“Yes, yes,” shouted the warriors.  They kept shouting and shaking their swords and guns.

“Did the whole village hurt you?  Did the whole village shoot the young man?  When you fight against the village you will hurt many women and children.  They are innocent.  They have done nothing.  Let us pray to God about it.”

All the warriors were quiet as Mary prayed.  She asked God to please stop the war if it was His will.  She prayed for the young man who had been hurt.  She prayed for whoever it was that hurt him, that he might turn away from his wickedness and become a Christian.  She prayed for the people of the village.

Then Mary spoke to the warriors.

“You stay here,” she said, “I am going over to the village.”

Fearlessly she walked over to where the line of village warriors were drawn up with their swords and spears.

“Hello,” said Mary.

The warriors said nothing.  Mary looked over the angry faces.  Then she laughed.

“Nice bunch,” she said.  “Is this the way you welcome lady visitors?”

The warriors stirred uneasily.  They did not say anything.

“Where is your chief?” asked Mary.  “Surely he is not afraid to talk to me.”

An old chief stepped out from behind the village warriors.  To Mary’s surprise he kneeled down in front of her.

“Ma,” he said, “we thank you for coming.  It is true we shot the young man, the young chief of those who have come to fight us.  But it was one man who did it.  The whole village was not at fault.  Please make peace.  Tell us what we must do.”

Mary looked into the face of the chief.  It was Chief Okurike.  Long ago she had made a hard trip through the jungle in pouring rain to help when he was deathly sick.  Because of what she had done then, he was now at her feet asking her to make peace.  Mary shook hands with Chief Okurike.  Then she spoke to his warriors.

“Stay where you are,” she said.  “Some of you find a place where I can sit in comfort.  I am hungry.  Bring me breakfast.  I will not starve while men fight.”

The warriors did as she told them.

“Now,” she said, “choose two or three men to speak for you.  We shall have a palaver.  In that way we will settle this thing.”

The four men met and talked with one another while Mary ate breakfast.

“Why do you want to fight and kill because one drunken man wounded your young chief?” Mary asked the men from the fighting tribe.  “Let the tribe of the drunken youth pay a fine.”

A long talk followed.  Sometimes it became very exciting.  The arguing grew loud.  The father of the young man wanted to have the man who had shot him punished hard.  When the men became angry, Mary would stop them.

“Let us pray about this,” Mary would say.  After she had prayed they would settle the point.  Finally Mary and her God won out.