'FOLLOW YOUR LEADER/' 
21 
the time. Their bent for copying the one who is 
big man too- much produces amusing conse- 
quences, as well as disappointing ones. Before the 
missionary has been with them many years, and 
therefore before they properly understand his pur- 
pose in coming to live and work amongst them, 
they copy his dress, and habits, and tricks of speech 
with laughable results. One missionary when he 
took long journeys carried his w^atch in his leather 
belt for convenience. Some time afterwards one of 
his workers came on a long journey to see him, and 
as he had no watch he carried an alarum clock 
fastened to his belt. He felt he must follow — as 
nearly as he could — his leader. How the news got 
out that I have some artificial teeth I can hardly 
tell you, but I have shrewd suspicions. This got 
noised abroad without me knowing anything about 
it, until one day an important chief from the neigh- 
bouring town of Eyo Abassey walked four miles 
to see me. When I had made him feel a welcome 
visitor, we talked upon a variety of subjects until 
at last he got to business. Then he began by assur- 
ing me he was my friend, had been from the be- 
ginning, and would be right on to the end. He 
hoped, and ventured to express this hope, that I 
also was his friend in a similar way. When I satis- 
fied him on the point, he brought forth the story 
he had heard that I was such a wonderful man I 
possessed some teeth I could take out of my mouth 
and put in again at my pleasure; sleep with them, 
or without them, just as I chose. Was such a story 
a true one ? If so, it was too wonderful for a bush 
man to believe unless he saw me take them out and 
put them back with his very own eyes ! Woiild I 
