Free Drum by Kyle Onstott

shall paint a portrait of him."
    Ama-jallah bowed his head and held up an admonitory finger to Mongo Don. "Ah, but that is forbidden. Our Prophet writes that no delineation shall be made of man or beast or any living thing."
    "But I do not subscribe to Islam, Your Highness, and seeing that this boy is your slave, although soon to become mine, I do not believe that he does either, for I know that the sons of the Prophet may not be sold into slavery."
    Tamboura understood the words that the two were speaking but he could not understand their meaning clearly. He only knew that he had pleased the white man, who was not unkind, and that the white man would reward him.

    chapter vi
    Tamboura was awake with the first bright streaks of the sun Turning on his side, he looked out over the light-floode< compound. He did not know at what hour he would Ik sent for but he wished to be ready, so he slid down fron the shelf without disturbing M'dong or the others and walket across the compound to the latrine. On his way back, h( stopped at the open keg of palm oil, dipped his hands ii it and carefully oiled his body, rubbing it well into hi skin so that it shone. Beside the keg of oil, he discoverec a palm frond which had fallen into the compound and h(' idly stripped the leaves from it as he walked along. Sitting in the warmth of the sun, he shredded the fronds anc started weaving a small flat envelope for no reason excepi to pass the time. But gradually a purpose came to his work During the days on the water he had had no contact with his spirit Earth, and as his fingers plaited the palm, he resolved never to be separated from his spirit again. HiJ deft fingers finished the little container and he scraped up some of the hard-packed dirt and placed it inside, sealing the packet with a tightly woven closure. Then he painstakingly braided a fine strand of palm, which he fastened to the small amulet and hung around his neck. From now on, merely by touching it, he would have contact with Earth, and he knew that his spirit would not desert him.
    Gradually the occupants of the shelves roused themselves, nudged their bedmates awake and swung their legs over the edges of their bunks. The morning priapic parade wended its unhmried way to the latrine, accompanied by the usual good-natured bantering. It was not long before the outsidei door opened and the kettle of food was wheeled inside. Red Coat, still wearing his single garment which seemed to be his only possession, stood beside the kettle, his eyes shaded with his hand, looking around at the mass of young Negroes—one scarcely identifiable from the other in their

    )lack nakedness. He spotted Tamboura and beckoned him to ipproach, ladling out a bowl of the slop that now served IS breakfast. As Tamboura held up the bowl, Red Coat )ade him eat and told him that when he left, Tamboura vas to accompany him. Tamboura had scarcely time to ;arry the bowl to his friends and dip his fingers into it >efore Red Coat summoned him. He led Tamboura down o the river, gave him more of the slimy stuff that whitened lis body in the water, told him to wash himself clean, hen handed him grass to dry his body with. Tamboura's noming toilet had been wasted, as the oil was all washed >ff, but even without the oil his body gleamed. Red Coat nade him squat down so that he might see if he had any ice in his hair and then examined the small patch of hair m his body to see if he had crabs. He found Tamboura ree from vermin and told him to follow.
    This time they did not stop at the gate of the barracoon >ut continued on past the high wooden walls of the ware-louses and offices up to the white-pillared portico of the klongo's house. Red Coat told him to wait and went inside. Vhile Tamboura was waiting, leaning against one of the >orch pillars, he saw a door open and a Negro girl come >ut. She was engaged in pulling her dress down more snugly ►ver her hips and smoothing it with her hands. Surprised t seeing him she halted,