The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-25


was beached. and the long procession Of
chests and crates and sacks began TO struggle
through the sandy desert toward Equator
town. The grove Of pandarners was prac.
tically thing Of the past Fire sur
rounded and smoke rose in the green
underbush. In wide circuit the axes
were stlll crashing Those very advantages
for which the place was chosen. IL had been
the Kings FIRST idea to abolish: and in the
midst Of this devastation there stood already
q good-sized moniap' and small closed
house. A mat was spread near by for Tembi-
nok': here he sat experimenting. in cardinal
red. q pith helmet on his head. o meerschaum
pipe In his mouth. o wife stretched OF his back
with custody Of the matches and tobacco.
Twenty or thirty feet In front Of him the bulk
OF tho workers sQuatted on the ground: some
OF the bush here survived. and In this the
commons sat nearly to their shoulders. and
presented only an arc Of brown faces, black
heads. and attentive eyes fixed on his Majesty.
Long pauses reigned. during which the SUBJ
jects stared and the King smoked Then
Tembinok' would raise his voice and speak
shrilly and briefly. There was never re-
Spouse In words. but II the speech wore Jest
Ing. there came by way Of answer discreet
obsequious laughter. such laughter as We hear
in schoolrooms. and. II IL were practical. the
sudden uprising and departure Of the squad.
Twice they so disappeared and returned with
further clements Of the city. second house and
q second moniap'. 1t was sneulart to spy far of
through the cocoa stems the silent oncoming
Of the monlap': at first It seemed swimming
spontaneously in the air. but on q nearer view
betrayed under tho caves many score Of NOV
Ing naked legs In all the affair senile obedi-
ence was no less remarkable than senlle DELHI
GRAFTON. The gang had mustered here by the
note Of deadly weapon. The man who looked
on was the unquestioned master OF their lives:
and. except for civility. they bestirred them
selves like so many American hotel clerks.
Tho spectator was aware. Of an unobtrusivs
yet invincible inertia, at which the skipper Of
trading dandy might have torn his hair.
Yet the work was accomplished By dusk.
when his Majesty withdrew. the town wac
founded and complete. o new and ruder
Amphion having called Il from nothing with
two cracks Of . ride And the next morning
the same coniurer obliged US with further
miracle. mystic rampant fencing us. 80 that
the path which ran by our doors became sud-
denly impossible. the Inhabitants who had
business across the isle must fetch Q wide cir
cult. and we sat In the midst in transparent
privacy. seeing. seen. but unapproachable. like
bees in glass hive. The outward and visible
sign Of this glamour was no more than few
ragged cocoa-leaf garlands round the stems Of
the outlying palms: but It's significance re-
posed on the tremendous sanction Of the taboo
and the guns Of Tembinok'.
We made our first meal that night In tho i'm.
provised city. where We were to stay two
months, which so soon as We had done
with twas to vanish in day as It appeared.
It's elements returning whence they came, the
taboo raised. the trafflc on the path resumed.
the sun and the moon peering in vain between
the palm trees for the bygone work. the wind
blowing over an empty site. Yet the place.
which is now only an episode in some men,
cries. seemed to have been built and to be des-
tined to endure for years. Il was o busy ham,
let Ono OF the moniAp's We made our dining
room. one the kitchen. Tho houses We re-
served for sleeping. They were on the admir-
able Apemama plan. out and away tho best
house In the South Seas. standing some
three feet above the ground on posts:
tho sides Of woven flaps. which can be raised
to admit light and air. or lowered to shut out
the wind and the rain: airy. healthy. clean.
and watertight. We had q hon Of a remark
able kind-almost unique in my experience
being hen that occasionally laid eggs. Not
salad and shalotts The salad was devoured
by the hen-whioh was her bane. The shalotts
were served out q leaf at time and welcomed
and relished like peaches. Teddy and green
cocoanuts were brought US daily. We once
had present OF fish from the King. and once
OF q turtle. Sometimes we shot so-called
plover along the shore. sometimes wild
chickens in the bush. The rest Of our diet was
from tins
Our occupations wore various-all varying
Mr.. Osbourne and hammered away at a novel:
Mr.. Strong would be away sketchlng. We
read Gibbon and Carlyle aloud. We blew on
dageolets. We strummed on guitars. we took
by the light Of the sun. the moon.
and decorating powder: sometimes employed
cards. Pothunting engaged q part Of our
leisure. Ihave myself passed afternoons In
the exciting but innocuous pursuit Of winged
animals with revolver. and It was fortunate
there were better shots Of the party. and for
tunate the King could lend US more suitable
weapon In the form OF an excellent fowling
piece. or our spare diet would have been sparer
still.
Night was the time to see our city. after the
moon was up, after the lamps were lighted.
md 80 long as the FIRE sparkled In the cook
house. We suffered from plague Of dies and
comparable to that OF Egypt: our
dinner table tsent like all our furniture. By the
King) must be enclosed In q tent Of netting.
Dur citadel and refuge: and this became all
luminous. and bulged and beaconed under
The caves. like the globe Of some monstrous
amp under the margin Of its shade. Our cab
ms. the sides being propped at variety Of in
,linauons, spilled out strange, angular pat
terns Of brightness. In his rooted and open
kitchen All Foo was to be seen by lamp and
lrelight, dabbllng among pots. Over all there
lell In the season an extraordinary splendor Of
mellow moonshlne. The sand sparkled as
with tho dust OF diamonds: tho stars had van
shed. At intervals dusky night bird. slow
and low flying. passed In the colonnade Of tho
tree stems and uttered hoarse. croaking cry.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.