Samba: A Story of the Rubber Slaves of the Congo

by Herbert Strang

  CHAPTER XI

  Bula Matadi comes to Ilola

  "Well, Barney," said Jack, when Mr. Martindale's canoe had disappeared,"I don't know how a first mate would feel if he lost his captain inmid-ocean, but I should fancy he'd feel pretty much as I do now."

  "And what sort of feeling is now consuming ye, sorr?"

  "Mixed, Barney, very mixed! I like the idea of being left in charge,trusted, you know; there's something jolly pleasant about that. Butthat's the point, you see; I am left in charge."

  "Sure I see your maning widout your telling me, sorr. 'Tis just thevery same feeling I used to have whin a bhoy, and me mither put thebaby in me arms and tould me to sit wid her on the doorstep. 'Twas asweet pretty colleen, an' I thought a powerful deal uv having such aheap uv loveliness in me arms; but thin, just as you say, sorr, she wasin me arms, an' they being thin an' she being fat--begorra! I was soonmighty tired uv it, an' I wished she was ugly so that I might hate herwidout sin."

  "I hope I shan't feel quite so bad as that, Barney," said Jack with alaugh. "But I own I'm a little anxious with so many people in mycharge."

  "And not wan uv them to be trusted, saving Pat and meself."

  "And this mining claim of my uncle's to keep an eye on and defendwithout using force."

  "And wild beasts prowling around----"

  "And that villainous uncle of Samba's somewhere in the neighbourhood, Isuppose, waiting a chance to molest us."

  "And bedad! if he does, he'll find an Irishman, an Englishman, and aterrier, Irish by breed and Irish by nature, and them three are a matchfor any fifty Blokos, widout a doubt."

  "You're an optimist, Barney. But you're right. It's silly to meettroubles half-way. We had better set about doing something. I used tothink our house-master kept our noses rather too close to thegrindstone, but I begin to see he was right when he said work was thebest cure for the dumps."

  "And for what the advertisements call a tindency to corpilence. Butwhat will you be after doing at all, sorr?"

  "Well, don't you think that, now our numbers are reduced, it would beas well to move our camp nearer to Imbono's village? We shall be herefor a couple of months or so, and if Boloko is still on our tracks weshould be less open to surprise near Ilola. Besides, it will give themen something to do. They'd better build grass huts for the wholeparty, and I don't see why we shouldn't try our hands at architecturalimprovements."

  "Indeed, 'tis a good notion, sorr. But are ye sure Imbono would bewilling to have us for close neighbours?"

  "We can try. He's my blood brother, you know. And I dare say we canput him up to a thing or two."

  The chief made no objection to the suggested change of site; indeed, heoffered the assistance of his men in the construction of the new huts.This, however, Jack declined in the politest terms, thinking it betterto provide plenty of work for his own men until he had had time to takehis bearings. The new huts were built within a short distance ofIlola, near a stream. They were the ordinary grass huts of thenatives, but Jack, seeing a number of wooden slabs taken from thebottoms of old canoes, had purchased them from Imbono, and when shapeda little they made a very fair substitute for flooring boards. The newsettlement was surrounded with a stockade in the native manner, spaceenough being left within to accommodate Mr. Martindale and his partywhen they should return.

  This work occupied a fortnight. Everything had gone smoothly, save fortrifling squabbles among the natives. These Jack managed to settlewith little difficulty, in great part through the excellent qualitiesof Lepoko, who turned out to be a much better man all round than hisbrother Nando. When the new village was completed, Jack set the men tomake Indian clubs from the trees near at hand, and spent part of thecool hours in instructing his followers in their use. They tookreadily to the new pastime, and very quickly became proficient inexecuting a great variety of intricate figures. Jack was elated at thesuccess of his experiment: it not only provided an admirable drill forthe men, but accustomed them to take commands from him and thusconsolidated his authority.

  Imbono's men caught the infection: Indian clubs were soon the order ofthe day in Ilola; and it gave Jack and Barney no little amusement tosee men, women, and children at all times of the day whirling clubsaround their heads. Imbono saw that his men's performances weregreatly lacking in rhythm and grace, and he begged his blood brother(whom he had named Lokolobolo, "strong leg") to allow some of his mento join in the daily practising. Jack was nothing loth; the moreinfluence he could obtain in this way the better his chances of successin the task his uncle had set him.

  He was casting about for some new employment to occupy and interest hismen, when a couple of canoes came up the river bearing a letter fromMr. Martindale, and a small consignment of Mauser rifles andammunition. The letter was dated from Baraka.

  DEAR JACK,--

  I've got here safely, no interference, no upsets. I've managed to gethold of some rifles--I won't tell you how--and send them to you incharge of some canoe "boys." Hope they'll reach you safely. I've paidthe boys well, and promised them as much more if they return and meetme with an acknowledgment from you. I'm off to Boma; will write youagain from there if I can find a means of sending the letter. Let meknow by the bearer how you are getting on.

  On the way down I made more particular inquiries than were possible incoming up as to the methods of the Congo Government. At Stanleyville Imet a Frenchman who told me a good deal, and here got rather chummywith an English missionary on his way home to tell the British publicsome of the effects of King Leopold's rule. One need only look at theman to see that he is the right sort, with the stuff in him formartyrdom if the call came. The things he told me made my skin creep.Leopold seems to be doing his best to depopulate the country. He'llsoon make Vanderbilt sing small as a multi-millionaire; but when hispile's made this State of his will be a wilderness.

  I find that the natives are required to bring in four kilos of rubberevery fortnight. They're supposed to be paid for it, and they do getbrass rods or something of the sort; but the pay works out at the rateof three cents a pound--when rubber to my knowledge fetches abouteighty cents a pound in the European market! I hear of cases wherethey don't even get that; a spoonful of salt is supposed to besufficient. If the rubber don't measure up to the standard, the leastpunishment the poor wretches get is twenty-five lashes with a whip ofhippo hide--the _chicotte_, an outrageous thing that would cut througha pine log. But they don't stop at twenty-five; a hundred ain'tuncommon; no wonder some of the poor creatures peg out after it.

  But that's not the worst. These precious "forest guards," as they callthem, seem to be little less than fiends. I saw with my own eyes, atone of the villages on the way down, a basket filled with hands, cutfrom the people these savages have killed for not bringing in enoughrubber. The Frenchman told me they have to produce these hands beforethe Commissary to prove they haven't wasted their cartridges.According to State law they oughtn't to be armed with rifles, butthey've got a Belgian thing called the Albini, and that's how they useit. I wouldn't believe that this hand-chopping was done with theknowledge of the officials, though even then it don't relieve them ofresponsibility; but I heard of a State officer at one of the outpostswho actually paid in brass rods for the hands brought him.

  Law doesn't count here, and justice is only a name. What do you thinkof this? A Belgian official quartered himself with twenty nativesoldiers on a small village, and because they couldn't fix up at oncethe food required for the visitors, he carried the chief and some ofhis men to his camp up river, and kept 'em there tied up for a monthtill a fine of 5,000 brass rods had been paid--ruination for such asmall place. The missionary told me that "fights" are constantlytaking place, and "fight" simply means massacre. Districts that onceheld a thousand people are now reduced to a hundred; what natives arenot killed get so worn out and dispirited that they are bowled over bysleeping sickness. If this sort of thing goes on much longer, thewhole population will be wiped out.
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br />   You'll be surprised to get such a long letter; but fact is, I can'tthink of anything else just now. It makes me fairly sick to think thatAmerica had a hand in putting this huge territory under the control ofa man whose philanthropic high-falutin comes to this. The whole systemis organized murder and pillage under the form of law, and for thisKing Leopold, who pockets a thumping profit, is responsible before Godand man. Now I've told you this you'll know how to deal with thatfellow Elbel if he tries any tricks. But remember, no fighting exceptin self-defence. Patience, my boy--_toujours la patience_, as theFrenchman said to me when I was boiling with rage and wanted to goright away and speak my mind to the Governor.

  Your affectionate uncle, JOHN MARTINDALE.

  P.S.--I saw and heard nothing of Samba.

  There was plenty of food for thought here, especially when Jack learntfrom the head paddler who had brought the letter that the officials ofthe Trust in which Ilola was situated were coming up the river toestablish new depots for the rubber. He wrote a brief account of whathe had been doing, and despatched it by the same men. Then, to beprepared for eventualities, he picked out the most intelligent of hisfollowers and began to teach them the use of the rifle. Only a few ofthem showed any promise as marksmen. But Jack was very patient withthem; and having a good stock of ammunition and the promise of more, hedid not spare practice, and in a short time had about fifteen fairlytrustworthy shots. One man, named Makoko, took to the rifle from thefirst and ran Jack close as a marksman. Jack was very proud of hispupil. He himself had been the crack shot of his school company; andthough there was all the difference in the world between shooting atthe butts from a position of rest and shooting at alligators or hipposfrom a canoe, he had tested his marksmanship with success as he came upthe Congo.

  Now that some of his men had rifles it occurred to Jack to teach themwhat he remembered of his company drill. It was a welcome change aftertheir long practice with the Indian clubs, and they entered into itwith the pleasure and zest of children. Lepoko was gratified with therank of sergeant, and Makoko made corporal in recognition of hisdiligence and skill in musketry. When the company was formed Barneyreminded Jack that he had been a corporal in the Irish Fusiliers. "Andsure I'd be in the army now, sorr, only they didn't invent the IrishGuards till I was a time-expired man. But having been a corporal, it'smeself that is cut out to be your liftinant here, sorr. We've got Patfor the pet uv the reg'mint," he added, "and the only thing that'swanting is the uniform."

  "Well, Barney, perhaps for the sake of uniformity we'd better strip andtake to the loincloth."

  "Ah! you must always be having your bit uv fun, sorr. We'd be far tooconspicuous, for my skin at any rate would turn red wid modesty, andthe generals say that red coats make the best targets for the inemy."

  The drilling of Jack's company was followed with great interest andadmiration by Imbono and his men. They never failed to attend thedaily parade, and soon desired to join it. Jack delighted the chief byputting the villagers through the same exercises as his own men,excepting, of course, the musketry practice, for which they had norifles. Before long Jack found himself captain of a company a hundredand fifty strong, all but his fifteen riflemen being spearmen.

  Nearly two months had now passed. Jack had not heard again from hisuncle, whose return he daily expected. He was anxious to see himagain, for lately news had been brought in by excited natives that theservants of the Great White Chief were drawing nearer, their progressbeing attended by wanton cruelties which boded ill for the men ofIlola. So distressed was Imbono at the tales he heard from thesemessengers that he thought of dismantling his village and migratinginto the depths of the forest. There for a time he and his peoplemight hide from the destroyer. But to a people accustomed to the openthe prospect of making a new home in the forest was gloomy indeed.Most of them would probably die of disease before they becameacclimatised, and there was great risk of starving while clearings werebeing made and brought under cultivation. Imbono resolved to wait alittle longer, hoping that Bula Matadi might turn back, sated with thespoils from lower reaches of the Lemba.

  One day, the visitors so long expected and so little desired arrived atthe village. Jack's settlement being on the further side of Ilola fromthe river, he did not know of their approach until informed of it by amessenger from Imbono. Thirty forest guards of the Great White Chiefhad come, and with them twenty nondescripts, hangers-on of the licensedpillagers. Their leader was not a white man, as Imbono had expected,but a black man like themselves. This surprised Jack. It was ofrather ill omen that the first representatives of King Leopold inImbono's village should be negroes free from white men's control. Butthe strangers reported that a white man--his name, they said, wasElobela--was coming up the river behind them. Meanwhile they, in hisname, called upon the chief to supply rubber. Imbono desired that hisbrother Lokolobolo would come into the village and give him advice.

  "Faith, I'd do nothing of the sort, sorr," said Barney. "What would yehave any truck wid Elbel's scoundhrels for?"

  "But it would be a poor return for Imbono's kindness to refuse. Ishall certainly go; the question is, shall I go armed?"

  "The blessed angels help ye if ye don't, sorr. Take your revolver;I'll come wid ye, and so will Pat; 'tis right to make a good show forthe honour of the reg'mint."

  Accordingly captain, lieutenant, and regimental pet, with Lepoko asinterpreter, left the stockaded camp and crossed to Ilola. They foundthe thirty forest guards already swaggering about the village as if itbelonged to them. They were big muscular Ngombe, armed with rifle,cutlass, and whip. Their leader was engaged in conversation with thechief. No sooner did Pat perceive him than he darted forward with agrowl, and coming to the negro, began to bark furiously at his heels.The man turned round quickly and aimed a blow with his whip at the dog,which made Pat bark and jump more vigorously than ever. At the samemoment the man caught sight of Jack, and his face expressed surprise,guilt, and bravado in turn.

  "Begorra!" said Barney under his breath, "'tis Bloko himself!"

  The chief's countenance cleared; he was unmistakably pleased at Jack'sready response to his request. Then he anxiously asked what he shoulddo.

  "I don't think you can do anything but obey," replied Jack."Undoubtedly the Great White Chief is lord of the land. By the laws hehas made you are bound to supply these people with rubber. It is yourtax. If you resist it will mean ruin to yourself and your villages.How is the rubber to be paid for?"

  "In brass rods."

  "Well, let your men do their best. We will see if you get your duepay. My uncle will soon be back; he is a determined man, and if youare not properly treated he will take care that somebody hears of it."

  Boloko scowled, then laughed, when Lepoko translated this answer to thechief. He swaggered away to his men, and the whole crowd were soonlaughing heartily, every now and then making derisive gestures at thewhite men. With some difficulty Barney had got hold of Pat, whosebarking had subsided into a rumbling growl. But for his restraininghand Barney knew well that the dog would have thrown prudence to thewinds and set upon the strange negroes.

  From that day Imbono's villagers began the collection of rubber.Boloko and his men seized as many huts as they required, and demandedregular and copious supplies of food for themselves and theirhangers-on. Before twenty-four hours had passed Boloko, with half adozen of his guards, strolled over to Jack's village, and looked in atthe gateway of the stockade. Jack had already decided to adoptmilitary precautions. Two of his best men were doing sentry-go at thegate. When Boloko saw them and their rifles he thought better ofentering as he had purposed. He stood for some time taking stock ofthe tidy compound and the neat new huts around, and discussing with hismen this unexpected discovery. Then with a malignant scowl he returnedto Ilola.

  For some days Jack saw no more of Boloko. He remained within his ownstockade, thinking it would do the chief no good if he too openlyshowed friendship. Every day he put the men through t
heir usual drill,never giving the least sign that he was aware of being closely observedby the forest guards. The drilling of Imbono's men had ceased; theadult villagers were now engaged in the collection of rubber.

  From what Jack heard from his men, it soon became clear to him thatBoloko was anxious to pick a quarrel with the chief. His motive, Jackguessed, was partly to show his authority, partly to flaunt hiscontempt of the friendship between Imbono and the white men. Hisdesign was to some extent kept in check by the knowledge that Jack hadfifteen men well armed and trained, and the presence of the two whitemen, Inglesa too--he had a wholesome respect for the Inglesa--was initself a considerable deterrent. But he began to find fault with thequality of the rubber brought in; declared that the villagers kept thebest fish for themselves and gave him the worst; complained that hismen were made ill by rotten manioc. Imbono took care that the detailsof these grievances were carried to Jack, who, however, held aloof,still feeling that interference on his part would do no good, while itwould certainly aggravate the situation. When the Congo Free Stateentrusted the collection of its revenue to such subordinates as Boloko,commanding ruthless savages like the forest guards, there was nothingto be done.

  One evening, after sunset, Lepoko came into Jack's hut to say that thechief desired to see him. Jack hurried out, and found Imbono incompany with one of his villagers. He invited them into his hut,lighted a candle, and setting food and palm wine before them, inquiredthe object of their visit.

  "Look, my brother!" said the chief, pointing to his companion.

  The man turned, and showed three terrible gashes in his back. Helifted his right foot and removed a bandage; Jack saw that two of thetoes were missing.

  "You see, brother!" said Imbono. "Ifumi was eating caterpillars in hishut. The guard Bomolo saw him and came to him and said, 'Your rubberis short. You eat caterpillars instead of collecting rubber.' Ifumisaid: 'No, my rubber is not short. There is my basket; you see it isfull.' But Bomolo cut three gashes in his back, and struck off two ofhis toes with his knife."

  "That is the truth, Ifumi?" asked Jack.

  "It is true," replied the man.

  "You did not provoke Bomolo?"

  "No, I said to him only what the chief has told."

  "You did right to come, Imbono," said Jack quietly. "Go back now: youhad better not be seen here. I will send you a message in the morning."

  The two men thanked him and went away, Ifumi limping as he walked,supported by the chief's arm. Jack called Barney and told him what hadhappened.

  "It makes my blood boil, Barney. I hoped it would not come to this.Poor wretches--to be at the mercy of such savages! I can't stand byand see such things done. I'm sure my uncle would not wish me to. Yetwhat can I do? We could fight Boloko and his men, and beat them Ihope; but goodness knows what that would lead to. Whatever littleright they have to maim these poor people, we have none whatever tointerfere, and we should have the regular forces of the State down onus for treason or rebellion or what not. But something must be done.I wish my uncle were here!"

  "Well, sorr, I'm ready for anything. The quickest and easiest waywould be to fight, for wid all this drill wan uv our men is worth twouv those blagyards."

  "No, my uncle said we were to fight only in self-defence. I can't goagainst that. Couldn't we persuade Boloko to keep his men inorder--bribe him, perhaps?"

  "I'd sooner try to persuade the divil, sorr."

  "Well, I shall try it. I'll invite him to a palaver. We'll give him afeast--open our last bottle of soda water; a good dinner improves aman's temper sometimes, you know, Barney."

  "True, sorr; but it sometimes makes a man very impident. Will I sendLepoko over wid the invitation the morn's morn, sorr?"

  "Yes, directly after breakfast. Say that I shall be pleased if Bolokowill come to see me in my camp. He may bring his rifle and half adozen of his men."