The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-01-02
AMILDMANNERED ORIENTAL

IF you consider the circumstances Of
the case, it was the only thing that he
could do. But Pambe Serang had been
hanged by the necK till he is dead. and
nobody cares whether he was right or
wrong.
Three years ago, when the Elsass-Lo-
thringen steamer Saarbruck was coaling
at Alden. and the weather was very hot
indeed, Nurkeed. the big fat Zanzibar
stoker who fed the second right furnace
30 feet down in the hold, got leave to go
ashore. He departed 1Seedee boy,
as they call the stokers; he returned the
full blooded Sultan Of Zanzibar-his
Highness Sayyid Burgasl bottle
in each hand. Then he sat on the fore
hatch grating eating salt fish and onions
and singing the songs of a far country.
The food belonged to Pambe, the Sc.
rang. or head man Of the Lascar sailors
He had just cooked it for himself,
turned to borrow some salt, and when
he came back Nurkeed's dirty black An
gers we're spading into the rice. A Sc.
rang Is a person of Importance. far above
stoker. though the stoker draws better
ray. He sets the chorus of Hya!
Hullal Hee-ahi He'll" when the cap.
tain's gig is pulled up to the davits; he
heaves the lead, too; and sometimes,
when all the ship is lazy, he puts on his
whitest muslin and big red sash and
plays with the passengers children on
the quarter deck. Then the passengers
give him money, and he saves it for an
orgie at Bombay, Calcutta, orsPulu Pee
nang.
Hoi you fat hlack barrel. you're eat.
ing my food! said Pambe. in the Other
Lingua Franco. which begins where the
Levant tongue stops. and runs from Port
Said. eastward till east is west and the
sealing brigs OF the Kurile Islands gos-
sip with Hakodate janks.
Son of Eblis, monkey face, dried
sharks liver, pig man. am the Sultan
Sayyid Burgash aud the commander of
all this ship Take away your garbage,
and Nurkeed thrust the empty pewter
rice plate into Pambe's hand Pamb0
beat it into basin over Nurkeed'si
woolly head. Nurkeed drew his sheath
knife and stabbed Pambe in the leg.
Pambe drew his sheath knife; but Nur-
keed dropped down into the darkness Of
the hold and spat through the'grating at
Pamhe, who was staining the foredeck
with his blood.
Only the big white moon saw these
things; for the officers were looking
after the coaling and the passengers
were tossing in their close cabins .All
right, said Pambe-and went forward
to tie up his leg-4we will settle the ac-
count later. He was Malay, born in
India. married once in Burmah, where
his wife had cigar shop on the Shwe
Dagon road; once in Singapore to Chi
nese girl. and once in Madras, to Mo-
hammedan woman who sold fowls The
English sailor can not. owing to postal
and telegraph facilities, marry 90 pro.
fusely as he used to do, but native sail.
ors can. being uninfiuenced BY the bar.l
barous inventions Of the Western saw
age. Pambe was good husband when
he happened to remembar. the existence
of wife; but he was also q very good
Malay, and it is not wise to offend
Malay, because he does not ferget any.
thing. Moreover. In Pambe's case blood
had been drawn and food spoiled. Next
morning Nurkeed rose with q blank
mind. He was no longer Sultan Of Zan-
zibar, but very hot stoker. So he went
on deck aud opened his jacket to the
morning breeze. till sheath knife came
like flying fish and stuck into the wood
work of the cooks galley. half an inch
from his right armpik He ran down
below before his time. trying to remem-
ber what he could have said to the owner
OF the weapon. At noon, when all the
ships Lascars were feeding, Nurkeed
advanced into their midst. and being
placid man. with large regard for his
own skin, he opened negotiations. say.
ing: 4Men or the ship. last night was
drunk, and this morning know that ]
behaved unseemly TO some one or an
other Of you. Who was that man. that
may meet him face to face and say
that was drunk1"
Pambe measured the distance to Nur.
keed's naked breast II he sprang at
him, lie might be tripped up, and q blind
blow at the chest sometimes only means
cash on the breast bone. Ribs are
difficult to tarust between, unless the
subject Is asleep So he said nothing.
nor did the other LascarR Their faces
Immediately dropped all expression, a.
is the custom Of the Oriental when there
is killing on the carpet orany chance Of
trouble. Nurkeed looked long at the
white eyeballs. he was only an African
and eol,ld nok Rad oharnNka,u hiO