The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-07-26
BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
Dopyriehted by The Constitution.
CHAPTER IL.
Hat


Sand now" said /. what is all this
about?'
THE truth is l can't rightly make it out
myself. They have down on YOU Says
Case.
Taboo man because they have down
on him" / cried Il never heard the like
Its worse than that, you See said
Case. You amt tabooed-l told You that
couldn't be- The people won't go near you,
Wiltshire, and there's where it is"
''They won't go near me? What do you
mean by that? Why won't they go near
me?" l cried
Case hesitated. Seems they're fright
sned,' says he in q low voice.
j stopped dead short "I'rightenedw l
repeated. Are you gone crazy, Case?
What are they frightened off,
Il wish | could make out" Case an
swered, shaking his head. Appears like
one of their tomfool s,perstitions. That's
what l don't cotton to- he said. Its like
the business about Nisours."
I'D like To know what you mean by
that, and III trouble you to tell me, says l.
all standing said he. 1T was some SUI
perstitIon business never got the hang of
1t; put IT began to look bad before The end ~
We heard q different story about that"
sald L. and / had better tell you So
heard he ran away because of Won"
Oh, well, 1 suppose he was ashamed to
seiI the truth says Case; Il guess he
thought it silly. And it's fact that |
packed him off What would YOU do.
ola man SAYS he. Get, says |. and not
INN, tnliih twice about IT / was the sladdcst
KIND of man to see him clear away. 1t
amt my notion TO turn my back on n mate
when he's i'll tight place, but there was
that much trouble in the village that [
couidn I see where it might likely end
WAS 1901 to be so much about with vi
gours They cast it up TO me todav.
lhdh't you hear Masa-that's the younr
cnief, the big one-ripping out about 'Nika =?
Ihat was him they We're after They
don't seem to forget it. somehow
ms Is all very WELL" said I. "but it
don't tell me what's wrong; it don't tell me
what they,r afraid of-what their idea is
" ell, '-'fsh ] knew" said Cas- 'I
can't say falrer than that"
You might have asked, | think" says l.
And so / did" says he. But Won mus
that the asking got the other way I'll 90
as far | dare for another white man:
but when | find I'm in the scrape myself |
think first of my own bacon. The loss of
me is I'm too good-natured. Aud III take
The freedom of telling you you show queer
Kind OF gratitude To man who's got into
all this mess along of your affairs
" here's a thing [ am thinking Of" said
l. lou were fool to be SO much about
with NISourS. One comfort, you haven't
been much about with me | notice you've
never been inside my house Own up now,
you had word of this before"
Its a fact / haven't BEEN" said he at
was an oversight. and | am sorry for it,
Wiltshire But about coming now, I'll be
quite plain"
lou mean You won't?" / as,;ed
lawfully sorry, old man, nut that's the
size of it, says Case.
In short, you're afraid says J.
In short, I'm afraid" says he.
I asked.
Il tell you you're not tabooad. said he.
The habakas won't go near you, that's
all And who's TO make 'em? We ira
ders have lot of gall. must say: we
make these poor kanakas take Jack !leir
laws and take mp their tahoos, and that,
whenever 1t happens to suit us. But You
don't mean to say YOU expect Il lawtobliging
people 10 deal in your store whether tAey
want 10 or not? You don't mean to tell
me you've got the gall for that! And if
yOu had. il would be queer thing to pro
pose to me, | would just like to point cut
to you, Wiltshire, that I'm Il trader myself"
Il don't think | would talk of gall if ]
was you,' said !. Here's about what it
comes to, as wei as | can make out: 1>cne
of the people are to trade with me, and
they re all to trade with you. You're to
have the copra. and I'm TO go to the devil
and shake myself. Aud | don't know any
native, and YOU re the only man here worth
mention that speaks English, and you have
the gall to up and hint to me my life's in
danger, and all you've got to tell me is you
don't know why"
well, it is all I have to tell YOU" said
he. Il don't know wish | did.
And 50 you turn your back and leave me
to myself! Is that the position?" says l.
IF You like to put it nasty" says he.
81 don't put it SO. | say merely I'm going
to keep clear of you: or, if l don't III get
in danger for myself"
white man,
"Oh, 1 understand; you're riled," said
he, %! would be myself. 1 can make ex-
cuses."
"All right I said, go and make ex-
cuses somewhere else Here's my way;
there's yours
With that we parted, and I went straight
home, in hot temper and found Una try
ing on lot of trade goods ike baby.
Here" | said, you quit that foolery!
Here's pretty mess to have made, as if |
wasn't bothered enough anyway! And L
thought | told you to get dinner
And then believe gave her q bit Of the
rough side of my tongue. as she deserved.
r;le stood UP at once. like sentry to his
officer; for ! must say she was always
well brought up, and had great respect
for whites.
And now" says I. you belong round
here; you're bound to understand this.
What am | tabooed for, anyway? Or. if
/ amt tabooed, what makes the folks
afraid Of me?'
She stood and looked at me with eyes
like saucerS
You no savyy?" she gasps at last.
No. said |. How would you expect
me to? We don't have any such craziness
where / come from
Else no tell you?" she asked again.
Csc was the name the natives had for
Case: it may mean foreign. or extraordir-
airy: or it might mean a mummy apple but
most like il WAS only his own name misheard
and put i'll Kauaka spelling)
Not much" said I.
"D-n Ese." she cried
You might think it funny to hear this
Eanaka girl come out with big swear.
No such thing. There was no swearing
in her-no, nor anger; she was beyond anger