The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-13

as a Weil-regulate0 business ~nldn ne
was good clerk and knew the details
| of the central Office perfectly. He had
access 10 the moneys Of the company
under certain restrictions and knew
many OF the business secrets of that
great corporation.
Banks saved some money out OF his
| salary and one day did his first sus-
picious thing. He bought yacht She
| was not an expensive affair; just nice
| little schooner, rocmy and comfortable.
| Any man who works in confidential
| sity be a man of deep resources and fer
| tile schemes. Banks was that He took
his trips up and down the coast when
time was permitted HIM. and from short
| cruises to begin with he heightened his
| journeys out to the limit of Office d.sci-
pine. Banks was trying his wings. Just
as a young bird does He was finding
| out just how far he could go away from
| the big Office without being looked after.
Banks knew the Pacific well and he
acquired some knowledge Of sailing from
| his yachting experiences. But he worked
| on in the confidence Of his people and
seemingly used his sea knowledge for
the furtherance Of his pleasure only. For
| more than a year he coasted and worked
and knew where the moneys were and
how they were kept, and saw them
daily. He was in line Of promotion and
he fought for it. Some day. in the natur-
al order Of things, he would be that par
ticular man who would know the combi-
nation Of the big through safe. and
would have the locking Of it before he
left the Office at night.
That day came to him, as II comes to
the average man who labors hard for 1t.
Then he began to buy things for his
yacht. He provisioned her. He got out
some sort Of papers for her. and anchor
ed her at the foot Of Mission street,
where she passed unn6'ced, so quiet a
craft was she in build and rig. She was
almost as much business in appearance
as her owner was in habit.
Late one afternoon Banks sent word
down that he wished to sail that night
with the tide. He wanted to have two
men call at the Office and take aboard
some few bags yet needed. The men went
TO the Wells-Fargo Office and were adj
mitted by Banks himself. On the floor
were three bags Of something-personal
effects, presumably. The men took the
bags Banks himself cared for one, and
the three went the short distance to the
yacht and got aboard. Everything at
ent good order.
That night the yacht went out through
the Golden Gate and the civilized world
has never yet set eyes on her to this good
day. Banks sailed her ont Of the ken
Of white men and took with him all the
big through safe of the Wells-Fargo peo-
pie contained.
Next day. when. Banks did not appear
at the usual hour, he was sent for. He
was not at home. Other men knew the
combination and the safe was opened.
There was not dollar inside. The long
yell Of the Wells-Fargo forces went UP
and there was a hasty gathering Of the
forces. Banks had gone on another lit
tie cruise, and they knew he would never
come back, unless, indeed, they found
him and brought him back.
Every steamer sailing for a Pacific
port carried a Wells-Fargo detective at
the next leaving. Australia, Japan,
China, India, Africa and Europe were in
succession secured.
The little yacht had hidden herself like
a scared quail down behind the big sea
and all the dogs OF the pack could not
nose her out or flush her into view.
Banks had gone.
Down into the Southern seas beyond
the Equator, is continent: not a CONT
mt in cSra Of sarr-
the remains OF a continent. From the
Marquesas on the east TO Australia on
the west stretches an almos. continuous
chain Of islands. There are thousands
and thousands Of them. ranging in size
from mere spot. topping the wave, to
an area equal 10 the state OF New York.
These Islands are arranged in groups
like eggs in nest. Each group is in |
habitei and in the olden days each was
a kingdom to Itself.
Various European countries have sent |
ships down there, annexing and protect |
ing and doing all those things which big |
countries may do 10 little ones. until the |
entire territory today is under some sort |
OF foreign domination. The last group |
OF Southern Islands to surrender abso- |
and there is the other side Of me story.
The royal family Of the Herveys are |
the Tongas. They have reigned by the /
old divine RICH; system from time i'm |
nemorfl,. They are high bred as na-
tives go. and proud. They are a pure !
race as we'll a Hervey Islander : an |
aris.ocrat in saddie-coior. On the Island /
OF Raratonga, larges; in the group. live |
the king aud his following. He is very |
old now-very old.
Before MS eyes had failed him and ne !
could 81, in his bamboo doorway and /
look out 20 the break OF the sea, which |
encompassei him and his. ne one day /
saw the white sails OF schooner belly |
ing towards him. Schooners were not 50 1
common as 20 pass without Tonga CON- /
men.. and out Of the reef passage swept 4
a great Tonga canoe. freigh:ed with an 1
order from ,he King TO discover vha; 1
manner OF visitor this WIS. Within two 1
hours the schooner had dropped ner can
vas in the big harisor. and stout white 4
man OF full beard and commanding
presence was holding some converse yi:h 1
the old King. A LITTLE English and IL
tie native put together manage IL
Tae white man was waited upon hand
aad foot by soti-foo.ed women. who
watched MS care as a mother watches
her child- TIE schooner stayed in The /
haTbo-. with her crew ioiiing aboard saer.
day after day, and the stranger fingered
on lie <as picking UP some words 1
every day. He made s5me s1cursions 20
re country and saw -ich b,is- He
travelled around the reess and saw pearl
saeeis lying deep down n .,e clear .