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


would be as helpless as child In their
muscular grip This Is the more strange,
as all the traders are by no means re-
markable for nerve or courage, while
the negroes have probably faced swift
death at the point OF a barbed spear
several times before.
"a wee bit firmness gangs a lang
way" said the engineer painting; IAN
I'm thinlin' It's gey hard skull he
has onywayi the bit tap wull no trouble
him lang"
The mate burst out into a laugh to
relieve his pent-up excitement, as he
answered: III II had been any one but a
Niger the bit tap would have Killed
him on the spot"
I'm dead tired Of them anyway OBJ
served Captain Orme, slowly, Five
! dollars a head from Lagos doesn't cover
this kind of thing ! wonder what
they'll be up to next" Even as he
spoke a wild Yell rose from the fore
deck, followed by a succession OF
splashes In the sea, Come back there!
Stop them! Light another port-tire," he
Foarcd,
This time a crimson flame hlaZed out
from the rail Of the spar-deek, and by
the rudy glare the Europeans saw
| the KroobOys hurting their gin cases
over the iron bulwarks, while already
four or five sable figures were Shooting
through the circle Of light which fell
upon the long, CLASSY undulatlons, as
the steamer rolled and wallowed In the
steep swell. The white seamen descend
ed the lron-rauged ladder, but gllsten-
ing matchet-blades barred their way
and Old Man Trouble stood upon the
wtneh-drum and lifted up his voice.
Listen liz word, Captain, sah," he
said. I'VE dun pay you all five dollah
fer land on Palm Bluff beach. Liberia
man say no; captain say no bota. kroo-
boy swim; IL white man say no, we
chop him. Live fer quiet; we go chop
Liberia man instead"
"Let them 60" advised the mate; I'VE
can't stop them now, and would only
get hurt il we tried There's no surf in
Africa big enough to drown kroo-
boy"
AS he spoke crowd Of naked figures
flung themselves over the rail, and the
sea was dotted with swimming heads
man after man followed in rapid sue
! cesslon, until the deck was empty OF all
I save those bound for Sierra Leone. The
/ sight was no unusual one, for when, as
occasionally happens, the canoes do not
come off to meet the coastlnE-steam-
ers, the Krooboy passengers swim
ashore half mile or more, pushinB
their gin cases before them.
~ wadna care tae be In the shoon
o that custom man II they devils wake
hin, IN the nicht," snid the engineer.
"Its not our business" rejolned the
mate "and he probably deserves II, II
won't be the first Liberlan station the
willy Krooboy has cleaned out. am
thinking most of the two French ira
ders: / don't suppose they'll be mo-
Tested, but well warn them anyway"
The long, reverberatIng boom OF the
steam whistle rang out four times
across the misty darkness, and then
ull was silence again,
1t Is hard enough at any time to sleep
In the tropics during the sitting neat
| OF the rains, and after what had nap
pened none OF the spectators cared to
return to thelr berths OHain. They sat
smoking instead upon the spar-declt,
listening to the weller Of water along
the bends, each time the Dunlin rolling
heavily down buried her rusty plates IN
n Drumming swell. At last, shortly af-
ter dawn, the captain sprnng to his
feet. "They're burning the CUSTOM
house, by George! Look there" he
said, pointing to broad sheet OF req
flame which roared aloft from the
shadow loom OF the blur. lighting up
| the fringe of foaming breakers which
hurled themselves upon the sand. THAT
officer Is probably having Il bad time
hnVn TNpFtINnllF
reverence for the majesty of the Black
republic" he added. 81 wish Il was
daylight, so we could send boat In
for the sake OF the Frenchmen; but she
would never get through the surf In the
dark"
"Ill chance It, sir; we'll get through
somehow" answered the mate. They
were very kind last time we called; and
! even II It were only on account OF the
black officer, we can't sit here and do
nothing"
well" said the captain, "if you like
to risk It, 70. Mac Is itching to 20 too.
It's none OF his business, but he's never
happy unless he's putting something
right"
A few minutes afterwards there was
n clatter OF blocks and big surf-boat
splashed into the sea, Krooboy boat
hands and whteseamen slid down the
falls; the mate shouted: "shove off, be-
fore she's stove ulongside;" and the
boat shot away from the wallowlng
steamer on the smooth back OF q
| swell CHANGING over his shoulder, the
mate saw a shadowy figure leaning out
over the Dunlin's rail and heard the
captains voice: "Be careful, Look
out for" and then the vessel rolled
wildly down, and the words were
drowned In gurgllnE rush OF water.
paddle there, paddlel" was the or
der. and the black boat-boys, balancing
themselves on either Gunwnle, gripped
n loop OF fibre with their prehensile
toes, as they swung the dripping pad
dies. and the big surf-boat went fast IN
shore, now shooting aloft on the crest
OF a roller, now sinking deep in the
gloomy trough. Ten minutes later they
paddled slower, and the mate stood
erect In the stern-shects as the boat
rose and fell sharply Just outside the
fringe Of breakers. Gray dawn was
coming across the henvlng ocean. y
rcd gtreak broadened and deepcned
along the eastern horizon, while beyond
Tho parallel lines OF roaring SURF the
fenthery tufts OF the palms rose dimly
above The misty forest, The fire had
dicd away, and only a few wreaths OF
dinFV smoke we're family visible
against the bun,
"You 1T take us through surf Fry,
nanY" asked the mate; and the Gri27led
hclmsmnn nodded silently as he took q
armor grip of the scullIng oar. Then N n
Won gol Give her ntsl Hyah, KrooboyE
shouted the officer and the engineer
slowly and mcthodIcnlly buckled cork
lifc-bslt about his waist Cleanliness ~
guild" he Observed; "but you's no enc
best place for mornin' bath"
Then the hcadman raised his voice,
the Krooboys broke out into Il Wild
chnnl na ihnY lnnnnd oVnr the bonding