The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-06

Darkness settled down across the
misty ocean with the suddsnness of the
tropics, and after swallowing a hasty
meal in their sitting. cockroach- haunt
ed rncssroona. Captain and mate louig-
ed about beneath the spar deck ANVIL
ings, trying to catch a stray breath of
air.
.Pah, I'm half mad with prici1ly
heat, and that din gets on my nerves.,
said the former. This deck passenger
game is not worth the candle. look at
them now"
A wild hammering OF monkey-skin
drums arose from the forewell. fol-
lowed by the rattle of matchet blades.
Then two hundred lusty voices broke
out into the swinging chorus of a war
song OF the Kroo nation.
Some Of their chanties are quite
musical" said the mate, land very old.
too; many tell how they fought the
first white men, the Portuguese, four
hundred years ago"
Presently, by blaze OF torchlight.
for fire OF some kind IS an essential
feature CT West African palaver. three
wild figures danced upon the high fore
castle-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 ap
prevail went UP in answer: then one Of
the orators appeared to dissent and his
comrades pitched him head over heels
on to the iron deck beneath. Captain
Orme sprang to his feet. 'There'u be
murder DONE he shouted, land they're
| burning the new tarred gas warp, too.
/ Tell Mac to start the big pump"
THE hose is rugged. Pairsonal clean
Illness is guild an there's naething i'll
settle palaver like a pickle cauld wa
ter with eighty pun o. steam ahint it. ;"
| observed the engineer drily; and follow
| ing the cling-clang Of the pump below
solid jet OF water swept the deck fore
and aft, till the council broke up igno-
minously.
Thank goodness said Captain
| Or1ne. I'm glad that's over; wonder
what it was all about anyway"
1t was long past midnight when the
| harassed Captain was awakened by q
| loud hammering at his door. Springing
out Of his narrow bunk, and shaking
| down legicns of cociroaches from the
breast Of his thin pajamas, he strobe
toward the entrance, and heard the
rough voice OF the Quartermaster say:
| Them devils are a-seiZin the boats,
| sir They've got No. l halfway low
cred, and are cuttin' the falls of the
/ rest" For a few moments Captain
Orme could see nothing but the lumin-
| Gus vapor which streamed from the
summit of the reeling funnel sweeping
to and fro across the inky blackness a,
every roll Then he heard the mate
! calling excitedly for help, and striking
| left and right with his revolver butt
| he burst through a crowd of negroes
surging around the davits. The big
| Krooboy who was thrusting the boats
bows off the rail went down like a dog
tween the eyes; and the mob fell back
q pace or two. Light a port fire on
the bridge, some one. Rally round
all hands" he reared. We're a-comin,
| sir" answered voice out of the dark
ness. 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 a port fire 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 |
shoot" and the barrel of his revolver
glinted in the light of the port, fire. For
a few seconds the negroes stood silerc
and rresolute until a burly leader
strobe forward, saying something in az
unknown tongue, and pointing to the
! boats.
The mates grasp frightened on his
| hanGspike as he glanced a. the rolling
/ eyes and scowing faces before him.
| He knew that if the shippers nerve
proved unequal to the task it might go
very hard with every white man on
board, for many of the Krooboys were
armed with Glatchets.
Give us them boat, white man, and
| plenty boy live for bring them back. =
said the spokesman. If no fit, we cnop
you one time" Fer moment or Two
/ the Captain made no reply, but stood
| calmly facing the excited crowd, and
/ glancing shorewards the mate saw u
| bright tongue Of flame leap up from
| the summit of the bluff while a hoarse
murnur ran from man TO man. Then
again the tread Of running feet echoed
along the after deck, and a hoarse voice
cried, 'Oot o the way, We brutes." The
/ big krooboy glanced behind him, and
/ swung his matchet, but a heavy steel
! spanneT descended with thud upon
| his woolly head and the gaunt figure
! of the chief engineer leaped into the
! circle of light, while the negro, stag
gering sideways, fell grooming upon the
| deck Next moment a wedge of sooty
| firemen and greasers, with shovels aud
/ rabbles in their hands, cleft the crowd
| apart, and the Krooboys gave sullenly
| back on either side.
Now" said the Captain, take that
man away and pump on him. If there's
! one of you left on the spar deck in
! three minutes I'll shoot him" I'he
negroes went slowly forward. 1t was
! the old story; the calmness and con-
| temptuous fearltvsness of the European
had triumphed over the tickle impulses
| of the African. The negro savage is
rarely coward; in some circumstances
he is recklessly brave; but he is always
loath to face determined white man.
| 1t is not unusual to see score Of stall
wart bushmen flying in terror from the
wrath of a sick1y white, trader. who
would be as helpless as child in their
muscular grip This is the more strange
as all The traders are by no means re-
inafk2h'c 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 lang
way" said the engineer painting; an
I'm thinkin it's a gey hard skull he has
anyway; the bit tap wull no trouble
/ him lang"
The mate burst out into laugh to