The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-18

ures he has SOON worthless in com
parison. II ship be bound for Ape
mama the merchant racks his brain tc
hit upon some novelty. This he leaves
carelessy In the main cabin or partly conceals
| In his own berth. so that the King shall Spy II
for himself How much you wantf" inquiries
Tembinok'. passing and pointing. mo. King.
| that too dear" returns the trader think
| like him." says tho King. This was bowl Of
| goldfish. On another occasion Il was scented
SOAP. mo. King. that cost too much" said
| the trader: too good for Kanska" How
much you got take him all" replied his
| Majesty. and became tho lord OF seventeen
boxes at two dollars cake Or again. the
merchant feigns the article Ia not for sale. Ia
| private property. an heirloom or gift. and the
| trick infallibly succeeds Thwart the King.
and you hold him. His autocratic nature rears
at tho affront Of opposition. He accepts 1t as
challenge: sets his teeth like hunter going ut
fenc: md with no mark OF emotion. scarce
even OF interest, stolidly piles up the price,
Thus. for instance. he took fancy to my wifs's
dressing bag. thing entirely useless to tho
man and sadly battered by years of service.
Early one forenoon he came to our house. sat
down. and abruptly offered TO purchase It..
told him I sold nothing. and the bag at any
rate was n present from friend: but no was
acquainted with these pretexts from OF old.
and knew what they were worth and how to
meet them. Adopting what believe Is called
"tho object method" he drew out bag Of
English gold sovorelgns aud half-sov-
ereigns. and began to lay them one by
one In silence on the table. at each fresh
piece reading our faces with u look. In vain
continued to protest I was no trader; he
deignel not to reply. There must have boon
Ia Ahnk al,1 lo al
on. and irritation had begun to mingle with
our embarrassment when happy idea came
to our delivery. Since his Majesty thought 30
much OF the bag. we said. we must beg him to
accept It as q present TWAS the most sur
prfsng turn In Tembinok's experience. He
perceived too late that his persistence was I'M
mannerly: hung his head awhile IN silence:
then. lifting mp a sheepish countenance. Il
'6hamed." said the tyrnnt TWAS the first and
tho last time we heard him own to u flaw in
his behavior. Half an hour after he sent US o
camphorwood chest worth only q few dollars
but thcn heaven knows what Tembinok' had
paid for It
Cunning by nature and versed for forty years
in the government Of mon. it must not be sup
posed that he Is cheated bllndly or has re-
signsd himself without resistance to be the
milk COW Of the passing trader. His efforts
havo boon even heroic Like Sakaeia OF
Maxim, he has owned schooners. More fortu-
nate than Nakaeia. he has found Captains
Ships Of his have sailed as far rs the col
onies- Ho has trnfficked direct in his own
bottom. with New Zealand And even 50. even
there. the world-enveloping dishonesty Of tho
white man confronted him: his profit molted.
his ship returned In debt, the money for the
insurance was embezzled. and when the Coro-
net came to DO lost he was astonished to ind
he had lost all At this he dropped his
weapons. owned he might as hopefully
wrestle with the winds OF heaven. and like an
experienced sheep submitted his fleece thence
forward to the shearers. He Is the last man In
the world to waste anger on the incu rabls;
accepts 1t with cynical oomposure: asks no
moro In those he deals with than certain do
cency OF moderation: drives as good q bargain
as he can: and when he considers he Is moro
than usually swindfed. writes 1t in his men,
DRY against the merchants mama. He once
ran over to mo a list Of captains and upercar-
goes with whom he had done business GLASS;
ing them under three heads: He cheat o
ltty." He cheat plenty" and Il think no
cheat too much"
For the 1rst two classes he expressed per-
feet federation: sometimes, but not always. for
the third I could name one merchant who used
never to be at the pains to resist Apemama.
i WUS pIcSouC W nOu uuOCuCC W6S LuEu6O 8UDuL
his business. and was the means thaving q
considerable influence ever since the ba2l Of
patching the dispute. Even on tho day OF our
arrival there was like to have been a hitch
with Capt Reid. the ground OF which Is per-
haps worth recital Among goods exported
specially for Tembinok' there Is beverage
known land labelled) as Hennessy's brandy. It
Is neither Hennessy nor even brandy: Is
about the color OF sherry. but is not sherry:
tastes OF Kirsoh. and yet Mother is 1t Kirsoh.
The King. ct least. has grown used to this
amazing brand. and rather prldes himself
upon the taste: and any substitution Is dou-
bio offence being at once to cheat
him and TO cast q doubt upon his
palate. A similar weakness is to DO observed
In all connolsssurs Now tho last case sold
by the Equator was found to contain q dit.
ferent. and I would fondly fancy o superior
distillation: and the conversation opened very
black for Capt Reid. But Tembinok' Is q
moderate man. He has reminded and ad-
mitted that all men were liable to error. even
himself: accepted tho principle that a fault
handsomely acknowledged should be con-
doned: and wound tho matter up with this
proposal: "Tuppoti tsuppose) intake. you
'peakee mo. Tnp2oti you intake. 'peakos
you Mobetta."
After dinner and supper In the cabin. a glass
or Two OF Hcnnotti'-tho genuine article this
time. with the Kirsch bouquet five hours
longing on the trade room counter. royalty
embarked for home. Three lacks grounded
the boat before the palace: the wives were
carried ashore on the backs Of vassals: Tenn
binok' stepped on rallied platform like a
steamers gaugway. and was borne shoulder
high through tho shadows. up tho beach. and
by an inclined plane paved with pebbles TO
the glarinG terrace where he dwols.
RoBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
Advantages or Wooden Leg.