CHAPTER II.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 22, 30 May 1901, Page 23

CHAPTER 11.

Years passed by ; since my brother's death nothing had greatly yaried in our lonely village. Many had died amongst us from the wild animals and snakes around us, but many more had been born into our community.

This was our life from year to year and had been that of our fathers a long time back — how long I know not, for we had no written histories and had to rely upon the traditions of our people. Lately many rumors had found their way through the great forest that surrounded us of wars between other tribes, and also that the cruel slave-dealers were in other parts collecting great numbers of slaves and driving them off far away to be sold. We heard of these things, but they did not trouble us much, for we were but a small tribe in an out-of-the-way place, and hitherto no one had considered it worth while to «eek us out. I *op LLi.ii d> .lit, 17 an.l ocn.-.l*lcrccl comely. You can see now that although much darker than white people, I am not black nor are my fc<iLUie.-i *L all of tho negro L>j.>e, There aie, lam told, hundreds of distinct rac^s in Africa, and my own tribe, I think, ia the nearest approach to the white people. About this time Nargara sought me for his wife — love is sweet with us as with you — and my heart inclined towards him, for he was one who was worthy of a maiden's love. Tall, strong, brave, and handsome — what more could one of my race require f So we exchanged blood drops, as was customary with my people, and were to be married — as you would call it — in about a year. This ceremony of ' blood drops ' is very simple, but was considered bo binding that no thought of ever breaking its solemn engagement ever entered the head of those who once underwent the sacred rite. It is carried out thus : A little puncture is made in the right wrist of both the young lovers, the slight wounds are pressed together, and then both wrißts for a short time bound tightly one to the other. By this means the blood of the young couple mingles, and they are from that time what you would call ' engaged.' Thus did Nargara and I pledge our troth together. After this ceremony we were allowed to wander at liberty through the forest, or side by side in the rough canoe of my lover float down the great river. No one would chide us when once the ' blood drops ' had mingled, and w« were for a time very happy, for the language of love is sweet to • savage ' as to white folks. The rnmor9 about the slave-dealers became stronger and &troi ger. and I noticed that the elders of our village met often together and looked grave. Soon the news passed from hut to hut that jnst beyond the great forest many tribes had been destroyed or carried off as slaves. Strange men, too, had been seen in the forest itself, and we were all cautioned not to go far from our homes. For a short time we heeded the warning of our wise men, but as days parsed on and no further alarm came to us, Nargara and I, who liked not that all in the village Bhould watch us in our lovemaking, strolled once m re among the vast trees and lived for a time our happy lovers' life. Nargara would tell me many a beautiful legend of the history of our tribe far, far back, and also speak of our future life togeth* r, when the gold and crystal gates in the great >-un above us should open to receive us, when we had passed away from this and other worlds. We used to think in our ignorance that every star was a res-ting place on our way to the sun, and that there alone would our journey of life really end. One day while talking of these and other things we had wandered much farther than u*ual in the dense forest, when a sudden exclamation of my lover caused me to etart in terror. ' Lie flat for your life,' he whispered. ' Slave-dealers ! ' and we both threw oursdves on the ground and crawled stealthily into the long grass. As we both lay in profound stillness I could hear the beating of our hearts ; we spoke never a word. There was just the chance that we had not been eeen and that we might presently make our way back unnoticed. Thi3 hope, however, soon fled, for we heard a number of men rushing towards the spot where we were hidden. We could not underbtand tlitir language, but they were evidently sf arching for v«. Nearer and nearer they came, until presently three or four swarthy, fierce-looking men pounced upon us and dragged us from the gia»s We found our-selve^ surrounded by 30 or 40 cruel-looking wret< he-< They laughed and jeered at us, and presently began to speak to ua in the torque of some neighboring tribe which we well understood. We soon learned that we were to be sent away with many hundreds of other captives and Fold as slaves in the great slave-market of some far-off town. Knowing we could not escape they had iu.t bound us as yet. but presently one rough, brutal fellow dr.urt'cd me from Nargara's pide and proceeded to tie my hands together. The rope cut into my flesh and made me call out withp.-in. Ah 1 d:d so Nargara sprang forward and struck the man whow as binding me to the ground. Several of the rest of the band threw themselves npon my unhappy lover, and very soon he was round band and foot and perfectly helpless. They cast him like a log b foie rue, and there he lay at ray feet — Nargara, whose 'blood dropn' had mingled with mine. My hands were tied, but I threw ir,y<elf upon him and had just time to give him one la-t loving ki*a when the miscreants dragged me off and with eavagf crio^ bound me fast to a tree while they proceeded to punibh my poor lover for striking one of their number. This I afurwards found was considered a heinous offence by the'-f s-lsivers which only blood could wash out . 1 will not describe the frightful tortures inflicted upon the un-foiiui-afe Nargira, Sufficient to say that he was murdered before >ny ry»B and Lis mangled body left in the forest for the wild beasts to feed upou. As tor me, I was hurried off and soon formed part of a miserable sang of captives who were being taken to the great slave market.