The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-27

osais jealous OF the throne,
shared in the animosity. Brawls
had already taken place. Blows
had passed which might at any moment
De repaid in blood. Some of the strangers
were already here and already drinking.
III the debauch continued after the bulk of
them mad come, collision, perhaps rev.
oiution, was to be expected.
The sale of drink is among these islands
measure of the jealousy of traders. One
negins, the others are constrained to fol-
low, and to him who has the most gin and
sells 1t the most recklessly the lions share
Oh copra Is assured. 1t Is felt by all to be
an extreme expedient, neither safe, decent
nor dignified. A trader on Tarawa. heated
py an eager rivalry, brought many cases
OF gin. He told me he sat afterward day
ana night In his house till it was finished,
not daring to arrest the sale, not yentur-
ing to go forth-the bush all round him
iiied with bowling drunkards. At night,
above all, when he was afraid TO sleep, and
heard shots and voices about him in
the darkness, his remorse was black
My Godp' he reflected. eff was to
rose my life on such wretched business ~
Often and often in the story of the Gilberts
this scene has been repeated; and the re-
morseful trader sat beside his lamp long
ing Tor the day, listening with agony for
the sound of murder, registering resolu-
tons for the future. For the business is
easy to begin but hazardous to stop. The
natives are. in their way, a just and law
ABIDING people, mindful of their debts. do
Gle TO the voice OF their own institutions;
when the tapu is REINFORCED they will
cease drinking; but the white who seeks
TO antedate the moment by refusing liquor
does so at his peril. / have one in my eve
who in such case escaped with difficulty,
and bears to this day the marks of human
teeth.
Hence in some degree the anxiety and
helplessness of Mr.. Rick. He and Tom.
alarmed by the rabblement of the Sans
Soucl, had stopped the sale: they had
done so without danger, because The
Land-We-L ive-In still continued selling;
1t was claimed, besides, that they had
been the first to begin. What step could
be taken? Could Mr.. Rick visit Mr.. Null
Ter with whom he was not on terms) and
address him thus: II was getting ahead
of you, now you are getting ahead of me,
and ask you to forego your profit got
my place closed in safety. thanks to your
continuing, but now l think you have
continued long enough. / begin to be
alarmed, and because ] am afraid / ask
you to confront certain danger2" 1t
impotence Mr.. Rick had even pre-
pared letter to the German
consul at Jaluit, which he had no means
OF sending, to which it was plain the con-
sui could return no timely or effective an
swer. Something else had to be found,
and there was one person at our end of the
town who was at least not interested in
copra. There was little else to be said in
favor of myself as an ambassador / had
arrived in the Wightman schooner. | was
living in the Wightman compound, | was
the daily associate of the Wightman
coterie. 1t was egregious enough that [
should now intrude unasked in the private
off afr q Crcu
him the sacrifice of his interests and the
venture of his life. But, bad as / might
be, there was none better. Since the az
fair of the stone | was, besides, sharp-set
to be doing. the idea of delicate inter-
view attracted me, and thought it policy
to show myself abroad.
The night was very dark. There was a
service in the church, and the building
glimmered through all its crevices like a
dim Kirk Allowa. | saw few other lights,
but was indistinctly aware of many people
stirring in the darkness, and hum and
sputter of low talk that sounded stealthy.
/ believe Tin the old phrase) my beard was
sometimes on my shoulder as l went.
Mulier's was but partly lighted and quite
silent, and the gate was fastened. could
by no means manage to undo the latch.
No wonder; since l found it afterward to
be four or five feet long, a fertilization in
itself As | still fumbled a dog came on
hands, SO that ! was reduced to calling
blouse ahoyi" Mr.. Muller came down
and put his chin across the paling in the
dark. "Who Is that?" said he, like one
who has no mind to welcome strangers.
my name is Stevenson" SAID |.
"Oh, Mr.. Stevens! / didn't know you.
Come inside"
We stepped into the dark store, where /
leaned upon the counter and he against
the wall. All the light came from the
sleeping room, where | saw his family
being put to bed; it struck me full in my
face. but Mr.. Muller stood in shadow. No
doubt he expected what was coming and
sought the advantage of position; but for
a man who wished TO persuade and had
nothing to conceal, mine was the prefer
able
"Iook here" began. Al hear you are
selling drink to the natives?"
'Others have done that before me-" he
returned pointedly.
"No doubt" said |, "and have nothing
to do with the past, but the future. l
want you to promise you will handle these
spirits carefully"
Now what is your motive in thls?" he
asked, and then with a sneer. Are you
afraid of your iife2"
That is nothing to the purpose" re-
piled. II know and you know these spir-
its ought not to be sold at ALL"
tom and Mr. Rick have sold them be-
fore"
II have nothing to do with Tom and
Mr.. Rick. All know is l have heard them
both refuse"
mo, suppose you have nothing to do
with them. Then you are just afraid of
your life"
Come, now" cried. being perhaps a
little stung, ''you know in your heart am
asking a reasonable thing. | don't ask
you to lose your proft-though | would
prefer to see no spirits brought here, as
YOU would"
II don't say I wouldn't. ! didn't begin
this" he interjected.
mo, | don't suppose you did," said |.
"And | don't ask you 20 lose; ask you to
give me your word, man to man, that you
will make no native drunk"
Up TO now Mr.. Muller had maintained
an attitude very trying TO my temper, but
he had maintained it with difficulty, his
sentiment being all upon my side; and
here he changed ground for the worse. lit
isn't me that SELLS" says he.
NO, it's that niger" | agreed. But
he's yours TO buy and sell; you have your
hand on the nap of his neck; and | ask you
i have my wife hereto use the author
ity YOU have"
He hastily returned 10 his old ward 81
don't deny | could, If | wanted" said he.
''but there's no danger; the natives are all
quiet. You're just afraid of you life"
do not like 10 be called a coward even
by implication; and here | lost my temper
and propounded an utimely ultimatum.
''You had better put plain. " cried. ''Do
YOU mean to refuse me what ask2"
~ don't want either to refuse it or grant
it," he replied.