Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-09-19

Leu III ner original story ana IN TINS
renewed interest in the voyage of the
beachcombers Kokorariki was but
playing leading part in tissue
of fabrication which was sufficiently
good to deceive Sustenance, and it
may be said that it is by no means
easy to pull the wool over the ewes OF
a South Sea trader.
The three beachcombers had been
murdered on Suvarrow in the presence
OF this woman and every other person
on the island, and Kokorariki herself
had planned the consistent story
which had cleared them all from sus-
plcion. The story came out by the
confession of the wife of Tamu, that
is, Tom Charlton, the American, which
she made to Tairi, the native mission
ary teacher on Rakahanga.
For some time after the last visit
which Sustenance made at Suvarrow
the people busted themselves about
their several occupations. Tamu and
his Manahikians tished and cured the
beche -de-mer, Joe and the Penrhyn
Islanders worked at the beds of pearl
shell, and Jules seems to have diver
sified his chief occupation of doing
nothing by spells of watching the
others at work. He was we'll liked
by the islanders. So was Charlton.
But Joe Bird acted as the superior be-
ing is SO apt to do when living among
the islanders. A common threat when
any of his divers proved refractory
was that he would cut them in two
and would eat their livers, and when
one is cannibal such threat does
not seem as improbable as it might ap-
pear in other conditions of life. Often
he deprived his divers of their rations
and water when their take of she'll
was not up to the amount he fixed for
days task. The divers plotted to
take their revenge upon him, and saw
clearly that they must make away
with the other white men at the same
time.
The opportunity came early one
morning. Joe Bird missed some CO.
coanuts from his pit. He went first
to Tom Cartons and questioned the
Manahikians as to the theft. This
was no more than matter of form,
for no one would ever suspect a
Manahikian of theft. Receiving their
denial in good part Joe took his gun
and sword and strolled over to the
quarters of his divers. The various
people on the island were engaged in
various concerns. Kokorariki was
cooking bird for breakfast. Here's
wife was attending her sick husband
at lomilomi, the effective South Sea
massage; the other Manahikians had
just started out after beche-de-mer.
Tom, with pistol and sword, hurried
after Joe Bird and after him came
Jules Farani with sword. Arrived
at the houses of the divers Joe chargd
their head man, Tangiora, with steal
ing the cocoanuts and fred the gun
over his head. Then he grappled
with Tangiora and called to Tom for
help. Tom ran up and got hold of
TGngiora's hand and snapped his pis-
tol at him. 1t missed fire and he re-
capped it, taking the fresh cap from
a little chamber in the butt of the
weapon. AS he aimed second time
a savage named Maori caught him. by
the hand, whereupon Tom knocked
him down by blow in the eye. But
as he fell Maori caught Tom by the
feet and threw him with the assist
ance of Tangiora, and these two then
disarmed him and tied his hands and
feet. Meanwhile savage named
Rapahua seized Joe Bird aud threw
him down, and with the help of Tang
ioro lashed his hands. Farani had
no firearms, but he came on q run
with his sword at Matahu. The lat
ter with the aid of Popokia and Ma
toto, tied the Frenchman up like his
mates. The three beachcombers were
then thrown into their boat and word
was sent to four other Penrhyns
who were fishing on the other side to
come and row the boat.
Toms wife Sumaria, came running
to Here's house shouting, so nga
ropa, 0 nga ropa, good people, they
are killing the white men for they are
taking them away in the boat" Toms
wife, Kokorariki, and Kaitai's wife,
all fastened to the boat. Here Su-
maria and Kaitai's wife had already
cast off the lashings from Toms
wrists and ankles, when Rapa-
hua aimed gun at the women and
forced them to desist. Tom, appar-
emily thinking that they were to be
set on one of the islets across the
lagoon, then bade Kaitai's wife to call
the Manahikians to launch his boat.
This the Penrhyns prevented with
guns and swords, and, the four row.
ers by this time having come across,
they pulled the boat out into the la
goon. Tom was seated on the gun
vale and the other two were lying
under the thwarts. Joe Bird begged
his captors for mercy and offered all
he had if only his life might be
| spared.
But Tom bade him not to be child,
for it was now too late, and he himself
had brought this fate upon himself
and his companions. At the deepest
part of the lagoon the Penrhyns hove
Joe Bird overheard first, and he sank
right to the bottom. Tom was the
next to 60, and he. too. went down