Up the Kongo we went. One day Mr. Lapsley, my comrade, was sick
with fever. As we attempted to land, we saw women catching up
their babies and running to the jungle and men getting arrows to
shoot. I stood over Mr. Lapsley and called, “Don’t shoot! Don’t
shoot!” and asked them if we could sleep there for the night.
“To-morrow we go away,” I said. “No. Go away; go away,” they
cried. So we started for the other side and landed on the sandy
bank. We got out the tent and had Mr. Lapsley carefully moved
into his bed. Walking up and down the river bank we could hear
the excitement on the other side. At twelve o’clock at night it
still was going on. At two in the morning, those people had not
retired; nor had I. So we said, “In the morning something will
happen.” Coming outside early, as we looked across the river we
saw one of their war canoes filled with men starting up-stream,
and then another. I ran to the tent and said to Mr. Lapsley,
“Those people are coming; what shall I do?” He was there sick
with fever, with no chance of running away. He said, “There
is nothing that we can do.” He meant by this that the Master
could do something. I came outside. They had started in our
direction. I could hear their war-whoop. Just at this extremity
a hippopotamus came. We shot him. Then the thought came, why
not offer them this meat? They were crazy for meat. I waded
in the water to my waist and beckoned to them, calling out:
“Come this way, all of you. Don’t be afraid.” The nearest canoe
approached me as I was wading in the water, and I surprized the
first man by saying, “Leave your spear.” The next canoe load
that followed I turned the hippopotamus over to, and then they
began with their long knives to cut it up and fight over it. I
went into the tent and told Mr. Lapsley that we were saved. It
was no surprize to that servant of God. He was so near to the
Master always that he believed He would save us.--WILLIAM
SHEPPARD, “Student Volunteer Movement,” 1906.
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