It Seemed That One Of Those Miscreant Boys Was A Runaway From A Fan
Village.
He had been desirous, with the usual enterprise of young
Fans, of seeing the great world that he knew lay down at the mouth
of the river, i.e. Libreville Gaboon.
He had pleaded with his
parents for leave to go down and engage in work there, but the said
parents holding the tenderness of his youth unfitted to combat with
Coast Town life and temptation, refused this request, and so the
young rascal had run away without leave and with a canoe, and was
surmised to have joined the well-known Obanjo. Obanjo owned he had
(more armed canoes were coming round the corner), and said if the
mother would come and fetch her boy she could have him. He for his
part would not have dreamed of taking him if he had known his
relations disapproved. Every one seemed much relieved, except the
causa belli. The Fans did not ask about two boys and providentially
we gave the lady the right one. He went reluctantly. I feel pretty
nearly sure he foresaw more kassengo than fatted calf for him on his
return home. When the Fan canoes were well back round the corner
again, we had a fine hunt for the other boy, and finally unearthed
him from under the bamboo staging.
When we got him out he told the same tale. He also was a runaway
who wanted to see the world, and taking the opportunity of the
majority of the people of his village being away hunting, he had
slipped off one night in a canoe, and dropped down river to the
village of the boy who had just been reclaimed. The two boys had
fraternised, and come on the rest of their way together, lying
waiting, hidden up a creek, for Obanjo, who they knew was coming
down river; and having successfully got picked up by him, they
thought they were safe. But after this affair boy number two judged
there was no more safety yet, and that his family would be down
after him very shortly; for he said he was a more valuable and
important boy than his late companion, but his family were an
uncommon savage set. We felt not the least anxiety to make their
acquaintance, so clapped heels on our gallant craft and kept the
paddles going, and as no more Fans were in sight our crew kept at
work bravely. While Obanjo, now in a boisterous state of mind, and
flushed with victory, said things to them about the way they had
collapsed when those two women in a canoe came round that corner,
that must have blistered their feelings, but they never winced.
They laughed at the joke against themselves merrily. The other
boy's family we never saw and so took him safely to Gaboon, where
Obanjo got him a good place.
Really how much danger there was proportionate to the large amount
of fear on our boat I cannot tell you.
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