bin a born nigger.

"`Wot's all to do?' says I.

"`They're goin' to kill a little boy,' says he, quite fierce like,
`'cause they took it into their heads he's bewitched.'

"An' sayin' that, he sot to agin in the other lingo, but the king came
up an' told him that the boy had to be killed 'cause he had a devil in
him, and had gone and betwitched a number o' other people; an' before he
had done speakin', up comes two fellers, draggin' the poor little boy
between them. The king axed him if he wos betwitched, and the little
chap--from sheer fright, I do believe--said he wos. Of coorse I
couldn't understand 'em, but the trader explained it all arter. Well,
no sooner had he said that, than they all gave a yell, and rushed upon
the poor boy with their knives, and cut him to pieces. It's as sure as
I'm sittin' here," cried Rokens, savagely, as his wrath rose again at
the bare recital of the terrible deed he had witnessed. "I would ha'
knocked out the king's brains there and then, but the trader caught my
hand, and said, in a great fright, that if I did, it would not only cost
me my life, but likely the whole party; so that cooled me, and I come
away; an' I'm goin' to ax the captin wot we shud do."

"We can do nothing," said the doctor sadly. "Even suppose we were
strong enough to punish them, what good would it do? We can't change
their natures. They are superstitious, and are firmly persuaded they
did right in killing that poor boy."

The doctor pondered for a few seconds, and then added, in a low voice,
as if he were weighing the meaning of what he said: "Clergymen would
tell us that nothing can deliver them from this bondage save a knowledge
of the true God and of His Son Jesus Christ; that the Bible might be the
means of curing them, if Bibles were only sent, and ministers to preach
the gospel."

"Then why ain't Bibles sent to 'em at once?" asked Rokens, in a tone of
great indignation, supposing that the doctor was expressing his own
opinion on the subject. "Is there nobody to look arter these matters in
Christian lands?"

"Oh, yes, there are many Bible Societies, and both Bibles and
missionaries have been sent to this country; but it's a large one, and
the societies tell us their funds are limited."

"Then why don't they git more funds?" continued Rokens, in the same
indignant tone, as his mind still dwelt upon the miseries and wickedness
that he had seen, and that _might_ be prevented; "why don't they g