Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 20, 1909.djvu/52

38 The two opponents or enemies have a little blood taken from them, and each drinks the blood taken from the other; then two needles are solemnly buried, and a lasting peace is made, and the whilom enemies become staunch friends and brothers. It may be that the burying of the needles is a remnant of "the burying of the hatchet."

The following incidents respecting a fight and its causes may be interesting as illustrating the mode of thought and action in these matters.

Tulante Bidi was chief of Lemvo, a town about 15 miles south of San Salvador. About 1880 his nephew Nlemvo became the personal boy of a missionary who about three years later took him to England, having first received the permission of the King of San Salvador to do so. When Tulante Bidi heard that his nephew had gone to England he accused the King of selling him to the white man, and despaired of ever seeing Nlemvo again. The King assured him that it was all right, and that he was responsible for the lad, and would see that he was returned in due time. Tulante Bidi had to be comforted with this assurance.

Months passed by, and the grass-burning season arrived (Aug. and Sept.). Bidi wanted to burn a large patch of bush that lay between the boundary of his own land and the boundary of another chief's land. According to custom he sent word to the said chief, and arranged to meet him and his people at a certain time on a stated day, so that the people of the two towns might burn the bush together, and jointly hunt the animals driven out by the fire. Bidi and his people arrived at the appointed place, but no Kimpanza people were there, and after waiting a considerable time Bidi and his men started back for their town. They had not proceeded very far on their way when the other chief arrived with his men, and without waiting fired the bush. This was an unlawful