The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-06
er land on Palm Bluff beach. Liberia


chop Liberia man instead
Let them CO." advised the mate:
I'VE can't stop them now, and would
only get hurt if we tried There's no
surf in Africa big enough to drown i
krooboy"
As he spoke crowd Of naked figures
funs themselves over the rail. and the
sea was dotted with swimming heads;
man after man followed in rapid sue
cession. until the deck was empty of all
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 coasting steamers.
the Krooboy passengers swim ashore
half mile or more, pushing their gin
cases before them.
Il wadna care tae be in the shoon O.
that custom man if they devils wake
him up the nicht." said the engineer.
Its not cur business" rejoined the
Mate, and he probably deserves it. X
won't be the first Liberian station the
willy Krooboy has cleaned out l am
thinking most of the two French trad
ers; I don't suppose they'll be molest-
ed, but We'll warn them. anyway"
The long, reverberating boom OF the
steam whistle rang out four times
across the misty darkness, and then all
was silence again.
1t is hard enough at any time to
sleep in the tropics during the sitting
heat Of the rains, and after what had
happened none of the spectators cared
TO return to their berths again. They
sat smoking instead upon The spar
deck, listening to the welter of water
along the bends, each time the Dunlin
rolling heavily down buried her rusty
plates in a trimming swell. At last,
shortly after dawn. the Captain spranS
TO his feet. They're burning the Gus
tom-house. by Georges! Look there
he said, pointing to broad sheet Of red
fame which roared aloft from the
shadowy loom Of the bluff, lighting
up the fringe of foaming breakers
which hurled themselves upon the
sand THAT officer is probably ha"-
ing bad time now; the Krcomen have
no particular reverence for the majesty'
of the Black Republic" he added. I
wish it was daylight, so we could send
boat in for the sake Of the French
men; but she'd never get through the
surf in the dark
L u tIiGutc X, Sti, Nt IL Sti LII IL
somehow" answered the mate. They
were very kind last time we called: and
even if it were only on account of thu
black officer, we can't sit here and do
nothing"
Well said the Captain, IF you Ike
to risk it, go. Mac is itching to go TOO.
It's none of his business, but he's never
happy unless he's putting something
right"
A few minutes afterwards there was
a clatter of blocks and a big surfboat
splasned into the sea- Krooboy boat
hands and white seamen slid down the
falls; the mate shouted, Shove off. be-
fore she's stove alongside; and the
boat shot away from the wallowing
steamer on the smooth back of a swell.
CHANGING over his shoulder. the mate
saw a shadowy figure leaning out over
the Dunlin's rail and heard the Cap
tain's voice: BE careful. Look out
for" and then the vessel rolled Wild
ly down. and the words We're drowned
in a gurgling rush of water.
Paddle there, paddle" was the order.
and the black boat boys. balancing
themselves on either gunwale. gripped
loop of fiber with their prehensile toes
as they swung the dripping paddles,
and the big surf boat went fast IL
shore, now shooting aloft on the crest
of a roller, now sinking deep in the
gloomy trough. Ten minutes later they
| padded slower, and the mate stood
erect in the stern sheets as the boat
rose and fell sharply just outside the
fringe Of breakers. Gray dawn was
~
red streak broadened and deepened
along the eastern horizon. while beyond
the parallel lines of roaring surf the
feathery tufts of the palms rose difny
| above the misty forest. The fire had
died away, and only a few wreaths Of
dingy smoke were family visible
against the bluff.
You fit take us through surf Fry
PAM" asked the mate; and the grizzicd
helmsman nodded silently as he took a
firmer grip of the sculling oar. Then
in you go! Give her fits. Hyah, KrGo-
boy!" shouted the officer. and the engi-
neer slowly and me thodically bucked
a cork life belt about his waist. Clean
Illness is guild he observed; but yon's
no the best place for a mornin' BATH
Then the headman raised his voice,
the Erooboys broke out into q wild
chant as they leaned over the bending
paddles, and the foam boiled high on
either bow as the boat leaped forward.
Pres entity she swept aloft with a snowy
smother spouting above the gunwale ;
then the paddles wkirled together and
she swooped wildly down into the black
hollow beyond. Again she rose, and
this time half a ton of yeasty water
poured in over the stern and the
white men dashed the spray from their
eyes and gazed at the liquid walls roll
ing between them and the laundering
beach.
Were in for it now. and must face
it out. said the mate hoarsely, ard tLe
engineer nodded with the light of BATH.
in his eyes. Again the headman shout
ed. and a wild outburst of yelling and
whistling followed. The paddles dipped
together, and the boat was swept madly
forward on the crest of a breaker MALT
hidden in the mass of curling foam
while the helmsman gasped out I'M
needed orders, and bent himself douole
over the sculling oar. For moment
or two the white men held their breath;
then there was a shivering crash aud a
cataract of spray fell upon them; .ne
boats keel ground deep into the sand
and the backwash roared against The
bows. dozen Krooboys leaped over
the gunwale: officers and white seamen
were carried beyond the reach of me
ebping water; and before the next
breaker poured it's mile-long ridge upon
the sand the surf boat was run up nigh
and dry.
AIS we'll that ends well and now
fer the custom house." said the mate