The Dawn of Freedom
It was a fortnight later. Ilombekabasi was the scene of great
activity. Gangs of negroes were busy carrying, hauling, stones of all
shapes and sizes from the dry bed of the stream that once flowed past
the fort; other gangs were building a wall above the original northern
wall of the fort, a few yards beyond the spring whence the water supply
was derived. On the cultivable land on the west and east men and women
were digging, ploughing, planting, hoeing, for in some parts seed sown
only two weeks before was already sprouting. Barney O'Dowd
superintended the mason work, sporting a red fez taken from one of the
slain Askari and dry-cleaned by a process of his own. In his mouth was
his old short clay pipe, in which, after long deprivation, he was
smoking a mixture made by himself from tobacco grown on a bed in front
of his hut. It was not shag, he said, nor twist, but it made a betther
smoke than cavendish, and sure 'twould give a man a little comfort till
the rale thing could be grown. The agriculturists were directed by
Imbono. An air of cheerful industry pervaded the whole settlement.
When the State troops under Lieutenant Jennaert had disappeared, Jack
determined, after a breathing space, to enlarge the fort and to plant
new crops. The enlargement was prompted not merely by the wish to have
the source of the water supply within the wall, but by the expectation
that the defeat of Bula Matadi would cause an increase of the
population. And, in fact, within a week of Jennaert's departure,
natives from distant parts to which the news had penetrated came
flocking into Ilombekabasi to join the community which looked up to
Lokolobolo as its invincible chief.
Looking round upon the cheerful faces of the people; observing their
willingness to work, and eagerness to please; watching the happy family
life they led when unmolested and free from anxieties, Jack felt that
his toil had not been in vain, and was immeasurably glad that
Providence had laid this charge upon him. If only his uncle had lived
to see this day!
Jack found that his feelings were shared by Mr. Arlington and his
friend the missionary. They had awaited the issue of his hazardous
enterprise with more anxiety than they cared to admit, and while they
hailed his success with cordial congratulations, they were scarcely
less troubled about the future. The Congo State could not permit this
leaven of revolt to spread; it would certainly organize an
expeditionary force of sufficient strength to crush Jack and his
people; and then would not their lot be infinitely worse than it had
ever been?
"Even so we shall have had some months of happiness, and set an
example," said Jack, talking things over with his friends the day
before they left Ilombekabasi. "But I hope for better things. We may
have the rains upon us any day now; the country for miles around will
be one vast morass; we shall be safe in our castle for six months,
perhaps. And what may not be done in six months, Mr. Arlington?"
"You mean?"
"I mean if you and Mr. Dathan will hurry home and tell what you have
seen and know. Mr. Arlington, you are no longer a member of
Parliament, I believe?"
"No. The House of Commons is no longer what it was."
"Surely it is what men like you choose to make it, sir. If you would
go home, stand at a bye-election, and return to the House, what an
immense influence a man with your record might wield! Do you know what
I would do in your place, sir? You do not mind my speaking out?"
"Not a bit. I am deeply interested."
"Well, sir, I would badger the Foreign Secretary; I would move the
country until England moved the world."
"Go on the stump like Gladstone?"
"Why not, sir? Isn't the cause of the negroes every bit as good as the
cause of the Bulgarians or Macedonians or Armenians? Nay, ten times
better, because they're more helpless and suffer under a Christian
King! And you would succeed, sir."
"I haven't Gladstone's power of moving the masses."
"What does that matter? The facts don't need any eloquence to back
them, sir. I don't mean that you are not eloquent," he added with a
smile. "I haven't heard you speak, but I have read your speeches; and
if you tell what you have seen here, the country must listen, and
something will surely be done. Why, if you go to my old school and
speak to the fellows in the schoolhouse, I'll back there's not a boy
there but will want to rush off here by the first train, to lend a
hand!"
"Upon my word, Mr. Challoner, I think you'd better come back with us
and do the stumping yourself."
"No, no," said Jack, his face flushing. "I cannot leave these people.
My place is here, and here I'll stick until I'm driven out, or until
Leopold is brought to book."
"Well, I'll do what I can. I promise you that. Perhaps I've ploughed
the lonely furrow long enough. What do you say, Dathan? Shall we join
hands in this? We rowed in the same boat at Trinity; we kept the head
of the river. This boat's rather low down now, but d'you think we
could make a bump?"
"We'll make a shot for it, George. And please God, we like Bishop
Latimer, will light such a candle in England as shall not be put out
until this wrong is crushed and right is done."
Jack felt more than satisfied. If his countrymen had not grown
strangely deaf, surely they would listen to these two--ay, and do more
than listen.
"You leave to-morrow?" he said.
"Yes. My leg won't carry me yet, but with a canoe and a litter I can
make shift to get along until we reach the Nyanza. Can you lend me an
interpreter?"
"Lepoko is a good fellow. I think I can spare him now. We'll see what
he says."
He sent for the man, and explained that he wished him to accompany the
travellers during the first part of their journey.
"Me plenty sorry, massa," said Lepoko. "Me no fit to go. What for?
Me comfy heah! No lib for go talk talk for nudder massa. What for?
Nando go to Boma with old massa; what den? He come back, get cotched,
chicotte, feel plenty bad. No, no, sah; Lepoko know all 'bout dat.
Lepoko go long long, do anyfing for massa; he lib for lub Lokolobolo,
no nudder massa dis time. Why, me hab got wife in Ilombekabasi; what
for leabe wife? No good at all; dat what Bula Matadi make black man
do, leabe wife, leabe pickin, go 'way all 'lone 'lone. Make black man
sick inside, sah; feel awful bad. No, no, I tell massa. Nando go. He
know Inglesa plenty fine; he hab no got wife; he die of shame 'cos he
leabe Samba in fire hut; no one lub Nando now. Oh yes, sah! Nando go:
me tell him one time."
After this breathless speech, Lepoko ran off to find his brother.
Nando at first was by no means disposed to leave the fort on so long
and hazardous a journey. But at last he was persuaded, though on
bidding Jack good-bye he said earnestly--
"Me nebber, nebber, nebber lib for hab nudder brudder what talk
Inglesa: oh no!"
One afternoon a few days after this, one of the look-outs on the
south-eastern blockhouse reported that he saw a crowd of people
emerging from the forest a couple of miles away. Hurrying to the spot,
Jack took a long look through his field-glasses and made out that the
approaching throng was composed of natives, men, women, and children,
the women being laden with babies and bundles. When the crowd came
within earshot of the fort, a negro stepped forward, and, lifting his
hands to his mouth, vociferated--
"Yo! Yo!"
"Answer him, Lianza," said Jack to the man of the brazen throat.
"I am here," shouted Lianza.
"Is that Ilombekabasi?"
"It is Ilombekabasi."
"And Lokolobolo?"
"And Lokolobolo."
"I am Lokua. My chief is Makole. We come from Limpoko to see
Lokolobolo."
"Lokolobolo says that Makole and Lokua may enter, but no more."
"I am going."
"Are you going?"
"O!"
The negro returned to his company, who were now squatting in a series
of circles just above the site of Elbel's ruined camp. He presently
returned with a negro in chief's array, a head taller than himself.
The two negroes were admitted. Makole stood before Jack, a bundle of
palm leaves in one hand. They exchanged greetings.
"I am proud to see Lokolobolo," said Makole. "I come from Limpoko.
All my people have come with me, my four wives, my children, all my
people. We have heard of the great things done by Lokolobolo in
Ilombekabasi, and how he beat Elobela and Mutela and other servants of
the Great White Chief who eats up the black men. We come to ask
Lokolobolo to let us be his people. I am Makole, the chief; I have
four wives and many children; but I say I will be Lokolobolo's servant;
all my people shall be his servants, if he will take us into
Ilombekabasi and let us live in peace."
"Why do you wish to leave Limpoko?" asked Jack.
"We do not wish to leave Limpoko. But what can we do, O Lokolobolo?
The rubber is done; we have no more of it; day by day the servants of
the Great White Chief beat us and kill us because we cannot fill our
baskets; Limpoko will soon be a wilderness. We come before we are all
gone, and we beg Lokolobolo to hear our entreaty."
"Shall we admit Makole?" asked Jack of Imbono, who had come to his side.
"Makole is a tall man, a great chief. We will be blood brothers and
live together."
"You may bring your people in, Makole. But I warn you it may not be to
live in peace. We have offended Bula Matadi; Bula Matadi will come
with a great host to destroy us. All who live in Ilombekabasi must not
look for ease and peace, but for work and war. Your people must share
with the rest; they must build their own huts, till the fields, repair
the walls, learn to scout and to fight in our way. It is not peace,
Makole."
"I praise Lokolobolo! I trust Lokolobolo! I will do all he says, and
my people shall learn all that he teaches," cried the chief, slapping
his thighs. Then, unwrapping the bundle of palm leaves, he displayed a
shrivelled hand, and said--
"This is my gift to Lokolobolo."
"What is this, Makole?" asked Jack, shuddering.
"It is the hand of Boloko, who whipped us and killed us, who can say
how many? We met him as we came through the forest, and my young men
killed him, and I bring his hand to Lokolobolo to show that he is dead,
and will trouble us no more."
"But we do not deal with our enemies thus," said Jack.
The chief looked surprised.
"It is the way of the servants of the Great White Chief," he said.
"They kill us, and cut off our hands, and take them to their chiefs,
and the chiefs are pleased and pay brass rods for them. I thought
Lokolobolo would be pleased."
"Lokolobolo is Inglesa," said Lepoko. "It is only Bula Matadi that
pays for the hands of black men. Give it to Mboyo; he is Boloko's
brother. Boloko hated Mboyo, he hated Samba; Mboyo will be pleased."
"Bury it at once, out of sight," said Jack, "Bring your people in,
Makole. Lepoko, take him to Mr. Barney; he will show him where to
build his huts."
All Ilombekabasi flocked to the gates to see the entrance of this new
contingent. They came in laughing, singing, dancing, the mothers
eagerly asking where was Lokolobolo that they might point him out to
their little ones. But Lokolobolo was not to be seen.