At 1.45 the whole town
was roused by the frantic yells of a woman.
I judged there was one
of my beauties of Fans mixed up in it, and there was, and after
paying damages, got back again by 2.30 A.M., and off to sleep again
instantly. At four sharp, whole town of Egaja plunged into emotion,
and worse shindy. I suggested to the Ajumba they should go out; but
no, they didn't care a row of pins if one of our Fans did get
killed, so I went, recognising Kiva's voice in high expostulation.
Kiva, it seems, a long time ago had a transaction in re a tooth of
ivory with a man who, unfortunately, happened to be in this town to-
night, and Kiva owed the said man a coat. {223}
Kiva, it seems, has been spending the whole evening demonstrating to
his creditor that, had he only known they were to meet, he would
have brought the coat with him - a particularly beautiful coat - and
the reason he has not paid it before is that he has mislaid the
creditor's address. The creditor says he has called repeatedly at
Kiva's village, that notorious M'fetta, and Kiva has never been at
home; and moreover that Kiva's wife (one of them) stole a yellow dog
of great value from his (the creditor's) canoe. Kiva says, women
will be women, and he had gone off to sleep thinking the affair had
blown over and the bill renewed for the time being.
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