ad.

[Illustration: MASK USED IN NATIVE PLAYS.]

[Illustration: MA'S LAST VOYAGE.]

CHAPTER XI

What happened when the Great War broke out. Ma's last voyage
down the Creek; how her life-long dream came true. Now she lies
at rest, and dreams no more, but her work goes on.

The house at Odoro Ikpe was nearly finished. It was August 1914, and
strange stories were being whispered among the natives of a great war in
the world of white men beyond the seas. Ma knew how swiftly news travels
in Africa, and became anxious but did not show it, and went calmly about
her duties. The people grew more and more restless and excited, food
became dearer, and no lamp oil could be had. She had to read at night by
the light of a wood fire.

One day she was sitting in the new house when the mail boy came running
up with letters. She took the packet and read of the invasion of Belgium
by the Germans, with all the horrors of that terrible time, the coming
of Britain into the struggle on the side of right and justice and
freedom. "Thank God," she cried, "we are not to blame."

But the dreadful news shocked and hurt her so much that she became ill
and could not rise. The girls carried her over to the rest-house and put
her into her camp-bed, and for many days she was in a raging fever. At
last, worn out, she lay in a stupor. Round her stood the house girls and
some of the lads of the Mission weeping bitterly. What should they do?
They felt they must not let their beloved Ma die alone so far away from
her own people. They must take her to Use.

So they lifted her in the camp-bed and set out for Ikpe, carrying her
gently over the streams and up and down the hills. Next morning they put
the bed into the canoe and covered up the shrunken form and the thin
withered face. The yellow cat was also put beside her, but the bag
slipped open, and it was so frightened that it rushed into the bush and
disappeared. It could not be found, and there was not time to wait, for
a long journey lay ahead, and so it was lost and never seen again.

All day the lads paddled down the beautiful Creek among the
water-lilies, and at night they took her ashore at the landing-beach,
and she lay in the white moonlight until medicine was got and given to
her, and then they carried her over the three miles to Use. Thus she
came to the only home she had, never to leave it again.

She became a little better, and was able to get up and move about, but