 or a roll of cloth "currency" to be passed from hand 
 to hand. Why could they not leave her in peace 
 with the children ? she thought. She asked no more 
 than to be left alone. She could support her little 
 ones with her own strong and willing hands. Why 
 did they hound her? What crime had she com- 
 mitted? She felt that the social order was all 
 wrong and in her heart she rebelled at the cruelty 
 and injustice of it. 
 
 "No," asserted Mbenza, calmly regarding his ad- 
 versary, "I will not give her up. If she wants to 
 go back, that is her affair; if she prefers to stay 
 here, I will not drive her away." This mild pro- 
 nouncement indicated a challenge over and above 
 
40 A Congo Chattel 
 
 the spoken words as much as to say — "And I would 
 Hke to see you try to take her by force." 
 
 This was a tonic to Lelo. Invigorated she 
 looked around hopefully. She even ventured to smile 
 at her little girl and reply in a monosyllable to a 
 childish question. She swung the baby round 
 from her side and hugged him to her breast. 
 Friendly services had been all too few in her dark 
 and sad experience and she regarded Mbenza with 
 grateful eyes. 
 
 "But, you know she belongs to me ?" 
 
 Mbenza, with uplifted brows and an inimitable 
 shrug of his chocolate-hued shoulders, thus declined 
 to commit himself, and make public the extent of 
 his knowledge of the matter. 
 
 "She was forfeited to my father here on this very 
 spot," angrily declared the wronged heir. Some of 
 the Kimbenza people smiled broadly at seeing him 
 wax indignant, but the friends who had come with 
 him growled corroborative evidence. Their glances 
 at Lelo suggested a bad quarter of an hour for her 
 after they had again obtained possession of her and 
 were on their way back toward Kibungu. 
 
 "Times have changed since then, niy boy," re- 
 marked Mbenza sarcastically. "Who would be fool 
 enough now to give you a girl for a jug of rum? 
 If you don't like it, take your case to the Zuzi 
 (Judge) at Boma." 
 
 Times had indeed changed. The Mundele 
 (man-in-cloth), who, like the camel in the poem. 
 
Tasting Freedom 41 
 
 had but his nose in the tent fifteen years before, 
 now enjoyed almost undisputed possession of the 
 Mayombe. Lelo's life began under the old heathen 
 regime; now she was to experience a new order of 
 things. She lived at the parting of the ways. The 
 people were confronted with a new political system 
 and control and were awakening to the fact that the 
 government of their country had passed into the 
 hands of the stranger. Along with taxes had come 
 judges and these began to settle native palavers. 
 
 Mbenza's reply was received in blank silence. 
 After a pause he added in a tone that would have 
 been appropriate to a member of an antislavery so- 
 ciety, "I may say I don't think he will agree with 
 your side of the matter; slavery is against the law 
 now." Absorbed in this new and noble sentiment, 
 Mbenza became oblivious to several incidents of a 
 somewhat similar nature in which he himself was 
 at the same time entangled. The wronged heir 
 seeing how the affair was going modified his own 
 course. If he could not get what he first claimed 
 he would take what he could. 
 
 With a brave attempt at good grace and an ap- 
 pearance of willingness to do Lelo a favor he said 
 as mildly as possible, "Well, since she is so anxious 
 to stay here I will not make any further objection. 
 Of course I expect to be paid for her. I must have 
 the price paid for her if I cannot get Lelo herself." 
 
 Mbenza with a scornful laugh returned the ques- 
 tion, "Her price? Do you mean what Bung^ gave 
 
42 A Congo Chattel 
 
 for her? You may get a jug of rum from some- 
 body else, I have none to spare. Why not ask the 
 Zuzi at Boma to pay you ?" 
 
 "Good," said the heir, stung into taking up the 
 challenge; "to Boma we go then, but Lelo must go 
 with us." 
 
 Lelo stood listening intently and noting every turn 
 of the palaver that was to decide her fate. She had 
 taken a long step toward liberty, and as far as she 
 had gotten she liked the experience and was ready 
 to advance farther. She determined she would not 
 go back without first making a strong fight to save 
 herself from the drudgery of the past years. "Me, 
 I will go to Boma to see the white Zuzi," she said, 
 "but you will have to bind and drag me back to 
 Kibungu." 
 
 Determination was in her low-spoken words. It 
 was not necessary for her to lift her voice or look 
 up from the nursing baby to make the heir under- 
 stand that she meant all she said. The villagers 
 felt too that Lelo was capable of some desperate 
 act; that she had reached the limit of endurance. 
 Boma was not so dreadful to her as a return to the 
 old life even if she shrank from the journey to that 
 strange place. Queer tales of the city that had as 
 many as two hundred white men in it, and the un- 
 common happenings there, had been talked about 
 for years among the women folks. None of these 
 stories tended to inspire confidence among the 
 people of the hinterland. The heir was not anxious 
 
Tasting Freedom 43 
 
 for the journey; his expressed wilUngness to face 
 the white Zuzi was mostly in word. He could ex- 
 pect little from such a trip. How could any Mun- 
 dele with his foreign way of looking at matters 
 settle a palaver to the satisfaction of Mayombe 
 litigants ? 
 
 An unexpected but welcome interruption occurred 
 at this juncture. A solution of the problem was 
 found in the arrival on the scene of Mavambu, the 
 deaf headman of a nearby village. Mavambu al- 
 though born a slave was mounting the social ladder. 
 He was soon to be appointed to the coveted position 
 of Medal Chief to represent the government in his 
 district. The advent of a man of such prestige 
 and influence naturally caused a stir. He pressed 
 up as close as he could get to the speakers, staring 
 from one to the other and thrusting his head for- 
 ward, with strained expression to better hear their 
 answers to his rapid questions. Getting in touch 
 with the situation and looking Lelo over, he made a 
 sudden resolve. 
 
 Talking loudly, as if the listeners were deaf, he 
 volunteered, "Me, I will pay to settle this palaver," 
 adding hastily, in order to clear away any miscon- 
 ception in the minds of Lelo and the heir regarding 
 his offer, "I'll take her for my wife if the price is 
 reasonable ; but I won't be imposed upon." 
 
 The heir said at once he could not see any reason 
 why the ba-Kongo people should take any of their 
 own palavers to a white stranger, ignorant of their 
 
44 ^ A Congo Chattel 
 
 customs and knowing only a few words of the ki- 
 Kongo language. Lelo said nothing, which was re- 
 garded as the correct attitude by the crowd. What 
 was there for her to say? The people thought the 
 offer a good solution to a hard question, and it was 
 suggested that not only was Mavambu a public offi- 
 cial, but he was showing a fine public spirit in the 
 present emergency. How much better to arrange 
 their own affairs and thus keep clear of the uncer- 
 tain decisions of the Zuzi, and the troublesome com- 
 plications his findings so often made. 
 
 Lelo was not enraptured with the prospect, but 
 the unexpected intervention of Mavambu was obvi- 
 ously the right answer. She must have a male pro- 
 tector like all other women ; she could not be allowed 
 to own herself and run loose in the community. Then 
 why not Mavambu ? He was a man and had power to 
 keep her from becoming public prey, and he, more- 
 over, lived on the dear patch of green earth that had 
 nourished her in her early years. True, Lelo would 
 not be his first love; at least ten predecessors had 
 occupied a place in his heart. Maybe it was his 
 stomach that had been principally affected. Most 
 of his happy recollections of the departed ones and 
 present incumbents had to do with something good 
 to eat, or the way they prepared his food. At the 
 moment there were several living rivals that Lelo 
 would have to reckon with in getting a solid foot- 
 ing within Mavambu's compound. 
 
 Mavambu was no longer young, and had never 
 
Tasting Freedom 45 
 
 been noted for his good looks. But that made little 
 difference to Lelo, and one in her place could not 
 afford to be too fastidious about her means of de- 
 liverance. After all, Lelo herself was not so young 
 as might be desirable in order to be much in demand. 
 Her life of constant toil had left marks, yet she still 
 had traces of personal charm and beauty. If not 
 young she was strong and well knew how to plant 
 a field, cultivate it, prepare tasty messes from its 
 produce for the family platter, and that of course 
 was the principal thing. Indeed after spending 
 years over the cook-pots, she was in this respect 
 more valuable than a younger woman. She could 
 doubtless gladden the heart of Mavambu with richly 
 oiled and peppered vegetables should he be able to 
 conclude the bargain. 
 
 Lelo's voice was not heard during the time the 
 principals were closing the business. She quietly 
 yielded to the lot they offered her. The sum was 
 agreed upon and settled with fewer phrases than 
 usual. The heir was glad in these changing times 
 to get even a moderate return for his father's in- 
 vestment. He felt that after all the family had 
 made a pretty good thing out of Lelo. Bungu got 
 her for a jug of rum, and Lelo's deceased husband 
 had paid a good-sized bundle of cloth, and other 
 valuable things including rum and a sheep, before 
 he had been given a life interest in the chattel. 
 And now the heir was to get more booty so he reck- 
 oned that close bargaining would be in bad taste, 
 
46 A Congo Chattel 
 
 particularly since the white Zuzi had been men- 
 tioned. 
 
 Mavambu soon brought back from his town the 
 first payment of rum and cloth. The generous heir 
 agreed to relinquish all claim on Lelo as soon as the 
 full sum was received. The little ones were to stay 
 with Lelo, and Mavambu became her happy owner. 
 Thus Lelo got a legal hut for herself and babies, a 
 male champion, and the right to live unhunted. She 
 had no cause to fear hunger as long as she would 
 be able to work, nor bodily harm as long as Ma- 
 vambu kept in good spirits — and kept away from 
 trade spirits. What more could a reasonable 
 woman ask? Things had indeed come her way 
 since boldly taking matters into her own hands, 
 cutting the cords of bondage and leaving Kibungu 
 behind her. 
 
 Mavambu led the way to his village looking back 
 once in a while to say an encouraging word or leer 
 good-naturedly at his new piece of property and 
 wave his free and empty hand at the baby, while 
 Lelo, bent double under the child and the well-filled 
 basket on her back, followed him patiently. Sweet 
 little Wumba trotted at her heels away to their new 
 stall in Mavambu's compound which was located 
 within gunshot of Yenge Chapel. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 An Ordeal of Fire. 
 
 M^^p^HE first year passed almost uneventfully. 
 m C\ Lelo's life in Mavambu's compound was 
 ^^^^ without remarkable incident, until a new 
 little boy came. Her simple life was, however, but 
 little disturbed by this event as he made very little 
 more work in the "home." She had neither wash- 
 ing nor cooking to do for him. When he was 
 hungry she nursed him at the breast, or gave him a 
 bit of roast sweet potato to chew upon. When he 
 was dirty she had only to wash his chubby little 
 body for he wore not the tiniest scrap of cloth to 
 soil. 
 
 She bathed the little tot at irregular intervals by 
 placing a great pot of water out in the open street. 
 Then seizing the tiny mite by one arm, she swung 
 him screaming and kicking aloft, while with the 
 other hand she dashed and splashed him with cold 
 water; resting him for a moment in her lap, she 
 loosened the dirt with brisk rubbing ; then grasping 
 him by the other arm and holding him up as before, 
 she repeated the dose of water to his sputtering ac- 
 companiment. Rolling about in the sun or lying 
 on a bit of mat by the fire, he soon dried off without 
 further bother. So there was nothing complex 
 
48 A Congo Chattel 
 
 about her home life and duties to be interfered with 
 by the arrival of a new baby. 
 
 She hadn't the heart to treat her baby as some of 
 the other women did who threw their squirming, 
 tender little ones on to the low sloping roofs, catch- 
 ing them in their arms, as they rolled over and down 
 and off to harden them. Somehow Lelo couldn't 
 bear to hear her baby scream with fright at such 
 rough treatment, so she omitted that kind of gym- 
 nastics in raising her little ones. 
 
 A trying incident in her life at this time was 
 connected with the fate that befell her mother. She 
 was told the sad tale soon after her baby was born. 
 Lelo had never forgotten her mother, and with 
 love and longing often meditated upon the one good 
 and true friend she had ever known. The image 
 of her dear mother, clothed in a rich drapery of 
 sacred memories, was enshrined within her heart. 
 She had looked forward with such joy to seeing 
 Mama again. As soon as she was free from Ki- 
 bungu and headed toward home her thoughts were 
 all of the hoped-for happy meeting. 
 
 Resting before Mbenza's hut, when she first 
 reached his village, she had told the gist of her own 
 tale in a few hasty, broken sentences, and then 
 asked, 
 
 "Where is Mama?" 
 
 She did not use one of several other words in 
 common use for mother, but said simply "Mama," 
 which is the same word how ever spelled in many 
 
w 
 
 Wk 
 
 ■ . w''-; •■'', "'' 
 
 
 F- 
 
 i 
 
 Wi 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 '!'■, 
 
 pM 
 
 S 
 
 ^^^^ 
 
 #■■■ 
 
 ^^^m>„: -•— - ~"»« 
 
 W^6 
 
 HKhHv 
 
 ■ "^' ^ 
 
 
 ^Bl^ 
 
 ■ .' l-'"-i 
 
 
An Ordeal of Fire 49 
 
 different tongues. Her mother would always re- 
 main "Mama" to her. 
 
 The question, although the first and most natural 
 one to be expected, produced a strange effect on 
 Mbenza. "She is dead," he replied in an embar- 
 rassed way that was unnoticed by Lelo. 
 
 She was only concerned with the sad news, not 
 with him. After a pause she faintly asked, in the 
 manner the Congolese refer to the dead, 
 
 "Was 'she that was my mother' sick long?" 
 
 "No — yes — that is, I think so — I wasn't here at 
 the time," he stammered. 
 
 "When did she die?" 
 
 "Oh, don't let us talk any more about it," he ob- 
 jected; "me, I never like to talk about the dead. 
 It's unlucky." 
 
 He returned only evasive answers to several 
 other anxious and reasonable questions in regard to 
 the circumstances of her mother's death, and the 
 place where "she that was her mother" was buried. 
 At last he curtly refused to say any more on the 
 subject, and she was forced to remain in ignorance 
 of the details of the sad event. She at last noticed 
 his hesitation and confusion, but attributed it only 
 to his religious convictions. She hid the matter 
 deep in her own heart, and it was a long time before 
 she could even speak about it again to anyone. 
 
 In the compound living in a hut next to her own 
 was a woman named Mayala, who was the property 
 of Mavambu. She had been the favorite wife of 
 
5o A Congo Chattel 
 
 the last important Chief of the district, and not only 
 had she seen better days, but she was more than or- 
 dinarily intelligent. She had enjoyed some distinc- 
 tion in the neighborhood because of her position 
 as head woman of such a Chief. At that time the 
 place was a well-populated center; it had not been 
 depopulated by sleeping sickness, rum, and other 
 evils. Mayala had been taken to wife by Chief 
 Noki a few years after Lelo, the child, had been 
 carried off to Kibungu. When Noki died Mayala 
 was not freed from matrimonial bondage, but she 
 became the "wife" of Mavambu, as his portion of 
 the estate. 
 
 Mayala was kind to Lelo and the babies, and they 
 soon became fast friends, notwithstanding the dif- 
 ference in their ages and disparity of rank in Ma- 
 vambu's household. Nothing of any consequence 
 in those parts had happened for many years but 
 what Mayala remembered it. She knew the history 
 of the people also, and could tell what had become 
 of different ones, of those who had died, or had 
 gone to other parts, and where they were if alive. 
 
 She was just the one to tell Lelo about her 
 mother. When the latter asked Mayala about the 
 matter one day, she was startled to find that she had 
 broached a subject that was very distasteful to 
 the older woman. This fact aroused her suspi- 
 cions, and made her anxious to know more. Lelo 
 found a good opportunity soon after when one 
 afternoon Mayala crossed her field on her way 
 
An Ordeal of Fire 51 
 
 home from work, and rested for a moment on the 
 huge tree that had been cut down to make room 
 for a bean patch, and against which Lelo was lay- 
 ing brushwood for the beans to climb upon. 
 
 Lelo stopped working and squatted close to the 
 tree, where under its shelter the baby was quietly 
 sleeping. Little Wumba temporarily relieved of 
 the strain of taking care of the baby was amusing 
 herself by pretending to be gathering food and 
 wood and water, and to be carrying off the spoils to 
 her imaginary hut to cook for an imaginary man. 
 Rather serious work to pass for play, but it was a 
 common game for the children of Africa who for 
 generations had been thrust into a playless, miser- 
 able, and grown-up world of hard, barren realities. 
 
 The sun had dropped so low in the West that its 
 power for that day was no longer to be feared. 
 Disappearing behind a barricade of trees, it was 
 shooting narrow, slanting beams of heated light 
 through the open places between, but much of 
 Lelo's patch was now protected by welcome shad- 
 ows. Overhead the sky was delightfully soft and 
 refreshing to her worn and tired eyes, and the 
 dreamy, cool restfulness of the brief tropical eve- 
 ning after a long, burning, stifling day was creeping 
 languidly on. 
 
 Mayala suggested waiting until Lelo had gathered 
 her tools and picked up her babies, and then they 
 would go home together. Lelo agreed, but instead 
 of moving to pick up her implements began to 
 
52 A Congo Chattel 
 
 question her friend upon the matter that was so 
 much on her heart. 
 
 "Mayala," said she without warning, looking up 
 pleadingly into her friend's face, "I wish you 
 would tell me more about Mama/' 
 
 "Nana," she replied, with quick and positive 
 emphasis on the words of refusal, "I will not." 
 
 "But, Mayala, if you were in my place, you too 
 would be anxious to know about your mother. Why 
 not tell me about mine?" 
 
 "I don't want to talk about it ! Although I never 
 did believe she was guilty of witchcraft." 
 
 So this was why Mbenza and Mayala had refused 
 to talk about Lelo's mother. It was because she 
 had been accused of witchcraft, and perhaps — 
 murdered! It was a blow, but not altogether 
 unexpected. 
 
 After she had begun to talk, it was not very 
 difficult to persuade Mayala to continue. She first 
 pledged Lelo to secrecy "by her mother," an oath 
 that would not be lightly broken. She revealed 
 then a story that was the most cruel to which Lelo 
 had ever listened. She hardly lifted her eyes after 
 Mayala began to speak, but crouched nearer to 
 the ground and drew the baby closer to her as the 
 brutal narrative was unfolded. 
 
 "I was with Noki at the fire before his hut when 
 Koso came along one evening and sat down. We 
 could plainly see that he was upset about some- 
 thing, and. it was not long before he blurted out 
 
An Ordeal of Fire 53 
 
 his trouble. He said that he was sure your mother 
 was a witch. 
 
 "I felt then he was mistaken, and became fully 
 convinced of it later. Why, when they did poison 
 her, she would have lived through a day and have 
 proven her innocence, or have recovered completely, 
 if they had not crowded around her and seized 
 her when she began to stagger. 
 
 "Noki, he didn't say much one way or the other, 
 but Koso was sure he was right, and went on 
 to tell of several suspicious circumstances he had 
 noticed. He was anxious to find out what Noki 
 thought, and whether he approved of a witch hunt 
 at that time. 
 
 "Koso said there had been some sickness in his 
 town lately and that this had first aroused his sus- 
 picions; then that very evening one of his slaves 
 had fallen from a palm tree, which he was tapping 
 for wine, into the thorny brush below, and was 
 lying with an arm and a leg broken, and the flesh 
 scratched and torn away from one side of his body. 
 
 "He said that it was becoming too much to put 
 up with, and if Malanda died he would be revenged 
 upon the witches whoever they were, whether your 
 mother or others. 
 
 "Chief Noki replied that if he felt that way 
 about it the best thing for him to do would be to 
 call in Nsakala the priest who lived in Kimbungu. 
 He said that there was no better man in the whole 
 district, and that if there was a witch in Kinkoso 
 
54 A Congo Chattel 
 
 he would 'smell it out/ And besides, Nsakala's 
 charges were always moderate, which, said Noki, 
 was no light consideration. 
 
 "I had almost forgotten Koso's visit, when a few 
 days later I heard Malanda had died, and that on 
 the next day there was to be a witch hunt in his 
 village. 
 
 "For me, I never could see why the women are al- 
 ways so anxious to attend a witch hunt. I went 
 reluctantly, and only because it was the customary 
 thing to do. Of course you know that they might 
 have said that I myself was a witch if I had stayed 
 away. 
 
 "It was nearly noon next day before we heard 
 the drum beating the call, and announcing the ar- 
 rival of Nsakala. It's strange how that sound 
 makes one shiver. There's something very dread- 
 ful about the noise that comes from a witch-doctor's 
 drum. Nsakala was a busy man. He had been 
 working on a case in a town some miles away dur- 
 ing the early morning, and that was what made 
 him so late in getting started at Kinkoso. 
 
 "There was a big crowd gathered in the four 
 towns on this side of the valley, and they were not 
 long in getting together in Kinkoso after the signal 
 drum. The street was filled with people when I 
 reached there, and they kept coming in from all 
 directions. 
 
 "It wasn't long until I saw the nganga come out 
 of Koso's hut followed by the Chief. Nsakala's 
 
An Ordeal of Fire 55 
 
 bleared eyes rolled wildly as he looked over us and 
 all around him to note who was there and see how 
 the preparations were going. It seemed to me that 
 he was more than half drunk. 
 
 "He had his witch fetich in his hand, and almost 
 the first thing that he said when he shouted at us, 
 and held it up to view, was that every hanging strip 
 of dirty rag dangling from the nkisi had been torn 
 from the loin cloth of some witch discovered by 
 him. 'Before their vile bodies were thrown into 
 the flames,' boasted he, *I took my trophy.' 
 
 "He was frightful to look upon, with his painted 
 face, as he stood shaking his rattle to emphasize 
 his shouted threats concerning what he would do to 
 the witch when he caught it. I couldn't help think- 
 ing how I should feel if he made a mistake, being 
 drunk, and happened to 'point me out.' I would 
 have been glad then to sneak behind the crowd, or 
 to leave the town, but I was afraid of what they 
 would say. 
 
 "He went into the hut which they had prepared 
 for him, to consult his idol, and shut the door. We 
 remained where we were, talking and speculating 
 as to who would be 'pointed out' by him. When 
 he did appear, we were all drawn up on both sides 
 of the street in two rows, intently and anxiously 
 watching Nsakala. We knew that we were inno- 
 cent and were hoping that his information would 
 agree with our own conviction of the fact. 
 
 "The door was slammed back, and with a roar, 
 
56 A Congo Chattel 
 
 nkisi in hand, he jumped into the open. He ran 
 wildly up on one side peering into the faces of the 
 crowd and down on the other as if seeking the 
 one that he knew was guilty. Yelling at the top 
 of his voice, jumping into the air, or stopping dead 
 and silent in his tracks to glare at someone, he soon 
 had our nerves on edge. We were all pretty shaky, 
 and glad to see him stop at last in front of Koso*s 
 big house. 
 
 "He said that he was glad to announce that he 
 had not been called in vain, that there was indeed 
 a witch in Kinkoso, even in the very town; a 
 reprobate who had, without interference or sus- 
 picion, been 'eating* the people for a long time. 
 In a solemn voice he said that he had discovered it 
 to be the same witch who had wickedly caused the 
 accident which had cost Malanda his life. 
 
 "A howl of rage went up from the assembled 
 crowd, in which I joined, of course. Such a howl 
 was enough to put terror into the heart of anyone 
 dabbling with evil spirits, and turn him from such 
 wicked ways. He said that he was glad there were 
 not many concerned in the devilish plot. In fact 
 there was but one, and that he had succeeded by 
 superhuman efforts in finding out who it was, and 
 that furthermore he now intended to announce the 
 cursed name. 
 
 "We listened, breathlessly straining to hear every 
 word, while he went on to say that the guilty wretch 
 was a woman! That took the pressure from the 
 
An Ordeal of Fire 57 
 
 men, but his announcement bore down more heavily 
 upon us women who were left, and increased our 
 anxiety. 
 
 "I knew, or felt I knew, from what had been 
 said to Noki by Koso, that I could myself tell 
 who was to be named. Yet I wasn't certain, as I 
 couldn't be sure of what revelations the spirits had 
 made to Nsakala while in the hut. It was not 
 much longer before he relieved us from all suspense 
 by saying that the witch was your mother. He 
 roared her name at the top of his mighty voice." 
 
 Mayala paused and looked at Lelo, waiting for 
 some comment, but as Lelo did not move, nor lift 
 her head, she continued her story: 
 
 "Your mother said that it was all a lie, but 
 Nsakala answered that whether true or false the 
 facts would be known the next day. 'Unless my 
 nkisi has deceived me,' said he, 'you are ndoki'; 
 but your mother scornfully denied the accusation 
 and cried out that she was innocent. 
 
 "They arranged to go away into that old clearing 
 just off the path leading over the bluff, down into 
 the little valley behind Kimbenza. It was neces- 
 sary to be careful then in giving the nkasa cup, on 
 account of the haNganga Nzamhi (Doctors of 
 God, i. e., the name given by natives to Protestant 
 missionaries) over at the Vula Station. The mis- 
 sionaries had begun to make trouble even then, and 
 for some time they had been sticking their noses into 
 matters of that kind as soon as they heard of them. 
 
58 A Congo Chattel 
 
 "Next day we were all on hand again at Kinkoso. 
 There was a general holiday in the neighborhood. 
 We left the village early for the place where the 
 poison tea was to be given, and when we got there 
 I saw your mother sitting on the ground waiting. 
 Nsakala was watching closely two of the women 
 who had been appointed to grind the bark and help 
 him mix the test cup. 
 
 "When the time came, your mother stood up 
 at the command of the priest, and took the cup 
 from the hand of one of the women who had 
 stirred it. She held it in both hands while he again 
 charged her with being a witch, and called upon 
 his nkisi to prove her guilt in the sight of all her 
 outraged neighbors, if she was indeed ndoki. 
 
 "There was hardly a movement then, we were 
 all so quiet that we could hear the dripping of the 
 heavy morning mist falling from leaf to leaf and 
 pattering to the ground at the foot of the trees 
 along the edge of the clearing. It was a dismal 
 morning with that dark sullen gray sky bearing 
 down and penetrating our hearts with its chilling 
 gloom. We shivered and wished the trial would 
 end, so that we could run and walk, and get back 
 to our work or huts with their comfortable fires. 
 
 "With the big wooden cup in her hands, that 
 meant so much to her for good or evil, for life or 
 death, your mother stood silently and waited until 
 Nsakala's charge was finished when he ordered her 
 to drink. 
 
An Ordeal of Fire 59 
 
 "She was so different from that awful old witch 
 that was killed last month, 'who called herself while 
 living' Lengo. I never saw anyone act so crazy ; 
 she cried and howled about her children all the time. 
 She should have thought about her children before 
 she entered into such an awful compact. Her 
 children are much better off now than they ever 
 could have been with her, learning all kinds of for- 
 bidden things. You were there when she died, 
 weren't you?" 
 
 Lelo hardly seemed to hear what Mayala said 
 about the other woman. She made no reply to 
 the question, so Mayala continued. 
 
 "Your mother said never a word to Nsakala, nor 
 looked around at any of us. She lifted the mug, 
 held it to her lips with both hands, and though it 
 almost choked her^ drained it of the nasty mixture." 
 
 "Go on," said Lelo hoarsely, moistening her dry 
 lips with her tongue when Mayala paused. 
 
 "Well, she died. But I think she would have 
 lived if some of Koso's men and Malanda's rela- 
 tives had not crowded in around her and seized her 
 as soon as she staggered. After that it was not 
 really possible to tell whether she had fallen from 
 the effects of the poison, or because of a blow dealt 
 her in the scuffle. For me, I always did believe that 
 she would have lived through it, if only for a day, 
 long enough to prove anyway that she was innocent 
 of the charge made against her. There isn't much 
 
6o A Congo Chattel 
 
 more to tell," Mayala concluded hesitatingly, "and 
 it's getting late." 
 
 "Finish it now; tell me all, Mayala, and I will 
 never trouble you again. How did she die?" 
 
 "Well, when she was on the ground at last, Koso 
 and Nsakala and others began to shout that the 
 witch had been caught, and soon the whole crowd 
 took up their triumphant cry. The noise was heard 
 by everybody for a long distance in every direction. 
 If any others felt like me, they also wisely kept it 
 to themselves, for that was not the time for argu- 
 ment. What could anyone do? They were like 
 wild beasts of the forest with their prey in their 
 clutches. 
 
 "She screamed loudly at first with the pain, from 
 the nkasa and the blows, and then she lay moaning 
 and crying feebly, saying that she was innocent and 
 that she was indeed an honest woman. Nobody 
 listened much to her; only the two or three that 
 stood guard over her body paid any attention to 
 what she said. 
 
 "The crowd scattered and ran to the edge of the 
 clearing, soon returning, each one with a big stick 
 or an armful of wood. Koso pointed to a big tree 
 which has since fallen and long ago been eaten by 
 ants; and there they threw their burdens down at 
 its foot. There were two high, narrow, big roots 
 growing from the trunk outside the ground, and 
 they formed a kind of fireplace. Several burning 
 brands had thoughtfully been brought along from 
 
An Ordeal of Fire 6i 
 
 Kinkoso, for use if needed; they would serve to 
 light pipes, if not a pyre. With these a fire was 
 soon started and began to blaze up along the great 
 tree trunk. 
 
 "They lifted your mother, her arms and legs 
 bound with strong vines, and carried her, crying 
 and pleading her innocence, and threw her on top 
 of the burning faggots." 
 
 Mayala stopped, and wondered whether she ought 
 to conclude the horrible story. Lelo took up the 
 baby, and pressed him convulsively to her breast. 
 Mayala was silent for a moment, thinking of that 
 culmination of horror she had witnessed, and then 
 suddenly as if speaking for her own relief, almost 
 forgetting to whom she was telling the tale, she 
 concluded : 
 
 "After they had thrown her bound body upon the 
 blazing pile, something strange happened, something 
 that made an impression upon even the most hard- 
 ened among the yelling crowd. When death had 
 mercifully closed her terror-haunted eyes, and her 
 features had relaxed into the peace that follows re- 
 lease from pain, we saw through her gaping side 
 what your mother had been hoping to look upon 
 with joy in a few more weeks. The unborn child 
 and mother were both quickly consumed, all except 
 a few large bones which had fallen over to one side. 
 
 "These dried and whitened and crumbled slowly 
 away, and were buried at last, along with the fallen 
 tree itself, under a dense mass of grasses and ferns. 
 
62 A Congo Chattel 
 
 which grew into the mound around which the new 
 path now curves. 
 
 "Come, Lelo, it is time to go. What is past we 
 cannot help now." 
 
 Lelo mutely shook her bowed head, and 
 motioned her friend to leave her. She wanted to 
 be alone. Mayala turned and walked slowly away 
 in the swiftly falling darkness toward the village. 
 Little Wumba, noting the departure of Mayala and 
 feeling the chill of advancing night, came to rouse 
 her mother. 
 
 Clasping her mother about the neck and trying to 
 lift her head, she said, "Mama, I want to go to the 
 village.*' 
 
 Lelo raised her face and the little one buried -her 
 head upon her mother's breast in sympathy. She 
 knew that something was wrong and that Mama 
 needed help. Lelo arose slowly and taking the child 
 by the hand turned toward their home. The little 
 arms had given more help than they knew, they had 
 released the awful weight on mother's heart. 
 
 A tear, unnoticed in the deepening shadows save 
 by the all-seeing eye of Him Who knows that such 
 as Lelo have hearts, and Who understands their 
 needs, rolled slowly down her ashy, drawn face, and 
 fell upon the head of the helpless mite clasped to 
 her breast. 
 
 A bitter tribute exacted by the enemy. Another 
 tear toward the filling of the cup of the heathen 
 
An Ordeal of Fire 63 
 
 woman's woe. A tear wrung from a wounded 
 heart by a barbarous, heathen religion, and inex- 
 cusable Christian neglect. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 A Digression on a Horse. 
 
 CHE purpose of this digression is to get 
 away from the atmosphere of the revolt- 
 ing tale of the death of Lelo's mother, 
 and to leave for the time being the scenes of her 
 own miserable life, and so find relief by taking a 
 journey to far-distant places. Lelo's country had 
 never produced a horse. No horse can be found in 
 Mayombe, and as a horse is absolutely essential to 
 the success of the journey, it becomes necessary to 
 leave tropical Congo and visit North America in the 
 freezing month of February. 
 
 The horse of this excursus is brought into the 
 narrative by a lady who came to attend a missionary 
 meeting that was being addressed by a Congo mis- 
 sionary on leave. Seeking to interest people at 
 home in his work among the heathen and to secure 
 their co-operation, to what better place could he 
 go than to a church? Mr. Missionary was glad to 
 avail himself of the invitation to address the con- 
 gregation on the subject of his field and work, and 
 felt that he was among friends when he reached the 
 platform. 
 
 It was a magnificent church building, much better 
 than the sunburned brick, grass-roofed places of 
 
-^m^mm 
 
 ^^m: . «^ 
 
 WITCH-DOCTOR PERFORMING 
 
 DECORATIONS ON GRAVE. IDOLS, GUNPOWDER 
 
 KEGS, CROCKERY, AND PERIODICALS PICKED UP 
 
 ON THE COAST OF WEST AFRICA — PINNED 
 
 TO STRIPED BLANKET 
 
A Digression on a Horse 65 
 
 worship in the Congo. The decorations and fittings 
 alone had cost a great many thousands of dollars 
 and were most elaborate and luxurious. The pew 
 cushions were delightfully soft and sleep-inducing, 
 and Mr. Missionary could not help but think how 
 nice it would be to have such a place to crawl into 
 after a long, hard day tramping through the tropical 
 jungle. Not that he would have taken advantage 
 of such a fine opportunity with his grimy, travel- 
 stained garments I 
 
 The congregation was made up of well-dressed, 
 well-fed and well-educated people, evidently in com- 
 fortable circumstances. They appeared to be much 
 interested in the story from the Congo, and gave 
 earnest attention to the message and to the plea 
 made for the miserable people whom the missionary 
 represented. 
 
 There was deep feeling in Mr. Missionary's voice 
 and a mist before his eyes as he surveyed that fash- 
 ionable congregation. He compared them with his 
 own people, and thought of the difficulty of finding 
 the right matters to touch upon, in order to make 
 them understand the depths of destitution and need 
 he intended to portray. 
 
 Seeing them so well-groomed and happy-looking, 
 it was hard to keep back the tears. He was not in- 
 clined to cry because of their comfort and pros- 
 perity, but his tears were rather for his African 
 flock in all their misery and need, sunk as they were 
 in the depths of sin. 
 
66 A Congo Chattel 
 
 Missionaries generally keep their tears for the 
 homeland; they don't cry much when about their 
 heart-breaking work. 
 
 It is necessary for the missionary sometimes to 
 get away from his field of labor and the hardening 
 everyday scenes of spiritual and physical degrada- 
 tion that he encounters in his heathen parish. The 
 contrasts in the homeland are so marked that the 
 dire needs of his own suffering people assume a 
 greater urgency. 
 
 On that particular night, Mr. Missionary, with 
 aching heart, was himself so deeply stirred with 
 the need of Lelo's oppressed kind, that it appeared 
 as if the congregation simply could not but see eye 
 to eye with him, and that there must be a generous 
 response to the appeal on behalf of the oppressed 
 Congo natives also, in missionaries, volunteers, and 
 in the necessary financial assistance. 
 
 In the course of his message he dwelt at some 
 length on the physical destitution and the inhuman 
 treatment by which so many were being brutalized 
 and destroyed, soul and body. It becomes neces- 
 sary sometimes to speak of matters of which many 
 people would rather remain in ignorance. 
 
 Mr. Missionary told the congregation of meet- 
 ing a woman who lived in a village close to the 
 Mission. She had been accused of witchcraft, and 
 had fled to the Station for protection. She was not 
 more than twenty-five years of age, soft of speech. 
 
A Digression on a Horse 67 
 
 and attractive. Her four sturdy boys ranged from 
 two to ten years of age. 
 
 He related that when he and Mrs. Missionary 
 heard of the accusation, they were sympathetic and 
 indignant. They endeavored to persuade her to re- 
 sist the poison test, if only for the children's sake. 
 
 "Mfumu," sobbed she, holding the youngest in 
 her arms, while the others cuddled at her feet on 
 a mat spread on the veranda floor, "they call me 
 ndokir 
 
 "What? Call you a witch r 
 
 "Yes. I was pointed out this morning, and they 
 say that I must drink nkasa tomorrow !" 
 
 "But you know that you are not a witch ?" 
 
 "Truly, I know that." 
 
 "And do you want to die ?" 
 
 She shivered, although there was no chill in the 
 hot noontide; and cried softly as she looked from 
 one to the other of her little family. 
 
 "If I were you," Mr. Missionary said he had ad- 
 vised her, "I wouldn't take that vile dose of poison 
 for them. What will become of your babies ?" 
 
 "What can I do ? They will beat me to death if 
 I refuse!'* 
 
 "Refuse by staying here; they can't kill you if 
 you don't go back to them !" 
 
 "Would you let us live here?" 
 
 "Yes. And they will not try to molest yOu while 
 you are with us." 
 
 He said that she seemed, as no doubt she was, 
 
68 A Congo Chattel 
 
 deeply grateful. A little hut was allotted to them, 
 and for a few days the refugees were safe. No 
 force was used to take her from the Vula, nor did 
 anyone even enter the place to threaten her. The 
 women nevertheless employed effective means to 
 draw her away and at last they succeeded. 
 
 Passing along the public path that skirted the 
 premises, they sometimes stopped opposite the hut 
 where the unfortunate mother was living. Or else 
 maybe they saw her moving about somewhere 
 within earshot. Then they began to cry: 
 
 "Look at the witch! Oh, the vile wretch! Of 
 course she is a witch, else she would not have run 
 away. She is afraid because she is guilty. If she 
 were honest, she would be glad to drink nkasa. 
 She fled to the mindele because they are witches 
 too. Let her stay, she can never come back to us. 
 Yes, let her work out her deviltry at the Vula. 
 Behold the shameless renegade !" 
 
 After much more jibing in a similar strain, they 
 filed away along the path, howling derisively. They 
 came back again and again, and repeated the in- 
 sults. They always moved off, said Mr. Mission- 
 ary, when either Mrs. Missionary or he went out 
 to protest against their conduct. 
 
 The strain of ostracism proved too much for the 
 afflicted mother. The false accusations, together 
 with the jeers and contemptuous treatment, so un- 
 settled her mind that she became desperate. She 
 made her decision secretly, and determined to show 
 
A Digression on a Horse 69 
 
 her little world that she was as good as any of them. 
 Somehow her fears had been all for her children, 
 and it was to save them that she had left her village. 
 She would take the test then, and so make them 
 ashamed of the cruel way they had treated her and 
 the babies, when they saw the result. She must 
 resume her place in society. It was necessary for 
 the children's sake; they had been outcasts long 
 enough. Her decision was made and her plans 
 carried out quietly. She passed the word out to 
 the headmen of the village. She said that she 
 would be ready at a certain time and place to under- 
 go the ordeal. All was duly prepared for her 
 by willing hands, and they awaited her arrival 
 with impatience. 
 
 Mr. Missionary told how she had quietly left 
 the hut at daybreak, without disturbing the babies. 
 She would not run the risk of awakening them 
 by touching them as they lay, and have to answer 
 embarrassing questions. She would be back soon, 
 she hoped. Then how happy they all would be, 
 as they returned together proudly and victoriously 
 to their own town and people. She hesitated in 
 closing the door, and looked upon them. It was 
 for the last time. She never returned. The 
 nkasa cup had been too well mixed that morning. 
 
 The babies were heartbroken when they heard 
 about their mother's sad end. An unfeeling 
 woman hastened to give them the — to her cheer- 
 ing — news, as soon as the affair was over. The 
 
70 A Congo Chattel 
 
 oldest boy was beside himself in an agony of 
 grief and helpless rage. 
 
 "Mama is dead. Mama is dead !" he cried. And 
 the other little ones wailed in a heartbroken way. 
 They followed the elder boy, all making their 
 way toward the house to inform Mrs. Missionary 
 of the tragedy. 
 
 The jeering women walked another path that 
 day ; their work at the Vula was done. 
 
 That instance, briefly told, was only one of sev- 
 eral used by Mr. Missionary in illustrating his 
 text, — "The dark places of the earth are full of 
 the habitations of cruelty." Such stories of the 
 heathen world were not pleasant for the congre- 
 gation to listen to, seated so snugly in their com- 
 fortable church that night, but then, the victims 
 mentioned in these incidents found the actual ex- 
 periences considerably harder to bear. 
 
 At the close of the service, several people came 
 forward, took Mr. Missionary by the hand, and 
 wished him Godspeed and success in his work. 
 Among the first to reach the platform, elbowing 
 her way, was a well-dressed lady of refined ap- 
 pearance, who seemed to be in a hurry to speak. 
 Mr. Missionary, if the matter occurred to him at 
 all, may have thought that her heart was so deeply 
 moved by the needs brought to her attention that 
 she was hastening to offer herself and her purse 
 for the alleviation of heathen misery, and to bring 
 them to a knowledge of the world's great Healer. 
 
A Digression on a Horse 71 
 
 "I was greatly interested," she remarked in a 
 polite and quiet way, "in the account you gave of 
 the wretched conditions in your field." 
 
 Mr. Missionary bowed in acknowledgment, not 
 having any better reply on hand. He was tired 
 after the evening's effort and felt worn and weary, 
 having thrown his whole force into the address and 
 missionary appeal. 
 
 "But, is it really possible to help such degraded 
 people?" the lady continued. 
 
 She hardly expected an answer to her question, 
 which was evidently put in a spirit of skepticism. 
 The rising inflection and slight pause were pos- 
 sibly a concession to Mr. Missionary's extreme 
 views. 
 
 "God is no respector of persons. The Gospel is 
 sent to the base and despised," replied Mr. Mis- 
 sionary, becoming interested and aroused by the 
 "but" in the lady's question. 
 
 "Yes, yes, I dare say. But fancy such cold- 
 blooded murderers. It really upset me to listen to 
 the story of that wretched woman with the chil- 
 dren," She made a gesture to indicate her repug- 
 nance of such vile people and their inhuman deeds. 
 
 "It has upset others before you, madam, the mur- 
 dered woman's children to begin with. God has 
 done great things among those poor people. In 
 some of them the Spirit of Christ now truly lives 
 and works." 
 
 "Really ?" she replied almost with indifference as 
 
^2. A Congo Chattel 
 
 if she had a far more pressing matter at heart than 
 the salvation of those in heathen darkness. 
 
 "Among the Congolese," Mr. Missionary went 
 on to explain, "are too principal classes, such as 
 are to be found among nearly all peoples. Not all 
 black-skinned are black-souled. Some in the 
 Mayombe have souls as white and noble as any that 
 God has ever fashioned to adorn His earthly king- 
 dom. Just as among the civilized people here, 
 there are souls yonder whose blackness matches 
 the blackness of hell." 
 
 The good lady suddently veers, the wind is tak- 
 ing her into deep waters and is heading her away 
 from her desired haven. Besides, "murder" and 
 "hell" are vulgar words and distasteful to her re- 
 fined sense. She is not accustomed to the use of 
 such terms. 
 
 "There is one thing I noticed in your address. 
 You endeavored, it seemed to me, to impress upon 
 us strongly that we all shared equal responsibility 
 in efforts to uplift and help those poor Africans." 
 She spoke as if begging politely to be allowed to 
 differ with Mr. Missionary in his views of heathen 
 needs. 
 
 He could only reply in effect that the good lady 
 had correctly interpreted his intentions. He had 
 agaih grown weary following this conversation and 
 there were others waiting to say a word. The good 
 lady seemed forgetful of the fact that she was tak- 
 ing the few brief moments that remained to Mr. 
 
A Digression on a Horse . 73 
 
 Missionary before the congregation dispersed to 
 their homes and the impatient sexton extinguished 
 the lights. 
 
 She paused for a moment, possibly to prepare 
 Mr. Missionary for her indictment, and to add 
 weight to the forceful truth of the lesson which she 
 had hastened to bring, and then said with some 
 asperity, "But you forget, sir, that we have our own 
 work to do !" 
 
 No, she was in error. He had not forgotten, how- 
 ever his words may have sounded, that there was 
 work to do at home. Good work and great work, 
 some of which made his own work abroad possible. 
 He had not asked in his address to have the home 
 work overlooked or set aside, but had simply en- 
 deavored to emphasize the truth that every Chris- 
 tian ought to be concerned in the work in the re- 
 gions beyond. And that such concern should be 
 in addition to ordinary church work and any phil- 
 anthropic interests. 
 
 Mr. Missionary had contended that everyone who 
 professed to love the unseen Christ should love also 
 the unknown peoples for whom He had died, as well 
 as those who passed daily before them in the home- 
 land. He said that much of the time and money 
 devoted to work of comparatively trifling im- 
 portance ought to be used for the uplift of those 
 unhappy souls who in the dark places of the earth 
 were so greatly oppressed. 
 
 All along he had well remembered the absolutely 
 
74 A Congo Chattel 
 
 important phases of Christian effort to which so 
 many were giving their Hves at home. His purpose 
 had not been either to belittle the noble workers or 
 to reflect invidiously upon the good work in which 
 they were so unselfishly engaged. He knew that 
 there were many worthy causes not so denominated, 
 or that were directly Christian, that required the 
 time and attention of a number of good, philan- 
 thropic people. He had not meant that everybody 
 should get up and leave everything else to take part 
 in foreign work exclusively. 
 
 "Perhaps, madam, I did speak strongly," he 
 wearily observed, "and possibly I may, in my haste, 
 have stupidly failed to make myself clear. I honor 
 all. who are laboring in every part of the great 
 world field, and realize that much of the work of 
 others is as indispensable as mine." And then as 
 the lady lingered, he absently inquired, more in 
 courtesy than for any other reason, as he was dead 
 tired, and would much rather have gone to his rest 
 than continue the conversation, "May I ask, 
 madam, in what kind of Christian work you are 
 engaged ?" 
 
 Over and over in his tired mind, a number of 
 questions were turning with nervous rapidity. Even 
 while he had been addressing the congregation, 
 with treadmill monotony these queries were insist- 
 ently repeated, why? why? why? 
 
 "Why should a tender, loving, black-skinned 
 child like Lelo, thousands of miles away, be torn 
 
A Digression on a Horse 75 
 
 from her mother's arms, and sold off into vile bond- 
 age, while white children 'at home* were exempt 
 from such treatment?" 
 
 "Why should mothers 'at home' be allowed to 
 rear and care for their own, while across the sea 
 Lelo's mother, and the multitudes like her, have 
 their children snatched away and disposed of like 
 mere inanimate chattels?" 
 
 "Why should slavery be allowed to go on under 
 the African sun, in the blaze of today's knowledge 
 'at home'?" 
 
 "Why should any woman 'at home' have all of 
 life's privileges and blessings, while nearly all 
 women on the Dark Continent are denied all that 
 makes life worth living, and are forced to exist in 
 squalid misery?" 
 
 "Why was there such a lack of interest and so 
 much inaction, with people saying everywhere that 
 'slavery is finished' and that 'there's enough to do 
 at home,' and practically denying that God hath 
 made all of one blood, and redeemed all by the blood 
 of His Son?" 
 
 "Why should he, and other missionaries like him, 
 faint under the burden of a woeful, helpless people 
 abroad, while professors of Christianity and pro- 
 fessed philanthropists at home be exempt from any 
 real responsibility, freeing themselves inconsistent- 
 ly by paying some trifling tax on income?" 
 
 "Why was it that God's people could not see 
 that 'laymen,' 'missionaries' and 'ministers' were 
 
76 A Congo Chattel 
 
 only man-made words ; that all Christians are mem- 
 bers of His body, and upon all devolves burden- 
 bearing responsibilities as well as equal privileges, 
 at home and abroad?" 
 
 "Why was it that so many Christians, not to 
 mention the humanitarians and professing Chris- 
 tians, have so little heart for Lelo and her kind, 
 and are so careless concerning the indescribably sad 
 lot of those dwellers in darkness, failing to see their 
 needs and concerned only about a hundred and one 
 matters of trifling consequence *at home'?" 
 
 "Why was it so hard to make people 'at home' 
 understand, to inspire them to activity; why could 
 he not tell the story of Africa better, and make vivid 
 to them what was so real to his own heart?" 
 
 Mr. Missionary was tired, mentally as well as 
 physically, and ought to have had somebody to en- 
 courage and stir him to greater eifort and more 
 consistent living, instead of trying to enthuse and 
 inspire others. He needed rest after a strength- 
 consuming missionary service. Involuntarily he 
 shivered as he thought of the long trolley journey, 
 through a freezing, sleety night, that lay between 
 himself and his warm quarters. His question was 
 offered politely, but perfunctorily. 
 
 "In what kind of Christian work are you en- 
 gaged?" 
 
 His attention was immediately drawn to the lady 
 again because of the very evident embarrassment 
 that was produced by the simple inquiry. She 
 
A Digression on a Horse y*j 
 
 probably had not anticipated answering any ques- 
 tions about herself, and had not come prepared, 
 being preoccupied with the error into which Mr. 
 Missionary had allowed himself to fall during the 
 course of his address. 
 
 She nervously adjusted the umbrella which she 
 held, looked up from it to speak, but hesitated. 
 Seemingly she was obliged to search diligently in 
 her mental vocabulary for more suitable expres- 
 sions. Stammering at last as if not altogether cer- 
 tain as to what she wanted to say, she ventured, 
 
 "Well, at present I am interested in a Society — " 
 then followed a slight pause. 
 
 Mr. Missionary's attention was attracted by the 
 hopeful word "Society," and he waited for more. 
 
 "A Society for the Prevention of Cruelty — " she 
 slowly went on to explain, before there was another 
 Hngering pause. 
 
 Mr. Missionary manifests increasing concern. 
 Through his mind like a flash went the cheering 
 thought : She is a member of some Society for the 
 protection of aboriginal races or something of the 
 kind, and is rather diffident about speaking of her- 
 self and her own work. 
 
 With somewhat of an effort and with heightened 
 color, the good lady ejaculated in conclusion: 
 "Cruelty to Horses." 
 
 Horses? "A Society for the Prevention of 
 Cruelty to Horses." Was this the work she had 
 to do that was so important, so exacting? Was 
 
78 A Congo Chattel ' 
 
 this the work that demanded so much of her life 
 "at home," that she could only spare a little indigna- 
 tion for the work of others that had been obtruded 
 upon her attention? 
 
 When Mr. Missionary had sufficiently recovered 
 from the shock, and was on his way to his quarters, 
 he thought of many more things. He had been 
 pouring out his heart over the crying needs of 
 human beings with souls. He had been talking that 
 night about people who were more cruelly abused 
 by religious and social customs than any horse 
 was treated in civilized lands. Why was it that 
 some were more concerned about animals than 
 human beings? Was it because the horses were 
 near at hand and tangible, and could be reached and 
 helped with little expense and effort; while the 
 Lelos were far away, and much money and many 
 lives were needed to give them the help they re- 
 quired ? 
 
 Horses were not treated at home as Lelo's mother 
 had been used in Africa. Certainly horses are 
 deserving of consideration and ought to be protected 
 from violence and neglect. Not but that horses 
 should be "unchecked" on hills, and well fed, and 
 spoken to kindly, and that whips should be laid 
 aside. Not but that the brutes that ill-treated 
 horses should fail to be haled to court and pun- 
 ished. But should Lelo and her kind be left un- 
 cared for in their sad and deplorable condition, a 
 prey to ravening brutes ? 
 
A Digression on a Horse 79 
 
 Horses do feel it when they are abused, but not 
 quite in the way that Lelo felt when she was roughly 
 pulled from her mother*s arms and thrust into the 
 hands of a slaver; and not as Lelo's mother felt 
 when she was cruelly dragged away to her funeral 
 pyre; nor in the sense that Lelo felt when she lis- 
 tened to the horrible recital of that deed. 
 
 Lelo and her kind are different from other ani- 
 mals in that they possess souls to suffer, or to be 
 happy, eternally; and that do suffer now keenly 
 from other causes than lack of food and harsh treat- 
 ment. 
 
 Lelo had never seen a horse, and knew nothing 
 of their hard lot "at home," but Mr. Missionary 
 saw horses and several other kinds of animals that 
 night. He suffered from a nightmare trying to 
 solve his perplexing problems and answer his own 
 questions. 
 
 Among other remarkable things he saw in his 
 dreams a handsomely gowned woman leading a 
 well-groomed horse into a lush summer pasture and 
 using several yards of pink neck ribbon for a guid- 
 ing rope. His hurried vision descried almost at 
 the same instant an almost naked black girl being 
 dragged along to a lustful brute's hut at the end 
 of a twisted rope, and lashed with another bit of 
 the same tough vine. The sight of the tiny trickling 
 red stream down her back, and her pitiful heart- 
 rending cries sounding in his ears, awoke Mr. Mis- 
 sionary in a lather of cold sweat. 
 
8o A Congo Chattel 
 
 But alas, the fate of the girl is no dream or flight 
 of disordered fancy, but a plain matter of every- 
 day fact in Congoland. 
 
 Lelo had never looked upon a horse and knew 
 nothing of its trials; she had troubles of her 
 own. This tale as it has to do mostly with her 
 must be finished without digressing so far afield 
 again as to the land of oppressed horses! 
 
A CORNER OF KINKONZI STATION 
 
 FIREPLACE AT BASE OF TREE. IN LOWER LEFT-HAND 
 CORNER ARE CHARRED BONES OF VICTIM POI- 
 SONED FOR WITCHCRAFT. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 Tried and Acquitted. 
 
 DOT long after she had related to Lelo the 
 sad story of her mother's end Mayala was 
 taken suddenly ill, and died a few days 
 later. Lelo deeply regretted the loss of her friend 
 and was perhaps the most sincere mourner at her 
 grave. Friends like Mayala were very scarce in her 
 circle. 
 
 The uneventful round of Lelo's existence was 
 resumed. Month after month rolled by with noth- 
 ing to vary the monotony, and more than a year 
 had passed before the routine was disturbed. She 
 uttered a thoughtless, harmless remark to Mavambu 
 that instantly caused a commotion. Her unwise 
 speech nearly cost her her life ; she paid dearly for 
 what was no more than a slip of the tongue before 
 the matter was finally closed. 
 
 Mayala's grave, in plain view from the path that 
 ran through the forest behind the village, caved in. 
 A mat and a few frail sticks had been laid over 
 the corpse, and these soon decaying the dirt dropped 
 down farther into the hole. The broken pots, a 
 basket, and an idol that embellished the top had 
 fallen over and were almost hidden by the quickly 
 growing weeds. 
 
82 A Congo Chattel 
 
 Lelo mentioned the matter to Mavambu one day, 
 and spoke about the bad condition of Mayala's 
 grave. He turned upon her immediately, and glar- 
 ing as if she were indeed an evil spirit that had 
 just come from the dark realms beyond, hinted 
 suspiciously : 
 
 "Zindoki are interested in the dead." 
 
 She was alarmed at the intimation, but managed 
 to stammer out a timid acknowledgment to his sage 
 remark about witches. She wished at the same 
 time she could control her limbs, which suddenly 
 began to tremble, and to make her face appear 
 natural and unconcerned. Mavambu, in the light 
 of his sudden feeling of distrust, viewing the mat- 
 ter perplexedly and unheeding her halting inter- 
 ruption, continued: 
 
 "Why should any honest woman talk about 
 graves ?" 
 
 "Me, I didn't mean any harm !" 
 
 He made no reply to that, but continued to re- 
 gard her sternly. He was busy with his new thoughts, 
 mentally weighing her doubtful words and altered 
 looks. 
 
 "I saw that the mound had dropped and the nkisi 
 fallen over, and thought that you might like to 
 know it." 
 
 "I could have seen for myself. Who looks at 
 graves ?" 
 
 "I just happened to notice it," she faltered with 
 growing agitation; thinking about the dread word 
 
Tried and Acquitted 83 
 
 ndoki he had used. Her dismay was not un- 
 noticed by her lord. 
 
 "Me, I have other things to look at than graves 
 caved in by devilry. What have you got to do 
 with such things?" Without giving her opportu- 
 nity for a frightened reply in an attempt to clear 
 up the misunderstanding, and interrupting her de- 
 fense, he charged: "Maybe you yourself are 
 ndokir 
 
 Denials were becoming worse than wasted effort. 
 Each new form of explanation made to Mavambu 
 and all the protestations of innocence given out 
 in the village only served to draw and concentrate 
 attention upon the accusation that had been made. 
 The more she denied and endeavored to explain 
 the matter the more she became entangled. 
 
 That she was frightened was plain to be seen, and 
 so her denials were soon reckoned as the lying 
 ravings of a detected witch trying to further blind 
 their eyes to her true character. If she were not 
 guilty, said they, what was the use of her talk? 
 What had she to fear ? Only the guilty were fearful. 
 Their words did not alter the facts; Lelo was in- 
 nocent, and afraid too. 
 
 Mavambu, as became an honest man ready to 
 sacrifice personal interest to public welfare, went 
 to his brethren and accused the woman. His 
 trusty brethren should not suffer through her even 
 though she was his own wife. If she should be 
 found guilty and put out of the way of doing 
 
84 A Congo Chattel 
 
 further harm, he would suffer considerable pecu- 
 niary loss. But what of that? His duty to the 
 community was clear, and recognizing the fact, he 
 would not fail in discharging it. 
 
 He had now, because of her alarm, good reason 
 to believe that she was ndoki. He did not pro- 
 pose to allow her to work out her devilish schemes, 
 using him as a screen, and abusing the shelter of 
 his honorable roof. Mavambu was still possessed 
 of a good measure of public spirit in a degenerate 
 age when all men sought their own, and not an- 
 other's good. 
 
 Several women vindicated Mavambu's admirable 
 stand at once, and sought to corroborate his praise- 
 worthy accusation against Lelo by relating various 
 untoward circumstances. There were several ques- 
 tionable actions of the accused now to be ac- 
 counted for. There were sundry mysterious looks 
 and mutterings which they had wondered at, and 
 which now must be satisfactorily explained, all of 
 which came back to them with added force, since 
 their memories had been revived through the re- 
 cent stir over a dead woman's grave. 
 
 Since the matter had been mentioned one good 
 lady was then at liberty to state positively that she 
 had been certain for a long time that Lelo was 
 ndoki. In fact as soon as she had set eyes upon 
 her she had noticed, so it seemed, a certain pecu- 
 liar expression. This strange look she found ac- 
 centuated on one occasion when Lelo thought no- 
 
Tried and Acquitted 85 
 
 body was observing her. This witness was confi- 
 dent that the said odd look was the hall-mark of 
 the Evil One, nkadi ampemha himself. She had 
 not felt free before to voice her knowledge, as 
 none besides herself seemed to be aware of Lelo*s 
 true character. Being also naturally fearful of 
 making any mistake, and of accusing anybody ha- 
 stily or wrongfully, she had considered it prudent 
 to await developments. 
 
 Another outspoken soul, greatly stirred with in- 
 dignation at the bare thought of the shameful du- 
 plicity of the hypocritical, smiling Lelo, slapped her 
 thighs vigorously, stamped her feet wrath fully, 
 waved her arms wildly, and said loudly, standing 
 on the plaza in the midst of a sympathetic group, 
 that Lelo's coming back to Kimbenza was all a 
 put-up job. She charged the Kibungu people with 
 being well aware of Lelo's devilish proclivities. 
 But they, lacking the public spirit and courage to 
 put her out of the way in the lawful manner, had 
 concocted the plan of having her pretend to be 
 homesick and run away. Their imposture being 
 thus laid bare, it could be seen at a glance that 
 the Kibungu people had gotten rid of her and her 
 machinations and had at the same time been re- 
 imbursed for any original expenditure which they 
 might otherwise have lost. Lelo too had gained; 
 she got a further lease of life to work out her vile 
 plots against the welfare of the country. What 
 the last speaker said must surely have been revealed 
 
86 A Congo Chattel 
 
 to her; she was a seer, seemingly; she understood 
 the awful plot so well. 
 
 How could Lelo help but look guilty and change 
 countenance under the openly accusing looks and 
 loudly voiced charges of Mavambu and the neigh- 
 bors? For a time nothing was said openly about 
 poison, but she wished that they would speak about 
 it publicly. It would be such a relief to be tried and 
 acquitted. She knew that she would be cleared when 
 she got a chance to prove her innocence. How could 
 the nkasa bark injure her since she was as guiltless 
 of witchcraft as the babe in her arms ? Was it not an 
 age-long established fact that nkasa was only deadly 
 to those who were in league with the Evil One? 
 She wished that they would soon do something more 
 than ogle and snarl at her, she was getting enough 
 of that; she chafed under the suspense, and longed 
 for the privilege of proving herself guiltless. 
 
 When some of the Ancients came to think of it, 
 it was not to be wondered at that Lelo was ndoki. 
 They recalled then that after Lelo had been sold 
 off to Kibungu, her own mother had developed un- 
 mistakable symptoms of witchcraft. They remem- 
 bered, too, how that when Koso boldly had her tried, 
 the mother had died in agony on the spot from 
 the nkasa, as any witch would, and her body had 
 been dragged off in triumph and burned. From 
 such a mother what else could they have expected ? 
 Lelo had it in the blood by birth, and devilry had 
 been imbibed with her mother's milk. They might 
 
Tried and Acquitted 87 
 
 well be thankful that she had been found out before 
 she had gotten any further along on her evil course. 
 
 Strange to say, none of them had thought about 
 her mother before, possibly they had lost sight of 
 her case among a multitude of other affairs of a 
 similar nature; but now all was as plain as day. 
 Seeing the matter so clearly it was necessary to 
 go to the root of the evil and cut out the dangerous 
 growth before it progressed farther. 
 
 Much evil might come through longer delay ; even 
 then some of them might be under the first potent 
 touch of the enemy working through Lelo. Several 
 suspicious pains and aches had not been accounted 
 for lately by natural causes. Having resisted all 
 lawful remedies probably they came through occult 
 power, and it was no doubt high time that strong 
 preventive measures be taken. 
 
 True the Missioni was close by, and Bula Matadi 
 (the Government) sometimes made trouble over 
 the killing of a witch close to a Vula; so the affair 
 must be arranged to keep it from the ears of the 
 Government and the baNganga saNzamhi. Even 
 though the missionaries were close at hand and as 
 usual nosing about, in a matter of such tremendous 
 importance, when so much was at stake certain 
 risks must be taken. 
 
 Mavambu consulted with the Elders and they 
 agreed to pass the word among the adults to drop 
 all talk on the subject. It would never do for 
 some foolish child to mention the story over at the 
 
88 A Congo Chattel 
 
 Vula school. They could wait for a little until 
 the excitement had subsided, and then have the 
 poison trial for Lelo in secret, in the presence of 
 only a few trustworthy witnesses. 
 
 In due time Lelo was poisoned. The usual pro- 
 cedure was not followed in her case. Mavambu 
 reached the door of her hut one morning at the 
 first glimmer of gray in the east. While the vil- 
 lagers restlessly turned on their mats in the early 
 chill, or sleepily revived their fires by poking the 
 living ends of the partly consumed sticks together, 
 he came according to agreement to arouse her. 
 
 Lelo sprang to answer the knock, leaving the 
 children cuddled together on the simple bed, and 
 demanded cautiously in the terse native style before 
 removing the bar, "Who?" 
 
 "We go now, we!" The voice was Mavambu's 
 replying in the same characteristic Congo way. 
 
 She knew it was needless to ask, but said never- 
 theless, "Where?" 
 
 "To forest !" was Mavambu's word in reply, with- 
 out mentioning the purpose of their journey. 
 
 "Good, I come!" Lelo could afford to be short. 
 She knew perfectly well why they were to set out 
 for the forest, and she was anxious to go with him. 
 
 Stepping lightly over the high sill, and closing 
 the door noiselessly behind her, she ran quickly 
 to the hut of a girl friend, and begged her to go 
 an4 look after the babies. Without returning or 
 
CONGO TEACHER-EVANGELIST AND WIFE 
 
 IDULb AND BROKEN CROCKERY ON A GRAVE 
 
Tried and Acquitted 89 
 
 looking back toward her treasure chamber, she fol- 
 lowed her husband at a brisk gait. 
 
 Wasting no words they left the noises of the 
 awakening village and soon reached an unfre- 
 quented spot, over seldom-trodden paths. Lelo was 
 now 2ls cool inwardly as her body was chill, 
 covered as it was with the heavy dews brushed 
 from the bushes lining the path on either side and 
 that were fighting for even the narrow hard ribbon 
 of earth over which the ill-mated couple walked. 
 
 It was Mavambu who was nervous now. Pos- 
 sibly the strain of preparing for the ordeal was tell- 
 ing upon him. Lelo was quite composed. 
 
 Ordinarily it was the business of a witch-doctor 
 to discover, point out, and name the witch, or 
 witches, troubling a community by dangerous activi- 
 ties. After such simple remedies, in case of sick- 
 ness, as painting the body of the afflicted one with 
 cabalistic chalk markings, or the incantations and 
 dancing of a wise woman, had failed, the witch- 
 doctor was called for an expert diagnosis. Acci- 
 dents and disasters of various kinds also required 
 satisfactory explanations. 
 
 Witch-doctors {Zinganga) have a very well- 
 defined way of exposing the real source of illness 
 or public calamities, and of finding the culpable 
 ones when the cause is found to be witchcraft. 
 Announcement is generally made in advance, and 
 time and place fixed for the search. 
 
 The villagers and their friends from other places 
 
90 A Congo Chattel 
 
 assemble at a fixed time to "hunt the witch/' as 
 people in other lands gather for their particular kind 
 of hunting. This sport — it is sport as well as a 
 religious duty — is more interesting to Mayombe 
 people than a buffalo hunt since the game is more 
 valuable. It is more exciting than a palaver as so 
 much more is at stake. It is a good way to dispose 
 of enemies because it presents fewer risks than a 
 knife-thrust or a gun-shot on an unfrequented path. 
 
 Even if no special antipathy had already existed 
 toward the guilty wretch, there are still the fields 
 and household effects of the departed ndoki to be 
 considered. This confiscation and division are al- 
 ways the excuse for an exciting diversion, especially 
 when the rascally witch happens to be a well-to-do 
 person and of some standing among them. 
 
 According to the locality in which he practices, 
 the fetich priest has several different ways of find- 
 ing out a witch. Sometimes the name of the cul- 
 prit is whispered in his ear while he lies in a trance, 
 sacredly shut away in a hut from the vulgar crowd. 
 Sometimes the face of the unspeakable villain is 
 revealed to him when alone, after a weird perform- 
 ance in public, when his body is fantastically 
 painted, and robed in skins and green leaves. In 
 the "sacred" privacy of his hut he beholds the face 
 of the traitor in the broken bit of mirror, set into 
 the wooden belly of his human-shaped idol. 
 
 Accusation is one thing, but proof of guilt is quite 
 another. The accused is rightly held to be not 
 
Tried and Acquitted 91 
 
 guilty until indisputably proven to be a criminal. 
 Of course the one "pointed out," as might be ex- 
 pected, always vigorously denies any participation 
 in occult rites, or any knowledge of evil spirits. 
 It is the nkasa cup alone that can determine the 
 truth or error of the revelations made to the doctor. 
 
 That the doctor's information is not always re- 
 liable is seen when an accused person successfully 
 undergoes the trial. This is hard to account for, 
 but is generally met by the fact that his knowledge 
 is often shown to be correct, as seen in the number 
 of witches killed by the cup, after being "pointed 
 out" by him. The suspected one must be proven 
 guilty, and the fair-minded are always willing to 
 await the result of the test, lest they wrong an 
 innocent person by hasty judgment. 
 
 The accused person is generally given until day- 
 break the following morning. A strict fast is ob- 
 served, but it is not difficult to abstain from food 
 as most persons have little appetite under such a 
 serious charge. Then in the presence of a large 
 crowd of tense spectators, who have been drawn 
 together by the booming of the signal drum, the 
 draught is gulped down from a huge mug. The 
 deadly poisonous bark of the nkasa tree has been 
 finely pounded by several women appointed for the 
 purpose, before being mixed with water enough to 
 make the dose. 
 
 The nauseous mixture often takes immediate 
 deadly effect, and the patriotic crowd of villagers 
 
92 A Congo Chattel 
 
 unite gladly in destroying the vile body that has 
 been so prostituted as to become an anchorage for 
 a destroying spirit of evil from the unknown seas 
 of space behind the veil of honest man's ken. With 
 howls of rage, mingled with shouts of triumph, 
 they complete their voluntary task, leaving not a 
 semblance of humanity beyond shreds of torn flesh 
 and partly consumed bones, near the dying embers 
 of a fire, after which they take their departure. 
 
 Sometimes the outraged stomach of the victim is 
 so upset by the noxious draught that vomiting fol- 
 lows at once. This fact is generally heralded with 
 shouts of joy, and the triumphant beating of drums. 
 The friends of the poor dupe are delighted at the 
 outcome, and many pleasant incidents and cere- 
 monies follow the pains and retching. Proof of 
 innocence thus established, the accuser disgorges 
 into the hands of the accused the fee that had been 
 collected in advance, and makes other amends. 
 A present of cloth is sometimes added, or other 
 articles bestowed to salve the wounded feelings of 
 the victim of the mistake. 
 
 As soon as strength returns the conqueror is 
 feted, and in some cases receives a new name in 
 commemoration of the victory. This is equivalent to 
 a title or a decoration, and acts upon the pride in 
 much the same way as medals and other marks of 
 favor affected by civilized men in other lands. It 
 is not strange that some are glad to have this easy 
 
Tried and Acquitted 93 
 
 way to distinction thrust upon them, or even some- 
 times to seek it. 
 
 Lelo's affair was carried out in secret, there were 
 only a few of Mavambu's cronies present to witness 
 the poisoning. She was alone without one sympa- 
 thizing heart to stand with her. Fortunately for 
 her, and for her little ones, the dose was overstrong, 
 or her stomach was in the right condition to reject 
 the deadly stuff, or God directly intervened. She 
 vomited freely at once and so got rid of the noxious 
 potion. 
 
 Doubtless God did intervene and interfere 
 directly in Lelo's case. She was spared to care 
 for her children, and thus given opportunity later 
 on of accepting Christ, and of entering into Eternal 
 Life through believing in Him. 
 
 Her indignation over the slander against her was 
 swamped under the inrush of gladness which fol- 
 lowed when she realized that it was all over, and 
 that she was free — free to go back to her waiting 
 babies, and to face the whole countryside proudly, 
 as one incontestably shown to be honest, and free 
 from the hidden and detestable practices of witch- 
 craft. 
 
 Mavambu sheepishly fell in with the new order 
 of things brought about by the unshakable sign of 
 Lelo's innocence, and presented her with several 
 articles of value. His gifts included a new loin 
 cloth of checked cotton, in which to receive her 
 friends and neighbors when they brought their con- 
 
94 A Congo Chattel 
 
 gratulations together with gifts of food to the happy 
 victor. 
 
 Lelo's life once more resumed its normal course. 
 Her glory was but fleeting; her presents quickly 
 consumed. The nkasa test was forgotten, and her 
 life was claimed by the many duties of her humble 
 lot. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Serving a New Master. 
 
 [OSO'S village had not changed since Lelo 
 first went away to Kibungu. Moving the 
 town to new sites in the neighborhood had 
 not changed it; it was the same outwardly as it 
 had been for years. The same kind of grass huts, 
 always being repaired, or sadly in need of it; the 
 same kind of pots, and axes, and hoes. The same 
 kind of nearly naked people living in ignorance 
 and suffering under the burden of their hoary, evil 
 customs. People and names were always changing, 
 but to the eye everything was almost the same now 
 as it had been for many years. 
 
 However, a great change had indeed come to the 
 neighborhood, even if it had been felt only by two 
 or three of the people of Kinkoso town. The 
 change had come through the advent of the strange 
 white men from across the sea. At the time Lelo was 
 marched away into slavery, a naked slip of a girl, 
 the white man had just penetrated into the jungles 
 of Kinkoso. She had never seen a "man-in-cloth," 
 but had heard many strangely distorted tales con- 
 cerning them; about their appearance, their food, 
 their dress, their jabbering harsh language, and 
 evil customs; but that was all. 
 
96 A Congo Chattel 
 
 She had never seen a white face, and had never 
 listened to such a ! story as the strangers living 
 near Kinkoso endeavored, from the first day of their 
 coming to make plain in their barbarous, broken 
 kiKongo. Shortly before she had been carried off 
 in Bungu's train, the first mindele miaNzamhi 
 (white men of God) had reached Yenge. Lelo had 
 listened to the strange sound of the church bell 
 that first awakened the sleeping echoes of the pri- 
 meval forest on Kimfutila plateau. The bell was 
 rung before the chapel was built, hanging high in 
 a convenient tree, but Lelo was a woman full grown 
 before she answered the signal call and took her 
 place within the precincts of God's little house 
 among His people. 
 
 The curiously dressed white strangers had come 
 along, guided by a friendly boy from a Missioni 
 called Ngangila near the Congo River, which place 
 had been opened several years before, and the mis- 
 sionaries had gotten a start on the language there. 
 When they reached Yenge (peace) they bargained 
 with the important men and one or two lesser lights 
 for the right to settle in the country. 
 
 Each one of the favorably inclined "Kings" 
 received as a token of their friendly reception a 
 second-hand frock coat, a red fez cap, a blanket, 
 also red, a dagger-pointed bone-handled knife in 
 a gorgeously painted pasteboard scabbard, and sev- 
 eral other highly desirable articles, all equally 
 valuable. 
 
Serving a New Master 97 
 
 After the piece of land had been selected which 
 the white men wanted for a station site, the same 
 performance was gone over with the women, who 
 owned the yam and manioc patches and the growing 
 banana trees. The articles given out were changed 
 to suit female tastes, and the women received strips 
 of red twill cloth, bandana handkerchiefs, small 
 round mirrors, beads, spoons, and other coveted 
 treasures, brought from the white man's El Dorado 
 home "under the seas," and made in the factories 
 of his Nzamhi. 
 
 The first building put up by the newcomers was 
 a "cloth house," a very curious affair in those parts. 
 Near the tent was built a grass hut. Bought and 
 paid for, torn down from its village plot, carried 
 over piecemeal and erected on the station all within 
 one day — almost an incredible feat for people who 
 would have left it on the way, while they went off 
 to rest for days, or applied themselves to some other 
 business in a leisurely manner. This store hut was 
 soon filled with the valuable traps of the strangers 
 brought in packages on the heads of their caravan 
 porters. A strong lock was snapped on the door, 
 while the owners were at work clearing up the 
 place. 
 
 Before any permanent building had been erected 
 and while still engaged in gathering materials, mak- 
 ing bricks and drying them in the sun, a school was 
 started, and daily services were held for the boys 
 and men employed on the place, and for the others 
 
98 A Congo Chattel 
 
 engaged in gathering materials, chopping down 
 trees, digging stumps and roots, and cutting away 
 the persistent heavy grass that would push up in 
 every unoccupied spot. 
 
 None of the people hired had been accustomed to 
 any regular work, but the treasures of the white 
 men were a great incentive to toil. There was no 
 scarcity of hands, more or less willing, when a holi- 
 day costume consisting of a fathom of blue cloth, 
 a cap and a knife could be procured for a month's 
 labor, to say nothing of regular rations of food 
 every day. 
 
 During the first sessions, there were more on the 
 outside than seated within the school hut! There 
 were more to watch the teacher and comment on 
 his appearance and costume than there were to en- 
 roll as pupils. There was no lack of seating capacity 
 inside, but then the outside afforded more security 
 from kindoki. The audience listened intently and 
 watched carefully the contortions of those who 
 were struggling to grasp the elusive letters. 
 
 The audible comments from those outside some- 
 times evoked defiant looks and stinging replies from 
 the indignant scholars. There was much talk out- 
 side about witchcraft and about foolish persons who 
 were in a fair way to lose their sight poring over 
 forbidden hieroglyphics; nevertheless the skulu 
 went on increasing in popularity. The extraordi- 
 nary buzzing from the temple of learning always at- 
 tracted the attention of visiting natives, who fre- 
 
Serving a New Master 99 
 
 quently came in droves to behold for themselves the 
 wonderful sights of which they had been told in 
 their own far country. 
 
 Lelo ought to have been among the first com- 
 pany of young people at Yenge, many of whom are 
 now doubtless safe at home with the Lord. But the 
 little girl was far away, serving in bitter bondage. 
 She had gone before the revolutionary period had 
 begun, and so missed the first manoeuvres of the 
 invaders, who had come from kumputu to turn the 
 Mayombe world upside down. 
 
 The gospel story was so strange that it was re- 
 garded as only a well-concocted pretense. It was 
 of course but a cover to hide the real purpose of all 
 that tremendous outlay of valuables. They were 
 not such fools as to believe that the mindele mia- 
 Nzamhi were giving away blankets and coats and 
 other articles, without expecting any tangible re- 
 turn. What else could it be called but "giving 
 away" when the return was valueless; for who 
 would think of parting with good cloth for a piece 
 of land that was of no value in itself, but only 
 worth what was dug from it by hard labor ? 
 
 All other white men known by sight or by repu- 
 tation to the hardy Congolese travelers were after 
 money; and it would soon be seen^ said the more 
 suspicious ones, that the haNganga Nzamhi were 
 self-seekers also. That they had come, without 
 ulterior motives, simply to tell of the love of God 
 for them, was of course not to be believed by 
 
106 A Congo Chattel 
 
 men of the world. That talk about Nzambi, whom 
 they had never seen, would serve for credulous 
 fools, for the women and the children. Some of 
 their own traders had known the wily ways of 
 the "people in cloth" for a long time, meeting them 
 frequently on their journeys to the Coast, but not 
 much tHat was creditable to the strangers had they 
 ever observed. 
 
 The "good news" {Nsamu wamhote) was an old 
 tale by the time Lelo got back to Kimbenza, close by 
 Yenge Station. To many it had proven wearisome, 
 and it was decidedly less interesting than many of 
 their own well-known fables. Lelo fell in with the 
 generally accepted views on the subject, and found 
 at first that the story did not appeal to her. 
 
 The first time it impressed her as having any 
 sense in it whatever was after she had been "home" 
 for several years, and Mrs. Missionary had nursed 
 her through a very serious illness. Then somehow 
 it began to grip and it seized her heart with its 
 simple truths. It sounded different to her, lying 
 there on her mat, listening to what Mrs. Missionary 
 was saying in a natural and unaffected way than 
 when she had heard it preached in her village. 
 
 Coughing her throat free from the smoke which 
 percolated through the butt ends of some dead 
 sticks, the points of which were glowing on a hot 
 bed of coals near Lelo's couch, Mrs. Missionary 
 ventured experimentally, after politely hearing that 
 her patient was better, 
 
Serving a New Master loi 
 
 "You were very close to the land of the dead." 
 
 "Yes, Mama, I have seen much trouble, indeed." 
 
 "Suppose you hadn't come back, but had gone on 
 your journey, then what?" 
 
 "Who knows?" Lelo queried faintly. 
 
 "Me, I know. Listen! *He that believeth not 
 the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God 
 abideth on him.' " 
 
 Lelo shrugged her shoulders, dismissing the un- 
 welcome subject, and Mrs. Missionary wisely said 
 no more at the time. But Lelo soon found that 
 she could not put away the new thoughts that 
 crowded into her mind, after Mrs. Missionary had 
 ceased speaking, however much she wanted to for- 
 get and to relegate the whole matter to oblivion. 
 
 Among other preposterous teachings, as near as 
 Lelo could determine, was one stating that they 
 were all slaves, and that they might all be free. 
 The Doctors of God held that the whole country 
 was enslaved, not alone the actual slaves of the 
 rulers, and the women and children in bondage, 
 but the Chiefs and Headmen themselves were serfs 
 in the clutches of a hard master. So the strange 
 teaching declared. 
 
 The baNganga Nzamhi said that sickness and 
 brutal oppressions and all the vile deeds that cursed 
 the land were caused through the people being in 
 fetters to nkadi ampemba, or Satana as they called 
 him; and that all the people of the land were but 
 enslaved captives, and doing his will daily. 
 
I02 A Congo Chattel 
 
 They explained in their teaching that the will of 
 the Enemy was to inspire them to all manner of 
 cruel and debasing actions, and that he reveled in 
 the consequent result of misery and woe. They 
 said that whosoever committed sin was in heart 
 the slave of sin ; and that freedom of the body was 
 of but little value, compared with freedom of the 
 soul. They called deeds sinful to do which Lelo 
 had always considered right. She had known that it 
 was a grave error to be caught with another per- 
 son's property, but to get away with the goods 
 successfully was not only profitable but a. decidedly 
 clever, laudable and laughable act. 
 
 Incredible as it was, they claimed that soul- free- 
 dom could be had by anybody for the asking; and 
 that it was for all who would believe on Klisto, 
 and go into His service. For everybody — even 
 women! No wonder that Lelo found it a hard 
 saying to accept, when even slaves and women were 
 included in the offer. 
 
 Mrs. Missionary came across Lelo one day out 
 in her field. Whose field ? Lelo's field. But then 
 it also belonged to Mrs. Missionary. It was in 
 Lelo's little plot of ground that they met, while the 
 owner was hard at her hoeing ; but it was also Mrs. 
 Missionary's territory in another sense. Lelo de- 
 voted her time to yams and manioc and other things 
 that required good soil and diligent cultivation ; but 
 Mrs. Missionary was sowing seeds of another kind 
 
Serving a New Master 103 
 
 — of that kind which could only germinate in human 
 hearts that were open to receive them. 
 
 Mrs. Missionary was out walking, going through 
 the gardens inviting the girls and women and babies 
 to the women's meeting over at the Vula. 
 
 "Mhote Lelo," said she, leaning hard on a friend- 
 ly stump, and slowly mopping beads of perspiration 
 from face and neck with a generous-sized handker- 
 chief. 
 
 "Eh, Mama mbote" said Lelo returning the salu- 
 tation, "where are you going?" 
 
 Lelo arose from her stooping posture, laid aside 
 the short-handled hoe, and prepared for a friendly 
 chat. Removing her loin cloth which covered the 
 baby and taking him up from his bed of leaves, she 
 improved the time by feeding him while having a 
 moka with her friend. 
 
 Mrs. Missionary was unable to reply "Nowhere," 
 or "I'm taking a walk," as neither one of those 
 expressions would have conveyed any meaning to 
 Lelo's practical mind. For her there was no such 
 locality as nowhere, and that any reasonable being 
 would wander aimlessly about on a hot day, for the 
 sake of walking, was not only incredible, but a de- 
 cidedly unsuitable exercise for one so wise as a 
 missionary. 
 
 "I have been to the village, and am now here to 
 ask you why you don't come to the Vula to 
 samhilaf" 
 
 "Pray !" repeated Lelo shrilly, and then asked as 
 
I04 A Congo Chattel 
 
 if "no" could be the only possible answer : "Women, 
 is it that they ever have time to pray ?" 
 
 "Women find time to dance and to play, don't 
 they?" 
 
 Lelo grudgingly admitted that they did manage 
 to get a little time for recreation, now and then. 
 
 "Women should take time to pray now," urged 
 Mrs. Missionary pleasantly, "if they don't wish to 
 regret their neglect hereafter. Why not come to 
 the women's meeting this afternoon and bring the 
 baby?" 
 
 Lelo hesitated, and Mrs. Missionary went on to 
 say in sober tones : "You may be sure your garden 
 will keep on growing while you are away from it." 
 
 Lelo laughed. The droll conceit amused her. 
 She promised that she would attend the service 
 that day. 
 
 She not only went that afternoon, but she re- 
 turned again and again. The more she frequented 
 the Chapel, the higher rose her interest in the 
 strange teachings that she heard. She had a hun- 
 ger to understand, to grasp what was given out. 
 She sat on a hard bench made of packing-case 
 boards, and cudgeled her brain with the new words 
 and fresh ideas given from the platform. A vista 
 opened before her; she soon began to see beyond 
 her hut and the little garden patch. Her heart 
 worked better than her head; she was slow in ap- 
 prehending with her brain, but the truth found an 
 opening into her heart. It entered there and com- 
 
Serving a New Master 105 
 
 pletely changed the whole course of Lelo's life. 
 
 Seated in Yenge Chapel one day, she heard a 
 message that seemed to have come direct from 
 heaven and intended particularly for her. It touched 
 her heart and seemed to meet her own special 
 need as no other word had ever yet done. 
 
 "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God 
 by Thy blood/' read Mrs. Missionary slowly and 
 devoutly. She then commented briefly in expla- 
 nation of those precious words of Scripture. 
 
 Lelo heard darkly, and understood but little of 
 the exposition. She indistinctly saw Mrs. Mission- 
 ary standing in her accustomed place upon the raised 
 brick platform. She felt the movements of the 
 crowd of women and children seated about her and 
 heard with a start the loud, resounding slap with 
 which a woman killed a much-dreaded poisonous 
 fly that had settled on the bare leg of a little child 
 seated on her lap. 
 
 She was dimly conscious of the beautiful picture 
 seen through the open window, of the many-hued 
 plants, and the tree branches and leaves bathed in 
 the mellow sunlight and stirring in the afternoon 
 breezes. She felt the tugging of her own restless 
 child and whispered a soothing promise to take her 
 home soon. 
 
 Somehow all that she heard and saw was as if 
 in a dream. In her heart beat the message, slowly 
 and distinctly, "redeemed by blood/' and over and 
 over again her brain repeated the words "brought 
 
io6 A Congo Chattel 
 
 back to God." The story of Christ and of His 
 shed blood was not new to her, but she had never 
 heard it as it came to her then. It caught and 
 gripped and held and her whole being was shaken 
 by the mighty truth. 
 
 "He was slain to redeem me back from slavery 
 to my Father, and home," she murmured, so low 
 that no human ear could have caught what she 
 said. 
 
 Lelo never knew just how that tempest under her 
 skull and the turmoil in her breast began, but 
 she understood well that it was the beginning of 
 something new and different in her life. When the 
 strong emotion had partially subsided, and she had 
 mechanically risen to go out with the rest of the 
 hearers, she felt so different and realized that a 
 change had taken place. Gratitude welled up from 
 her heart toward the One who had bought her and 
 made her free. She brushed away furtively from 
 her eyes the tears that were too sacred for 
 other eyes to look upon. She vaguely realized 
 that she loved Christ, and that she now experienced 
 the joy of His lifelong love for her. She rightly 
 knew and felt she had entered the company of the 
 redeemed. 
 
 After that Lelo attended the meetings frequently. 
 She enjoyed the services in the little Chapel and 
 found that the time spent there cheered and light- 
 ened an otherwise dreary and monotonous life. She 
 was glad to get away for a little from the cook-pot 
 
Serving a New Master 107 
 
 and the hoe, and to be away from the sordid scenes 
 of everyday life, and the vile words and obscenities 
 of those who seemed by their actions to be but little 
 removed from the brute creation that surrounded 
 them. 
 
 There in the little grass-roofed house of worship 
 she was exalted and lifted above her gloomy every- 
 day present, in devout thought of Christ and 
 the promised radiant future of purity and eternal 
 bliss that awaited her. Even assuming that the 
 life of eternal freedom and happiness thus held out 
 to her was after all only a dream, still Lelo*s life 
 was lifted and ennobled materially by what she 
 learned of good in the meetings. 
 
 When the other women told her, with a knowing 
 laugh, that the nsamu wamhote was "lies-and-lies 
 only," it did not in the least shake her confidence 
 in the Gospel or cause her to doubt her own experi- 
 ences. She knew the truth, and how she knew it 
 was the truth she was soon able to explain to her 
 worldly-wise and doubting critics. 
 
 The wonderful Book was to Mrs. Missionary as 
 plain as anything could be, so why should Lelo 
 also not be able to learn to read it? She secured 
 a Primer by telling Mrs. Missionary of her hunger 
 for a further knowledge of her Saviour, and began 
 the dreary task of learning those strange and weari- 
 some signs that she must go over so many times 
 before the bigger book would open to her mind 
 and she could understand its precious words. It 
 
io8 A Congo Chattel 
 
 was hard, but she patiently stuck to it, although 
 for a long time progress was very slow. 
 
 She became so enraptured with her new experi- 
 ences, that she was constrained to tell the other 
 women all about them, in order to arouse their 
 interest. There were plenty of suitable opportu- 
 nities, for their conversation and daily life were 
 barren enough of interest and new happenings. The 
 Vula and the teachings of the missionaries were 
 to their darkened minds frequently the subject of 
 jest and speculation. 
 
 Lelo became after a while a real live missionary. 
 She did good work, keeping at it persistently in 
 season and out of season, in her village and away 
 in the fields. Some of the women began to jeer 
 at her, after the novelty had worn off, and to state 
 seriously that she was crazy. They dubbed her 
 w/ow^i-teacher, and regarded it as a huge joke that 
 one of their own number acted just as if she were 
 a missionary — just like the white woman over at 
 the Vula. 
 
 Early one morning, leaving the babies to enjoy 
 themselves contentedly in the calm, matter-of-fact 
 way typical of Congo children by playing at getting 
 the meal ready, Lelo went off as usual to replenish 
 the water jars. She first filled a great basket, placing 
 several smaller bottles around a big clay vessel 
 in the bottom that alone would hold several gallons, 
 and lifting the basket onto her back, started off. 
 She reached the stream in the valley after a few 
 
Serving a New Master 109 
 
 minutes' brisk walk along a winding forest path. 
 
 She was greeted boisterously by a crowd of 
 splashing, gossipy women that had already assembled 
 there. Some were gathering huge green leaves 
 from the overhanging bushes to make soft beds in 
 their baskets for the fragile bottles, or twisting 
 leaves into stoppers for the great mouths of the 
 jars. Several women higher up the stream were 
 filling their vessels, and others, with their bottles 
 full and safely stowed away in their baskets on 
 the bank, were taking their customary morning 
 bath. 
 
 Although a main path crossed the brook at that 
 spot, they were quite safe from intrusion; it was 
 their private bath for the time being. It would 
 have been a bold fellow indeed, or someone extreme- 
 ly foolish who would brave the severe punishment 
 sure to follow, if he approached the stream with- 
 out giving warning to the women. A wise man 
 would herald his approach by first shouting 
 "Water?" before the water itself was sighted. 
 Cautiously he would await a reply and the neces- 
 sary permission to pass, from any ladies who might 
 be about their ablutions. By several unmistakable 
 signs, familiar to the Congolese, even strangers 
 might detect their approach to a stream used for 
 bathing, and from which water to supply the vil- 
 lage was drawn. 
 
 Most men were wise in the ways of scheming 
 women who unscrupulously endeavored to get rich 
 
no A Congo Chattel 
 
 quickly. It had cost some of the men a lot of 
 cloth to obtain this knowledge, but others had 
 learned through the experiences of those who had 
 already fallen victim. It was a practice for women 
 to often secrete themselves, pretending not to hear 
 the warning shout of the solitary male traveler; and 
 then, unclothed, to stand up in indignation and well- 
 feigned alarm in full view of the unwary pilgrim 
 when he reached the stream. Their angry and 
 raucous cries soon brought their male relatives to 
 the succor of outraged modesty, when a settlement 
 would be demanded. 
 
 ' Many slaves, guns, and bundles of cloth had 
 been handed over to the husbands and Chiefs of 
 such crafty conspirators in payment for "crimes" 
 of that nature. The women were then usually safe 
 from intrusion, and a wise man would not only cry 
 "water," but generally used at the same time both 
 ears and eyes as well as lungs to keep him from 
 falling into the traps laid along the water courses. 
 Travelers, after giving warning, were generally al- 
 lowed to pass over the ford after the women had 
 first modestly donned their few scant loin-cloth 
 coverings and had stepped dripping out of the way. 
 
 Lelo was met upon arrival with scoffing re- 
 marks, and Kumbi, a girl from her own village, 
 began mockingly, with a serious and long-drawn 
 countenance, 
 
 "Good! ("morning" understood) Teacher of 
 
 Godr 
 
Serving a New Master iii 
 
 "Lelo, she is missionary?" asked Baku a friend 
 of the farce-maker, with well-simulated wonder 
 at the title used. 
 
 Lelo went about her business quietly, first care- 
 fully putting down the basket, and removing the 
 bottle with her gentle and accustomed hand. 
 
 The chatter upstream ceased when Kumbi and 
 Baku began to talk. A little girl giggled in ap- 
 proval, and one woman, having her sense of humor 
 well developed, was so shaken with mirth in antici- 
 pation of the coming dialog between the two clever 
 actors that she was obliged to sit down on the bank 
 and hold her sides. 
 
 "Truly ! But don't you know that Mrs. Mission- 
 ary pays Lelo for preaching to us ?" Kumbi's voice 
 was shrilly surprised in imparting the informing 
 question. 
 
 "No! Is it true?" stammered Baku, lifting with 
 one hand her lower jaw, which had dropped in 
 amazement. With wondering eyes she turned to 
 Lelo and inquired : "Do you think that I could get 
 work too? I would like to get pay for preaching 
 to these sinful women." 
 
 That was too much for the crowd. The in- 
 terested auditors did not wait for Lelo*s reply ; they 
 had restrained themselves with considerable effort 
 while waiting for the gibing remarks to end. 
 Baku's exertion was repaid with loud bursts of 
 laughter which sent all the four-legged creatures 
 in the vicinity away into hiding, and caused the 
 
112 A Congo Chattel 
 
 birds in their alarm to fly away, or silently blot 
 themselves from sight behind the friendly branches 
 of the highest trees. 
 
 Encouraged by their success, Baku nasally 
 drawled, in exaggerated mimicry of Mrs. Mission- 
 ary's kiKongo pronunciation, and imitating at the 
 same time her walk and gestures, 
 
 "You women, why to pray come you not?" 
 
 Another happy shout rewarded this ape-like dis- 
 play, and by mutual agreement the women resolved 
 they were having a splendid time; and that the 
 stragglers who were late in coming from the village 
 were missing a great comedy. 
 
 Kumbi then addressed Lelo, and asked inquisi- 
 tively: "Do they pay you well?" 
 
 "Pay me? The missionaries pay me nothing." 
 
 "What! No pay from them. Do you mean to 
 say that you work for nothing?" Deep solicitude 
 was apparent in Kumbi's question; she was seem- 
 ingly concerned about Lelo's welfare. 
 
 "No, indeed not," simply answered Lelo, "I do 
 not work for nothing. I am well paid; my Father 
 pays me." 
 
 "How does He pay, with franc pieces, in rum, or 
 cloth?" 
 
 "With neither, but He gives me peace and joy 
 in serving Him because He has changed my heart." 
 
 "Listen, you sinful women," jeered Kumbi, "Lelo 
 says that she has got a new heart." 
 
 That was received and bandied about with an- 
 
BEGINNINGS AT MBOKA 
 
 CONGO VILLAGE 
 
Serving a New Master 113 
 
 other uproar of ridicule, and when the hilarious 
 cries had somewhat abated, Kumbi derisively con- 
 tinued : "Can you see your new heart ? What does 
 it look like?'* 
 
 Lelo attended quietly to her work, undisturbed 
 by the hubbub ; she had filled her jars, and arranged 
 them carefully in the basket, and had taken her 
 bath. She took up the basket to return home to 
 her babies. She left under a fire of jeers and in- 
 sults, the parting shots from a merry company fol- 
 lowing her until she was beyond reach. 
 
 "We are as good as you," said one. 
 
 Another shouted, "You are crazy !" 
 
 Similar cries followed her as she toiled up the 
 hill, bent almost double under the heavy load of 
 water. The last contemptuous shout of "Behold 
 the Teacher !" reached her just as she left the valley 
 and disappeared from their view, entering the for- 
 est on the level ground. 
 
 Lelo did not like it very much, but she made no 
 reply to the insults. She knew that her chance 
 would come later; she would then have better suc- 
 cess when she got them alone, one by one, and 
 quietly talked to them about God and His love for 
 them. They were not so bold when separated, and 
 she could wait. 
 
 Lelo had left them in their heathenism, so she 
 must bear their revengeful attacks. It was easier 
 in some ways to stay with the crowd, but she had 
 no desire to be with them, or to go back in spirit 
 
114 A Congo Chattel 
 
 to the darkness she had left behind. She prayed 
 and God heard and sustained her in the petty per- 
 secutions as well as in the greater tribulations that 
 followed in the course of her checkered life. 
 
 The crowd punctuated their sneers with mocking 
 laughter, but Lelo continued to pray silently. Lelo 
 had taken the best course as it so proved in the long 
 run. 
 
ffi 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A New Wife for an Old. 
 
 AVAMBU was the first in the village to 
 discover a diiference in Lelo's life; it 
 was not long before he observed the 
 change in her. He by no means relished the new 
 order : she had been far more agreeable to him in her 
 former manner of life. He resented any rebuke 
 from her, for his evil words and actions sometimes 
 provoked a strong protest. Her talk about what 
 "the Lord said," and what she had learned from the 
 missionaries, was to him irritating chatter of the 
 most meaningless kind. He answered her with out- 
 bursts of rage, and so the breach widened. 
 
 Undoubtedly, she did make it disagreeable for 
 him, however little she desired to do so. It was 
 because of the lack of harmony and fellowship 
 between them and her aversion to his evil life. He 
 increased her burdens by his attitude toward her 
 and they thus grew farther and farther apart. Even 
 the children were no bond of union, so widely sepa- 
 rated were the hopes and plans of the parents. In- 
 deed it was their youngest one who at last was the 
 means of tearing their lives hopelessly apart. 
 
 Her baby boy was taken ill and it was then they 
 had their most serious misunderstanding. The 
 
ii6 A Congo Chattel 
 
 little sufferer grew rapidly worse and nothing that 
 she could do gave him more than temporary relief. 
 She knew so little of means whereby to help the 
 child, and it is possible that he might have been 
 better off if she had not attempted to assist him 
 with her loving but mistaken care. 
 
 Mavambu loved — if that word could express his 
 feeling — the baby. He informed Lelo that the boy 
 was his child, and that his heart was as tender 
 toward the baby as was her own; that in fact he 
 was more concerned about getting the baby cured 
 than she was. He, for his part, was determined 
 to send for a fetich priest. The nganga would be 
 expensive, but what of that? The child's life was 
 also worth something. 
 
 They had to consider not only the baby's suffer- 
 ings and their own feelings in consequence, but also 
 the fact of the boy's ultimate worth if he lived to 
 manhood. They must think of what it would mean 
 in a few years' time to have the income derived from 
 his labor, as well as the consequent prestige of hav- 
 ing a larger number in the family. 
 
 Lelo was unyielding, and with dogged de- 
 termination showing in her face and ringing in the 
 firm tones of her voice, she declared: "The boy is 
 mine. I alone will nurse him!" 
 
 "If he dies, then you will be the cause of his 
 death. It is you who will kill him," charged Ma- 
 vambu threateningly. 
 
 "I won't let any witch-doctor touch him !" 
 
A New Wife for an Old 117 
 
 "Why not, if he can heal the child?" 
 
 "Better for him to die than to have the devil make 
 him well," answered she with unusual boldness and 
 refusing to be moved. 
 
 Mavambu by that time had the undisguised sym- 
 pathy of the crowd which, at the first sound of 
 loud words, had quickly collected at Lelo's hut. 
 She was openly and recklessly defiant of their clam- 
 orous opinions and was not to be frightened from 
 her position. 
 
 The mother crouched on the ground over the fire 
 of glowing wood coals just outside her door, croon- 
 ing to the restless child tightly clasped to her breast. 
 The heat was grateful to the little one who was in 
 pain. Lelo feared, and not without reason, 
 that someone would endeavor to tear her treasure 
 from her arms. She looked about timidly, like a 
 hunted animal preparing for attack. 
 
 One of her neighbors growled out her feeling of 
 disgust for such an unnatural mother who would 
 wilfully and obstinately allow her child to die, 
 rather than accept the help she might have for the 
 asking. This neighbor seemed to voice the senti- 
 ment of the other women. They received her 
 speech with approving grunts and nods. 
 
 The long-suffering Mavambu was heartened by 
 the kindly expressed sympathy and encouragement 
 of those good souls who understood his case so 
 well and who could commiserate with him in this 
 new conjugal difficulty. 
 
ii8 A Congo Chattel 
 
 Looking around at them appreciatively with a 
 bleary expression of gratitude, and in an effort to 
 win their whole-hearted approval of the very 
 sensible and moderate means he was employing 
 with his refractory chattel, he demonstrated his 
 reasonable attitude by demanding of Lelo : 
 
 "What do you mean by 'make him well by the 
 devir? I only said that I wanted to send for 
 Mpeso Luamba to cure the baby. Do you call 
 Mpeso the devil ?" 
 
 "The devil has people to do his work ! Devil or 
 no devil Luamba shall not touch my baby !" 
 
 She hugged the child closer, so tightly indeed 
 that the feverish little one cried out, and pushed 
 at the restraining arms. It was from no lack of 
 love that Lelo refused the assistance of the Nganga. 
 
 Mavambu, dropping his head to one side, and 
 straining with his right ear scooped in his hand 
 to catch the words, was deeply moved at such a 
 reply. The rebellious attitude of his own law- 
 fully acquired property stirred him to righteous in- 
 dignation. What a base return for all the kindness 
 that had been lavished upon her and for redeeming 
 her from slavery in the hands of Kungu*s heir! 
 She actually talked now as if she owned herself 
 and as if she possessed sole rights over the child. 
 What a pernicious doctrine to publish, especially 
 before the other women. Who could tell where 
 such teachings would lead them? Rank disobedi- 
 
A New Wife for an Old 119 
 
 ence was bad enough indeed, but how much worse 
 to excuse it with such destructive beliefs. 
 
 Things had certainly reached a sad state of con- 
 fusion in his village when a woman dared to talk 
 to her owner in such a way. Lelo's unwarranted 
 and cool disposal of his own child, his own flesh 
 and blood, his own property, loudly demanded sud- 
 den and dire punishment. His wrath, under the 
 circumstances, was very excusable. 
 
 Mavambu felt, though, that it would not be wise 
 for him to press the matter too suddenly. Notwith- 
 standing that he was well within his rights it would 
 be better to allow her to have her own headstrong 
 way for a time, rather than by hasty action to 
 drive her to desperation. Mavambu was far from 
 being sure about this latest addition to his number 
 of wives, and sometimes he wondered after all 
 whether his kindness and his affection had not been 
 sadly misplaced. 
 
 "The child is mine," said he, "and you too belong 
 to me. It is for me to do what I please with my 
 own ; for you to obey and obey only." 
 
 With an eloquent gesture, and not even raising 
 her eyes, she shrugged her naked shoulders, and 
 banished the "man's rights" argument. Concerned 
 only with her fretting baby, she remarked simply: 
 "The Word of God forbids us having any dealings 
 with the devil." 
 
 Screams of angry protest greeted her words, and 
 a loud-voiced woman immediately volunteered the 
 
I20 A Congo Chattel 
 
 right prescription for Lelo's case. However it 
 might be with the baby, there was absolutely no 
 question as to the kind of medicine Lelo's trouble 
 demanded. She instructed Mavambu in hoarse, 
 angry tones, and suggested a good, or a bad, whip- 
 ping for the addle-pated wretch he had been be- 
 guiled into taking to his bosom. 
 
 Determined Congo women sometimes do have 
 their own way, but in this instance Lelo was so 
 palpably in the wrong that she alienated the sym- 
 pathy of even her best friends. She was at last 
 overpowered by public opinion and brute force. 
 
 The witch-doctor was summoned. Lelo was 
 roughly handled and thrust into the background 
 to sob out her distress after the boy had been torn 
 from her arms. Mpeso went through with the or- 
 dinary performance, and it resulted finally in an- 
 other child victim being sacrificed upon the altar 
 of a religion of lies. Another weight was thus 
 added to the already overladen shoulders of the 
 mother. Lelo grieved for her boy. 
 
 When Mavambu's latest trial with his irrational 
 chattel was noised abroad among the villages of 
 the neighborhood, other husbands began to take 
 notice, and to inquire into teachings that influenced 
 so unfavorably their domestic welfare. After much 
 discussion it was seriously agreed upon by the prop- 
 erty owners that the Vula was a dangerous place 
 for women. They did not so much mind the hymn 
 singing, and the spelling sheets, but such a prac- 
 
A New Wife for an Old 121 
 
 tical demonstration of the teachings instilled into 
 silly heads at the Chapel showed them plainly that 
 danger was ahead. 
 
 The women were all charged by their lords to 
 keep away from the Vula, especially from the 
 women's meetings. They were threatened with sum- 
 mary punishment should they fail to obey. On the 
 whole it was decided that prevention was far better 
 than cure in dealing with such an ailment. The 
 heresy to which Lelo had succumbed was akin to 
 kindoki. The Vula was placed under a ban and 
 boycotted. They did not mean to go through in 
 their own individual cases any such experiences as 
 those with which Mavambu had been troubled, if 
 they could possibly avoid it. 
 
 Then it was that the Vula became unspeakably 
 bad, and all connected with it, both black and 
 white, were hypocritical schemers. There was 
 nothing of good remembered, and nothing too mean 
 to rake up and exaggerate in condemnation of the 
 offending Mission. All material benefits received 
 by them since the place was opened and innumer- 
 able kindnesses and help in trouble and sickness 
 were too readily forgotten. All benefits and kind 
 deeds were swept away on a wave of suspicion and 
 anger, and many would have been glad to see the 
 Vula, buildings and members alike, ousted from 
 their country for all time. 
 
 These hard feelings affected the attendance at 
 the school, the children quickly absorbing the has- 
 
122 A Congo Chattel 
 
 tile sentiments of the elders. The services were 
 mostly attended by those living at the station, since 
 going to church was so unpopular with the villagers. 
 Under the storm of abuse the missionaries could 
 only quietly plod along and pray for better days 
 and brighter skies. In it all they thought that it 
 was much better to have disapproval and even per- 
 secution than to suffer from indifference and 
 neglect. 
 
 Mavambu was a black Lothario, although by no 
 means could he be described as gay. On the con- 
 trary, he was the owner of a forbidding, funereal 
 countenance, and gave utterance to his momentous 
 thoughts in a most dismal manner. He was never 
 satisfied with the number of women in his posses- 
 sion and was always on the lookout for one more. 
 
 His women were always dissatisfied with his 
 improvidence and neglect and were ever trying 
 to get away from him into better hands. He failed 
 to furnish cloth for his own human belongings, but 
 always had plenty to waste upon strangers. The 
 women even lacked tools to do the work demanded 
 by him in their gardens, and he even neglected to 
 repair their huts as any dutiful Mayombe proprietor 
 was morally bound to do. So although he was 
 always in search of new women, he was not popular 
 with his old ones. 
 
 Lelo sometimes mustered up courage enough to 
 rebuke him for his evil actions and neglect, and this 
 never failed to call forth threats of vengeance, 
 
A New Wife for an Old 123 
 
 After being particularly abusive one day he an- 
 nounced his determination to seek another wife 
 for his comfort — one who would understand him 
 better, and care for him more. It was unbearable, 
 so he informed Lelo, to be met always with the bit- 
 ing words of an old woman whenever he came to 
 her hut. He had in mind, so he continued, a dear 
 little thing, very gentle and attractive, who would 
 be delighted and honored in being permitted to 
 become his wife and have the privilege of cheering 
 him with loving speeches along his arduous way. 
 
 Thus it was that Mavambu made Lelo's rebuke 
 an excuse for setting out on his quest for Simba. 
 Indeed the girl was no sudden fancy, but a child 
 upon whom his appraising eyes had long and long- 
 ingly rested. She was diminutive and slender and 
 aged about fifteen years, the only daughter of de- 
 ceased Mayala, her father being old Chief Noki. 
 Since her mother's death she had been living at 
 Kimbusu with some of her maternal relatives, to 
 whom she had reverted w^hen left an orphan. 
 
 Mayala had been the faithful wife of Chief 
 Noki, the father of Simba. When Noki passed 
 away Mayala fell into Mavambu's hands and so 
 became his property. Mayala was a wise woman 
 in her day and proved a valuable addition to Ma- 
 vambu's fortune. He was full of joy over his 
 acquisition, but alas, his happiness was destined to 
 be short-lived. Mayala remained only a few years 
 in his possession, and then died suddenly before 
 
124 A Congo Chattel 
 
 he had ceased to congratulate himself upon his good 
 fortune. 
 
 The death of Mayala pressed heavily upon Ma- 
 vambu. Not only was it a natural burden of sor- 
 row at her departure and the consequent funeral 
 expenses, but he was further weighted down by 
 the feeling that he had been rankly imposed upon. 
 Looking about him he saw men, not so worthy as 
 himself, having wives who had kept well, and had 
 lived many working years to add to the prestige 
 and power of the clan; but here was Mayala, 
 the best of his lot, dying while still in her prime. 
 
 The fact that Mayala's male relatives at Kim- 
 busu were far from strong numerically or rich in 
 this world's goods, had a lot to do with Mavambu's 
 toleration of this additional burden of grief. He 
 would have let it go at that, when he had laid her 
 broken pots on the grave and had tied her best red 
 handkerchief on a pole above it, if there had been 
 no hope of getting some intrinsically valuable con- 
 solation from her people. He would have sum- 
 marily dismissed his added grief, and never have 
 mentioned it, had it not happily occurred to him 
 that he might be able to turn his sorrow to good 
 account. 
 
 "On the whole," said he, in making confidences 
 to his cronies, "it was decidedly unfair for Mayala 
 to die upon my hands before I had realized much 
 from her." He waxed indignant at the rude 
 shattering of the happy fabric of his dreams about 
 
A New Wife for an Old 125 
 
 her, and the ruthless robbery of his family hearth 
 by the hidden hand of witchcraft. True, Mayala 
 had served Noki faithfully for years, but Mavambu 
 of course could not reasonably be expected to 
 reckon that to her credit in his accounts. He con- 
 cluded on the whole that he had been greatly ill- 
 used. 
 
 So all in good time, after turning over the whole 
 aifair for inspection by his friends, and after set- 
 tling the matter in his own mind, Mavambu decided 
 he ought to demand another woman from Mayala's 
 relatives to replace his own untimely loss. He 
 simply must, he felt, have some compensation for 
 the expenses incurred in burying her, and as balm 
 to his broken heart. And then, as has been said, 
 Mfumu Busu was not a powerful chief, nor one 
 who could afford to turn unceremoniously from the 
 recital of Mavambu's sorrow. 
 
 With the high, hot sun shining full upon his 
 badge of bffice — the great pewter medal dangling 
 at the end of a nickel chain fastened about his 
 neck, and resting) upon the bosom of his long- 
 tailed black coat, Mavambu entered Kimbusu. He 
 was followed by a few intimate friends, shining in 
 the reflected glory of the Medal Chief, for Ma- 
 vambu had reached the dignity of local representa- 
 tive of the government. Mavambu had come for 
 the purpose of appealing to Mayala*s people con- 
 cerning the matter of compensation. 
 
 Hastily seeking the shelter of Mfumu Busu's 
 
126 A Congo Chattel 
 
 hospitable veranda they seated themselves in its 
 refreshing shade. All eyes were fixed upon a 
 demijohn, apparently heavy, that one of their num- 
 ber put away in a safe place where it could not be 
 upset by the goats or pigs. The noises of the 
 people at their customary occupations ceased, and 
 an apprehensive and curious silence fell upon the 
 town. 
 
 Busu had been sounded by an envoy of Ma- 
 vambu's, sent some time before, but neither then 
 nor now was the Chief favorably inclined toward 
 Mavambu's claim. He was not disposed to pay out 
 cloth, or to give up a slave upon any such pretext, 
 unless absolutely compelled to do so. 
 
 When Chief Busu made his appearance, after 
 the customary greetings, he told Mavambu that 
 as far as he was concerned he considered the 
 whole affair had been settled when Noki died and 
 that Noki had received full value for his original 
 outlay; that in fact Noki had been a heavy gainer, 
 as Mayala had turned out to be an especially good 
 bargain. 
 
 "Truly," he protested, "she was a good wife, 
 and Noki more than got back the dowry goods." 
 
 Mavambu was crafty enough to admit a part 
 of this contention, and to agree that she had been 
 a good wife to the late Noki. 
 
 "But," replied he, "we are no longer deal- 
 ing with Noki. What about me? She was my 
 property too. I fell heir to her. Surely you will 
 
A New Wife for an Old 127 
 
 not contend that I got much good from her ? Why 
 she died on my hands at once — almost!" 
 
 "Women die every day. What did you expect — 
 that she would work forever?" 
 
 Mavambu was complacently disposed to ac- 
 knowledge that women died frequently, and often 
 when disappointingly young, but pressing his argu- 
 ment kindly, he said, 
 
 "I expected several more good years and ought 
 to have had at least one child to lighten my old 
 age." 
 
 Sighing deeply in memory of the departed, and 
 the attendant troubles, and fixing Busu with an ac- 
 cusing eye, he continued, 
 
 "About all that I got from Mayala was the 
 heavy funeral expense account I was obliged to 
 pay." 
 
 "Men always bury their own women!" 
 
 "Certainly. And when they have first had some 
 advantage, they can bury them with a good heart. 
 But in the case m question, you of course are the 
 one who ought to be made responsible for the 
 debt." 
 
 "She had a funeral almost as good as if she had 
 been a man," interjected Paka reproachfully. 
 
 And to this agreed friend Makwala who even 
 mentioned in detail the various kinds of cloth used 
 for Mayala's shroud, and enumerated a few of the 
 valuable articles that had been broken and laid upon 
 her grave. 
 
12$ A Congo Chattel 
 
 Mavambu wagged his head mournfully, but 
 whether in memory of his departed wife, or of the 
 wasted valuables, or both, he failed to make clear 
 to the observers by any enlightening comment 
 upon Makwala's speech. 
 
 Busu stoutly contended that all such talk was 
 foreign to the matter in hand; that it was con- 
 trary to all established custom to hold any man 
 responsible for furnishing a substitute, after a 
 woman had lived with her husband as long as May- 
 ala had done. He claimed that she had fulfilled all 
 reasonable expectations, and urged that she had a 
 perfect right to die when she did, being under 
 no obligation to anybody to live longer. 
 
 The old Chief indignantly contended that he him- 
 self had gotten no more than he had been entitled 
 to, and that the dowry had been a very moderate 
 one to begin with. He said finally that to ask him 
 to replace the woman now was an imposition, and 
 one to which he would not tamely submit ! 
 
 Mavambu dolefully observed that he thought that 
 Busu knew very well, and that it would have been 
 superfluous to remind him that some customs had 
 changed since the advent of the White Man. To 
 him it seemed childish to harp on the way things 
 i^ed to be. He ventured to cite several instances 
 of how the White Man — his White Man — by whom 
 he was employed, had gotten full justice for other 
 medal chiefs like himself, when unscrupulous na- 
 tives had been inclined to impose upon the said 
 
BAPTISMAL SERVICE, KINKONZI 
 
 A MISSIONARY HOME AT YEMA 
 
A New Wife for an Old 129 
 
 medal chiefs. He disliked greatly bringing his own 
 affairs to the busy attention of his White Man, 
 but hinted that however much against his will, 
 he might be obliged to do so in the present in- 
 stance, if he were not fairly treated. 
 
 Busu was of course visibly impressed by the 
 weight of the argument and by the moderate way 
 in which Mavambu advanced it. Busu soon after 
 manifested a more tractable spirit, and could not 
 resist the righteous claims of his adversary — that 
 is to say, he found them irresistible when pre- 
 sented in such a manner, coupled with the name 
 of his White Man. 
 
 When Mavambu and his loyal friends left Kim- 
 busu, they left behind them the red-striped, wicker- 
 covered bottle. It was generously left half filled 
 with the fiery stuff in which they had pledged the 
 prosperity of Mavambu and his "bride." When 
 they returned to Yenge their caravan included the 
 girl Simba, en route to her new "home." 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 A Generous Husband. 
 
 QATURALLY, Mavambu was at first very 
 kind to his new child wife, as he wished 
 to impress her with his generosity and 
 worth as a husband. Wishing to show her a kind- 
 ness, at no cost to himself, he happily hit upon the 
 following plan. He resolved to divide Lelo's rich 
 garden and to give a half -share to Simba, who 
 did not own a single fruit-bearing tree, or possess 
 even a tiny patch of cultivated ground. 
 
 It occurred to far-seeing Mavambu that he 
 might thus, so to say, kill two birds with one stone ; 
 not only would he serve Simba and win her lively 
 gratitude, but he could at the same time punish 
 Lelo, the refractory and foolish owner of the fields, 
 and so make her understand in a practical way 
 that he was a lord not to be trifled with. 
 
 Lelo was a hard-working woman; she had ac- 
 quired the spirit of industry when young, and it 
 had become a fixed habit. By the diligent use of 
 her hoe and the tiny bladed axe, she had made a 
 clearing in the jungle, and had vegetable and 
 fruit gardens under cultivation. The garden was her 
 whole source of income; from it she derived sus- 
 tenance for herself and her little ones; and got in 
 
A Generous Husband 131 
 
 addition the savory, red-peppered vegetable stews 
 with which she regularly supplied her lord as his 
 portion of the returns for her labor. 
 
 Simba's fields were still in prospect, they were 
 yet to be cut and dug out of an unyielding soil 
 and a dense tangle of trees, vines, and roots that 
 encumbered the coveted spot. There was, of 
 course, plenty of community land she might have 
 had for the choosing, but much hard work was 
 required, and a long, hungry intervening time must 
 ensue before a yam or a banana or a bit of manioc 
 root could be harvested. She had all to battle 
 for with the mass of hindering jungle. Simba re- 
 called with a sigh that at Kimbusu she had made 
 good headway; but Kimbusu was left behind her. 
 She was now a stranger, living on charity, having 
 nothing but her basket, a pot or two, a hoe, and 
 part share of a husband to feed. 
 
 The husband Mavambu, generous soul, prepared 
 a bit of a surprise for the dear girl. He called her 
 to him one morning, soon after her arrival, and 
 with an air of mystery informed her that she was 
 to go with him on a short journey. She of course 
 accompanied him without question, and after a lei- 
 surely walk they soon reached Lelo's clearing and 
 saw the rich field spread out attractively before 
 them. 
 
 Mavambu, with that spirit of liberality that some 
 people possess when dealing with the property of 
 others, royally apportioned to Simba an ample slice 
 
132 A Congo Chattel 
 
 of the garden. With a magnificent wave of his 
 bountiful hand, he said, pointing to a fire- smitten, 
 leafless skeleton of a tree, whose dreary branches 
 were clearly silhouetted against a background of 
 gray sky : 
 
 "There is your boundary mark; from that tree 
 to here where we stand is all yours." 
 
 Simba looked and gasped. She could only mur- 
 mur unintelligible thanks, overcome as she was with 
 wonder at her sudden great good fortune. She 
 gazed upon Mavambu with admiring awe. 
 
 He playfully pinched her arm, and smilingly con- 
 firmed the gift, saying cheerfully, 
 
 "Yes, it is true. It is all thine; the ground, 
 and all that you see growing thereon." 
 
 He expatiated upon the peculiar value of his gift, 
 and the appropriateness of it at that time of the 
 year and at that particular season of Simba's for- 
 tunes. Incidentally he made mention of the free- 
 handed way in which he was accustomed to deal 
 with those who put their trust in him and who 
 might be under his generous protecting care. 
 
 Simba, overwhelmed, was still trying to convey 
 to him her deep appreciation of his goodness, when 
 Lelo appeared. They saw her coming from the 
 path that crossed at the other end of the field. She 
 made her way carefully over the obstructions, 
 left there for vines to climb upon, into the midst 
 of her garden plot. 
 
 When Lelo saw them, she slackened her pace, 
 
A Generous Husband 133 
 
 somewhat surprised to see the two standing to- 
 gether in her garden, trying to account in her own 
 mind for their being there. Unfortunately for 
 their peace of mind she was not long in finding out 
 the matter under consideration. Her own eyes and 
 the few words of explanation vouchsafed by her 
 lord enlightened her as to the nature of the pro- 
 ceedings. At once she most emphatically vetoed 
 Mavambu's generous action. 
 
 A tiny scratch, drawing but one drop of red 
 blood, calls for bitter retaliation, or an emollient 
 in the shape of valuables to atone for the offense, 
 and it is almost as bad to wound the Congolese in 
 property rights by taking any part of their belong- 
 ings. Lelo was being injured in a tender place. 
 
 She sternly remonstrated, 
 
 "With my own hands I made them. These gardens 
 belong to me !" 
 
 "No matter," replied Mavambu, gently evading 
 the objection, in rare good humor with himself and 
 trying to conciliate her; "there's land enough, and 
 food enough too, for you both." 
 
 "There is not enough in this patch for Simba!" 
 
 "She is a stranger. Is she to have no garden?" 
 
 "That is 'not affair mine.' Me, I did not bring 
 her to this country." 
 
 "Don't try to make trouble. There is enough 
 for us all, and for little Simba too," argued Ma- 
 vambu pacifically. 
 
 Lelo was inexorable. She would not be mollified 
 
134 A Congo Chattel 
 
 and doggedly declined to be moved from her 
 position. 
 
 "No! I tell you again, there's only enough for 
 my children, besides what you eat." 
 
 Waxing more indignant under the injustice and 
 recalling all she had done for him and the little 
 return she got, she added: 
 
 "It*s hard enough for me to feed you, without 
 your new woman being thrust upon me! Let her 
 work as I have done, or else you buy food for her." 
 
 Lelo was hurt to see how little she had been con- 
 sidered, and was greatly stirred by the deliberate 
 way in which Mavambu went about the business 
 of despoiling her, without even an intimation of his 
 intentions in advance. She meant to stand up for 
 her rights, and she knew that every unprejudiced 
 person in the community would agree with her, 
 even if they feared to express themselves, that Ma- 
 vambu had absolutely no claim upon her property. 
 
 Mavambu was without a shadow of legal sup- 
 port, and had not even a flimsy pretext of custom 
 to cover his naked extortion. He argued how- 
 ever as if every moral consideration were on his 
 side, and as though he deserved credit for his 
 patience in explaining the matter at such length to 
 his obtuse partner. 
 
 Bearing patiently with her obtuseness he went on 
 to explain: 
 
 "You know that it is too late in the season for 
 Simba to clear and plant another patch?" 
 
A Generous Husband 135 
 
 "The season is no affair of mine, and what have 
 I to do with Simba?" 
 
 Mavambu was beginning to be vexed. Who 
 would not be, confronted by such stubbornness. He 
 lost his smirk, and changed his soft tones for sterner 
 accents, determining to put the matter through with 
 no further waste of time. Said he: 
 
 "I have already given Simba a share of these 
 fields. The boundary has been set by me. It is 
 finished!" 
 
 ' "No ! You shall not rob me of my support ; me 
 with my children to raise. Their portion shall not 
 go to any childless girl !" 
 
 Seeing there would be serious trouble, Mavambu 
 became the more quickly enraged, especially since 
 he had no good excuse for his shameful act. Even 
 Mayombe women, strange as it may seem, have 
 some recognized rights. Only by a high-handed act 
 of injustice could he take any part of Lelo's garden. 
 Dropping altogether his argumentative and oily 
 manner and losing control of himself he threatened 
 and cursed her for her obstinacy. 
 
 Lelo was not greatly shaken, and answered his 
 insulting menaces with the retort: 
 
 "I shall keep my own. I will not consent to be 
 robbed of it." 
 
 "I will take what I want then without your con- 
 sent," he roared, advancing toward her with up- 
 lifted matchete in hand, as if he would cut her out 
 
136 A Congo Chattel 
 
 of the way of his plans. He was exasperated be- 
 yond measure, and shouted : 
 
 "Get out of my sight, or I'll kill you! Me, I 
 want a young wife with sense, not an old meddling 
 fool like you. Go quickly, before I cut you down !" 
 
 She looked straight and fearlessly into his palm- 
 wine-streaked and wrath-reddened eyes. Without 
 further word of expostulation she turned and left 
 them, saying simply, 
 
 "Good, I go then!" 
 
 When Mavambu came to his senses he found 
 that she had taken him at his word. She had left, 
 but had gone a great deal farther than he had in- 
 tended. Lelo knew almost at once what she would 
 do; her plan was quickly formed while hurrying 
 back to the village. 
 
 She gathered from her hut the few poor trifles 
 she owned, and piled them into her basket. Fasten- 
 ing the baby upon her hip with a piece of cloth 
 wound about his chubby body, and then over her 
 shoulder, and with her little girls trotting along by 
 her side, she marched straight away to Yenge Vula. 
 
 Lelo with the babies entered the gate of the 
 Mission and walked across the mango tree and 
 pineapple-bordered plaza up to the house. She 
 swung the heavy basket from her back to the 
 ground, and then sat down on the floor of the 
 veranda. She hitched the baby around in front 
 to nurse, as if preparing for a long visit. She 
 dumbly waited, as customary with the taciturn 
 
A Generous Husband 137 
 
 Mayombe women, for Mrs. Missionary to open the 
 conversation. 
 
 When Mrs. Missionary appeared, she learned all 
 about Lelo's welfare and the health of the babies 
 before she noticed that something was wrong, and 
 then asked: 
 
 "What is the matter?" 
 
 "We have come to live with you." 
 
 "With me !" exclaimed Mrs. Missionary. "What 
 about Mavambu?" 
 
 "He has driven me away!" 
 
 "What!" Of course such a statement called for 
 an exclamation of astonishment. Who would not 
 wonder at valuable property being driven away by 
 the owner J even if one could see good reasons why 
 the said property would like to flee on its own initi- 
 ative. 
 
 "He said he would kill me if I didn't go quick." 
 
 "What is the trouble about?" 
 
 "He gave half of my garden to Simba." 
 
 "No, he couldn't do that. He will change his 
 mind," encouraged Mrs. Missionary. 
 
 "No, he won't. He hates me too because I love 
 the words of God. Mama, I can't stay with him 
 any longer; I want to live with you." 
 
 "But, Lelo, as a Christian I think that you would 
 do more good living among the women in your own 
 town." 
 
 "I do like to be with the other women, and 
 don't mind much when they laugh at me. Some of 
 
138 A Congo Chattel 
 
 them don't mean the foolish things they say, and 
 are really thinking much about the words of God. 
 But Mavambu drove me away, and I will never go 
 back to his village. We want to stay here with 
 you." 
 
 Lelo, by the comprehensive "we," enlisted the 
 aid of her dear little girl who, clinging close to her 
 side, looked up coyly into the troubled face of Mrs. 
 Missionary. Lelo this time got her own way, and 
 was temporarily installed as a member of the mis- 
 sionary family before the fires of Mavambu's 
 wrath cooled. 
 
 It was soon spread broadcast that Lelo had 
 taken refuge with the Teacher of God, and the 
 Nganga a Nzamhi became the target for much un- 
 merited abuse and many malicious tales. As soon as 
 Mavambu discovered that some of his property had 
 strayed so far away he decided upon getting Lelo 
 back to the village at once and by all means. It 
 was not until after he felt the loss that he began 
 to appreciate her worth. He determined to bring 
 about a reconciliation as soon as possible. 
 
 Next day he mustered up courage to face the 
 people over at the Vula, and went along to talk the 
 palaver. He knew that now there would be others 
 who would have a word to say, and that he would 
 have to explain matters satisfactorily to the mis- 
 sionaries. 
 
 Dressed in his medal-bedecked official garment 
 and assuming his most engaging manner he ap- 
 
A Generous Husband 139 
 
 peared in front of the Mission House. Not a 
 trace of resentment was visible on his seamy coun- 
 tenance, nor to be heard in the pleasant saluta- 
 tions with which he met the company that quickly 
 gathered. Knowing full well that the Vula people 
 would object to any bullying language, or the use 
 of a stick, he wisely tried to confine his speech to 
 persuasive tones, and sweetly endeavored to induce 
 Lelo to compromise. Without mentioning the gar- 
 den he begged that she return to his aching heart 
 and empty hut. 
 
 But it was all labor lost; Lelo would not be any 
 more enticed by his fair speeches at the Mission 
 today, than she was frightened by his matchete out 
 in her garden patch yesterday. 
 
 Mavambu at last was obliged to compromise with 
 his own plans, and with a good show of grace he 
 allowed blandly: 
 
 "Since you wish so much to remain at the Mis- 
 sioni you may stay. But I must have my goods 
 back, of course." 
 
 He could reconcile himself much easier to the 
 loss of the woman if he could get back some of 
 the precious stuff he had paid out for her. He 
 meant to make a strong fight for that, as therein 
 largely lay his hopes of gaining a substitute for 
 Lelo. 
 
 "What money are you talking about?" she de- 
 manded quickly, "Is it that you ever gave me any 
 simbongof" 
 
140 A Congo Chattel 
 
 "Didn't I pay good cloth for you, after you ran 
 away from your other master?" 
 
 Answering Lelo's question with another, he took 
 care to emphasize "other master" in such a way as 
 to show plainly how he regarded the detestable 
 habit she had acquired of running away. 
 
 "To whom did you pay the goods you mention ?" 
 inquired she, craftily devising a verbal trap for 
 him to fall into. 
 
 He blundered into it without hesitation by say- 
 ing, 
 
 "To Kungu's heir of course, as you know very 
 well." 
 
 "Oh, in that case then why not apply to Kungu's 
 heir for your zimhongof You may search my 
 basket and see whether there is in it a fathom of 
 cloth, or any other article that belongs to you. I 
 have stolen none of your property, and you have 
 given me nothing. To clothe my nakedness you 
 gave me not a cloth; to cover my children, not a 
 rag of a blanket. Nothing, absolutely nothing have 
 I received from you." 
 
 Mavambu stood listening to her long tirade 
 abashed and at a loss to know how to adequately 
 refute her charges, his usual weapons being denied 
 him and his stock of gracious words almost ex- 
 hausted. It was quite true as she had stated that 
 he had given her nothing but had shamefully wasted 
 his goods in making presents to other women. The 
 Vula people and Mrs. Missionary who had been 
 
A Generous Husband 141 
 
 attracted to the spot all knew that Lelo was right. 
 She had their sympathy ; she had been badly treated, 
 and they knew Mavambu was greatly in the wrong. 
 
 Lelo felt that it was then a good opportunity 
 to say a few things she had on her mind, so she 
 continued : 
 
 "You come to me for pay, when you should 
 have brought me an offering in your hands ! What 
 reward have I had for all my labor? You have 
 kept me a slave, and I myself earned every bit 
 of cloth we have worn and every bite that my chil- 
 dren and myself have eaten in your village. You 
 have deceived, insulted, and cursed me, and now 
 you want me to go back, or you want your cloth! 
 You are right in coming to me, but it ought to be 
 on a different errand ; you should be here to recom- 
 pense me for my work, and to show sorrow for 
 your brutal treatment. As it is now, you will do 
 well if you go and seek your money where you 
 paid it." 
 
 That was the longest speech Lelo had ever 
 made, and she didn't stop then because she had 
 nothing further to say. Mavambu trembled with 
 a rage hard to restrain, and which threatened sev- 
 eral times during the course of her lengthy ora- 
 tion to overleap its bounds. Her words acted as 
 a scourge. How gladly then would he have re- 
 nounced all he had paid for the woman if he could 
 have gotten her once more in his power. If they 
 were only away from those prying, interfering mis- 
 
142 A Congo Chattel 
 
 sionaries for a time he would make her sing a 
 different tune, or kill her in the attempt. He had 
 a premonition she was gone from him for good; 
 that she had effectually slipped through his clutches, 
 and so his wishes appeared useless. 
 
 He did not intend to give up the pursuit as long 
 as there was any hope of gaining his point; so he 
 insisted, as one who had an unassailable right but 
 was willing to grant concessions for the sake of 
 peace : 
 
 "You may stay here, but only on the condition 
 that you pay me in full for all you have cost me." 
 Then he added as if the alternative was painful 
 for him to contemplate, "Otherwise I will have to 
 take my palaver to the Judge at Boma." 
 
 That was no mean threat for any native to hear. 
 Their fear of the "law," whether they were inno- 
 cent or guilty, was excessive, and their dread of 
 being brought before the White Man altogether un- 
 reasonable. Lelo trembled to think of being charged 
 with a crime and of the probable consequences that 
 might follow. 
 
 Mavambu was in high favor with the ruling 
 powers, and she was only a woman. He was the 
 Medal Chief of the place, but she was nothing, or 
 next to it, being "only a woman." She well knew 
 that the medal chiefs in those parts were well 
 looked after, therefore what chance would she have 
 before a prejudiced Judge, one whose mind might 
 
A t^enerous Husband I43 
 
 possibly be filled with Mavambu's side of the case 
 as presented through a bribed interpreter? 
 
 Along with these thoughts, however, came the 
 assurance at last that she too had a powerful 
 Helper, One Who cared for her, and Who could 
 deliver her from Mavambu's wiles and Mavambu's 
 friends in authority. She had almost regained her 
 ease when she finally said, 
 
 "You may go with your case where you like as 
 long as you go from me. I will not go back to you ; 
 I have my hoe and my strength to use it ; I can sup- 
 port myself and the children. We will not enter 
 your hut again." 
 
 Mavambu turned away, defeated for the moment 
 and cursing both her and the Vula in his heart. 
 Aloud he simply repeated his threat to take the 
 palaver to his Mundele, and strode away from the 
 station. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 Courting a Mayombe Girl. 
 
 nELO was not so much at ease as she looked 
 and it was with a rapidly growing fear 
 that she walked away to her hut. She 
 nervously thrust open the little door, stepped over 
 the high sill, and dropped down in a heap by the 
 fire. The. parting word of her former liege lord 
 was a threat well calculated to inspire dread, espe- 
 cially in one who lived in such absolute ignorance 
 of the "Law" and the "Judge." 
 
 Just what the particular business of these strange 
 white Judges was, and what they were there to ac- 
 complish, was altogether beyond Lelo's compre- 
 hension. The stories she had heard of what had 
 happened to various culprits who had been seized 
 and dragged before the foreign Ziizi did not tend 
 to reassure her, nor to restore cheerfulness. To 
 be summoned before them was to her mind almost 
 equal to a verdict of guilty and the imposition of a 
 heavy sentence. 
 
 Vangu was present with the babies and they were 
 all cuddled on a floor mat together. Lelo had left 
 the children in her care when she went out to meet 
 Mavambu, and Vangu had been only too glad to 
 keep out of his way. She was rather inclined to 
 
Courting a Mayombe Grirl t4S 
 
 be upset whenever she met him by chance although 
 she had not much to fear while living under the 
 protection of the haNganga Nzamhi. 
 
 The reason that Vangu kept well out of the 
 Medal Chief's way was because he was courting 
 her and she resented his attentions. In fact it 
 was his assiduous wooing in the first place that 
 induced her to leave her own village and flee for 
 refuge to the Station. When Lelo first came to 
 the Mission Vangu was there to receive her and 
 they shared a house together. 
 
 Vangu was nearly sixteen, a healthy active girl 
 just entering womanhood. She was well formed 
 and developed physically, having small shapely 
 hands and feet. Her smiling and regular features, 
 pleasant voice and gentle prepossessing manners, 
 qualities so many young Congo girls are blessed 
 with, won her a host of friends. A number of 
 ardent admirers was naturally attracted to her, and 
 among them came Mavambu to insistently offer 
 what was left of his heart together with a good- 
 sized pile of variously assorted trade goods. 
 
 As soon as Mavambu made his appearance at the 
 Mission House Vangu had gone swiftly into the 
 hut which she shared with Lelo, and closed the door. 
 She had not been able to overhear any of the pa- 
 laver, but as the company stood in full view on the 
 plaza she had interpreted much of what they were 
 saying from their gestures and occasional loud 
 exclamations. She had kept her eye glued to a 
 
146 A Congo Chattel 
 
 crevice between two palm fronds that afforded her, 
 through the wall, a commanding view of the situa- 
 tion. As soon as Lelo got inside, Vangu asked 
 quickly, 
 
 "Are you going back?" 
 
 The question was uttered at first in a faint and 
 perfunctory manner, and the final syllables died 
 away in her throat when she read the answer in 
 the expression on Lelo's face. 
 
 "He intends to take his palaver to the White 
 Man," said Lelo, trying vainly to appear indif- 
 ferent. 
 
 Vangu was upset and frankly showed it. She 
 remembered that she was mixed up in a palaver 
 with Mavambu, and now that he had begun to run 
 to his White Man with his mamhus, maybe he would 
 take her case to him also. Alas, had not her uncle 
 foolishly accepted some of the fine ginghams, and 
 had he not greedily swilled some of the palm wine 
 with which Mavambu had come a- wooing; and 
 had not the taking of those valuables forged the 
 first tiny link in the chain of bondage that was 
 intended to bind her for life to her importunate 
 suitor? She hated the chain, and detested the 
 smirking, ogling Mavambu, but she feared him still 
 more. 
 
 She trembled now for Lelo as well as for herself. 
 She felt that Lelo would be defeated and that her 
 own downfall would naturally follow. 
 
 "What shall we do?" she asked tremulously. 
 
Courting a Mayombe Girl 147 
 
 identifying herself with the plan in order to avert, 
 if possible, the threatened disaster. 
 
 "I don't know what we shall do then, but now 
 we can again ask God to help us," replied Lelo 
 earnestly. 
 
 So they bowed their heads and prayed. Aloud, 
 and in simple language, Lelo laid their sad case 
 before Him^ Who has at heart even the interests of 
 the Congo women and is ever seeking means to 
 help them in their troubles. 
 
 After Lelo and the children came to Yenge to 
 live, Vangu soon learned to love her, and grew to 
 lean upon her for help and advice in her own af- 
 fairs. She was comforted now to think that Lelo 
 would somehow find means of getting out of the 
 maze of difficulties ahead, although she could not 
 then see in what way. 
 
 Mavambu had an excellent eye for beauty. He 
 was a connoisseur of female charms, and always on 
 the lookout for new and attractive specimens to 
 add to his collection of women. He fell in love 
 with Vangu at sight, or at least that was the way in 
 which he somewhat vaguely phrased his experience. 
 As a plain matter of fact^any love that Mavambu 
 owned never got beyond his own being ; he had none 
 to spare for any other person. He sought only to 
 gratify his personal ambition and to make himself 
 more powerful by the addition of Vangu to the 
 family corral. Since she was beautiful so much 
 the better; that was an additional advantage. 
 
148 A Congo Chattel 
 
 Mavambu had opened negotiations with the ma- 
 ternal relatives of the girl, represented by the head 
 of the house, or ngwa nkazi — her mother's eldest 
 brother. He went wisely to the one who could 
 dispose of Vangu and whose decision would be 
 irrevocable. 
 
 He had wasted no time trying to ascertain the 
 feelings of Vangu herself but had gone at once to 
 headquarters with his courtship. He knew very 
 well how to court, but the girl, lacking his wisdom 
 and experience, could not be expected to know 
 what to do, or what was best for herself in the case. 
 
 The preliminaries were encouraging; the family 
 was not averse to the alliance with a medal chief, 
 and Mavambu began his suit. His attentions to 
 Vangu were a negligible quantity, but he paid valu- 
 able cloth and other treasures in the dowry reckon- 
 ing with her uncle. 
 
 After the first friendly drink of palm wine to- 
 gether, a day was settled upon for Mavambu to lay 
 down an instalment of the amount demanded for 
 his new wife. There was no delay and at the ap- 
 pointed time Mavambu and his friends were ready 
 to fulfil their share in the contract. He, like all 
 other intending purchasers, had been obliged to 
 borrow a large portion of the first payment. The 
 people who made the loans considered their zim- 
 hongo well invested against the day when they 
 themselves would be making similar ventures, and 
 would have their deposits of cloth with Mavambu 
 
Courting a Mayombe Girl 149 
 
 to draw upon. Unless a Mayombe man is a Chris- 
 tian, and a first-class specimen at that, he cannot 
 possibly be happy if he is not in debt. It is in the 
 blood to owe somebody something, and the more 
 the better. It requires the blood of Christ to take 
 the habit away. 
 
 Not much had been said to Vangu about the 
 matter because the first intimation of Mavambu's 
 attentions had not been very favorably received by 
 her. She had protested with all her heart at the 
 bare suggestion of such a union. 
 
 When Mavambu arrived on his errand of love 
 she was sitting in front of her hut grinding corn. 
 She had a flat, slightly hollowed lower stone on 
 the ground before her, and with both hands she 
 firmly held a round stone, as big as her two fists, 
 which she was using to crush the grain. She was 
 so intent upon her work that Mavambu and his 
 friends were passing her door before she saw them. 
 
 One man in the party bore a bundle of what 
 appeared to be cloth, and another carried upon his 
 head a jug which seemed to hold the White Man's 
 malavu, as the heavy red wicker cap was still 
 bound with the original cord. The distinguished 
 visitors passed along without halting, but Mavambu, 
 smiling broadly, slackened his pace enough to per- 
 mit of a very cordial greeting to Vangu. The joy- 
 ous salutation was plainly meant to show his great 
 esteem, but she, being unaccustomed to marks of 
 royal favor, was rather disturbed by his overtures. 
 
150 A Congo Chattel 
 
 With a perplexed frown she watched the com- 
 pany make their way up the street. Sundry gos- 
 siping speeches she had before heard and forgotten 
 began to run through her mind. The crowd, headed 
 by Mavambu, walked with such an air of jollity 
 and exuded such rare good feeling toward the vil- 
 lagers, as could only be induced by the inner ap- 
 plication of the contents, freely applied, of such a 
 demijohn as was borne aloft in the procession. 
 When they reached the Chief's house, they all sat 
 down under the low, projecting roof in the shade 
 by the door. 
 
 With an air of idle curiosity Vangu turned her 
 head, and indifferently inquired of a woman who 
 had just stopped at the smouldering fire by her side, 
 
 "What are they going to do with all that cloth ?" 
 
 The visitor grinned knowingly as she twisted 
 about and lowered her basket to the ground. Stoop- 
 ing to pick up a live coal from the fire, she jammed 
 it into the bowl of her pipe with the tip of a cal- 
 loused thumb. She puffed vigorously for a mo- 
 ment and slowly emitted a cloud of tobacco smoke 
 before replying; and then said, 
 
 "Indeed it is you who ought to know best.'* 
 
 Vangu, failing to see the significance of the 
 answer, asked in troubled accents, 
 
 "Me, how should I know?" 
 
 "What girl does not know when a nice young 
 man comes along after her, especially when he 
 
Courting a Mayombe Girl 151 
 
 brings the goods in his hands ? How is it that you 
 are so ignorant?" 
 
 She then slung her big firewood basket into place 
 on her back, straightened up, stepped into the 
 beaten path, and walked off toward the forest with- 
 out looking around. She broke off thus abruptly 
 because it had occurred to her at the moment 
 that she was probably saying more than was wise. 
 So much trouble comes to good women in Mayombe, 
 thought she, for using even but few words at times. 
 
 Vangu stared at her receding figure with wide- 
 open, frightened eyes, and then looked fearfully 
 around at the crowd seated before the hut of the 
 Chief. Nobody in that crowd could have been 
 designated as a "nice young man," except in speech 
 subject to a strictly flattering interpretation and not 
 governed by the simple rules of truth. Gazing at 
 blear-eyed Mavambu, she involuntarily shud- 
 dered, wondering whether it w^as he indeed who was 
 the "nice young man" in search of a bride, and if 
 she could possibly be the object of his quest. 
 
 She turned her head dazedly toward the woman, 
 her hands gripping the millstone, and called faintly, 
 
 "Do you mean that somebody wants to marry 
 me?" 
 
 The woman kept on her way without turning, 
 or making any sign to show she had heard. Vangu 
 arose quickly to her feet, and ran after her. Lay- 
 ing a restraining hand upon the woman's naked 
 arm, she gasped beseechingly, 
 
152 A Congo Chattel 
 
 "Tell me, was that cloth brought here on my 
 account ?" 
 
 "Certainly, I heard that Mavambu intends to 
 pay it on your body today." 
 
 The abrupt, gruff, but kindly meant reply of the 
 woman left Vangu stark still in her tracks, star- 
 ing at her disappearing form. 
 
 Without turning to note the effect of her in- 
 formation upon the girl, the woman strode along 
 and was soon hidden from sight behind the sway- 
 ing curtain of dense, tangled vegetation. Push- 
 ing up from the ground in every available spot 
 were masses of ferns. Swinging from the huge 
 vines that climbed the trunks, and crossed from 
 tree to tree, binding the forest together with pow- 
 erful consuming fetters, were other parasitic 
 plants. Some of these grew beautiful flowers that 
 filled in the interstices of the variegated living 
 screen. A few rapid paces, and the sound of her 
 footsteps was lost, and she was hid as effectually 
 behind the barrier as though an hour's march lay 
 between them. 
 
 Vangu's heart stood still with shock, but her 
 brain began working feverishly under the pressure 
 of the woman's warning. She glided quickly back 
 to her work and bent over it, to gain time. Her 
 hands raced nervously to and fro across the mill- 
 stone as she tried to plan some way to avert the 
 threatened disaster. The swiftly flying stone, rhyth- 
 mically rolling and keeping time with her swaying 
 
Courting a Mayombe Girl 153 
 
 body, seemed to crunch out of the cracking corn: 
 
 "Mavambu! Never, never, never!" 
 
 She could not help contrasting in her mind for an 
 instant the besotted Medal Chief with a nice young 
 man with whom she was acquainted. He had 
 gawky limbs but he always wore a happy youthful 
 grin when she was near. When he spoke his 
 voice was musical to her. Her heart warmed 
 toward him, and she could have cried out in anger 
 and disgust when she compared him in her mind 
 with Mavambu. 
 
 She soon reached a conclusion; her determina- 
 tion was to take a decided and bold course. She 
 resolved to resist, to fight ; she would not be led like 
 a lamb to the slaughter but would scream and 
 scratch as she went, if go she must. If she was to 
 be sacrificed she would not go weak and unresist- 
 ing to Mavambu's hut. She had everything to gain 
 by fighting and fleeing, and all to lose by passively 
 waiting. Then came the cheering welcome thought 
 that she had even a place to which she could go. 
 She could take refuge with Masala. 
 
 Masala, the wife of Matundu, had befriended 
 her before, and she was confident she would, if 
 possible, protect her now. Matundu and Masala 
 were Christians, and had erected their little hut 
 just outside the Vula compound, beyond the 
 Chapel. 
 
 Masala was happily married and she would 
 readily understand why Mavambu was impossible 
 
154 A Congo Chattel 
 
 as a husband, and why almost any other fate would 
 be preferable to a life with him. She would try 
 Masala, and if she failed, then, then — but what 
 was the use of thinking of any alternative until 
 required ? 
 
 Without a word to anyone, either of explanation 
 or of farewell; without even waiting to pick up 
 any of her little treasures; impelled by an over- 
 mastering repugnance and fear, as soon as she 
 made up her mind, she ran off swiftly like a timid 
 antelope into the forest. She lingered neither for 
 a breathing spell nor to bewail her lot with un- 
 timely tears, but fled for her life, intent only upon 
 reaching Masala's hut. 
 
 In a spasm of fear she remembered as she ran 
 the heart-touching, unspeakably horrible experi- 
 ence of a girl she knew. She also had been re- 
 fractory. They had suddenly fallen upon her and 
 seized her, and despite her indignant protesta- 
 tions, and anguished pleas for mercy, forced her 
 into a hut and kept her secluded for days a prisoner. 
 No one but the huge brute beast in human form 
 who had a "claim" upon her was allowed to enter 
 the hut during the time of her imprisonment there. 
 The vile treatment to which that poor girl had been 
 subjected was sometimes held up as a warning to 
 the daring and rebellious spirits who were begin- 
 ning to imbibe strange views concerning the duties 
 of women. 
 
 The memory of that girl's sad fate did not tend 
 
Courting a Mayombe Girl 155 
 
 to slacken Vangu's pace. Like a wild creature 
 she ran along slimy, green, disused by-ways, 
 through groves of bananas, and across dense 
 patches of jungle. She sprang lightly over obstruc- 
 tions, dived under thorny vines, and fought her 
 way through impeding and tangled ferns and 
 coarse, rank grasses, making unswervingly straight 
 to cover. With scarcely a halt she reached Ma- 
 tundu's hut, passed quickly through the open door- 
 way where Masala was sitting, and threw herself 
 panting in the corner. 
 
 It was a bold step for a young girl to take in 
 opposition to her family and prospective owner, 
 but she was desperate. Very timid creatures will 
 often fight as a final resort. Even so the patient, 
 burden-bearing, long-suffering Mayombe woman 
 turns as a last expedient on her brutal male op- 
 pressor, and fights hard for the privilege of living 
 unshackled and loving the man of her choice. 
 
 By that move Mavambu lost what might have 
 been a valuable addition to his supply of women, 
 but Lelo gained a faithful friend. When some 
 months afterward Lelo reached the Vula, she found 
 Vangu ready to receive her with open arms. They 
 were comrades in distress, ostracized by their kind 
 in the villages because of the same man, and so 
 perhaps better able to comfort each other in their 
 troubles and rejoice together that they were tem- 
 porarily free from his persecutions. 
 
 Mavambu's "sheep's eyes" expression was 
 
156 A Congo Chattel 
 
 changed to a wolfish glare whenever he looked upon 
 Vangu after her bold resistance of his courting. 
 So that was why Vangu preferred to huddle away 
 in the hut with the babies, and keep out of the 
 palaver, while Mavambu was talking it over with 
 Mrs. Missionary and Lelo out on the plaza. 
 
 Mavambu's palaver against Lelo had by that 
 time assumed public importance, and he felt justi- 
 fied in bringing it to the official attention of the 
 village headmen, Makwala and Paka. They talked 
 it over from every point of view and then returned 
 again to its consideration. It was not as if his wife, 
 and a girl for whom he paid a deposit of cloth had 
 taken refuge at some neighboring village, for then 
 the problem would have been easily answered with 
 a whip and a rope; but they had gone to the Vula 
 and mixed up the haNganga Nzamhi in the palaver, 
 which was quite another and more serious matter. 
 
 Force, under the circumstances, said the Elders, 
 was a factor to be left out of the calculation. 
 Lelo with her children, and Vangu could all take 
 root and grow at the Vula and never be removed 
 if force had to be employed. Mavambu and his 
 clan had numbers and brute strength enough to go 
 over to the Vula, overpower the residents, and 
 carry off the women in question, and whatever else 
 besides that took their fancy. But they were be- 
 ginning to realize that brute strength stood no show 
 with moral force and the power of the civilized 
 and spiritual world as represented by the Govern- 
 
Courting a Mayombe Girl 157 
 
 ment and the missionaries. After all, it would be 
 safer to take the palaver to Boma. True, it was 
 far away, and there was a hard road journey and 
 the discomforts of a stay at Boma, but that was 
 no doubt the only way to get justice. So Mavambu 
 decided to go again to the Vula and announce his 
 decision. 
 
 He met Lelo face to face coming from morning 
 prayers at the grass-roofed chapel. He tried to 
 give his greeting ingratiatingly, 
 
 "Mavimpi/* 
 
 "Eh! Mbote kwandi" she shrugged out in the 
 usual way of returning such a salutation, and en- 
 deavored to pass on. 
 
 "I came over to see the Mundele" Mavambu 
 added. 
 
 "Mr. Missionary has gone on a preaching tour, 
 and will be away for days." 
 
 "Well, since I cannot see him, I may tell you 
 what I have decided to do about your case." 
 
 Lelo bruskly informed him, "I am not interested, 
 that is diambu diaku" (literally meaning business 
 thine). 
 
 "We are going to lay the case before my White 
 Man, the Zuzi," said Mavambu, regardless of her 
 interruption. "My" was emphasized to increase 
 her awe of a man of prestige who owned a Mundele 
 more powerful than a missionary. 
 
 No comment being forthcoming, he went on to 
 say: 
 
158 A Congo Chattel 
 
 "My White Man is a man of sense to decide, 
 as well as power to carry out his orders. What he 
 tells us to do, that I will abide by." 
 
 A dogged silence ensued. Again Mavambu 
 broke it with : 
 
 "If my Mundele says you can stay here, I will 
 drop the matter, but until the case has been legally 
 settled by him I will contend for my rights and my 
 claims on you and my children." 
 
 The conversation had then dropped into a mono- 
 logue, but Mavambu was unabashed by her taci- 
 turnity. So he went on to explain to her, 
 
 "It will be necessary for us to go to Boma and 
 appear before the Zuzi together with our witnesses 
 at the same time. What do you say?" 
 
 "All right, I am willing to have the Judge finish 
 the palaver." 
 
 "Well, we will start from my village on the first 
 day of next week, I will inform my friends and 
 prepare food for the journey. You can travel in 
 my caravan," Mavambu thoughtfully offered. 
 
 Lelo made no answer^ and maintained a dis- 
 creet silence as to what company she would travel 
 with to Boma. Mavambu walked away congratu- 
 lating himself upon a happy outcome of what might 
 have been another quarrel. 
 
 Over a cheery, tiny blaze in the middle of the 
 floor of their little hut that same night Lelo and 
 Vangu again took up the subject. They shrank 
 from the thought of Lelo putting herself in Ma- 
 
Courting a Mayombe Girl 159 
 
 vambu's power by journeying with his caravan, 
 but they could think of no plan by which the diffi- 
 culty might be obviated if she was to go to Boma 
 at all. 
 
 The children were asleep on the short, narrow, 
 mat-covered frame bed which was raised about six 
 inches from the floor on two billets of firewood, 
 while Lelo was seated on the edge. Vangu 
 sprawled upon a coarse papyrus mat drawn close 
 up to the fire. She poked the burning ends of the 
 sticks together, and after the first heavy smoke had 
 rolled up into the roof, seeking crevices through 
 which it might escape into the open, she stared 
 gloomily at the upspringing tongues of light that 
 furnished the only grateful luxury to be found in 
 the mean interior of their humble quarters. 
 
 "Yes," said she, in answer to a question that 
 had arisen in her own mind, "I too will go with 
 you." 
 
 Lelo, knowing the girl's horror of Mavambu, 
 asked in amazement, 
 
 "You! Why?" 
 
 "I want to accompany you, and when your pa- 
 laver is finished, then I will ask Zuzi to free me 
 from Mavambu's claim." 
 
 "Me, I don't like to think of that hard journey 
 to such a place as Boma myself, but for you how 
 much worse it would be," observed Lelo. 
 
 "Maybe we would never be permitted to reach 
 Boma, or perhaps he would ill-treat us when he 
 
i6o A Congo Chattel 
 
 got us away from the Vula/' timidly suggested 
 Vangu. 
 
 "I don't suppose he would dare injure us now, 
 but he is a bad man and I fear to put myself in 
 his power. However, we shall talk it over to- 
 morrow with Mrs. Missionary, and see what she 
 says." 
 
 They fastened the door with a long palm cane 
 by thrusting it through two loops made of thongs 
 of skin which served as a bolt. The hide was fast- 
 ened to the door and to the door frame, one loop 
 on each side. Banking the fire by, drawing up the 
 scattered ashes and putting in the ends of a couple 
 of hardwood sticks they retired to rest. Rest was 
 welcome, not only to their bodies, but to their minds. 
 They forgot in sleep the man who filled so un- 
 pleasantly much of their waking thoughts. 
 
 Lelo and Vangu were called up to the Banga 
 (mansion) next day before Mr. Missionary had 
 time to rid himself of the marks of travel. Ma- 
 vambu's plan, of which they had heard, did not 
 appeal to Lelo's friends. They hastened to inform 
 Mr. Missionary of Mavambu's new move as soon 
 as he arrived from his journey. Mr. Missionary 
 planned to have the girls see the Zusi first and 
 to present their side of the case before his eyes 
 were blinded by the glare of Mavambu's medal 
 or his mind filled with irrelevant matters by the 
 enemy. 
 
 "You need not go with Mavambu's crowd at 2^11 ; 
 
RAILWAY STATION AND RESIDENCES OF STATE OF- 
 FICIALS, FROM C. AND M. A. MISSION HILL 
 
 
 
 b ' -4im 
 
 f^^ 
 
 'r m 
 
 *'■ ^s^^,,|g^^|^^^Mi ^' 
 
 ON ITINERATING TOUR 
 
Courting a Mayombe Girl i6i 
 
 you can run away now ahead of their caravan, and 
 get to Boma before them," proposed Mr. Mis- 
 sionary. 
 
 "But, Mfumu, how can we, since we know not 
 the road there, nor the way to the Zuzi's palace at 
 Boma." 
 
 "I will attend to that. I will arrange with Tubi 
 and another man to show you the way, and pro- 
 tect you on the road." 
 
 Their arrangements were made so quietly that 
 no word of the proposed flight got beyond the 
 station. A great burden was lifted from Lelo's 
 heart, and Vangu rejoiced in the solution to their 
 perplexity mostly because she need not be near 
 Mavambu until she got to Boma. 
 
 Mavambu did not propose to leave anything to 
 evil chance, or the doubtful temper of Zuzi, but 
 set about his propitiation at once. He knew by sad 
 experience how unreliable white men were in that 
 bilious, fever-stricken place, and how the mindele 
 often did the most unexpected things in the cranki- 
 est kind of way. He planned to make such a good 
 impression that the verdict would fall his way as 
 a matter of course. He had not been an official 
 for so long a time without discovering the im- 
 mense value and assistance that were to be de- 
 rived for any cause by seeing the interpreter first 
 and giving a timely word of explanation. 
 
 The night before they were to leave his village 
 on the eventful journey, Mavambu ordered a boy 
 
1 62 A Congo Chattel 
 
 to make a palm-branch crate in which to carry 
 several scrawny, underfed fowls, as a present for 
 the Congo man who would put their evidence into 
 pidgin-French. He had a sudden and lively recol- 
 lection of past favors from the same quarter and 
 intended to take the Dingizi something to put into 
 the family pot. 
 
 Mavambu at the head of his caravan of friends 
 and male servants bearing bundles of food on their 
 heads came to the Vula in good season to pick up 
 the rest of the party. 
 
 They had lingered in their village for some final 
 preparations for the trip, but it was not late in 
 the morning when they reached the front door of 
 the Banga. Astonished and indignant at such 
 "treachery," Mavambu received the startling news 
 that Lelo and Vangu had concluded to go ahead 
 and would meet him upon his arrival at Boma. 
 
 Injured Mavambu wasted neither words nor fur- 
 ther time. As soon as the story had been veri- 
 fied by several witnesses who declared that the 
 women had started off on the preceding day he 
 marched away at once, followed by his disgusted 
 caravan. 
 
 By that time the fleeing flock, headed by Tubi, 
 all traveling light, were fully forty miles away on 
 the road to the famous town of Boma, and still 
 moving fast toward their desired haven — the Boma 
 Mission Station. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 Judgment and Justice. 
 
 CHE sun was blazing high in the equatorial 
 heavens, having burned away all early 
 morning mists and cloud barriers that ob- 
 structed its rays. Its intense heat was baking the 
 stony path under the blistered feet of the com- 
 rades in affliction when they halted with their 
 faithful escort Tubi upon a high ridge of the hills 
 overlooking Boma. They had slept but one night 
 on the road, and behind them was nearly the whole 
 of the distance of fifty miles which lay between the 
 city of their dreams in the valley below them and 
 their Yenge home. 
 
 In all their days they had never beheld such a 
 wonderful scene. It was reviving to their fagged 
 bodies and tired spirits. In the inspiring features 
 of the view before them they lost sight of the 
 hardships of the jungle path over which they had 
 trudged. It was not that they were so much 
 amazed at the sight of the wide reach of swift- 
 flowing river, dammed in by the long, low, rocky 
 barriers far across on the other shore. It was of 
 course hard for them to comprehend such an im- 
 mensity of water gathered in any one place on 
 
164 A Congo Chattel 
 
 earth, for they were more moved when contem- 
 plating the works of man. 
 
 What relieved them of their weariness, as 
 if a heavy garment had been cast aside, and 
 straightened their drooping backs, and kindled 
 their dull eyes, and brought forth wondering ex- 
 clamations of delight, was the sight of so many 
 great hangas all built in one place. Such high 
 houses they were too, higher even than a tall palm 
 tree. With their dazzling, lime-washed felt roofs, or 
 glaring coverings of corrugated iron sheets throw- 
 ing off the hot rays of the sun, they made a shin- 
 ing and attractive picture. 
 
 The tales the boasting caravans of blase traders, 
 surfeited with metropolitan sights and sounds, had 
 carried back to the women in the bush, of things 
 hitherto deemed incredible, were now proved to 
 be true. Anything could easily be true of such 
 a city as the one that now filled their admiring 
 vision. There must have been at least a hundred 
 hangas of the mindele, and twice that number of 
 native huts ! Indeed with hardly an effort they 
 could now believe all they had ever heard con- 
 cerning the strange interiors of those great houses, 
 and of the customs of those who inhabited them, 
 satiated as they were with luxurious living. 
 
 The two women could offer no gesture of doubt, 
 nor venture any expression of contradiction to all 
 the marvelous statements that their willing guide 
 poured into their bewildered ears. Tubi pointed 
 
Judgment and Justice 165 
 
 out from the wealth of his traveled culture a 
 very curious and huge affair out in the water that 
 was neither a fabulous animal, nor any growth of 
 nature. He informed them that it was one of the 
 floating houses that brought within their capacious 
 depths bales of cloth, demijohns of rum, barrels of 
 powder, innumerable guns; and upon its broad 
 decks, the White Men from the foreign land. 
 
 They stared at the tall posts — masts — which 
 were like trees for height, and at the black smoke 
 arising from a tall chimney, which testified to in- 
 ternal fires. Pressed to be exact Tubi could not 
 say how deep the thing was, as he confessed that 
 he had never set foot upon one, but he had heard 
 from more fortunate mortals that they were very 
 deep indeed; and were filled with chambers of 
 various sizes, and compartments for merchandise, 
 and bulky machinery. 
 
 At first they could find no words to give vent 
 to what they felt, and could only murmur in ex- 
 pressing their emotions, 
 
 "Truly, truly, truly!" 
 
 They were too confused to grasp the magnitude 
 of what they beheld, but they feasted their eyes 
 upon it all. 
 
 "You cannot see from here," informed Tubi, 
 "but just over beyond that hillock is a great ship 
 sunk in the river." 
 
 "A 'dead' ship; what 'killed' it?" inquired Lelo. 
 
 "Eh, who knows more than it was blown up 
 
i66 A Congo Chattel 
 
 by the explosion of a cargo of gunpowder inside." 
 
 "Were all the people killed?" 
 
 "No, not all of them. There were two mis- 
 sionaries killed, and their bodies are still inside 
 their 'little house* under the water." The women 
 thought of the strange crocodiles of which they 
 had heard such evil reports, and shuddered. 
 
 Tubi, the traveled one, liked his new role of 
 instructor, and went on to give more gruesome 
 history. 
 
 "There are some rotting posts on the river bank, 
 just this side of where the ship is half buried, where 
 a trader killed a number of his slaves by throwing 
 them bound into the river. The workmen at the 
 'factories' (trading houses) tell about it to this 
 day." 
 
 "Oh! but what did Bula Matadi (meaning lit- 
 erally Bula, to break; Matadi, rocks — name given 
 H. M. Stanley and succeeding government) do 
 about it?" 
 
 "That was before they came, when the slave 
 traders held Boma. You know Boma means slave- 
 pen down here." 
 
 Tubi told them of the tales handed down by 
 the Fathers. The women looked out over the river 
 and thought of the time when its banks were 
 covered with grass huts and the slave-pens of the 
 bold foreign adventurers. 
 
 They thought of the many woman with blistered, 
 calloused feet that had with aching hearts paused 
 
Judgment and Justice 167 
 
 for an instant upon that spot to take their first 
 look at that fearful, mighty flood that was to bear 
 them away into unending, bitter bondage. As they 
 made the contrast they felt their own lot in life 
 to be better and the coming of the overruling 
 white invader not an unmixed evil. 
 
 "In those days," said Tubi, "we could not have 
 come alone so far. We ourselves would have 
 been seized and sold off into bondage ku ntputu. 
 Bula Matadi has stopped slavery along this road." 
 
 Lelo thought of the little ones at Yenge Station 
 that she hoped soon to see again and silently agreed 
 to the statement. 
 
 They listened for a while longer with great in- 
 terest to the erudite answers of their guide to the 
 simple and wondering questions which they pro- 
 pounded, and then resumed their march down to 
 the Vula. 
 
 They were warmly welcomed at the Mission, 
 and Mr. Missionary asked why they had come. 
 Tubi, the spokesman, answered, 
 
 "It is a palaver these women have with Ma- 
 vambu, the Medal Chief, at Yenge. They are go- 
 ing to the Judge tomorrow before Mavambu can 
 tell his 'story of lies.' " 
 
 "Where is Mavambu?" 
 
 "We don't know. We ran off before him." 
 
 "Well, eat and take your rest. In the morning 
 I will send a boy to guide you to the mansion of 
 Zuzi Palaver." 
 
i68 A Congo Chattel 
 
 That night they rested their weary bones, and 
 safe among friends slept the deep sleep that comes 
 of physical exhaustion. Tubi had been almost for- 
 gotten amid the strange sights of the preceding 
 day, but the women remembered him very well 
 again in the chill, waking stiffness of the gray 
 morning on which they were to visit the hanga 
 of the great white lord. 
 
 They were still footsore from their forced 
 march when they presented themselves before the 
 house of the Judge, but the marks of travel had 
 been removed, and the women were both draped 
 in clean calico cloths fastened under their arm- 
 pits above their breasts and falling in folds to their 
 ankles. 
 
 Before they could reach the ear of the Zuzi, 
 they were obliged to outline their troubles to the 
 policeman who guarded the outer entrance. That 
 haughty functionary was the picture of ebony ar- 
 rogance and stood there in all the dignity of braided 
 blue blouse, red fez cap, and the pride that goes 
 with a fine uniform and exalted position. After 
 cross-questioning the timid applicants, he passed 
 them along in turn to be interrogated by the 
 Dingizi. The interpreter, in due season, ordered 
 them into the august presence of the arbiter of 
 their destinies. 
 
 Zuzi Palaver is the one above all other white 
 officials who has the seamy side of native char- 
 acter brought to his attention. He saw almost 
 
Judgment and Justice 169 
 
 nothing of the better qualities of the people, which 
 indeed were only intimately revealed to their 
 spiritual teachers. What diverse and strange tales 
 were sometimes poured into his Honoris ears in 
 a single day! Some complaints were too trivial 
 for a lengthy hearing, and others too ancient to 
 travel farther than his office. Some of the appli- 
 cants bringing serious matters were passed on to 
 other Judges for any additional steps that might 
 be required in their cases. 
 
 Zuzi often dismissed a complaint that was really 
 funny, and that taxed his outward dignity to the 
 breaking point. Then he might be called upon 
 to listen to a tale of woe calculated to arouse every 
 righteous fiber in indignant protest against such 
 cruelty and injustice. From laughter to tears was 
 often but a short step in that office, but generally 
 the stories that reached him were saturated with 
 gloom. More tales came to Zuzi's ears that re- 
 vealed rank imposition, abuse of authority, intense 
 cruelty, and dastardly crime, than matters of 
 lighter vein. 
 
 Zuzi absolutely required a keen sense of humor 
 for his own benefit, but only the wisdom of Solo- 
 mon would have served to untangle some of the 
 knotty problems he had to deal with. That pa- 
 lavers sometimes left his bureau more tangled than 
 when they arrived, was not his fault, but simply 
 because he could do no better with them. The 
 Mayombe man is almost as keen a lawyer as 
 
170 A Congo Chattel 
 
 he is a shrewd trader, and his own cause is always 
 just to him. It is to him simply unthinkable that 
 his adversary has anything to say that has in it 
 a vestige of right. 
 
 Mr. Missionary himself sometimes had queer 
 matters brought to him ; all of the strange cases did 
 not get into the Zuzi's office. One day a man who 
 had been working at the Vula, and who was duly 
 impressed with the sympathy that Mr. Missionary 
 showed toward the oppressed, presented himself 
 and demanded vengeance on his enemies. His 
 principal complaint was that the body of his 
 mother had been cremated instead of being given 
 the burial in earth to which it was lawfully en- 
 titled. He told Mr. Missionary that she had been 
 denounced by some evilly disposed person as a 
 witch, and that the customary dose of poison had 
 been administered to her. She had neither vomited 
 the nkasa mess, nor had she died the same day, 
 proving unquestionably to all reasonable beings 
 that she was innocent of the charge against her. 
 It was not until the next day that she had died, 
 and clearly her death then must have been the 
 result of some other cause than the trial cup. Not- 
 withstanding this indisputable fact some of the vil- 
 lagers had unreasonably dragged away and burned 
 her body instead of allowing it lawful and decent 
 interment. 
 
 The injured one demanded, in tones vibrant with 
 deep feeling and with eyes flashing wrath, that 
 
Judgment and Justice 171 
 
 the people of that wretched village be compelled 
 to pay him a rich indemnity for his sufferings, and 
 as a punishment for their crime. Apparently he 
 could still observe the cruel outrage being perpe- 
 trated upon his mother's dead and innocent body 
 and it seemingly filled his vision to the exclusion of 
 every other object. 
 
 Stirred to indignation against the offenders, and 
 moved with pity toward the young man, Mr. Mis- 
 sionary questioned him to secure further particu- 
 lars. After he had learned the name of the vil- 
 lage, its location, et cetera, he happened to ask, 
 "When did this affair occur?" 
 
 The unabashed plaintiff, , hopeful of getting re- 
 dress, stretched forth one arm, and with his fin- 
 gers stiffened uprightly, gradually lowered his 
 hand until the finger tips were stationary, about 
 three feet above the ground, and said, 
 
 "When I was that height." 
 
 A swift mental calculation on the part of Mr. 
 Missionary, who generally did his reckoning by 
 years instead of by "so high," revealed that the 
 affair must have happened considerably more than 
 twenty years before, when the aggrieved rhan was 
 probably about five years old. 
 
 It was difficult for the injured one to understand 
 why his hitherto sympathetic hearer immediately 
 lost all apparent interest in his case, and refused 
 to summon any of the guilty villagers who re- 
 mained above ground to talk about the matter. 
 
r72 A Congo Chattel 
 
 Just before Lelo and Vangu were ushered into 
 the room where the white-clothed, white- faced 
 Judge held court, a strange tale had been brought 
 to his ears. In the entry stood a small group 
 that had emerged from his chamber just as Lelo 
 entered. The party was composed of a man, four 
 women, and a little girl. The solitary male spokes- 
 man related how waves of sickness, for which they 
 had been unable to account, had swept over their 
 village, carrying away most of the inhabitants, un- 
 til now they were the small remnant left of all who 
 formerly occupied the stricken and devastated 
 neighborhood. 
 
 Something must be done, but it was hard for 
 anyone of the remaining number to do the very 
 obvious thing — accuse another of their number of 
 maliciously causing the calamity. They knew of 
 course that it was witchcraft; what else could 
 account for such a visitation? They knew that 
 there must be illegal complicity between one of 
 their number and the vengeful spirits, but it was 
 hard for anyone to take the initiative and charge 
 another even though it was the only way to save 
 the few remaining lives in the village. Several 
 lives had already fallen before the poison cup, and 
 they were loth to continue that plan any longer. 
 
 At last it was suggested, but with whom the 
 hint originated was not made clear, that they mix 
 a large cup of nkasa, and that all of the five adults 
 partake of it. It was needless to include the tiny 
 
Judgment and Justice 173 
 
 girl in the test, as she was altogether too young to 
 be mixed up in witchcraft. They prepared the 
 poison and apparently all of the company drank 
 deeply of the mixture, but the w^a^a revealed that 
 none of them were guilty as no evil effects were 
 perceptible upon anyone. 
 
 What next step they would have devised and put 
 in operation in order to remove the affliction rest- 
 ing upon their hamlet will never be known because 
 of the interference of a rank outsider who came 
 along and learned of the circumstances. He, 
 seeking to curry favor, took his information to 
 the nearest Medal Chief who happened to be 
 Mavambu. Mavambu, pursuing his plain duty, 
 sent them alone to the Judge, as there was 
 not enough in it to make it profitable for him to 
 keep the matter quiet. 
 
 The little party of accused persons did not go 
 to Boma under arrest, but being willing and anx- 
 ious for any solution for their troubles, they, strange 
 to say, went without escort. Zuzi Palaver after 
 hearing their tale passed up the puzzling case to a 
 colleague for further action, and sent the people 
 back home to await his decision. 
 
 When permission was granted, Lelo began to 
 speak and to recount the years of her affliction and 
 bondage. She started at the beginning of her 
 troubles even though it was pretty far back from 
 Mavambu. Where else could a Mayombe woman 
 begin her story? And if the Judge must know all 
 
174 A Congo Chattel 
 
 there was no other place from which to start. 
 Urged frequently to brevity in sharp tones by the 
 exasperated Din^zi, she reached the place in her 
 tale where sooner than she expected she fell into 
 Mavambu's clutches. 
 
 With forceful gestures, and even dramatically 
 eloquent at times, she disclosed her wretched lot. 
 She told of her antipathy to Mavambu, brought on 
 by his bad treatment and lack of proper support 
 for herself and the children. 
 
 With tears flooding her eyes, she related the story 
 of her precious little boy who about two years 
 before had been killed through the treatment of 
 an ignorant fetich priest. Notwithstanding her 
 protests Mavambu had snatched the sick child 
 from her breast and handed him to the witch- 
 doctor. Mavambu alone was to blame for the 
 sufferings and death of the boy. Her children had 
 turned against him, and his own little girl could 
 not bear to look upon him, but fled at his approach 
 as if he were the incarnation of evil. 
 
 She described the scene in her field, and how he 
 himself had driven her away with violent threats 
 of bodily harm when he waved his cruel matchete 
 before her face. She begged the Zuzi to deliver 
 her, even though Mavambu had apparently re- 
 pented and wanted her to return to his compound. 
 She prayed that Zuzi would permit her to live her 
 own life free from the ownership of Mavambu or 
 any other person. 
 
Judgment and Justice 175 
 
 Zuzi Palaver was so accustomed to hearing glib 
 lies that he was quick to turn from them in dis- 
 gust. Even though they appeared in the guise of the 
 utmost frankness and bore every outer mark of 
 honesty he readily detected and rejected them with- 
 out ceremony. But he knew that Lelo was sin- 
 cere, and could not but be impressed with her 
 truthfulness. The simple recital of a few of her 
 varied experiences revealed her indeed as a much- 
 wronged woman. 
 
 As a "plural wife" she was free, but was not 
 aware of it. He would enlighten her, and that was 
 all that was required. He said that if her tale 
 was true nobody had any legal claim upon her; 
 she was of age, and under obligation to no one. 
 There was no need to spend more time over the 
 matter; the case was practically settled. He said 
 that according to the laws of the present "lords of 
 the land," which were printed in books and brought 
 into the country by Bula Matadi, her body was 
 allowed to be her very own. He stated that no 
 Congo man could take possession of her against her 
 will; she could go to the one that she wanted, or 
 to no one at all, if that pleased her best. 
 
 Zuzi gave her permission to return to her own 
 village to live, or to go back to the Vula. Her 
 choice would be nobody's business, said he, but 
 her own. She could go where she liked and stay 
 as long as she pleased. She was immediately to 
 inform everybody concerned that she was free, and 
 
176 A Congo Chattel 
 
 that she was to say that he had told her to tell 
 them so. 
 
 "Wherever you decide to go, you go there a free 
 woman." 
 
 They were simple words and only a plain state- 
 ment of the law. That the law was practically 
 a dead letter and not recognized in real life, was 
 not the fault of the law, but of its interpreters. 
 To Lelo the decision and instructions of Zusi were 
 the very irrevocable words of life. 
 
 "I thank you, Mfumu, I thank you," she mur- 
 mured brokenly. 
 
 There were tears in her tones; her throat and 
 tongue were clogged, she could hardly speak. She 
 stood with bowed head, twisting her hands in ah 
 embarrassment of unutterable gratitude. It was 
 really too good to be true, but it was true, how- 
 ever unbelievable it seemed. 
 
 It must be true because it was written in the 
 book, and the White Man had said that it was so. 
 With her own ears she had heard the strange 
 sounds that the Mundele had uttered; which be- 
 ing skilfully explained by the Dingizi in her. own 
 familiar tongue made the matter quite plain. It 
 was true, she was free and happy! 
 
 The dingy room, with its few dusty, shabby 
 pieces of worn furniture, became a veritable 
 earthly palace. This speedy transformation was 
 not in fact but in the mental attitude of Lelo. 
 She had gone into the presence of the Judge in 
 
GROUP OF ZINKIMBA A SECRET SOCIETY FOR 
 
 BOYS 
 
 GROUP OF EVANGELISTS 
 
Judgment and Justice 177 
 
 fear and trembling, and with many misgivings she 
 had made known her sad story. The reply of the 
 Zuzi to her plea had effected the change. What a 
 delightful place the room then became to her. 
 
 She had been standing during the whole time 
 before a long table covered with black oilcloth and 
 strewn with writing materials. Plainly bound 
 books were arranged upon unpainted deal shelves 
 behind the only chair the room afforded and in 
 which the Judge was seated. The room and con- 
 tents were all severely simple and intended for 
 practical use, but to Lelo it was as the antechamber 
 of a palace of beauty and delight. 
 
 At one end of the long table, standing so as 
 to look from the face of the Zuzi to that of the 
 plaintiff without the necessity of turning, was the 
 interpreter. Blocking the doorway, standing at 
 attention, was an armed soldier, dressed in blue 
 blouse with red facings, and the usual fez cap. 
 Through the western window the sun's blazing rays 
 now entered, robbed of much of their force in 
 filtering through a mass of green leaves belong- 
 ing to the tree shading the veranda. In the 
 room, dancing gaily along in the sun-lighted path, 
 were countless happy, whirling motes. Zuzi's 
 gray- faced pet monkey jumped up on the sill and 
 chattered to its master to the squawking accom- 
 paniment of a frightened gray parrot perched be- 
 hind his chair. 
 
 It all looked so good to Lelo — such is the power 
 
17B A Congo Chattel 
 
 of a man's word — that she could have danced along 
 with the swift-moving motes, and chattered too 
 with the funny and friendly little monkey. She 
 was joyful because she was free, and wanted to join 
 with all the world in a chorus of praise. She could 
 never forget that room; it was photographed on 
 her mind, and the bright, happy picture would never 
 fade from her vision. 
 
 The Zuzi, in his white starched linen, seated 
 smilingly at ease upon his leather-covered throne, 
 and who had with such calmness pronounced the 
 momentous, bond-breaking words, was to her the 
 incarnation of justice. Never could she forget, 
 or fail to be thankful for, the few precious mo- 
 ments spent in that place — the spot where her 
 fondest dreams had now been made real. Praise 
 welled from her happy heart to her Master on high, 
 to Him Who had not only freed her soul but had 
 now delivered her body from the degrading 
 shackles of physical slavery to Mavambu. How 
 good it would be to get out into the open and to 
 run and jump and clap hands with Vangu, rejoic- 
 ing together in victory. On such a day it was 
 good to be alive — and free! 
 
 She was recalled rapidly to earth, and the pro- 
 saic affairs of an everyday world, by the voice of 
 the interpreter asking her about Vangu. It then 
 suddenly occurred to her that she had nothing to 
 show to substantiate her claim to liberty. She 
 asked humbly of the Judge, 
 
Judgment and Justice 179 
 
 "Sir, write your good words in a book. Give me 
 nkanda to show to skeptics who may deny that 
 I am free." 
 
 "Your name is now written in my book," he as- 
 sured her, pointing to his notes ; "nobody will ven- 
 ture to molest you." 
 
 But Lelo was impressed with the necessity of 
 getting some tangible scrap of evidence. Like all 
 her kind, she attached value out of all proportion 
 to any written document. She made bold to insist, 
 
 "Mfumu, Mavambu will not believe my word. 
 Please give me a 'book' for my own." 
 
 Without further objection his Honor, willing to 
 put her at ease, hastily scribbled a few words in 
 French on a scrap of paper, and handed it to her. 
 It was a very brief note saying that Lelo was no 
 longer a "chattel" to be handed about or disposed 
 of at the will of another, but was a free person. 
 
 Her sinking joy revived; she could have cried 
 while she laughed. For twenty years she had 
 moved at the beck and call and trembled at the 
 nod of exacting masters. Now she was her own 
 master by virtue of that precious slip. She seized 
 the paper, and tried to see the writing before the 
 ink was dry, but all that she could make out was 
 a confused blur. Her wet eyes were at fault; 
 the writing was plain enough. 
 
 The interpreter asked again about Vangu, 
 sharply this time, not relishing interruptions at such 
 an hour. Time was pressing, the office hours for the 
 
i8o A Congo Chattel 
 
 day were about ended, and they had waited nearly 
 the whole day to get a hearing. Vangu told the gist 
 of her tale in a few, broken, low sentences. She 
 bashfully admitted that one of her reasons for flee- 
 ing from Mavambu was because she was in love 
 with another. There had been nothing said about 
 marriage; it was early yet, and the matter had not 
 reached that length. There was no doubt about 
 her dread of the ancient suitor who had paid down 
 some cloth for a claim on her body. It would have 
 been cruel to turn her over to the tender mercies 
 of Mavambu. 
 
 Zuzi took one of the few remaining moments to 
 suggest quizzically, 
 
 "Maybe Mavambu would make you a good 
 husband ?" 
 
 "No, Mfumu, no," she hastily interjected, "not 
 Mavambu !" 
 
 Observing her unfeigned alarm, he kindly told 
 her: 
 
 "No man can force you to marry him, especially 
 one who has another wife." 
 
 His refreshing words were as heavy dews upon 
 hard, dry-season soil; she too turned away with 
 lightened heart, grateful to the kind white lord. 
 Together they went from the office back to the 
 Vula, where they were to pass the night. 
 
 Alas, poor Lelo and Vangu, they were soon to 
 have another lesson. They were to be impressed 
 more deeply than ever with the truth that earthly 
 
Judgment and Justice i8i 
 
 joys are fleeting and that the word of man is but a 
 frail staff of comfort. They would have suffered 
 from disturbing dreams that night, had they known 
 of the storm clouds gathering about their heads, 
 and that were to break on the morrow with the 
 arrival of Mavambu. 
 
© 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Zuzi Temporizes. 
 
 OILING inwardly with wrath, and sweat- 
 ing under the burden of his official coat, 
 Mavambu, at the head of his indig- 
 nant followers, marched into Boma early on the 
 following morning. Bedraggled and grimy from 
 the dew-laden grass and the ashes of their camp- 
 fire they made their way to the hut of a friend to 
 rest and change before going up to the Judge. To 
 their great indignation they learned from a rumor 
 current among some Vungu people who were work- 
 ing at Boma that the palaver which had brought 
 them there had been settled the day before. 
 
 The news caused Mavambu to hasten his move- 
 ments and before the office was open he was on 
 his way to the seat of justice. He did not approach 
 the house of the Zuzi at once but stopped to see 
 his friend the interpreter from whom he learned 
 full particulars of the case. Before presenting his 
 friend with the slight tokens of regard he had 
 brought from his village, he informed him that 
 the two women who had been so carelessly freed 
 yesterday were related to him; that one was part- 
 ly paid for, and that the other was wholly his own 
 property. 
 
Zuzi Temporizes 183 
 
 To say that the interpreter was chagrined would 
 be to put it mildly. His lack of interest in the case 
 of the preceding day quickly changed. After he 
 had penned the fowls in a place of safety, he 
 thought out a plan to retrieve the lost game. He 
 had cared but little one way or the other during 
 the hearing at Zusi's office, because, as far as he 
 knew, he was unacquainted with any of the people 
 who were mixed up in the affair. Mavambu is 
 such a common name that it is met with as fre- 
 quently as Makwala, or Mpeso, so he had not suf- 
 ficient reason to connect "Mavambu" with his gen- 
 erous old friend, the Medal Chief of Yenge. 
 
 A woman, and especially one who had brought 
 him no gift in her hand, could not possibly be 
 right in any case wherein open-handed Mavambu 
 was interested. He could only express his deep 
 regret for the miscarriage of justice that had oc- 
 curred because all the circumstances were not 
 known at the time, and promise that he would do 
 everything in his power now to rectify the error. 
 
 He left for his office to put Zuzi in touch with 
 the new developments, to tell him of the deceitful 
 women, who with "mouths full of lies" had taken 
 advantage of the kind heart of the good White 
 Man who of course was not expected to fathom 
 such depths of native hypocrisy. 
 
 Standing before the Zuzi, after being summoned 
 to his presence, Mavambu appeared to every eye a 
 badly used and long-suffering husband. The 
 
1 84 A Congo Chattel 
 
 white-clad gentleman seated behind the long table 
 could easily observe that he was greatly moved by 
 his wrongs. When permission was granted him to 
 speak, Mavambu so presented his side of the case 
 that the whole matter at once took on a very dif- 
 ferent aspect. In the first place Zuzi had been al- 
 together unaware of the fact that the outraged hus- 
 band was a Medal Chief, and that he was hastening 
 on his way to Boma to seek justice, even while 
 the woman was telling the Zuzi her story. 
 
 Lelo had refrained from presenting any irrele- 
 vant matters to his attention, particularly such as 
 might have helped the other side. As any other 
 Mayombe woman would have done, she had avoided 
 saying anything that would prejudice her own good 
 cause. 
 
 But now Mavambu was here to speak for him- 
 self, having no lack of good words to say in de- 
 fense of his own worthy suit. The medal lay 
 resplendent on the rusty bosom of his black frock 
 coat. The steel chain to which it was usually at- 
 tached was lacking, but in its place was a bit of 
 ribbon, and a safety pin with which to fasten it 
 in imitation of the way, as he had noted, high offi- 
 cials wore their decorations. The medal, although 
 of common material, threw much light on the case, 
 shining glaringly in protest against the shabby 
 treatment of a tricky woman, and made restless by 
 its owner's rapid breathing induced by his over- 
 wrought feelings. 
 
Zuzi Temporizes 185 
 
 Mavambu smothered his rage/ and with an at- 
 tempt at an ingratiating smile, said by way of 
 introduction, 
 
 "Mfumu, I am the Medal Chief of Yenge!" 
 
 Zud had already been informed of this fact, so 
 he contented himself with merely saying, 
 
 "Yes, well?" 
 
 "The woman to whom you gave yesterday 'the 
 book of liberty' is mine!" 
 
 Zu2i puffed meditatively at his cigarette, and 
 flicked the ashes through the open window with the 
 tip of a manicured nail before questioning slowly, 
 
 "So! How is that?" 
 
 "Her tale to you, Mfumu, was *lies and lies 
 only' !" 
 
 "You abused her, failed to provide for the little 
 ones, and at last drove her away in anger." 
 
 When this had been rendered into homely Ki- 
 kongo from imported French, Mavambu gasped 
 with astonishment. He turned his eyes in speech- 
 less denial from the interpreter toward the loyal 
 friends who had been permitted to enter the room 
 with him. His looks appealed to them eloquently 
 and demanded to know whether they in all their 
 lives had ever listened to such a monstrous charge, 
 and if they thought that female duplicity could go 
 any farther on the way to perfection of deceit. 
 
 As soon as he had recovered breath from the 
 shock, he hastened to say, 
 
 "Mfumu, she lied! Not only did I free her 
 
i86 A Congo Chattel 
 
 from bondage, but I have always 'carefully kept 
 her'; as these my witnesses will testify." 
 
 The said witnesses hurriedly endeavored to ex- 
 press themselves, manifesting great willingness to 
 impart any information in their possession. They 
 were silenced by the orderly interpreter and asked 
 to wait until the Judge called for their evidence. 
 
 Without waiting to listen to a laudation of Ma- 
 vambu, setting him forth as a paragon of husbands, 
 his Honor spoke. He averred that there were two 
 sides to every case, and as now the other side had 
 appeared unexpectedly, Lelo should be recalled, and 
 the affair reopened. He ordered that all the par- 
 ties concerned should meet at his office in the after- 
 noon of the same day. 
 
 Mavambu had scored a victory and he went off 
 elated, proudly boasting of it. For the ultimate 
 outcome he had no fears ; his friend the interpreter 
 understood the case so well that he was sure the 
 matter would be explained correctly to the Judge. 
 As none of the company knew any French they 
 would be able only by the final result to estimate 
 how much of the evidence had percolated to the 
 ears of the Judge during the proceedings. 
 
 Yenge was represented early in the afternoon 
 by a full force gathered outside Zuzi Palaver's 
 office. They waited quietly in the shade of a squat 
 drab soft baobab tree of colossal girth while Zuzi 
 enjoyed his after-lunch siesta, A score of people 
 
Zuzi Temporizes 187 
 
 found roomy benches on the huge, exposed roots, 
 projecting a foot or more out of the ground. 
 
 The shade came more from the enormous limbs 
 than from the few small leaves and great fruit 
 pods dangling from the tips of the branches. Mul- 
 titudes of people having business at court had 
 rested under the shelter of that tree during the 
 long delays that attended nearly every case. It 
 was the usual meeting place for those who had 
 fallen under the dread shadow of the law. 
 
 Although there were no indications of rain sev- 
 eral of the women proudly held black cotton um- 
 brellas. Few would have been so foolish and im- 
 provident as to use them in a storm; some would 
 rather have protected them beneath their clothing. 
 Umbrellas being a plain indication of affluence, and 
 of considerable value in themselves, were not, of 
 course, to be lightly exposed to tropical downpours. 
 
 Many of the "citified" men had canes, holding 
 them in the most approved style or twirling them 
 about as they had observed the foreign lords do. 
 The incongruity was not apparent to a washerman, 
 passing on his way to the river, bearing a wash table 
 on his head, with the week's wash fastened to the 
 top in a sheet, and the ivory handle of an ebony 
 cane striking his bare legs. He was simply a vo- 
 tary of fashion, and thus failed to observe the dis- 
 cordant element, so apparent to common people. 
 It was all harmonious to him, because the fashion- 
 able class carried canes. That they did not souse 
 
1 88 A Congo Chattel 
 
 dirty clothes in the river for a living was another 
 matter. 
 
 Only the principals were allowed to enter Zuzi's 
 room when the closing session of the case of Ma- 
 vambu versus Lelo was called. At the far end of 
 the table stood the two women and their faithful 
 guide, Tubi. Nearer to the interpreter was Ma- 
 vambu, who was supported by two staunch adher- 
 ents guaranteed to know anything about the affair 
 that inclined favorably toward their Chief. 
 
 Lelo was questioned in regard to her testimony 
 as it appeared on Zuzi's notes because every impor- 
 tant truth she had affirmed had been stoutly denied 
 by her master. She held strictly to her original 
 statements, and cross-examination failed to alter 
 any of the essential facts that had made her side 
 of the matter look so favorable on the preceding 
 day. The difficulty now, however, was not in the 
 facts of the case, but in the much more serious 
 matter of Mavambu's great dissatisfaction. 
 
 Zuzi was indeed in an awkward dilemma; a 
 faithful servant to the State like Mavambu was 
 entitled to some consideration. It would certainly 
 be unwise, to say the least, to send him away with 
 his wrongs rankling under the coat- front on which 
 hung his proud decoration. 
 
 Zuzi was not long in reaching that conclusion, 
 and yet there was the woman who no doubt was 
 in the right. Circumstances all pointed to a hard 
 time ahead for her if she fell again into the hands 
 
Zuzi Temporizes 189 
 
 of her lord. What should he do, what could he 
 do? He could not find it in his heart to consign 
 her unreservedly to Mavambu's tender mercies, and 
 he must not let her go altogether free. He would 
 help both parties a little if possible; but his vacil- 
 lation confused matters, and did no more than upset 
 both plaintiff and defendant. 
 
 Zuzi asked for the "book" which he had given 
 Lelo, but she pretended not to understand the in- 
 terpreter. She was reluctant to comprehend that 
 it was to be produced; she feared for its safety. 
 She was sharply commanded to give it up quickly. 
 With unwilling fingers she slowly picked at the 
 knotted end of her loin cloth, where the document 
 was enshrined. What joy she had experienced in 
 the possession of the precious scrap, and how often 
 since yesterday she had fingered it with keenest 
 satisfaction. 
 
 "Hand it over, it is not needed now. I will set- 
 tle the palaver in another way," observed Zuzi. 
 
 Taking it in his own clean hands, smeared and 
 dirty as it was, from the trembling fingers, he slow- 
 ly tore the scrap into tiny bits, dropping them one 
 by one into the basket by his chair. 
 
 Her eyes sadly followed the deliberate move- 
 ments of the same fingers that had previously so 
 skilfully penned her right to freedom, as they now 
 tore her hopes into shreds. In her disappointment 
 she became bitterly conscious of the folly of 
 trusting in an earthly prince, or of building high 
 
IQO A Congo Chattel 
 
 anticipations upon a flimsy piece of common writ- 
 ing paper. Her new-found white friend had failed 
 her, and the precious document was gone forever ! 
 
 "Drop the old palaver, and go back to your 
 Chief," he advised in a kindly way. 
 
 She was silent, her eyes fixed upon the dirt- 
 tracked board floor. The interpretation of the 
 Dingizi did not even cause her to look up for she 
 had lost all heart in the affair. 
 
 "Forget your troubles for your children's sake." 
 
 Lelo dumbly shook her head in rejection, and as 
 some reply seemed to be required said simply, 
 
 "Nana, Father, I cannot." 
 
 "I do not command you to go back to Mavambu, 
 but I see now that it is the best course for you." 
 
 She had so little interest, and so few words at 
 command, that she did not trouble to answer in 
 dissent with more than the speaking Mayombe 
 shrug of the shoulders. 
 
 With unintentional irony Zuzi ordered Mavambu 
 to take better care of his women and children. 
 "Better care" was comparative, intimating some 
 previous attention. It had been a good many years 
 since Lelo had known any care at all — not since 
 she had been dragged away from the only arms 
 that had toiled for her and carried her over the 
 rough places of early childhood. She had never 
 known any loving ministrations since that time 
 from her own kind, but she herself had done a lot 
 
Zuzi Temporizes 191 
 
 of looking after and providing for others. Zuzi 
 was quite unaware of his sarcasm. 
 
 "You must give her a new loin cloth occasion- 
 ally," said he. 
 
 The interpreter's loud command filtered through 
 Mavambu's straining ear. In Mavambu's counte- 
 nance, turned to the Zuzi, was observable his most 
 obedient, anxious-to-please expression. 
 
 "And buy some masambu (stock fish) for the 
 family pot; you must feed and dress them well, if 
 you want to live in peace," instructed Zuzi, 
 paternally. 
 
 "Yes, yes, Mfumu, T hear you indeed' " — which 
 delighted reply meant that Mavambu heard but to 
 obey. He not only agreed to every injunction, but 
 offered to do even more than was laid upon him. 
 
 Lelo, sullenly refusing to look his way, rejected 
 Mavambu's compromise, and uttered again her de- 
 spairing objection to the Zuzi, 
 
 "Nana, Tatar 
 
 She was abruptly silenced by the interpreter who 
 irritably remembered that this obstinate, cheap 
 woman who was making him so much extra work 
 had brought him nothing to refresh himself with 
 when his strenuous day's work was done. 
 
 Now if Mavambu had honestly intended to fulfil 
 his fluent promises, and if Lelo's being had con- 
 sisted of only stomach and back — the one to regale 
 with odorous stock fish, and the other to adorn with 
 gaudy calico — then the matter had been wisely de- 
 
192 A Congo Chattel 
 
 cided. As it was, one quite important item had 
 seemingly been overlooked by Zuzi in reckoning 
 her make-up — her heart. She really had one, and 
 it was still untouched and unyielding after all the 
 rich promises of plenty, so glibly presented by Ma- 
 Vambu to Zuzi Palaver. 
 
 Lelo turned sadly from the seat of justice and 
 went out and down the steps, followed by her young 
 friend. She protested in an agony of despair that 
 she would sooner die than return to the death-in- 
 life from which she had escaped. 
 
 Vangu had been broadly included in the new ver- 
 dict; Zuzi's advice was addressed to her as well as 
 to Lelo. She dogged Lelo's heels in silent and lov- 
 ing sympathy as they returned native- fashion in 
 single file, with leaden steps, to the shelter of the 
 Vula, 
 
 Mavambu followed hard after the women, and 
 soon presented himself at the Mission, demanding 
 that they pick up their traps, and accompany him 
 back to Yenge at once. He did not get a chance to 
 speak to either one of the women because they had 
 fled to the protection of the hanga (house) when 
 they saw him coming up the hill. Mrs. Missionary 
 took the women to her own room, while Mr. Mis- 
 sionary settled the palaver with Mavambu in a few 
 brief sentences. Said Mavambu, 
 
 "I have come for my women.*' 
 
 "Did the Judge say that you could have them?" 
 

 
 
 •■■4r-~_.' 
 
 
 
 
 «- J 
 
 
 -Bjtgsiiiffiiffi**'* , , 
 
 ^' 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 .: .-' • 
 
 - ■'■■• 
 
 Si. 
 
 
Zuzi Temporizes 193 
 
 pleasantly inquired Mr. Missionary, making no 
 move to comply with the demand. 
 
 "Yes, he decided the case in my favor. He said 
 they were to return home with me." 
 
 "Oh, then in that case I have been misinformed. 
 I was told that the matter was optional with them." 
 
 ''Mfumu, you were misinformed, maybe because 
 most bush people don't understand the dialect used 
 down here." 
 
 "The women don't want to go with you, so I will 
 not force them away." 
 
 "But, the Zu2i said that they must !" 
 
 "Then you had better get a 'book' from the Zuzi 
 to that effect, and in the meantime until I read the 
 decision in his own handwriting we shall keep them 
 safely here." 
 
 Mavambu blustered and wasted more time and 
 words, until Mr. Missionary finally told him to 
 go. He left the station growling out threats of 
 vengeance. 
 
 He hastened back to the Zuzi with a carefully 
 embellished story of Mr. Missionary's interference, 
 and suggested that a soldier be despatched to snatch 
 the women away from the meddlers, who were al- 
 ways interfering with Bula Matddi's business. 
 Zuzi temporized again by saying that the women 
 would no doubt return to his arms when they got 
 back up-country, and that he had better permit 
 them to go up alone without his kind escort. As 
 there was really no charge that could have been 
 
194 A Congo Chattel 
 
 rightly laid against either of the women the Zuzi 
 did not think it necessary to send a soldier to the 
 Vula after them. 
 
 The ultimate decision of the Court had left the 
 cases hanging fire, with both sides uncertain and 
 dissatisfied. When Lelo heard that Mavambu still 
 had a claim upon her, and when Mavambu saw that 
 she did not mean to return to his compound with- 
 out a struggle, then neither side was content. As 
 for Mavambu he could better afford to wait since 
 he had much of the law on his side, both local 
 and imported ; and no sane native would lightly dis- 
 regard his claims. Lelo was his woman, bound by 
 the law of custom; and as for Vangu, who would 
 venture to marry her? As long as his cloth re-- 
 posed in the strong box of her owners, his option 
 on her body could not be easily set aside. 
 
 Time was no more a consideration to Mavambu 
 than to any other Mayombe man, and then there 
 were always changes to be expected. Mr. Mission- 
 ary might die, or leave the country as others had 
 done before him, and then what could prevent Ma- 
 vambu from seizing his own and forcing them back 
 into bondage. 
 
 Damocles' sword hung swaying above the heads 
 of the two women, and they must henceforth live 
 in dread of the threatened disaster. It was too bad 
 that Zuzi Palaver had changed his mind. If he 
 had only permitted her to keep her "book," thought 
 Lelo, that would have obviated every perplexity 
 
Zuzi Temporizes 195 
 
 that now made the homeward journey so sombre. 
 
 There was nothing further to keep them at 
 Boma, so the women planned to leave secretly, and 
 get back as soon as possible to the safety of the 
 Vula at Yenge from which they had started so full 
 of hope a few days before. Fear of being over- 
 taken hastened their movements, else the journey 
 would have been made with lagging feet. The 
 little caravan halted for a few minutes on the hill- 
 side overlooking Boma. They paused to look out 
 across the swift brown torrent racing seaward, and 
 over the scattered houses which formed the won- 
 derful town of the white foreigners. 
 
 Lelo*s eyes lingered upon the white house of the 
 Zusi perched high on the hill. What rapturous 
 heights of hope she had mounted there ; and to what 
 depths of dull despair she had been cast under that 
 glaring roof. Her heart was now heavy as lead, 
 crushed by the realization of failure, and of the 
 dull truth that she was still only a chattel of 
 Mavambu's. 
 
 "God help me !" The words were faintly uttered 
 and her companions did not hear them — but He 
 heard, and answered. He always does. She saw then 
 beyond the Palace of Justice, with its sordid limi- 
 tations of human wisdom; beyond the squalid con- 
 fines of Mavambu's village; far into a future 
 brightened by the love of Christ that no earthl> 
 cloud could hide. She did not underrate what it 
 would mean to be once more in Mavambu's clutches. 
 
196 A Congo Chattel 
 
 but she understood more clearly that the body he 
 might be able to seize was only a decaying one; 
 that Christ held fast her undying soul. 
 
 There came to her the reassuring consciousness 
 of the grip of strong arms which were to hold her 
 firmly to the end, the end which was but a new be- 
 ginning. Arms that would support her — her un- 
 dying self — after the clay in which she lived was 
 broken and laid away. Nobody could ever seize 
 or barter away her soul ; she knew that it was now 
 His, and that He would guard it well. 
 
 Looking back she thought of the trying events of 
 the past days, and then ahead she saw Yenge in the 
 shadow of an unknown future. And last of all 
 she lifted her eyes hopefully to the clear sky behind 
 the fleecy, slow-moving clouds, where her future 
 peaceful habitation was assured forever. 
 
 Tears hid all other objects, but she could see 
 Him better through them, and her heart swelled 
 with the glad thought of spiritual freedom — away 
 from Boma, beyond Yenge, farther than the utter- 
 most earth; somewhere with Him which would be 
 heaven indeed. How He must have loved her, 
 poor black, ignorant Congo chattel that she was, 
 that He could lay down His own life for her ; and 
 how she thanked Him now! 
 
 Lelo came down to earth, and said to her young 
 friend : 
 
 "Come along, Vangu, let us hurry. It will be 
 
Zuzi Temporizes 197 
 
 good to see the babies and meet our friends again, 
 won't it?" 
 
 They turned their backs upon the river, and 
 dropped into single file on the narrow, stony trail 
 that led away across the grass-covered nsekes 
 (plains) toward the forest country of Yenge. 
 
 Mavambu was soon left far behind, dawdling in 
 the Boma shops in search of bargains in alleged 
 rum, adulterated gunpowder, and flimsy ginghams 
 with which he intended to load his caravan before 
 returning to the Mayombe. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Welcome Bonds. 
 
 M^^^HE homecoming was both sad and glad. If 
 M ^j perfect victory was not with them to re- 
 ^^^^ joice their hearts after their trying jour- 
 ney there were at any rate good friends to meet 
 them with a loving welcome. Lelo was better off 
 than Vangu, as she had her little ones to greet her. 
 
 Some days later the quiet atmosphere of the Fula 
 was disturbed by the booming of overloaded flint- 
 lock guns being discharged in Mavambu's village. 
 The guns were fastened firmly to forked sticks 
 driven into the ground, and a cord was attached to 
 the trigger. The process of reloading being com- 
 pleted, due notice was given to all concerned to get 
 out of the way. The crowd dispersed and put their 
 huts between themselves and the deadly weapons. 
 
 The improvised "cannon" were generally fired 
 successfully, but occasionally the gas-pipe barrels 
 burst and then the venturesome fellow who had 
 pulled the string was thankful that a corner of a 
 hut shielded him from the flying debris. 
 
 A crowd of people from the surrounding villages 
 and some boys from the Vula were drawn to Ma- 
 vambu's town. After being attracted by the noise 
 
Welcome Bonds 199 
 
 they were in due time entertained with an ora- 
 tion delivered by Mavambu. 
 
 Standing somewhat unsteadily in the midst of 
 his attentive auditors, Mavambu made his speech. 
 Those on the outskirts of the crowd had some diffi- 
 culty in making out what he said, as his throat was 
 considerably clogged by many liberal applications 
 of trade gin. It was a vile concoction he had 
 brought from Boma, the ingredients of which were 
 unknown to the laity. Its purpose seemed to be 
 to deprive users of sense, vigor, and life for the 
 doubtful benefit of trade and the temporary increase 
 of government revenue. Nominally it was cheap; 
 actually it was dear stuff to have in the country 
 at any price. 
 
 Mavambu reminded the assembly of the fact that 
 he had just returned from Boma, where he had 
 been to see about a palaver with two of his re- 
 fractory chattels. He informed them that he had 
 laid the matter before his friend, the Zuzi, who was 
 a wise and good man, consequently he had now the 
 pleasure of announcing to them that he had come 
 out of the skirmish with flying colors. The rebels, 
 said he, had been ignominiously defeated, and to 
 him, his friend the Zuzi had awarded the victory. 
 
 Upon reaching home, he told them, his first 
 thought had been to call his friends and good neigh- 
 bors, and impart to them the glad news, and it was 
 to celebrate this event that the guns were being fired. 
 His peroration, if not in a clear voice, was delivered 
 
200 A Congo Chattel 
 
 with a broad smile, probably induced by the same 
 concoction that made his legs unsteady. Said he, 
 
 "Lelo must come back to me, and this will serve 
 as a lesson to all other women having like rebel- 
 lious dispositions." 
 
 A few favored friends, after noisily congratulat- 
 ing Mavambu, remained to drink good success to 
 him in all outstanding palavers. From the bursts 
 of merriment and shouts of triumph heard that day 
 they were anticipating future favorable decisions. 
 
 Mavambu's victory, after all, was mostly in the 
 bottles brought from Boma; nothing much re- 
 mained of it but aches and bad stomachs next day. 
 It was without avail since all efforts to compel 
 Lelo to go back to him were fruitless. He sent a 
 messenger to the Vula, demanding that she comply 
 at once with the lawful decision of the Zujsi Pa- 
 laver that had been made in his favor. Lelo's reply 
 was that she was quite within the law at the Vula, 
 seeing that she had not been commanded to leave, 
 but simply advised to do so. She said that as the 
 advice did not strike her as good she would not 
 take it. 
 
 Mavambu fumed for a while, and made many 
 threats before settling down to await a more favor- 
 able season for plucking the fruit of his conquest. 
 Confiding his troubles to a sympathetic friend, he 
 one day remarked, 
 
 "Now I drop it, but when I get so angry that 
 the skin of my forehead puckers between my eyes, 
 
..:L...^yiflnik^ 
 
 
 K '^ '^^3Smi 
 
 OUTSTATION PUPILS 
 
 DAY SCHOOL AT VUNGU 
 
Welcome Bonds 201 
 
 then I will go again and reveal to Zuzi how his 
 words are set at nought by these native Christians 
 and interloping missionaries." 
 
 Mavambu did not relinquish his claim, but con- 
 ditions evidently remained unfavorable to the 
 puckering process, for it failed to take place. Ma- 
 vambu's countenance retained its normal appear- 
 ance, and Lelo was left unmolested with Vangu 
 at the Vula. 
 
 A full year passed before Lelo asked to be bap- 
 tized and taken into the church. She had been 
 faithful in her testimony and her life so she was 
 gladly received by her pastor. 
 
 There was one cloud in Lelo's sky on the day 
 she was baptized. Vangu was not permitted to go 
 down into the water with her. Vangu had asked to 
 be admitted to a place in the ranks of the little com- 
 pany of Christians at Yenge, but had been requested 
 to wait a little while longer, until she had learned 
 better the meaning of baptism and the require- 
 ments of the church. 
 
 On that same day, much to the joy of all, two 
 other girls were among the little company of ac- 
 cepted candidates. The missionaries understood 
 that the church could never be really strong until 
 there were more women in it, and so every female 
 recruit was doubly welcomed. The women had 
 held out long; they were far more obdurate than 
 the men to the plea of the gospel. In fact the 
 women had worked long and hard to keep the men 
 
202 A Congo Chattel 
 
 and boys from having anything to do with the 
 "mambu maNzamhi." Thus the changed attitude 
 of some toward the "words of God," so long de- 
 layed, was now gladly received. 
 
 Not long after Lelo had become a member of the 
 visible church another important event transpired 
 in her life. Lelo "fell in love." Mabiala was a 
 trustworthy Christian man who had worked long 
 and faithfully for Mr. Missionary. He was kind 
 and reliable and upon him devolved much of the 
 outside work on the station premises during the 
 time Mr. Missionary was away on his preaching 
 tours. 
 
 Apart from any consideration of sentiment, or 
 of the feelings of the principals, the marriage bond 
 seemed to be the only way of escape whereby Lelo 
 could ever actually be set free, and thereby evade 
 the ever- impending wrathful claims of Mavambu. 
 It is not to be supposed, though, that she considered 
 marriage with that end in view, for Lelo had really 
 fallen in love. 
 
 As a single woman Lelo had only one barrier be- 
 tween herself and Mavambu and the carrying out 
 of his desires of vengeance upon her. That ob- 
 stacle was a living missionary. A dead missionary 
 would have offered no hindrance, and a missionary 
 on furlough would have taken away the obstruction 
 from his path. Lelo's sole dependence under God, 
 and hope of safety from cruel servitude, was a live 
 missionary who was on the spot. 
 
Welcome Bonds 203 
 
 Not so far away there were places where there 
 were no Christians and no missionary, but life in 
 those parts did not have much to offer to the un- 
 fortunate women who existed there ; they were per- 
 ishing like overworked beasts of burden, having no 
 helping hand outstretched to them. So Lelo's 
 safety depended a great deal upon the bare fact 
 that at Yenge there was a missionary, unburied and 
 still on duty. 
 
 It would be an excellent change for Lelo to have 
 a real husband, one who could give her and the 
 children the loving protection they needed. The 
 only difficulty in carrying out their plans for the 
 union was Mavambu. He could still be seen, low- 
 ering like a wrathful cloud over the bright visions 
 of the future, and threatening to dispel them with a 
 storm. 
 
 Lelo found a way out, of course ; she would not 
 have been true to type if she had not, since she was 
 a woman and in love. She went to visit the sur- 
 viving head of her clan^ and laid before him a plan 
 for his benefit. In all the happenings of the past 
 years, as far as they had affected Lelo, he had 
 been a mildly interested observer ; now he was to 
 be actively enlisted in the cause of freedom. It 
 was naturally to be expected that any project for 
 his own material welfare would have his attentive 
 consideration, and Lelo's expectations were not dis- 
 appointed. 
 
 She sorrowed, she said, since it was settled that 
 
204 A Congo Chattel 
 
 she was to be united in matrimony to Mabiala, to 
 think of her fiance presenting a dowry for her to 
 anyone outside the family circle, as if it were the 
 price of a slave. She was a respectable woman, 
 said she, and one who fortunately still had a head to 
 her family; and as such her dowry should change 
 hands, and ought to be given, but it could only law- 
 fully go into the hands of the head of the clan. 
 Aside from the light way in which she had been 
 treated by the Ancients, in being given as a slave 
 to an Old Chief as the price of a borrowed jug, 
 strong blood ties held her, and she still clung to 
 her family at heart, and would be glad to thus pub- 
 licly re-enter its ranks. This she set forth in well- 
 chosen words calculated to hold the attention of the 
 head of the family. 
 
 Matundu, the head of her clan, was not averse 
 to the proposition to begin with, and the more he 
 thought upon the matter of retrieving for the 
 family an "ngudi" (a child-bearing woman) having 
 living children of her own besides a dowry, and a 
 good husband, the more heartily he approved the 
 plan. Lelo had made indeed a strategic move of 
 value by interesting Matundu in a revival of his 
 family rights. 
 
 Hearing of these arrangements, which were to 
 be concluded without his voice being heard, or his 
 presence required, Mavambu sent word that he 
 would remove his objection to a legal marriage, 
 and forfeit his claims upon Lelo, if Matundu would 
 
Welcome Bonds ^5 
 
 but divide the dowry with him. His messenger 
 was sent back with the reply, that as he was not a 
 member of the family, and had no native rights in 
 their clan, they could not accept his compromise. 
 Matundu added graciously that Mavambu's rela- 
 tions with Lelo had been altogether irregular, and 
 that now upon the eve of her reinstatement into 
 good society it would be hazardous to start with 
 another such misstep as the one proposed. 
 
 At this rejoinder Mavambu might well have knit 
 his brows, but even that was not enough to cause 
 them to contract sufficiently to indicate nganzi 
 (wrath) ; so the preparations went on although 
 Lelo was not without some misgivings regarding 
 the next move her deaf lord might make. 
 
 The rebellion of Lelo was probably the means 
 of instilling mutinous thoughts into little Simba's 
 heart. If one woman could leave the man that 
 owned her and carry out the matter so successfully, 
 why not another? Life with Mavambu was not 
 the rosy-hued dream of luxury he had depicted, 
 but it was more and more a drudging reality. 
 
 She went over to see Lelo one day, and re- 
 marked, 
 
 "I wish I were like you," and looked very mourn- 
 ful while saying it. 
 
 "Like me, in what way?" 
 
 "Free from Mavambu. I wish I had somebody 
 to help me." 
 
 "You can get help," promptly affirmed Lelo. 
 
2o6 A Congo Chattel 
 
 "I don't see how." 
 
 "The Lord will help you as He helped me !" 
 
 "Nzamhif But, I thought it was Mrs. Mis- 
 sionary." 
 
 "Give your heart to Him. He can help you 
 better than the missionaries." 
 
 "Me, I don't like the words of God," answered 
 Simba frankly. "I don't want to be a 'person of 
 the church.' " 
 
 "Then I don't see any other help for you." 
 
 Simba went away grieved, longing for liberty, 
 but with no faith in the right means, and the only 
 way by which she could secure it. 
 
 In due time the arrangements were concluded 
 between the remaining relatives of the contract- 
 ing parties. The dowry had been paid, Lelo rein- 
 stated, and matters amicably agreed upon and set- 
 tled in the family consultations. 
 
 The happy couple set out on their fifty-mile 
 tramp to Boma, the nearest place at which they 
 could be married in accordance with the laws 
 brought in by the new lords of the land. Mabiala 
 and Lelo were accompanied by another couple from 
 the Vula, and by the witnesses required for the 
 legal ceremony. 
 
 When they arrived at the office of the Civil 
 State, to see the Officer delegated to make the 
 fifteen-day publication before the marriage could 
 be performed, they were met by another black in- 
 terpreter. He was not the same one that Lelo 
 
Welcome Bonds 207 
 
 had encountered on her first journey to Boma, 
 but he proved himself a member of the same 
 family of imposters. 
 
 Looking them over superciliously, in a way pe- 
 culiar to some savages in clothes, as if he resented 
 their intrusion upon his leisure, or as if he strongly 
 suspected them of some criminal designs, he de- 
 manded abruptly, 
 
 "What do you want?" 
 
 "We wish to get married," humbly replied Ma- 
 biala, turning in his hands a foreign straw hat, 
 borrowed for the occasion. 
 
 "Married?" This was uttered with a disdainful 
 sniif. And then, haughtily, 
 
 "Have you any witnesses?" 
 
 "These four here." 
 
 Two of the number were friends of Mabiala 
 who were employed at Boma. They had with 
 difficulty secured permission to leave their work 
 for an hour for the purpose. 
 
 "Only four witnesses, and two couples to be 
 married? Not enough; go back, and get four 
 more; then come on the sixth day of next week, 
 with eight witnesses, four for each couple." 
 
 "But the food we brought with us from home 
 will not hold out as long as that," politely objected 
 Mabiala. 
 
 "AlleZj kwenda" scornfully snapped his Excel- 
 lency the Interpreter. Translated from the 
 French and Kifioti the two words mean, impera- 
 
2o8 A Congo Chattel 
 
 lively uttered, "to get out, and be quick about it !" 
 If not, the tone intimated, then a bite would follow 
 the threatening bark to hasten their lagging steps. 
 
 They knew very well from common report that 
 only four witnesses of their own race were neces- 
 sary, but what the law of the mindele demanded, 
 and what the interpreter required of them, were 
 two widely different matters. 
 
 To the ill-concealed displeasure of the Dingizi, 
 they came back next morning, bearing a letter from 
 the Vula, sealed and addressed to Monsieur VOffi- 
 cier d' Etat-Civil. The letter respectfully protested 
 against needless hardship and expense imposed 
 upon law-abiding people who had already tramped 
 fifty miles to fulfil legal requirements and in mak- 
 ing them wait another week before they could even 
 give preliminary notice of their intention to marry. 
 The letter was put into the hands of the officer 
 himself and did not pass through thqse of the in- 
 terpreter. The officer called the parties before 
 him after only a short delay. 
 
 When he began to write down the names of the 
 principals and witnesses, their approximate ages, 
 and as much information about their ancestry as 
 they possessed, he was interrupted by a young man 
 who entered breathlessly. He had not been sum- 
 moned by Mabiala, but he seemed to act as if he 
 had been sent for. Said he: 
 
 "Mfumu, I object! This woman belongs to my 
 brother, Mavambu, the Medal Chief at Yenge." 
 
< *>,^_^ ^ 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
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 '^^^yi^^ ^ Sj^^H 
 
 
 
 li**^ 
 
 
 
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 BRICK PRESS INVENTED BY NATIVE EVANGELIST 
 
 CONGREGATION AT DEDICATION OF YEMA CHAPEL 
 
Welcome Bonds 209 
 
 Regarding Lelo sternly, the officer asked, via the 
 ordinary channel, 
 
 "You are married?" 
 
 "No, I am not married to Mavambu." And then 
 followed an outline of the story, hastily sketched 
 by Lelo, and filled in by interpolations from 
 Mabiala. 
 
 "Mfumu, this is all a pack of lies," denied the 
 relative of Mavambu, "she is an evil woman who 
 has contracted the habit of running away. She 
 would rather walk the streets of Boma than live 
 with my brother, her own husband." 
 
 "The streets of Boma? I thought you came 
 from up-country," queried the officer suspiciously. 
 
 ''Mfumu, I know nothing of Boma ; we have just 
 come from Yenge !" 
 
 The interpreter leered upon her, and said sig- 
 nificantly, 
 
 "I have seen this evil woman often upon the 
 streets of Boma." 
 
 His assurance was so great that the officer was 
 visibly impressed, and turned to Lelo with inde- 
 cision written on his countenance. 
 
 "In all my life," she protested, "I have been but 
 twice in Boma, and I hope that I shall never be 
 obliged to come again." 
 
 Then a happy thought caused her to say : 
 
 "Ask up at the Missioni if my words are not 
 true." 
 
 Ah, yes, of course. The officer carefully scru- 
 
2IO A Congo Chattel 
 
 tinized the letter that lay on the table before him. 
 Lifting his eyes, he promptly informed the in- 
 terpreter that he was mistaken, told Mavambu's 
 relative that his claim was outlawed, and then pro- 
 ceeded to post the bans before the interpreter 
 and the other hinderer realized how quickly their 
 little scheme had been demolished. Truly, an 
 nkanda (book) works wonders sometimes. 
 
 The happy couples and their friendly witnesses 
 were ready and waiting at the door of the Officer 
 of Civil State long before the appointed hour of 
 eight on the auspicious morning two weeks later. 
 
 Mabiala's generously proportioned feet were 
 shod in white canvas slippers, his legs clothed 
 in khaki pants, his chest covered with a red singlet, 
 his shoulders bearing a white coat, and above, 
 all was perched a real hat of straw, even though 
 somewhat the worse for wear. In his hand, bor- 
 rowed for the occasion, was a curved-handled cane 
 of the prevailing Boma mode. These extra 
 touches were in honor of the metropolis, where 
 most of the people wore pants, shoes, hats, and 
 carried canes. Lelo thought he looked well and 
 doubtless he agreed with her in her good opinion. 
 
 Lelo was now about thirty-five years old, a solid- 
 ly built woman of medium height. Her appear- 
 ance was pleasing, she had a kind smile and a low, 
 gentle voice. Something about her well-shaped 
 ^^9d and firmly built chin denoted the sense and 
 
Welcome Bonds 211 
 
 determination she had exhibited at various critical 
 epochs of her checkered life. 
 
 Mavambu had spitefully called her an old wo- 
 man, but she was neither old nor ill-favored. In 
 due time, Monsieur VOfficier, utterly unconscious 
 of any flattery, wrote down her age in the marriage 
 certificate as twenty-three. This was his own esti- 
 mate of course, as no native was ever asked in that 
 office such a trifling question as "How old are 
 you?" Her name appeared in the same place as 
 Malia Lelo. Malia, or Mary, was the name she 
 had added to herself when she was baptized. 
 
 As a concession to city style her head was 
 swathed in a gay-colored handkerchief, and in her 
 hand she carefully bore a folded cotton umbrella. 
 This was an ante-nuptial gift from the groom, pru- 
 dently selected, as it would be very serviceable in 
 future for either member of the conjugal associa- 
 tion for use upon state occasions. 
 
 During the course of bewildering questions Ma- 
 biala understood the officer to ask: 
 
 "Do you solemnly promise to protect and pro- 
 vide for this woman through life?" To which 
 he emphatically answered in the affirmative. 
 
 Said the officer to Lelo: 
 
 "Will you obey this man and follow him 
 wherever he may go?" She said that she would 
 willingly and gladly go with him. 
 
 The interpreter here made a slight interpola- 
 tion, that probably was not in the original French 
 
212 A Congo Chattel 
 
 of Mister the Officer. Said he to Lelo, when in- 
 forming her as to the duties of her new state: 
 
 "When you have a child you must take good 
 care of it. If it should die in infancy, you will 
 be brought here by a soldier, and put into bloc." 
 
 How changed was Lelo's life now! How dif- 
 ferent her prospects from the day she had fol- 
 lowed Mavambu to his compound, loaded down 
 like a beast of burden ! What a difference the mis- 
 sionary with his black-covered Bible in which was 
 the nsamu wambote had made in her life! Ma- 
 vambu was bound by that marriage certificate as 
 well as Mabiala and Lelo. He would be prevented 
 by it from doing any further mischief. 
 
 Soon Lelo would stand in the little grass-roofed 
 chapel at Yenge, her little girls by her side, to have 
 the marriage ceremony performed as customary 
 in the presence of the native congregation. How 
 different the prospects for her own little ones as 
 contrasted with the outlook on life she had had 
 when starting off with Bungu's caravan from her 
 mother and home^ her life forfeited for a worthless 
 jug. 
 
 How similar the beginnings of Lelo's life to that 
 of millions of other chattels in the still dark habi- 
 tations of cruelty just outside the mission com- 
 pounds. Alas! for them no deliverer had yet 
 come bearing such light under black covers. She 
 was no more worthy than the multitudes swarm- 
 ing over the land, but she was saved and secure 
 
Welcome Bonds 213 
 
 while they still waited for the human epistles bear- 
 ing the good tidings. The women were passing 
 fast away without hearing the news; the mes- 
 sengers were so slow, so slow, in coming. 
 
 Proudly bearing his marriage certificate in one 
 hand, and swinging his friend's cane with the other, 
 Mabiala marched, erect and smiling, up the broad 
 street shaded by palm trees to the Vula followed 
 in single file by the relieved and happy com- 
 pany. A few hours more and the dust of Boma 
 would be shaken from their feet. 
 
 "Well, Lelo," asked Mrs. Missionary, smiling at 
 the bride, "is it all over?'* 
 
 With a sigh of relief she answered contentedly, 
 "Yes, thank the Lord!" 
 
 Then after an almost imperceptible pause added, 
 
 "And the Mindele mia Nzambi/^ 
 
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