Boy's Cinema (1935-39)

Every Tuesday The negro potentate clenched his hands savagely. It was only by an effort of will that he controlled himself. "You may go now," Sanders went on in a calmer tone. " The palaver is finished. As for the men of your guard who were captured, they will be sent back to your village when I think fit." Mafolaba rose from his ceremonial chair and turned away sourly. A minute or two later he was in his litter once more, and as he was borne from the scene the serried ranks of his warriors wheeled round to march in the samo direction, chanting gloomily as they did so. Farewell to the River AN hour after the departure of Mafolaba, Sanders resolved to set free the raiders who had been captured by Bosambo and his men, and, when these had been told to make their way back to their own country, his next concern was the crowd of natives who had almost become victims of the slave trade. "Tibbets." he said, "you'd better get them together and take them back to the Dahomey border under escort. Half the company should suffice." The young assistant hurried off to cany out his chief's orders, and Sanders turned to engage Bosambo in conversa- tion. He had only been talking to him for a few minutes when Tibbets re- appeared. "I'm sorry, sir," he reported in some agitation, "but I can't do anything with those girls. The men are willing enough to go back to Dahomey, but the girls simply won't budge." "Won't budge?" Sanders echoed in bewilderment. "No, sir," Tibbets answered. "I think Bosambo has something to do with their attitude." Sanders directed a sharp glance at the Ochori chief, who .looked singularly un- comfortable. Then he marched across to a group of dusky females who were sit- ting outside a hut some little distance away. They were the girls who had BOY'S CINEMA been rescued from Mafolaba's slave- raiders, "What is Hiis I hear?" Sanders asked of them. "Don't you want to go back to your homes and your parents?" "No, lord," they answered in one voice, with loud emphasis. " We would like to be the wives of Bosambo, chief of the Ochoris." "What, all of you?" Sanders denianded. Nine woolly heads nodded in response, and again the Commissioner glanced at Bosambo, who had followed him across to the hut uneasily. "Listen," Sanders announced, turning to the girls once more. "Don't you know that Bosambo has five other wives who are just now in different villages? Don't you know that those five wives are old and sour-tempered—that they will beat von and give von much work to do?" The girls looked impressed, and Sanders silenced Bosambo as the latter attempted to protest against the fictitious story that the Commissioner had told. ■ "Now will you go back to your homes and parents?" the white man asked. "Yes, lord," nine feminine voice- answered hastily. Sanders smiled, and was about to turn away when Tibbets laid a hand on his arm. "Just a minute, sir," he exclaimed. " I understood that there were ten girls among the natives who were rescued from Mafolaba's raiding party, and I see there are only njne here." Sanders counted the girls and verified his assistant's words; and upon inquiry he learned from the dusky maidens that one of their number, Lilongo, was now at the chief's house. Looking pretty hard at Bosambo, the Commissioner ordered him to take him to his hut, and here the missing Lilongo was located. "Do you want to marry the chief as well?" Sanders demanded of her. "Yes. lord, but I won't many him unless he gets those other nine females out of his village!" the girl said vehemently. "Lilongo, they are already leaving." Bosambo assured her. "Lord Sandi will tell you so himself." "Yes, and I can tell you of Bosambo's other wives," Sanders remarked. "There are five of them in other village- —all of them old crones who will beat you." Lilongo had begun to smile. "Lord Sandi. that is not true," she said. "Bosambo has no other wives. While I have been here I have watched him. He is too fond of other men's wives to have so many of his own." "Lilongo, that is not true, either." Bosr.mbo protested. " Marry me, and [ promise you that no other woman will ever take your place in my heart." "I shall see to that," Lilongo retorted firmly. "But there is something you have forgotten, Bosambo. I am ;i Mohammedan." "Well, and so am I," the big fellow declared. Sanders looked at him swiftly. "What's this?" he demanded. "Why, only this afternoon you were telling me something of your life, and said that von were a Christian, having been educated at a mission school on the coast." Bosambo was not abashed by this reminder. "Lord Sandi," he said, "for you I am a Christian. I know all about Marky and Lukey and Johnny—and that other Johnny that lost his head over a certain dancing-girl called Salome. "But for you, Lilongo." he added, turning to the girl from Dahomey, "foi you I am of the true faith." " H'm, you'd better make up your mind," Sanders commented. "But you two want to get married, eh? Do yon think you can hold him, Lilongo? "I think I can." she answered with a twinkle in her dark eyes. So Lilongo and Bosambo were made man iand wife amid great ceremony and rejoicing, and as the days becomi weeks, the weeks months, and lh« months years, the chief of the Ochori *' King Mafolaba," Farini declared emphatically, " you can take it from me that Sandi will not come back." May 11th, 193&.