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"The white Ma has done many good things for us. If we burn down the mission house you will have a bad name among all tribes. Chain Obwe in the white Ma's yard so that the village people cannot harm her. She cannot get away and you can find out later whether she is guilty or not." "Very well," said Chief Edem, "I will do that. But the three must be killed for the funeral.
"No, you must not let them go free," said Ekponyong. "If I want to let them go free, I can," said Chief Edem. "I am chief, don't forget that." "Show that you are a great and wise chief," said Mary. "Let them all go free." Chief Edem thought a while. Then he spoke. "If Bwana Ovens will make a fine box for my son then I will let all go free but Mojo, Otinga, and Obwe," said Chief Edem.
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.
"Oh, Ma, thank you, thank you for what you have done for me and my people. I and my people will always do whatever you ask." Akpo kept his promise. Other chiefs often argued with Mary and threatened to hurt her, but Akpo and his people always helped her and did whatever she wanted them to do. Chief Edem now was kind to Akpo and his people.
Mary, too, thanked God that the Okoyongs were not on the warpath and she asked God's blessing on her visit with them. When the people of Ekenge saw Mary they began to jump up and down and shout, "Welcome, Ma. Welcome to Ekenge." Chief Edem bowed to her and said, "You are welcome Ma Mary. It is an honor to have you come to us. We are happy because you did not come with soldiers.
Give me the courage to face the chiefs and tell them they are wrong. In all these things may Thy will be done. I ask this in Jesus' name." After she had prayed Mary got up and went to Chief Edem and his brother Ekponyong. "You must forbid the poison bean test," said Mary. "It is wrong and sinful. God is watching what you do. Do not do that sinful thing." "That is my business," said Chief Edem.
Only a few people were left in the village. Those were captured by Edem's soldiers and brought to Ekenge. Mary was sure that Chief Edem would make the people take the poison bean test. This is how the test was made: A small brown bean full of poison was crushed and put into water. The person who was tested had to drink the poison water.
As the ominous news became known to the natives standing around a look of fear came into their faces. Mr. Ovens found her sitting beside the unconscious body of a young man. "It is Etim, the eldest son of our chief, Edem," she explained. "He was about to be married, and had been building a house.
Chief Edem had promised Mary a house, and the people of the village had said they would build it. But whenever Mary wanted to start, they would say, "Tomorrow, we will start, Ma." But tomorrow just did not come. At last Mary and the children she had adopted and the native children cleared the ground. They stuck sticks in the ground for the wall. They began to make the roof.
The lanterns threw strange shadows that looked like fierce men in the darkness. At last Mary and her guard came to the village where they were to ask for the drummer. They told the chief what Chief Edem had said, but the chief did not want to help them. "You are going to a fighting tribe," said the chief. "They will not listen to what a woman says. You had better go back. I will not protect you."
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