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"Ha, ha," laughed Chief Njiri. "Do you think I am so foolish, Ma? I know these people put bad medicine in my path. I saw the sticks and shells which the witch doctor took from my leg. If sickness comes, I will kill this man." "The village people have sworn to you that they did not put those things in your path," said Mary. "Perhaps they are lying." "They are not lying, but you have lied.
"I have failed these people who asked for my help. O God, soften the heart of Chief Njiri and keep Your protecting hand over the young man Kolu." When Chief Edem heard that Njiri would not set the man free, he said, "Njiri has insulted our Ma. Let the warriors get their spears and shields. Let us get ready for war." The women slipped quietly into Mary's room to tell her the latest news.
Timidly the men tiptoed past the place where the "medicine" had been. Then they went on to their own village. Once more Mary thought that all would be peaceful now for a while. She started for the village of Ekenge. No sooner was Mary gone than the people of Njiri began drinking again. Then they started quarreling and fighting. One of the men in the village ran and told Mary.
Early the next morning, a man from Njiri's village came running into Ekenge. He went to Mary's house. "Ma," said the runner, "Chief Njiri was very sick last night. He suffered very much. The witch doctor took sticks and shells and shot from his leg. It is because he walked past the banana plant and other magic medicine. Give me the little banana plant for the chief."
"I will go, but remember Chief Njiri, the great and powerful God who sees and knows the badness in your heart. He knows the evil you do. Please turn to Him and believe in Him before it is too late and you end in Hell, the place where bad people suffer forever." "Go," said Chief Njiri angrily, "get out of my village. Go back to Ekenge." Sadly Mary started back to Ekenge.
I beg you, Chief Njiri, to set this man free." "Ma, if I were not a good chief I would have killed you a long time ago. But go now. I do not want to hear your talk. I will not set this young man free. Maybe I will kill him. Maybe I will not kill him. But I will not set him free. Go, before I become angry with you."
"I will fix that," said Mary. She took some of the men of Ekenge with her. She went to the village of Njiri. With the help of the men of Ekenge and some of the people of the village, they tied some of the most drunken men and the wildest fighters to the trees. They left them there to cool themselves in the breezes of the jungle.
"I don't like to have anything to do with Njiri. He is very wicked. But I will go and try to get Kolu free." Mary went to the village of Chief Njiri. She walked right up to the chief. The warriors of Chief Njiri looked at her with angry faces. They shook their spears at her. "Chief Njiri," said Mary, "why have you taken this young man? He has done you no harm. You are doing a bad thing."
"No, I cannot do that," said Mary. She knew that if the banana plant was taken to the chief, someone would die because of the witchcraft belief. "But you must send it," said Chief Edem. "If you do not send it, he will make war on us." "Very well," said Mary, "I will send it. But I know there will be much trouble." So he took the banana plant to Chief Njiri.
The chief and his men stopped. "It is witchcraft," said Bakulu. "See the little banana plant with palm leaves, nuts and a coconut shell close by!" "Don't go past it," said one of the other men. "It is bad medicine. You will get sick and die." "It is the people in the last village we passed through. They did it. Let us punish them," said Chief Njiri. "Yes, let's punish them," shouted the men.
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