Pots of food and gourds of drink were being passed about among
the audience. Dirty hands were plunged into the food pots and the
captured portions devoured so greedily that one might have thought
the entire community had been upon the point of starvation. The
gourds they held to their lips until the beer ran down their chins
and the vessels were wrested from them by greedy neighbors. The
drink had now begun to take noticeable effect upon most of them,
with the result that they were beginning to give themselves up to
utter and licentious abandon.
As the girl came nearer, keeping in the shadow of the huts, looking
for Naratu she was suddenly discovered by one upon the edge of the
crowd--a huge woman, who rose, shrieking, and came toward her. From
her aspect the white girl thought that the woman meant literally
to tear her to pieces. So utterly wanton and uncalled-for was the
attack that it found the girl entirely unprepared, and what would
have happened had not a warrior interfered may only be guessed.
And then Usanga, noting the interruption, came lurching forward to
question her.
"What do you want," he cried, "food and drink? Come with me!" and
he threw an arm about her and dragged her toward the circle.
"No!" she cried, "I want Naratu. Where is Naratu?"
This seemed to sober the black for a moment as though he
had temporarily forgotten his better half.
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