The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-12
A Heroic Resistance.
"a Tale of the Llberian Coast In Thre,
Parts.)


The little steamer Dunl:n was churnins
4 her way through the CLASSY roll Of the At
lantic. Away TO the south stretched a Em-
itless waste of gray sea streaked with
wreaths Of low-lying mist; to the north
| lay the coast of Africa. Clusters of feath-
! cry palms, yellow beaches swept by eter-
! nal surf, and rows Of native huts nesting
between the cottonwood forest and the
| ocean, rose 10 view and faded astern as
| the steamer rolled along.
Capt Orme leaned over the bridge-raiis.
glancing at the approaching coast-Ene and
4 grumbling at the heat, for it was the sea-
| son of the rains and the atmosphere was
| Ike that of e hot-house-
| Six fathoms, SIR hailed a quartermas-
| ter, as ne dipped the lead; and the mate
] observed. ITS shoaling fast, and there
1 are too many unchartered rocks about TO
| make this a nice neighborhood to navi-
| gate in the dark
Again Capt Orme looked at the crea ming
breakers ahead; then he stamped upon the
| bridge, for the climate of Africa in the
| rainy season is trying to both health and
| temper. Hang those Krooboys for bring
| ing US into place like thisi' he broke out.
| 81 shall be glad to see the last of them
! thought they'd take charge of the ship
| once or twice. Go down and see il any
| headman can pilot US in We shall have
| to stay all night; 1 won't risk going out
| in the dark
The mate descended to the deck, where
some 200 Krooboy laborers, returning to
their native country in the Liberian bush
after a labor contract with the factors OF
the oil rivers and the Gold Coast, lay
about in picturesque simplicity of attire.
Broad-shouldered, muscular fellows they
were, with a blue stripe tattooed down the
center Of each ebony forehead, the mark
OF the Kroo nation. Some were clad in
crimson fanpel jackets and battered SIX
hats, but the'majority were content with
the simple waist-cloth-"a healthy and
very economical garment" as the Scotch
engineer said. All about them lay cases
of Hamburg gin and sharp matches, which
represented part Of the fruit of their labor,
wages in West Africa being mostly paid
in kind
Any of you Krooboys fit take 'teamer
in?" asked the mate; and Immediately
there was babel of voices and a crowd
of eager applicants. Nothing delights
negro more than the assumption of a little
brief authority. he choice was made, and
a broad-shouldered giant, rejoicing an the
name of Old Man rouble, stalked pompous-
ly 10 and fro upon the bridge, his woolly
hair projecting through the place where
the crown of his silk hat should have been.
Once he laid his hand upon the telegraph,
but the mate was TOO quick for him.
mo niger touches that; you're only
here to show the way, not to command;
savvy?" said Capt. Orme.
Not niger. sah." answered the man;
''only low bushman and Liberia man n:g-
ger" hen his mouth expanded into the
~, x,f. ., A 4r,
a white-walled building among the palms,
ne added, New custom-house, sab; Kroo-
boy burn him one time
The mate who posed as an encyclopae-
dia in West African matters, laughed.
The old question-free trade versus pro-
tection," he said. They play it out vigor-
ously here, sometimes as a comedy and
sometimes as a tragedy. In any case it's
rough on the Krooboy, who doesn't want
to be governed at all, to be taxed extor |
tionately to pay for improvements in Mon |
rovia. 1 wonder how many custom-houses
ne has burned
Old Man Trouble who understood the |
speech, nodded approval. Liberia man
bUshman,' he said. I'VE fit to fight him |
too much.'
The Krooboys behanged," broke in |
Capt. Orme; I'm sick of them. We'n |
have a Liberian officer aboard now to |
charge us five hundred dollars for landing |
this crowd, of which he'll pocket half. |
Blow the whistle for the canoes"
Three times the deep boom of the steam
whistle rang out, and echoed along the |
palm-clad bluff ashore, until the sound |
died away and was lost in the monoto-
nous song of the surf. Then the Dunlins
propeller turned slowly astern and her
anchor ratified down.
Presently a little launch steamed out
from behind a point of surf-swept rocks.
and, when she shot ong-side, sable rep
resentatiy of the Liberian republica, COW
cred with tarnished gold lace strutted to-
wards the bridge with the air Of an adTn.-
raj of the feet. You are fined fifty dol
lars for anchoring without permission, and
If YOU desire TO land those Kroomen you
must pay tw and a half dollars head"
he announced, and proceeded to climb the
br:dge-ladder
stop where you are, daddy said the
Captain, laughing. mo one sets foot on
this bridge until he's asked. You'll get
no fifty dollars from me, and as to paying
two and a half each for the Krooboys,
that's more than the best nigger in Af-
r:ca Is worth, even If he is custom Off
Ger. However, there they are; you can
sail in and collect it yourself. Don't be
too exacting though, for they've all got
matchets.'
Hardly had the disnitary Of the black
republic reached the fore-weI than a PAN
demonium of angry yells arose from the
crowded deck, and bright matchet blades
gl:ttered above a maze of naked arms. |
Capt. Orme, who had been fined too many
times on frivolous pTetexts TO love the
Liberians. smiled grimly as the custom Of
fcer hastily returned to the foot OF the
HIS teeth were chattering
and his knees shook Ike an acacia leaf in
the rush of the harmattan.
''You shall paw for this he gasped. ''If
you attempt to land one boy I'll fire on you
and advise Monrovia TO put our navy on
your track
IF the Liberian navy gets in my way
I'll run over the thing replied the Cap
tain; 'ft looked Ike an overgrown launch
the last time 1 saw IL Is your western
squadron like the other, Ell? If they won't
pay, the Krooboys must go on 20 Sierra
Leone, for they shall not take my boats
ashore for you 10 confiscate-see7 Here's
a word of advice. This is hard crowd. |
a fighting tribe from the interior; they
might fancy swimming of in the
dark, for we stay here all night and we
dare not try to stop them. II they do.
you'd better look out Remember, too, |
that little c;vility costs nothing; and !
now, good-day''
The black official answered nothing. |
His self-estsem was wounded. ani with
a feeble attempt at 8 swagger ne kicked
his sable clerks down the ladder and de-
scendec into the launch. As the little craft |
steamed away yell OF 6erssion and hate |
her. and matches flashed along
the Dunlin's raiL Then the Krochovs set