r of men and women were seized and chained to posts
and condemned to die. Ma set herself to save them. She begged and coaxed
the sick man so much on their behalf that at last she wearied him, and
he got his followers to carry him secretly away to one of his farms. Ma
could only pray, and she prayed that he might get better. By and by
strength did return, and the prisoners were released, only one woman
being put to death.

No sooner was this trial ended than a worse came. A chief whom Ma
feared, a very cruel and blood-thirsty man, paid a visit to Edem. He and
his followers did nothing but drink, and soon they were mad with the
fiery liquor, and the whole village was in a violent uproar. Ma bravely
went into the midst of the mob and sought to calm them. She saw that the
best thing to do was to get the visitors away, and she hurried them off
as quickly as possible, going with them herself in order to prevent
bloodshed on the way, for they wanted to fight every one they met. In
the forest path they saw some withered plants and leaves on the ground.
"Sorcery," they yelled, and fled back in a panic--they thought these
things had magic in them and were meant to do them harm.

"Let us go to the last village and kill every one in it," they shouted;
"they have tried to bewitch us."

And they rushed pell-mell along the path flourishing their swords and
shouting their terrible war-cries. Ma prayed for swiftness, and ran
until she came in front of them, and then, turning, she threw out her
arms and breathlessly dared them to pass. It seemed a mad thing to do,
but again that something in her face made them stop. They argued with
her and then they obeyed her, and went forward by another path. But they
began to dance and caper and fight each other, until Ma, with the help
of some of the soberer ones, tied the worst to the trees. The others
went on, and she did not leave them until they were safe in their own
district. On the way back she unloosed the drunken prisoners, who were
now in a raging temper, and sent them home with their hands fastened
behind their backs.

But that was not the end. Next day the cruel chief went to the village
that was blamed for laying the things on the path, and although it did
not belong to him, but to Edem, he made the people take ordeals, and
carried away a young man in handcuffs to put him to death. Ma hastened
to the chief. He was rude and rough, and laughed at her, but she tried
not to mind, and be