ss over sin or permit it. I cannot ask the king
not to punish you. Ask God to help you in the future, so that you will not
do bad or foolish things."

All the chief men of the tribe grunted their approval of what Mary had said
to the girls. But then Mary turned to the chief men and said:

"You are to blame. Your custom of one man marrying many wives is wrong and
cruel. These girls are only sixteen years old and still love fun and
play. They are too young to be married. They meant no real harm."

The men did not like to hear that. They did not like to hear that their
ways were wrong.

"If punishment is hard," said the old men, "wife and slave will be afraid
to disobey."

"King Okon," said Mary, "show that you are a good king by being kind and
merciful. Don't be too hard on these young girls."

"All right, Ma," said the king, "I will make it only ten blows with the
whip. Also we will not rub salt into the wounds to make them sting."

When the whipping was over, Mary took the girls into her room. There she
put healing medicine on their backs while she told them about Jesus who
could heal their souls.

At last it was time for Mary to go back to Old Town. The king and the
people were sorry to see her go. On her homeward way a tropical storm
struck the canoe and the people in it. Mary was soaked. The next morning
she was shaking with sickness and fever. The rowers feared their white Ma
would die. They rowed as fast as they could for Old Town. Mary was so sick
that she had to take a long rest.

A few months later a big storm tore off the roof of her house and again she
was soaked as she worked to save the children. Again she became very sick.

"You must go home to Scotland," said Daddy Anderson. "You must go home and
rest and get well."

"Since you tell me to do that and the Board has ordered it, too, I can only
obey," said Mary. "I am going to take my little black Janie with me. It is
too dangerous to leave her here where some of the heathen might steal her
and kill her because she is a twin."

With a heart that was sad at leaving Calabar, but glad to have a chance to
see her dear ones in Scotland again, Mary sailed for Dundee in April, 1883.

#5#

_Into the Jungle_

"Oh, Mary, it is good to see you again," said Mother Slessor when Mary
arrived once more in Scotland. "And this is little Janie about whom you
have written us so often! We are happy to have you with us, Janie."

"I am glad to be ho