Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-27

a feeble attempt at swagger he kickc
hly sable clerks down the ladder and d.
scended into the launch. AS the iitti
| craft steamed away n yell or derisioi
, and hate followed her. and matchet'
flashed along the Dunln's rail. Then thu
Krooboys settled down again into thei
customary easy-going. good humor, anC
the mate observed. Scene one OF thu
comedy. / wonder how It will end"
mo canoe come. sab: you lend us SURF
boats one III timer" asked Old Mar
Trouble, But the captain answered
sharply: mo. you all go on to Sa Leone
| and get back the best way you can
Here's a dollar; get away forward"
Darkness settled down across the misty
ocean with the suddenness Of the tropics,
and after swallowing a hasty meal In
their sitting, cockroach-haunted mess
room, captain and mate lounged about
! beneath the spar-dcck awnings, trying TO
| catch a stray breath OF air.
"Pahl I'm half mad with prickly heat.
| and that din gets on my nerves." said
the former. This deck passenger game
| is not worth the candle; look at them
/ now"
J A wild hammerng Of monkev-skin
drums arose from the fore-well. followed
! by tho rattle Of matchet-blades. Then
|
| the swinging chorus of a war song Of
! the Kroo nation.
Some of their chanties are quite musi-
CAL" said the mate, land very old, too;
many tell how they have fought the
first white men, the Portuguese, four hum
dred years ago"
Presently, by a blaze OF torchlight. for
a fire of some kind is an essential feature
OF a West African palaver, three wild
figures danced upon the high forcastle-
head. the red glare falling upon> their
naked skins as they flung their arms
.. about and harangued the excited crowd
below. A hoarse roar Of approval went
up in answer then one Of the orators APP
peared to dissent and his comrades
pitched him head-over-heels on to the
iron deck beneath Captain Orme sprang
to his feet. "Therell be murder DONE"
he shouted, land they're burning the new
tarred gas-warp, too. Tell Mac to start
the big pump"
1.-The hose is rugged. Pairsonal cleanli-
ness is guild. an there's naething i'll settle
a palaver like pickle cauld water, with
eighty pun o. steam ahint it," observed
the engineer, drily; and following the
cling-clang Of the pump below solid jet
OF water swept the deck fore and aft,
till the council broke up ANONYMOUSLY.
THANK goodness" said Captain Orme.
TIN glad that's over; wonder what 1t
was all about anyway"
1t was long past midnight when the ha-
raised captain was awakened by loud
hammering at his door. Springing out or
his narrow bunk. and shaking down le-
gions of cockroaches from the breast of
his thin pajamas, he strobe toward the
entrance and heard the rough voice or
1, orfpr CT r n re
q seizin' the boats, sir. They've got NO.
halfway lowered and are cuttin' the
falls Of the rest" For a few nroments
after he left the doorway Captaed Orme
could see nothing but the luminous vapor
which streamed from the summit Of the
Keeling funnel sweeping to and fro across
the inlSy blackness at every roll. Then |
he heard the mate calling excitedly for |
help, and striking left and right with his |
revolver-butt, he burst through crowd |
OF negroes surging around the davits. |
The big Krooboy who was thrusting the !
boats bows off the rail went down like |
n dog as the heavy pistol-butt smote him |
between the eyes; and the mob fell back |
a pace or two. Light a port fire on the |
bridge, some one. Rally round, all |
hands," he roared. Were a comm sir"
a voice out of the darkness, as |
a few drowsy seamen fought their way TO
their commanders side, the Krooboys |
giving way before the swinging capstan-
bars and iron pump-handles. Then
port-fre Kissed and spluttered on the
lofty bridge. and an intense dazzling |
green glare shone down on the swaying |
crowd below. stand back" shouted
the Captain. THE first that lays a hand
upon the boats 1 shoot" and the barrel
Of his revolver glinted in the light Of the
port fire. For n few seconds the negroes
stood silent and irresolute, until burly
leader strobe forward saying something
in an unknown tongue, and pointing TO
the boats.
Tho mates grasp frightened on his hand
spike as he glanced at the rolling eyes
and scowling faces before him. He knew
that If the shippers nerve proved I'M
equal to the task, it might go very hard
with every white man on board, for many
Of the Krooboys were armed with
matchets.
"Give us them boat" white man. and
plenty Of boy live for bring them back"
said the spokesman. IF no fit, we chop
YOU one time" For a moment or two
he captain made no reply, but stood
calmly facing the excited crowd, and
ylancing shorewards the mate saw a
bright tongue OF flame leap up from the
summit of the bluff, while a hoarse muir
muir ran from man TO man. Then |
again the tread Of running feet echoed
along the after deck, and a hoarse voice
cried. loot O. the way, we brutes." The
big Krooboy glanced behind him, and
swung his matchet, but a heavy steel