"Run, Ma! Run!" Whenever Ma, the white woman, heard these words she knew that serious trouble was brewing, so she hurried out of the house and down the path into the forest. Presently she found Etim, the oldest
"Run, Ma! Run!" Whenever Ma, the white woman, heard these words she knew that serious trouble was brewing, so she hurried out of the house and down the path into the forest. Presently she found Etim, the oldest son and heir apparent of chief Edem, lying unconscious under a tree which had fallen on him. For a fortnight she nursed him in his mother's house, but her efforts were in vain.
Early one Sunday morning, while she was resting in her own hut, the boy's life began to ebb. This news sent a spasm of terror throughout the district, for every violent death was attributed to witchcraft and it was certain that a number of persons would be put to death on the charge of having caused the tree to fall on the boy. Hurrying to the chief's house, Ma found the natives blowing smoke into the dying lad's nostrils, shouting into his ears and rubbing ground pepper into his eyes. As soon as life had fled, the chief shouted: "Sorcerers have killed my son and they must die! Bring the witch-doctor!"
At these words everybody fled. When the witch doctor arrived, he tried out his divinations and placed the responsibility for the boy's death on a certain village. Forthwith armed warriors marched to that village, seized a dozen men and women, brought them back loaded with chains and fastened them to posts in the yard...
The chief endeavored to persuade Ma to let the prisoners submit to the poison ordeal, for, said he, "If they are not guilty, they will not die." Ma knew that the poison would kill them, irrespective of their innocence, and refused to agree.
Finally, eleven of the prisoners were released and the death of the one remaining, a woman, was demanded. When Ma stubbornly refused, the chief stormed, threatened to burn down the house, and in blazing passion declared, "She caused my son's death and she must die!" Bowing her head, the white Ma prayed for strength and patience and love. And, after several days of terrific strain she eventually won out. The last of the prisoners was released and the chief contented himself with the sacrifice of a cow. It was the first time in this entire district that a chief's grave had not been saturated with human blood.
How was the lone white woman able to endure this long and terrible ordeal? Let her give the answer