The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-25

that lonely port) even the friendliest of
powers has q right to ask questions.
The great heart of the British public
was beating furiously on account of the
performance of a notorious race horse,
and had not a throb to waste on distant
accidents: but somewhere deep in the
hull Of the ship of state there Is ma
chinery which more or less accurately
takes charge of foreign affairs. That
machinery began to revOlve, and who
SO panied and surprised as the power
that had captured the Haliotis? 1t ex-
planned that colonial governors and far
away men.of.war were difficult to con-
troll, and promised that it would most
certainly make an eXemnle both of the
governor and the vessel. As to the
crew reported to be pressed into mill
tary service in tropical climes 1t would
produce them as . 0 as possible, and
It would apologize II necessary. Now
no apologies were needed. When one
nation apologies to another millions
OF amateurs who have no earthly con-
Germ with the difficulty hurl themselves
into the strife and embarrass the train
ed specialist. 1t was requested thai the
crew be found If they were still alive
they had been eight months beyond
knowledge-and 1t was promised that
all would be forgotten.
The little governor of the little port
was pleased with himself. Seven-and-
twenty white men made n very com
pact force to throw away on q war that
had neither beginning nor end-a
jungle-and-stockade fight that flicker
ed and smouldered through the wet hot
years in the hills a hundred miles away.
and was the heritage of every wearied
official. He had, he thought, deserved
we'll of his country: and If only some
one would buy the unhappy Haliotis
moored in the harbor below his We
'randa his cup would be full. He looked
at the neatly silvered lamps that he
had taken from her. cabins, and thought
Of much that might be turned to ac-
count. But his countrymen In that
moist climate had no spirit. They would
peep into the silent sngine-room and
shake their heads. Even the men of
war would not tow her further up the
coast, where the governor believed that
she could be repaired. She was a bad
bnrglan; but her cabin carpets were
u~ndeniably beautiful. and his wife ap-
proved Of her mirrors.
eThree hours later cables were burst
ing round him like shells, for, though
he knew It not. he vas being offered as
q sacrifice by the neither to the upper
milestone. and his superiors had no re-
gard for his feelings. He was. said the
cables, an ass who had exceeded his
power, and failed to report Oh events.
He would. therefore-at this he cast
himself back In his hammock-he
would produce the crew Of the Haliotis.
He would send for them, and If that
failed he would put his dignity OF q
pony and fetch them himself. He had
no conceivable right to make pearl
pOacheis serve In any war. He would
be held responsible.
Next morning the cables wished to
know whether he had found the crew
Of the Haliotis. They were to be found
and freed and fed-he was to feed them
It'll such time as they could be sent to
the nearest English port in a man-of-
war. If you abuse u man long enough
IN great words flashed over the sea-
beds things happen. The governor sent
inland swiftly for his prisoners. who
were also soldiers, and never was a
militia regiment more anxious to reduce
It's strength. No power short of death
could make these mad men wear the
uniform OF their service: they would
not fight except with their fellows, and
1t was for that reason thu regiment had
not gone to war. but stayed In a stock
ade. reasoning with the new troops.
The autumn campaign had been a
flasco. but here were the Englishmen.
All the regiment marched back to
guard them, and the hairy enemy,
armed with blowpipes, rcjoiced In the
forest. Five of the crew had died, but
there lined up on the governors ver-
anda two and twenty men marked
about the legs with the scars Of leech
bites. Five of them wore fringes that
had orce been trousers. the others used
loin cloths Of gray patterns; and they
existed, beautifully hut simply. in the
governors veraflda, and when he came
6ut they sang at him. If you nave lost
seventy thousand pounds worth of
pearls, your pay your ship and all your
clothes. and have lived In bondage for
eight months, beyond the faintest pre-
lenses of civilization. you know what
true Independence for YOU be-