ere you see are men
wounded. We _must_ wipe out the disgrace that is put upon us. Now she
must rest. Women, you take care of the white Ma. We will call her at
cock-crow when we start."

This meant an hour's sleep. Mary Slessor lay down in a hut. It seemed
as though her eyes were hardly shut before she was wakened again. She
stood, tottering with tiredness, when she heard the cry--

"Run, Ma, run!"

The warriors were off down the hill away to the fight. She ran, but
they were quickly out of sight on the way to the attack. Was all her
trouble in vain? She pressed on weak and breathless, but determined.
She heard wild yells and the roll of the war drum. The warriors she
had followed were feverishly making ready to fight, a hundred yards
distant from the enemy's village.

She went up to them and spoke sternly.

"Behave like men," she said, "not like fools. Do not yell and shout.
Hold your peace. I am going into the village there."

She pointed to the enemy. Then she walked forward. Ahead of her stood
the enemy in unbroken ranks of dark warriors. They stood like a solid
wall. She hailed them as she walked forward.

There was an ominous silence. She laughed.

"How perfect your manners are!" she exclaimed. She was about to walk
forward and force them to make way for her when an old chief stepped
out toward her and, to her amazement, knelt down at her feet.

"Ma," he said, "we thank you for coming to us. We own that we wounded
the chief over there. It was only one of our men who did it. It was
not the act of all our town. We ask you that you will speak with our
enemy to bring them to peace with us."

_The Healed Chief_

She looked into the face of the chief. Then she saw to her joy that
this was the very chief whom she had toiled through the rain to heal
long ago. Because of what she had done then, he was now at her feet
asking her to make peace. Should she run back and tell the warriors,
who a hundred yards away were spoiling for a fight? That was her first
joyful thought. Then she saw that she must first make her authority
stronger over the whole band of warriors.

"Stay where you are," she said. "Some of you find a place where I can
sit in comfort; and bring me food. I will not starve while men fight.
Choose two or three men to speak well for you, and we will have two
men from your enemies."

These grim warriors, so sullen and threatening a few moments ago,
obeyed her every word. At length two chiefs came fr