But Mary shook her head and started, a man going before her beating a drum to show that a free protected person was coming. She marched straight to the village and there the warriors deceived her. They were going to start out in the morning, but they said they would call her and she might go with them. In the morning they called her as they had promised, but not until they were ready to start. By the time she had quickly sprung up from the earth where she was sleeping, the warriors were off.
They showed great stupidity, however, when they believed that they could get rid of Mary Slessor in this fashion. A hundred yards away she caught up to them and now she stood calling to them like the sign-post which warns of the danger of the rushing train, "Stop! Listen!" This danger was worse than that threatened by any rushing train. They began to howl and yell.
Mary looked at them scornfully. She knew how to talk to them.
"Don't carry on like small boys!" she said. "Be quiet."
To their amazement, she walked straight through their ranks and on to the village where the enemy was drawn up in battle array.
"I salute you," she said.
The enemy were too much astonished and enraged to answer.
"Where are your manners?" she said chidingly. She began to smile and joke.
At once an old man stepped out and knelt down at her feet. Here was one person at least with manners.
"Once when I was sick you came to see me and healed me. This is a foolish quarrel. We beg you to make peace for us." If Mary had been presented with a million dollars, she wouldn't have been so happy.