The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-25
THE MORNING NEWS, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1898.

NO 1 think that is all right, Moussa,
nv host answered. Il am not feeling very
wen tonight though, and / should much
prefer if you would stay on the island"
I saw a struggle between his fears and
his duty upon the swarthy face of the Az
rican His skin had turned of that lvid
purplish tint which stands for pallor in a
negro, and his eyes looked furtively about
him.
mo. no, Massa Walker" he cried at last
You better come to the hulk with me.
san. Look after you much better in the
hulk, sahr'
THAT won't do. Moussa. White men
don't run away from the posts where they
are placed"
Again l saw the passionate struggle in
the negro's face. and again his fears pre-
vailed
No use. Massa Walker, sahp' he cried
"Selp me. ! can't do ii. If it was yes
terday or If 1t was tomorrow, but this is
the third night, sab, an it's more than |
can face"
Walker shrugged his shoulders.
"On with you. thenr' said he. when
the mail boat comes you can get back to
Sierra Leone for I'll have no servant who
deserts me when ] need him most I sup
pose this is all mystery to you, or has
the doctor told you. Capt. Meldrum?"
Il showed Capt. Medium the cooperage,
but / did not tell him anything" said DR..
several lou re LOOKING DdO, w aikef,
he added, glancing at his companion.
You have strong touch coming on you. >,
Yes, I've had the shivers ali day. and
now my head is like a cannon-ball.
took ten grains of quinine, and my ears
are singing like a kettle. But 1 want
to sleep with you in the cooperage to-
night"
No, no. my dear chap. I won't hear of
such a thing. You must get to bed at
once, and am sure Meldrum will excuse
you. I shall sleep in the cooperage, and
1 promised you that I'll be round with
your medicine before breakfast"
1t was evident that Walker had been
struck by one of those sudden and violent
attacks of remittant fever which are the
curse of the West Coast. His saliow
cheeks were flushed and his eyes shining
with fever, and suddenly as he sat there
he began to Groom out song in the high
pitched voice of delirium.
Come, come we must get you to bed,
old chap" said the doctor and with my
aid he led his friend into his bedroom.
There we undressed him, and presently.
after taking strong sedative, he settled
down into deep slunaber.
Hes right for the night" said the
doctor as we sat down and filled our
glasses. once more. Sometimes it is my
turn and sometimes his, but, fortunately
we haze never been down together
should have been sorry to be out of it
tonight for have little mystery to un-
ravel 1 told you that intended to sleep
in the cooperage."
Yes, you said So"
when / said sleep / meant watch, for
there will be no sleep for me. We've had
such scare here that no native will stay
after shutdown, and l mean TO find. out
tonight what the cause of il all may be.
1t has always been the custom for a ma
tive Waterman to sleep In the cooperage,
to prevent the barrel hoops being stolen.
Well, six days ago the fellow who slept
there disappeared, and we have never
seen a trace Of him since. 1t was GER
tainy singular for no canoe had been
taken, and these waters are too full of
crocodiles for. any man to swim to shore
What became of the fellow, or how he
could have left the island Is a complete
mystery. Walker and were merely sur
prised but the blacks were badly scared
and queer voodoo tales began to get about
amongst them. But the real stampede
broke out three nights ago when the new
Waterman in the cooperage also disap-
peared."
what become of him?" asked
''Well, we not only don't know, but we
can't even give a guess which would fit
the facts. The niggers swear there is a
fiend in the cooperage who claims a man
every third night. They wouldn't stay in