CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
MAMBA, SUBJECTED TO THE ORDEAL OF THE "TANGENA," ESCAPES, BUT AFTERWARDSACCUSES HIMSELF AND IS CONDEMNED.
If not yet among the martyrs, it was soon evident that Mamba stood agood chance of being among them before long--and that the mother of whomhe was so fond, and for the gratification of whose spiritual longings hehad risked so much, would probably never receive the Gospel of Peacefrom his hands.
While in prison under accusation of being a believer in the religion ofthe white man, he had debated much with himself as to what was his dutyin the present distress. Was he bound to confess Christ and take theconsequence--which, of course, he knew to be death? To deny Him was outof the question. He at once dismissed that idea as untenable. But wasthere no other mode of escape? Did not the Word itself advise that whenpersecuted in one city he was not only entitled but advised to escape toanother? "But how am I to escape? Oh God, guide me!" he cried, liftinghis clasped hands as he converted the question into a prayer.
The rattling of his chains seemed to bid him dismiss all hope, but hedid not lose faith. He continued to pray and meditate. And the longerhe meditated the more anxiously did he long to be back in the cavebeside his Reni--his humble-minded loving little mother--and beside--yes, he made no attempt to conceal it from himself--beside the beautifulqueen-like sister of Laihova. The more he meditated, however, the morehopeless did his case seem to become. To lie he would not--not even togain Ramatoa. To die he would _rather_ not! To escape he could not!
At last he hit upon an idea. He would refuse to answer. He would takerefuge in absolute silence!
As might have been expected, this course of policy did not avail himmuch. When it was found that he would not say whether he was aChristian or not, it was resolved that the matter should be settled byan appeal to the ordeal of the Tangena.
This used to be a common and much-practised ordeal in Madagascar in daysbut recently past. It consisted in the administration of poison. Otherordeals existed in the island--such as passing a red-hot iron over thetongue, or plunging the naked arm into a large pot of boiling water andpicking out a pebble thrown therein for the purpose of trial. Alas forboth innocent and guilty subjected to either trial! But the ordeal mostuniversally in favour was that of the Tangena.
The Tangena is in fact a poisonous nut about the size of a chestnutwhich derives its name from the tree that bears it. If taken in smalldoses it acts as an emetic; if in large doses it kills. Many pageswould be required to give a full and particular account of all theMalagasy superstitions connected with the ordeal. Let it suffice tosay, roughly, that previous to the poison being administered the accusedperson is obliged to swallow whole, or rather bolt, three pieces of theskin of a fowl, about the size of a dollar. Then the decoction ofTangena in rice-water is administered. If given strong it kills, andthe unfortunate is held to have been guilty. If not too strong, and thesufferer be able to bear it, vomiting is the result, and the threepieces of skin are eagerly looked for. The finding of the pieces provesthe accused to be innocent. The not finding of them proves him guilty,and at once, if he be a free man, he is killed, if a slave he is sold,and got rid of in some distant market. There was a very complex systemof combined profit and superstition surrounding the whole affair whichit is difficult as well as useless thoroughly to understand, but whichit is easy to see afforded clever scoundrels the means of persecuting,defrauding, or killing any whom they chanced to dislike, or who stood intheir way. Of course it was very easy to make the potion strong enoughto kill, or to dilute it with rice-water until it became almostharmless.
Now, when Mark Breezy heard that Mamba was condemned to swallow theTangena he went straight to his friend Rakota.
"Prince Rakota," he said, earnestly, "if your expressions of gratitudeto me are sincere you will save the life of this man."
"I will try," returned the Prince, "but the Queen is very angry justnow!"
When the Prince pleaded for the man's life Ranavalona asked of what hewas accused.
"Of praying to the Christians' God."
"Does he admit the charge?" demanded the Queen sternly.
"No--I believe not."
"Then, let the Tangena decide. It always speaks the truth. Ourancestors thought so, and I will not change the customs of ourancestors!" said this outrageously conservative queen.
Rakota, however, was a determined man and not easily foiled. Goingprivately to those who had the management of the matter, he made use ofthose mysterious arguments with which princes manage to attain theirends, and afterwards told Mark the result, which was, according toHockins, that, "Mamba's grog was to be well-watered!" As Mark could donothing more for his friend he went with his companions to see theresult.
There was another man, accused of stealing, who was to be tested at thesame time. He was a strong sturdy pugnacious-looking man.
A good deal of ceremonial of course preceded the ordeal. Among otherthings the poison had to be tested on two fowls. It killed them bothand was deemed too strong. Being diluted it was tried on two otherfowls, and killed neither. It was therefore considered rather weak. Atlast, having been reduced to the exact strength which killed one fowland only sickened the other, the potion was administered to the reputedthief, after a long prayer or invocation. For two hours there was noresult, but at the end of that time the pains began, and increased withmuch violence, yet the man maintained his innocence. His agonies weresoon extreme. Amidst his torture he solicited medicine, but this wasrefused. His bowels, he said, were writhing as if in knots. His groanswere awful. His eyes seemed ready to start from their sockets. Hiscountenance assumed a ghastly hue, and his entire frame was convulsedwith torture. Then he vomited violently, and, fortunately for him, thethree pieces of skin which he had swallowed made their appearance. Hewas at once pronounced innocent and set free.
Poor Mamba had to witness all this before his own turn came. Once morehe was questioned, but continued dumb. Then he was made to swallow histhree pieces of skin and to drink the Tangena.
The state of mind of his friends, as they watched him after what theyhad just seen, may be conceived but cannot be described. In Mamba'scase the poison acted differently. Being well diluted, its effects,although severe, were not to be compared with those experienced by thefirst sufferer. Still they were bad enough, and vomiting commenced muchsooner. To the great satisfaction of his friends the three pieces ofskin were ejected, and Mamba, being pronounced innocent, had his fettersremoved and was set free.
But when Mark hastened to congratulate him, what was his surprise to seethe poor fellow clasp his hands and raise them to Heaven, while anexpression of pain--very different from that resulting from physicalsuffering--convulsed his features.
"Oh! no, no!" he exclaimed, in a tone of agony, "I am not innocent. Iam guilty! guilty! _very_ wicked! I have denied Thee, dear Lord, by my_looks_, though not with my lips! Forgive me, O God!" Then, turningquickly to the officers of justice, "Here--put on the chains again. I_am_ a praying man! I love the Lord Jesus. He will save _you_ as wellas me if you will come to Him!"
As this was spoken in the native language our Englishmen did notunderstand it, but they had little difficulty in guessing the drift ofit when they saw the officers replace the chains and lead Mamba back toprison, where the last words the jailor heard as he left him were,"Mother, mother! Ramatoa! I shall never more see your dear faces inthis life--never more!"
But in this Mamba was mistaken, as the sequel will show.
Meanwhile Mark hurried back to the palace and told Rakota what hadoccurred. The Prince was not surprised. He had mingled much with theChristians, and knew well the spirit by which they were animated. Hewent at once to the Queen, who was enraged at first by his persistentpleading, vowed that Mamba should die, and gave orders to that effect.But on reconsidering the matter she commuted the sentence into life-longslavery in long chains.
There is usually but brief delay between a sentence and i
ts execution inMadagascar. The very next day heavy chains were riveted on Mamba.These, at one end, were attached to an iron collar round his neck, atthe other end to iron rings round his ankles. What sailors would call_the slack_ of these heavy fetters was gathered up in one of thewearer's hands, and thus carried while he moved about at work.
The poor fellow was first set to work on a piece of road-mending justoutside the city gate, with several others--martyrs and criminals--insimilar condemnation. And here Mark and his companions met himunexpectedly before they were aware that the fearful punishment hadbegun.
At the time poor Mamba was toiling with pick and shovel. His heart wasalmost broken. Death he could have faced without flinching, but to be alife-long slave in galling chains, with the possibility even of seeinghis mother and Ramatoa, without being permitted to go near or speak tothem, was almost more than he could bear. A deep groan burst from hisovercharged breast as he cried, "Oh Lord Jesus, enable me to bear it!"
It was just then that Ebony observed him and uttered a falsetto cry ofastonishment.
The Secretary, who was conducting Mark and Hockins on a visit to one ofthe suburban places of resort, stopped and looked round.
"Dars Mamba, massa!" cried Ebony.
Mark ran to him at once, but was stopped by the guard. A few words fromthe Secretary, however, sufficed, and Mark was allowed to speak to theslave, which he did through the Secretary.
Despair was in Mamba's every tone and look, for the crushing calamitywas too recent and too tremendous to be borne with equanimity at first.Yet through it all there ran, as it were, a tiny silver thread of hope.
"For is it not true," he said, "that `with God all things arepossible?'"
"My friend," said Mark in reply, and with a burst of enthusiasm, "I willsave you _somehow_! Keep a good heart."
Mamba smiled faintly, yet gratefully, as he shook his head, gathered upthe superfluous links of his chain, and resumed his toil.
"How will you save him?" asked the Secretary, with a peculiarhalf-amused look, as they walked away.
"I know not," answered Mark. "But we have a proverb, `Where there's awill there's a way,' and I have a determined will to save my poor friendfrom this slavery. I will not cease to try--as we say in England, `Iwill leave no stone unturned,'--till I have accomplished this thing.Moreover I will not cease to pray for this end. Mamba's trust in Godputs me to shame. Up to this time I have only recognised by name thatSaviour whom this man worships. God helping me, I will henceforthfollow the Lord!"
To the surprise of the young man the Secretary turned suddenly on himand grasped his hand, and said in a low voice, as he looked cautiouslyround--"It gives me joy to hear you speak so. I too am a follower ofJesus. I tell you this because I know, now, that you will not betrayme. There are many of us in the palace besides Prince Rakota, but wedare not speak out, for the Queen is very angry, as you know. Hush!Tell it not even to our companions. Little birds have ears. If theQueen suspects any of us, in her present state of mind, she will eitherruin or kill us."
"I have heard something of this," said Mark, "from the friend who guidedus to the capital--"
"I know," interrupted the Secretary, with an intelligent nod. "It wasRavoninohitriniony. He is well-known to us. He loves Rafaravavy, andis now in the neighbourhood of the capital, hoping to induce her to flywith him to the forests. You are surprised, but you would not be so ifyou knew the number of spies that Ranavalona has out everywhere."
"Has my friend Ravonino," (we call him so for brevity), "been seen in--in--I mean _near_ the city lately?" asked Mark, anxiously.
"Not _in_ the city, certainly," returned the Secretary. "Bold anddaring though he is, he would scarcely venture that; but he has beenseen and heard of more than once lately."
Mark felt relieved. It was evident the Secretary neither knew of norsuspected the fact that Ravonino had actually attended the garden partyand met Rafaravavy almost under the Queen's eyes! Remembering, however,that the Prime Minister had sent Soa to pretend to be a Christian, inorder that he might discover the secrets of the Christians, and nothaving yet had much experience of the Secretary's character, he resolvedto be very cautious in his reference to Ravonino,--indeed to any onewith whom he had to do. Acting on this resolve he changed the subjectby asking questions about the extensive rice-grounds around the capital.
The Secretary was of a communicative disposition, and evidently fond ofairing his English. He willingly followed in conversation wherever theyoung doctor chose to lead, and gave him and his friends a great deal ofinteresting information as to the manners and customs of the Malagasypeople--their habits, beliefs, and laws.
Among the latter he spoke of a curious fact in regard to criminals whichgave Mark a sudden inspiration! Hockins afterwards styled it a"wrinkle." Ebony called it a "dodge." But, whatever might be said onthat head, it had the effect of very materially altering the conditionsof some of the personages of this tale, as the following chapters willshow.