s gladly helped him in building the
houses.

For a long time Mary had been trying to get the chiefs of Okoyong to trade
with the traders on the coast. They would not listen. Now she invited them
to her new house. She showed them the things she had and how useful they
were. The chiefs looked at the door and windows. They liked them. The women
looked at the clothes and at the sewing machine. They liked them. They
looked at the clock on the mantel. They liked it, too.

"We will trade with coast people," said Chief Edem.

Mary wrote to the traders and invited them to Okoyong. She told them to
bring dishes, dress goods, mirrors, clocks, and the like to trade for
ivory, oil, and bananas and other things in the jungle.

"It is too dangerous to come up-country," answered the traders. "We are
afraid the native guards on the jungle paths will kill us."

Mary wrote to good King Eyo, of Duke Town. She asked him to invite the
Okoyong chiefs for a conference. She promised they would bring jungle goods
to trade.

King Eyo invited the chiefs. They did not want to go. Mary told them of the
interesting things they would see on the coast. She told them of the good
things they could get by trading. At last they agreed to go. They collected
two canoeloads of bananas, barrels of oil and other jungle crops. Then the
chiefs and warriors came marching down to the river to go to the coast.

"Wait," said Mary. "You cannot take those spears and swords and guns
along. You will only get into trouble. You must leave your swords and
spears, your guns and knives at home."

When Mary said this, many of the natives disappeared into the jungle. They
would not go without their weapons.

"Ma, you make women of us," argued those who remained. "Would a man go
among strangers without arms?"

"You may not take arms," said Mary. "You are not going to war. You are
going for a friendly visit."

"If we cannot take our swords and guns we will not go. We will stay home."

"But you promised and I promised King Eyo that you would come. Will you go
back on your word and make me a liar?"

For two hours they argued with Mary. The beach filled with natives from the
village who wanted to see the chiefs start on their trip. The chiefs did
not want to look like cowards to the people of the village. At last they
took off their swords and gave their guns to their white Ma. Those who had
run away to the jungle came back and decided to go along.

"We do not lik