Identifier: voicefromcongoco00ward (find matches)
Title: A voice from the Congo : comprising stories, anecdotes, and descriptive notes
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Ward, Herbert, 1863-1919
Subjects: Ward, Herbert, 1863-1919 Africa, Central -- Description and travel Africa, Central -- Social life and customs
Publisher: New York : Charles Scribner's Sons
Contributing Library: University of Connecticut Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Connecticut Libraries

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nd spear. Theold woman watched him disappear, as, in a chuck-ling tone, she mumbled to herself as she turnedaway towards the bushes: Have I not paid theewell for thy fish, Makwata? May thy arm bestrong. Far away in the forest, amidst enormous treesand a perfect labyrinth of vines and creepers, uponthe bank of a stream stood Mutli, calmly watchingthe contortions of a young girl, who lay writhingupon the ground with her limbs firmly bound bytwisted creepers. There was a cruel, brutal expression upon hisface as he said, sneeringly: Thy bonds are strong, and thy cries are uselesshere. Listen now. To-night I leave thee here forI am going to the village to take Makwatas life.To-morrow I return, and you will then be one of thewives of Mueli, the Bangala chieftain. Balala writhed and shrieked until the woodsechoed with her cries. O Mama! Hey Makwata! Hey! A twig snapped, a leafy branch was thrust aside,and Makwata bounded forward. When within afew paces of Mueli he hurled his spear with furi-
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tX ^ t£ S ^£ A VILLAGE ROMANCE 175 ous strength, but in so doing lie caught his foot ina creeper and almost fell. At the same instanthis blood was chilled by a piercing scream fromBalala. Makwatas aim had been diverted by his fall, and,instead of striking Mueli, the blade had piercedBalalas body. Thoroughly maddened with fury, he clutched thehandle of his sickle-bladed knife and rushed uponMueli, who, however, deftly turned the blow withthe haft of his spear. Makwatas next blow wasnot so easily parried. With a sickening thud hisknife struck deep into his opponents skull. Muelidropped instantly to the ground, and his lifelessbody rolled down the bank towards the stream. Seizing Balala in his arms, Makwata found thatconsciousness had left her. Her lifes blood was ebbing fast away from thewound of her unhappy lovers spear. Though almost paralysed with grief, Makwatacut her bonds and tried his best to staunch theblood with cold water from the stream and withbroad leaves. At length her l

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