Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-08-20
MISCELLANEOUS.
JOe's Rascality.
By GRANT ALLEN.

"Oh, the natives are bad lot,n
my planter-friend remarked, with
expansive impartiality, "and so are
the Kanakas; there's no trusting
any of 'em. They'll thieve, they'll
lie, and they'll do anything to spite
you. We're obliged TO be hard or
them for our own protection. five
weren't, there'd be no getting along
anyhow in the colony"
Pm sorry they're so trouble
some," / said. But, perhaps, if
you were to go in for treating them
better, you'd find they'd improve a
Bit"
"No, mol" the planter cried tes-
tily. Kanakas are Kanakas.
They're all incorrigible. Kindness
is thrown away on them. Why,
just to show you how untrustworthy
they are, I'll tell you little thing
that happened once on our own place
here in Southern Queensland. We
had Kanaka boy called Joe potter
ing about on the estate in the early
days Of the settlement, when we all
undertook to disperse our own
blacks, and to do justice ourselves
on our indentured laborers. You've
heard of that man Harvey who eX-
plOred so much Of the mountains in
the interior? Well, one time Har-
vey was stopping with US, and he
wanted to strike back behind the
Darling Downs into New South
Wales territory. 1t was about three
Ho fn hn of
in New South Wales inhabited by
white people, and nobody but Joe
knew the road over the hills-he'd
been employed that way so he
volunteered to 60 as guide with
Harvey. He didn't speak English,
but he was good 'un at pathfinding.
So we let him go, putting Harvey in
his hands, and making him under
stand we held him answerable for
the white mans safety"
How did you do that" asked +,
elf he spoke no English ?"
"Ah! but he understood a good
bit," the planter answered, es-
pecially if you swore at him; you
don't want many words In dealing
with a Kanaka. Why, my father
held pistol to Joe's head,
and he said, Just you look
here, Joe, you take this gentle
man straight across to Whiteford's.
If you come back without a letter
from Whiteford's to say he's got
there safe, / blow your brains out. If
you get to Whiteford's without him,
gentleman at Whiteford's blow your
brains out. Understand me, eh p
And Joe grinned like Cheshire
cat, and answered, 'Ah, yes; me
understandee, massa.'"
"That was simple" said, land
no doubt effective"
81 believe you, indeed. But
there's no trusting a Kanaka. The
cool season was on, and going across
the hills and sleeping in the open,
Harvey had got an overcoat with
him. 1t was very smart overcoat,
the sort of thing a fellow might have
swelled about Bond Street in; and
Joe admired it immensely. Like
all Kanakas Joe was as proud as q
peacock, and loved to strut about in
European finery. He was always
talking about this overcoat Of Har-
vey's, and trying to count up on his
fingers and toes how many months
he would have to save up his weekly
wages to buy one like 1t. When
Harvey was going away, my father
called out after him, Beware of Joe
old man. Take care he doesn't
murder you to get that overcoat.
Harvey laughed and waved hit
hand, and Joe grinned and showed
his teeth. A Kanaka will grin, yor
know, at the bare idea Of killing
you.
I don't know whether my father
put Il into Joe's head or not; bu