The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-24
DEVIL WORK.

like the entrance to a cave. | went as far
in as the bend. and. looking round the
corner, saw shining face. 1t was big and
ugly, like a pantomime mask, and the
brightness of ii waxed and dwindled, and
at times il smoked.
"Oho" says L, luminous paint"
And | must say | rather admired the
mans ingenuity. With a box of tools and
few mighty simple contrivances he had
made out to have devil of a temple Any
poor kanaka brought up here in the dark,
with the harps whining all round him.
and shown that smoking face in the bot
tom Of hole, would make no kind of
doubt but he had seen and heard enough
devils for lifetime. It's easy to find out
what Kanakas think. Just go back 10
yourself anyway round from 10 TO Is
years old, and there's an average
just as there are pious boys; and
the most of them, like the boys
again, are middling honest and yet
think it rather larks TO steal, and are
easy scared and rather like to be so. | re-
member a boy ! was at school with at
home who played the Case business. He
didn't know anything that boy; he
couldn't do anything; he had no luminous
paint and no Tyrolean harps; ne Just
boldly said he was q soreerer, and fright
ened us out of our boots, and we loved
il. And then it came in my mind how
the master had once logged that boy. and
the surprise We were all IN to see the
sorcerer catch il and hum like anybody
else. Thinks l 10 myself. Il must find
some way of fixing it so or Master Case. 4"
And the next moment had my ida.
| went back by the path, which, when
| once you had found it. was quite plain
and easy walking: and when | stepped
| out on the black sands who should | see
! but Master Case himself? | cooked my
8r-.
| up and passed without word, each keep
| ing the tail Of his eye on the other; and no
| sooner had We passed than We each
| wheeled round like fellows drilling and
stood face TO face. We had each taken the
/ same notion in his head, you see, that the
| other fellow might give him the load of
/ mis- gun in the stern.
You've shot nothing says Case
| "I'm not on the shoot today" said T.
"Well, the devil so with you for me, -
says he.
The same to YOU" says /.
/ But We stuck just the way We were; no
/ fear of either of Us moving.
Case laughed. I'VE can't stop here all
| day. though. said he.
Don't let me detain you" saws |.
lie laughed again. Look here. Wilt
! shire. do you think me fool ?'' he asked.
more Of knave, if you want 10 know, -
say; u !, !, ,.,,, .,;,,,. :, would ,,...
]
10 shoot you here. on this open beach -
| said he. Because don't. Folks come
! fishing every day. There may be score
! of them up the valley now. making copra
! there might he half dozen on the hill be-
/ hind you, after pigeons; they might he
/ watching Us this minute and | shouldn {
/ wonder. | give you my word | don't want
| to shoot you. Why should /? You don I
! hinder me any. You haven't got one
| pound of copra but what you made with
| your own hands like a negro slave. You re
| vegetating-that's what | call it-and
/ don't care where Won vegetate, nor yet how
| long. Give me your word you don't mean
20 shoot me. and III give you lead and
| walk away
We'll. 4" said I, you're frank and pleas
| ant, amt YOU? And III be the same l
/ don't mean 10 shoot Won today Why
/ should /? This business is beginning; il
/ ain't done vet, Mr.. Case. I've given you
/ one turn already; | can see the marks OF
| my knuckles on your head TO this bloom
4 ing hour. and I've more cooking for you.
/ I'm not a parable. like Underhili. Nv
name amt Adams. and | amt Vigours; !
I mean 10 show you that you've met your
i match"
This is silly way to talk" said he.
/ This i not the talk 20 MAKE me move on
I with
All right" says I, "stay where you are
l aln't in any hurry. and you know il.
| can put IN the day on this beach and never
/ mind. | am, got any copra 10 bother
with. | aln't got any luminous paint 70
! see 10. -
/ was sorry said that last, bat il whir,-
/ ped ou' before knew. | could see il took
| the Wind on, Of his sails. and he stood
and stared at me with his brow drawn up.