The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-11-13

FOR the custom-house, said the mate.
Side by side the two officers hurried up
the beach, the one gripping a revolver
and the other an antiquated brass-hilt-
ed thing he called eiaymore; but
there was neither sound nor sign OF
life as they brushed through the dewy
banana leaves towards the shoulder
Ing ruin.
Them Kr0oboy devils have all gone,
sirv said the quartermaster few PAGES
IN advance, and the white men came out
from the gloom OF the dripping palm
| fronds A faint voice cried, "Help!" and
startling at the sound OF the newcomers
| turned thelr heads anG saw a sight which
at first moved them to pity, and after
wards to hearty laughter
The black customs official, his gaudy
uniform stained with mould and drench-
ed with dew, was leaning Imply against
a palm-stem to which he was loosely
bound, while the two black clerks, with
| terror-stricien faces, occupied similar
position near by, Some woolly-haired
savage, by way of a Joke, had jammed a
battered silk NAT over his eyes, and tied
a roll OF landing permits about his neck,
me uHlGgA AlAA8 lN F'NN~H9N - '''fS' =
anea now: he was In a state OF hopeless
collapse,
Been having a bad time" said the
mate, removing the hat; but why don't
you get out of those lashings?"
II am fast hand and foot, / call You
to witness" gasped the wretched Liber-
ian. my rascally men deserted me, but
we made heroic resistance-the clerks
and l."
"Havers, man, hayers," eaid the en-
glneer chuckllng; they dragged ye DOT
from aneath a couch maist likely"
you must enjoy being tied up, at any
rate" added the mate, "for any child
could wrlggle that lashlng slack. Get up
! on your feet"
The Liberaln with pretended effort cast
off the ropes, and desiring to stalk for
ward with the air OF wounded gladia-
tor, failed miserably In his attempt.
Every sign of a heroic resistance
said the mate; rifles thrown away-as l
thought, they were In too great hurry
even to pull the trigger; here's cart
ridge in the breech." Then he laughed
and pointed to little machine gun
which lay upside down among the trail
ing yams, and he noticed there was no
foullng about the muzzle "Sentries
asleep suppose. and as usual the quar-
ter civilized black soldier bolted at first
sight OF the foe. The savage 10 always
drawer than the negro OF the settle-
ments," he added.
The quartermaster now came UP.
"Them niggers has been haldin' high
class barbecue, sir" he said; and the
mate laughed again as he approached
the spot where bonfire had been made
OF the furniture and stationary. The re-
mains OF sumptuous feast lay around.
Empty bottles OF Worcester sauce, toma-
to catsup. and Hamburg gin showed that
the beverages has been euriGusly assoFt-
ed Scraps of picked mess-beef. with
which somebody's unequalled pomade
had evidently been used as continent,
lay about among empty tins of metal
polish and playground rottonstone.
THE niggers amt partickler as to
mtxfn' their drinks" said the Effnntng
seaman Jamaica rum and Worcester
sauce for llkoor an ships bread with
rottonstone for dessert"
The officers nodded smiling appro-
val; they knew that whatever comes out
OF a tin Is considered edible by the Kroo-
boy. Then the mate turning his eye sea-
wards, saw puff of white steam mingle
with the yellow smoke rising from the
Dunlln's funnel; It was now broad day
light, and the boot Of the whistle warned
him that the captain was growing impa-
tlent.
"Take me on TO Sfnou; you won't leave
me here to be murdered" gasped the LI-
berlan.
NO" said the mate; az you like to
chance landing on Slnou beach, Wen stop
for you. There's ten minutes for you to
find your men In" and officer and clerks
disappeared into the bush.
Then young French lad from n
neighboring factory entered the COM
pound. He had heard no noise in the
night, but had Just seen the smoke. The
mate explained, and asked after his ac-
QuRintance the agent.
"Ah," said the lad, "the poor Chatrlan
he dle-how you call hlm?-dysentery,
and Canot he 70 back YER sick; but you
dejeune wit us?"
The clerks refused courteously, and
while they stood laughing together the
representative OF the Liberian republic
returned, his dozen men following sheep
ishly behind him with neither scratch
nor scar.
1.-The Krooboy he will not hurt US, bon
voyage" said the young Frenchman,
raising his hat, and The big surf-boat
went out on the haclIwash OF a sea- Half
swamped and battered she recrossed the
breakers, and in due time shot alongside
the Dunlln.
"They took us by surprise. We have
drilled the soldiers on the PrussIan sys-
TEN, and do not look for a foe that
swims, climbs the veranda posts, and
drops from the thatch without q noise"
said the Libcrlan. when he related what
had happened on board the steemer.
But we made heroic resistance"
Heroic fiddestlcks! Tell that to the
Monrovlans or the Marines" answered
Captain Orme. This Is not the first
time the willy, savage has been one too
many for the republic"
Then the windlass painted and ratified,
the cable came clanklng home, and pres
entity the Dunlln steamed out across the
flashing swell, and so westwards until
the palm-clad blur and laundering
beach faded away into the azure dist
ancc-Harold Bindlos in Macmillans
Magazine.
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