"He has the beans in the bag, Ma," they cried.
She walked through the line of armed men who stood by.
"Give me the bag," she said quietly to the chief.
"No, Ma, there are only palm nuts and cartridges in it," he mumbled.
"Give it to me."
He threw it at her feet. She looked in and saw palm nuts and cartridges. Had he spoken the truth? But deep at the bottom she came upon two-score of the poison beans.
"I'll keep these," she told him.
"You will not! They are mine."
"Give them back," shouted the warriors.
Ma's heart beat wildly, but she walked down the ranks of the men, saying, "Here they are, take them."