BLACK CAESAR

A story is told by a Miami pioneer that more than two hundred
years ago a slave trader and his men visited a village of black savages in
Africa. The chief of the village, a tall powerful man, laid presents of
meat and fruit before his visitors. In return the slave trader showed the
chief a watch.

The chief, who had never seen one, was delighted. Then the
trader showed him how to wind the watch and make it live forever. This
pleased the chief even more.

"Ah," said the trader, "but this is a magic watch. With this watch
a man can gather fire from the sun."

Unscrewing the crystal the trader held it over a little pile of dried
leaves. Almost at once a thin spiral of smoke went up from the leaves
and soon the whole pile was ablaze.

"Truly, this is a wonderful gift," said the chief.

"It is nothing," answered the trader. "I am ashamed to offer so
small a gift to so great a man. In my land every man has a watch like
this. Promise me friendship and I will give you gifts worthy of a chief.
Come to my ship and all your warriors shall have watches."