"Me pull strongest of all!"
But now came the tug-of-war. The wagon sank deep into the soft soil and when it would not move, each black man let go the rope and began to shout reproaches at his mate.
"You no work!"
"You weak man!"
"You little baby!"
Daddy was for a moment in despair. Then his ever-ready smile returned, and he said to a bystander, "Get a drum."
The drummer began to beat, the crowd began to sing, the boys and girls began to dance, and the wagon moved. The rope was so long that the women and children could take hold. In a little while the engine had come to the end of its long journey from York, Pennsylvania, to Muhlenberg Mission, Africa.
But it was not yet set up, and Mr. Day was puzzled. He stood earnestly reading the directions, and then he began to give orders. He was so pressed upon by the crowd that he had to shout to them to stand back.
A smart mission boy read the number on the engine.
"Him say, 'No two four one seven.' That him name."