THE PRIME MINISTER LAYS DEEP PLANS--SO DOES HIS NEPHEW--THE GREAT
MARKET-PLACE--A FRIEND IN DEADLY PERIL, AND OUR THREE HEROES COME TO
GRIEF.
Returning to his own quarters in the palace, and chafing to find that
some one had informed the Queen about his son's defection, Rainiharo
encountered a favourite nephew, named Soa, who had also, unknown to his
uncle, given up idolatry, and, like Prince Ramonja, been led to embrace
the Gospel through the instrumentality of Prince Rakota.
"Well met, Soa," said the premier, "I have a proclamation to make which
will bring sorrow to the hearts of some of these hated Christians."
He paused a moment, as if in thought, and Soa, a fine-looking young man
of pleasant countenance and agile frame, seemed about to reply, but
checked himself.
"Now, my boy," resumed the old man, "I have a piece of work for you to
do. You have heard of the arrival of the Englishmen?"
"Yes, uncle."
"Well, I have reason to believe that they have been led hither by that
son of a thunderbolt, Ravoninohitriniony, and that he is even now in
hiding in the neighbourhood. At the gate you will find one of our
spies, who will conduct you to the cavern in which he lies concealed.
Of course I could have him seized at once if I chose, but I have a
deeper game to play, and want to make Ravoninohitriniony an unwitting
instrument. It seems that more of the people in the palace are
Christians than I knew of. It has come to my ears that some of these
intend going stealthily to the cave to meet Ravoninohitriniony, for they
are fond of this son of a wild-boar, and probably hope to have news by
him of their banished kindred."
Lest it should be supposed that we are putting flippant expressions into
the mouth of Rainiharo, we may explain that the Malagasy define an
ungrateful man as the "son of a thunderbolt," and sometimes as the
"offspring of a wild-boar," because--so they say--the young of the
wild-boar, when running by the side of its dam, continually gets in
advance and turns round to bite her. The ingratitude of which our
friend Ravonino was supposed to be guilty, consisted in his having
forsaken the idols of the country and renounced the favour of the Queen
by becoming a Christian, preferring, like Moses, to suffer affliction
with the banished people of God.
"No doubt," continued the premier, "they will be praying and
psalm-singing. Now, knowing your detestation of these Christians, I
have resolved to send you to their meeting _as a Christian_. You are
wise enough to know how to act when among them. Take note of the men
and women you see there, whether high or low; make out a list of them,
and bring it to me. Death and chains shall be their portion, for I am
fully more determined than the Queen is to stamp out this religion. Go,
and do as I bid ye as quickly as you can."
For a few seconds the youth stood perplexed and irresolute. Then he
said, suddenly, "Yes, uncle, I will go, according to your bidding, _as a
Christian_!" and hastily left the room.
Meanwhile Mark Breezy and his companions, led by Laihova, followed the
throng of country-folk to the market-place. They had passed the guard
at the gate by means of that potent talisman, silver, before which few
gates are permanently closed. If the party had sought to pass with any
pomp or circumstance, or if they had carried merchandise along with
them, they could not have passed so easily; but Laihova had only to
bestow some bits of silver on the guard and the way was at once clear.
They might have passed without it, however, had they known of Rakota's
interference in their favour.
We speak of "bits" of silver advisedly, for the Malagasy take the
simplest and most literal way of making small change; they clip their
dollars into little pieces of various sizes, and therewith transact the
business that in other lands is settled with pence. As these clippings
are not very accurate, however, they weigh the pieces, and for this
purpose every one carries about with him a tiny pair of scales in his
waist-cloth. These dollars were all foreign coins, for the Malagasy at
that time had, (and we believe still have), no native coinage. All
silver that comes to their net is considered good fish. The standard
coin is the Spanish dollar, but one will find every variety of European
and American money in circulation among them. The method of clipping
and weighing the small change might be thought somewhat cumbrous in
European markets, for the dollar is cut up into eight _sikajy_, (each
about sixpence); the sikajy into nine _eranambatra_, and each
eranambatra into ten _vary-venty_, each of which last is about the
weight of a plump grain of rice. Four weights, marked with a government
stamp, are used in weighing the money. These weights are equal,
respectively, to about a half-a-dollar, a quarter-dollar, sixpence, and
fourpence. Other amounts are obtained by varying these in the opposite
scales and adding grains of rice. But all this forms no difficulty in
Madagascar. Like most Easterns the natives there dearly love to haggle
and prolong a bargain--as our travellers found to their amusement that
day; for not only were the principals vociferous in their disputatious,
but the bystanders entered into the spirit of the thing and volunteered
their opinions!
Profound was the interest of the white men in this market, and deep was
the absorption of Ebony, for that amiable negro had a faculty of totally
forgetting himself and absolutely projecting himself into the shoes of
other people, thus identifying himself with their interests--a faculty
which cost him many anxious, indignant, pathetic, and hilarious moments.
"Das a most 'straor'nary sight," he said, looking round with glistening
eyes and expanded lips at the crowds of people who pressed along the
road leading to Zoma, the great market-place.
"By the way they stare at you, Ebony," said Hockins, "they evidently
think _you_ something 'straor'nary!"
"Not at all, 'Ockins. You's wrong, as usual," retorted the negro. "Dey
quite used to black mans, but I tink dis de fust time dat some ob dem
hab saw a man wid a face like putty."
There was indeed some ground for the negro's remark, for the people
crowded round our heroes and gazed at them with undisguised interest.
The market-place was well suited to give some idea of the various types
of countenance among the different tribes from distant parts of the
island, also for making acquaintance with the products of the country
and the manufactures of the people. It was a sort of museum and centre
of commerce combined, with all the varied incidents, comical,
semi-tragic, and otherwise, for which markets in general are more or
less famed.
Here were to be seen great heaps of earthenware of red clay--pans for
cooking rice, water-jars, bottles, and dishes of all sorts, as well as
English crockery, especially that with the old willow-pattern design!
There were great varieties of straw hats, beautifully made of rice and
other straw. Elsewhere might be seen iron-work of native manufacture,
some of it displaying considerable taste and skilful workmanship. There
were also beds, with well-turned posts, made of a wood like mahogany,
and the mattresses for these were stuffed with down from a certain
flower, which made soft and comfortable couches. Lambas of many kinds
were also to be seen, from those of coarse rofia cloth to those of finer
and more ornamental material--though the finest silk lambas and the more
expensive European goods were not often exposed for sale there, but were
to be had at the houses of the traders and manufacturers. One part of
the market was devoted to wood for the rafters and framework of houses,
another to the sale of vegetables and fruits--among which were sweet
potatoes, manioc, beans, maize, peaches, bananas, mangoes, pine-apples,
oranges, lemons, pumpkins, melons, grapes, Cape gooseberries,
mulberries, guavas, pomegranates, and many others, besides bread-fruit
and rice--which last is the staple food of the people.
"Oh! I say, 'Ockins," whispered Ebony at this point, "my mout's
a-waterin'."
"Well, mine's somethin' in the same way," returned the seaman, "but we
haven't a rap to buy with."
Whether Laihova overheard the whisper or not we cannot tell, but he
stopped at that moment, purchased a large quantity of the tempting
fruit, and handed it, without a word, to his friends, who received it
with becoming gratitude.
"You's a trump, Hovey," said the negro, as he put a whole peach into his
capacious mouth.
"Ditto," said Hockins, performing the same feat with a banana.
"Do I hear music?" said Mark Breezy.
"An' don't I smell rum?" remarked Hockins.
"An' doesn't I hear cackling?" inquired Ebony.
By way of answer to all three, Laihova turned round the corner of a
stall, when the party reached a spot which was devoted to the sale of
native rum, or "toaka"--a coarse fiery spirit made from sugar-cane, and
sold at a very low price. Here a native musician was discovered
twanging a native guitar, either as an accompaniment to the cackling of
hundreds of fowls and the gobbling of innumerable turkeys, or as a
desperate effort to beat these creatures at their own game of noise.
On inquiry Mark found that fowls were sold at from fourpence to
eightpence a-piece; geese and turkeys from a shilling to eighteenpence.
Also that beef and vegetables were proportionally cheap.
"It seems to me," remarked Hockins, as they moved slowly along, enjoying
the fruit and the scene, "that this here island is a sort of paradise."
Before many minutes were over the seaman had reason to change his views
considerably on this point, for their guide led them to a spot where the
slave-market was held. The sights they witnessed there were such as
filled the hearts of the white men with deep sorrow and indignation,
while it drew tears from the eyes of the sympathetic negro. For the men
and women and children were no mere criminals who might in some sense be
deserving of their fate--though such there were also amongst them,--but
many of the men were guilty of political offences only, and not a few,
both of men and women, were martyrs, who, because they had left the
faith of their fathers and become followers of Jesus Christ, were sold
into temporary--in some cases perpetual--slavery, with their wives and
families.
At sight of these unfortunates Laihova was evidently much affected,
though he made strenuous efforts to conceal his feelings.
"You are grieved, I see," said Mark, in a tone of profound sympathy
which touched his guide's heart.
"Grieved! Yes--verily," said Laihova, whose broken English was much
interlarded with Scriptural words and expressions, "for does I not see
my friends there? But com. They must not know me. It is danger.
Com."
He led them quickly away from the slave-market, and as they walked along
he explained that some of the poor slaves whom they had just seen thus
publicly exposed for sale were among the nobles of the land--not only in
regard to human rank, but in right of that patent which man can neither
give nor take away,--an upright regenerated soul. He further explained,
as best he could, that slaves in his land were derived from three or
four different sources--namely, captives taken in war; persons condemned
to slavery for crime, for political offences, and for religious
opinions; people who had been sold for debt, and the descendants of all
of these.
They had gradually quitted the market while thus engaged in
conversation, and were ascending one of the steeper parts of the city,
when their attention was attracted by a shouting not far-off.
Presently they observed a number of men and boys running in and out
amongst the houses and the low walls which surrounded them, as if in
chase of something. Soon a man was seen to dart along the road they
were following. As he drew near they observed that he stumbled as he
ran, yet forced the pace and panted violently--like one running for his
life. A few moments more and the crowd was close at his heels, pelting
him with stones and yelling like wild beasts. The fugitive turned up a
narrow lane between high walls, close to where our party stood. He was
closely followed by the crowd.
At this point some of the pursuers stopped as if from exhaustion.
"What has he done?" said Laihova to one of these.
"He has been stealing in the market by cutting a lamba."
It is the practice to carry money tied up in a corner of the lamba, and
thieves, by cutting off this corner, sometimes manage to secure the
money.
A great cry arose just then, and some of the pursuers came running back.
"He is down," said one. "He is dead!" said another.
Now our friend Hockins was one of those men who have at all times an
irresistible tendency to take the part of the weak against the strong,
without much regard to the cause of battle! He instantly, without a
word, ran off at full speed to the rescue. Ebony ran after him from
sympathy. Mark Breezy followed from the natural desire to keep by his
comrades, and back them up, while Laihova followed--no doubt from
good-fellowship!
They soon came upon the poor man, who was completely naked, bruised and
bleeding, and surrounded by a crowd of youths, who were deliberately
stoning him as if he were a dangerous animal or a mad dog.
With a roar like a lion Hockins went at them. He tripped up some
half-dozen big boys, flattened still more the flat noses of some of the
men, stretching them flat on their backs, and then, standing astride the
fallen man, flourished his enormous fists, and invited the entire
population of Antananarivo to "come on!"
The population refused the invitation and retired.
Ebony was not slow to follow suit, with this variation, that instead of
roaring he yelled, and instead of bestriding the fallen man, he gave
sudden chase hither and thither, with powerful effect, rendering the
rout complete.
Meanwhile Mark attended to the injured man, who seemed to be dead.
Turning him over on his back he discovered, to his inexpressible
amazement, that he _was_ no other than their old friend Mamba--the
crocodile--whom they had left with his mother and the others in the cave
many days before.
"How is it possible," he exclaimed, while dressing his wounds, "that he
can have arrived at the same time with us, for we started before him and
have travelled fast?"
Laihova explained that Mamba was one of the fleetest men in the island,
and that he could easily have passed them though starting later than
they did. But why he had come, and why he had passed instead of
overtaking and travelling with them, he could not even guess.
As most of poor Mamba's wounds were bruises, and the few cuts were not
deep, his four friends raised him and carried him quickly into a
neighbouring house, the door of which was immediately shut. Laihova
explained that it was the house of a personal friend of his own, who was
also a Christian, but secretly, for fear of the Queen.
Here Mamba was sufficiently brought round by Mark's ministrations to be
able to sit up and answer questions, but at first he seemed disinclined
to speak, and then gave evasive replies.
"Why this secrecy, my friend?" asked Laihova, in the native language.
"If I could answer," said Mamba, "there would be no secrecy."
"True, and I would not pry into your secrets," returned Laihova, "but we
would help you if we can."
"You cannot help me," returned Mamba, in a somewhat sad tone. "I have
business in hand which requires haste. I have tried to keep clear of
you to prevent delay, and to avoid mixing myself up in your dangers, for
you are in danger here. I would not have come near the town at all, but
I required to make a purchase in the market, and hoped to do so without
being recognised. Unfortunately an old enemy saw me. He fell on the
device of cutting off the corner of his own lamba, and then, raising the
cry of thief, pretended that I had done it. I ran. You know my speed
of foot. I trusted to that instead of trusting to my God. They
surrounded me. You know the end."
While Mamba was yet speaking a loud knocking was heard at the door, and
a stern voice demanded admittance.
On hearing it Mamba leaped from the couch on which he had been laid as
if nothing were the matter with him. He glanced hastily round. The
owner of the house seemed to divine his wishes, for he pointed to a
small window which opened into what appeared to be a court at the back
of the dwelling. The window was merely a square opening, which appeared
scarcely wide enough to let a man's shoulders pass, but Mamba did not
hesitate. To the amazement of Mark and his friends he took what is
familiarly known as a "header" through the window--_a la_ harlequin--and
disappeared. To the still greater amazement of Mark and his friends,
Laihova instantly followed suit, without a word of explanation! Indeed
there was no time for that. A moment after the owner of the dwelling
opened the door with a very submissive look and admitted a band of armed
men.
The leader of the band, from his dress and bearing, was evidently a man
of position. He carried in his hand a large spear highly ornamented
with silver. This weapon--as Mark afterwards learned--was an official
spear with the Queen's name engraven on it. The bearer of it, as well
as the spear itself, was named "Tsitialainga," which means "Hater of
Lies."
Turning to the owner of the house, the Hater of Lies sternly asked some
questions of him; but as he spoke in the native tongue he was
unintelligible to our travellers, whose spirits were not cheered by the
scowling looks of the armed men. Whatever the question was, the answer
appeared to be unsatisfactory, for the Hater of Lies immediately turned
to his men, and pointing with the silver spear to the three strangers,
gave them a command.
Instantly they sprang upon Mark and his companions, and seized them.
Both Hockins and Ebony were for a moment paralysed by surprise; then,
their impulsive souls being stirred by a sudden gush of indignation,
they gathered themselves up for a mighty burst which would certainly
have resulted in disaster of some sort if Mark had not recovered
presence of mind in time.
"Submit!--submit!" he shouted in a loud voice of authority. Then, in a
sharp but lower tone, "It is our only chance! _Don't_ resist!"
With feelings of something like despair the two men obeyed. A few
minutes more and they were bound, led through the streets surrounded by
a guard, which alone protected them from death at the hands of the angry
populace. Then they were cast into a dark prison, loaded with chains,
and left to their reflections.