Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-26

vent I'D a steep hank ton or twelve feet
high. on top Of which was the village
Well the chief was very glad to see me-
he said they wanted "A white trader badly,
and invited me 10 stop. SO l pitched on
likely spot in the middle of q grove OF
palms close to the beach YOU may be sure.
We soon ran up a rough EamFfoo house.
and | got the wife ard children, for there
ere two by this time into ii. Then We
carried the goods ashore, hauled up the
beat. ard | sat down 10 wait for my Gus
toners"
Il might have been waiting till this day
for all the business I did. The chef WAS
very pleasant and fair spoken and took all
the presents | gave him with the greatest
cCndescension. But when Il came to trad
irg, | fo,rd the people were - poor that
they'd nothing to trade with l got about
a hundred pounds of copra and a little
pearl smell in a week. that all. ! soon
made up my mind that the place was not
good enough for my business, ar1, besides
from one or TWO little things I'd noticed
came to the conclusion that it would be
healthier to leave as soon as possible.
ut would not do. kI'"w. to appear in
hurry to get away. so took matters east
| " ard g"aIIally packed W tie trad" and
got everything ready for starting. But,
Gvfct as ! vas about il, the ratiVes were
too smart for me They saw what was
up TO. and the word went round the village
that the white man was not 10 Ice allowed
to - SWAY ard TO take all that lovely
trade with him. | was in a tight place,
- u NEW II Ft'l lIl' Dual = crew luSt 81
shivCTiTg n their Ts.ked feet. for they felt
that their fate would be the same rs mine.
. But the old woman WAS not afraid al
IL. 1t WIS wonderful the way she kept
Up with the two babies to look after, and
all cooking and work of the house to do.
As for me, ! was pretty well worn out with
watching. and did Tot get wink of sleep
for three nights. Tho natives would come
around friendly erouGh during tire day time
ara look at goods. and we had to treat
them pleasant, for it would never do To le.
them soc that were AFRAID. But at night
We had to b. all On guard, for we never
knew al what moment a rush might be
n 1de. had raised kind of rough stock
adc Of bamboo about the house and within
this | posted the four men of the crew.
each with Snider. l had a Winchester
myself. but what good would these arms ne
If the natives should make rush in a body
i on US? ! didn't dare sleep. I can tell you.
i was up AMI around every few minutes 10
see that the guards were awake and keep
ing a bright lookout. At last on the third
night, we had everything packed, and
made up my mind to start at once. The
boys got the whaleboat ont from the shed
under which she had been lying and to-
sether pushed her down the steep bank
into the bay. But We had no sooner launch
60 her than she filled. the water was up to
ker thwarts and there was nothing for 1t
tut to haul her ashore again.
Il could not make It out at all for a
week before sha had been a perfectly sound
| and scawcrthy boat. ard ] kreW she could
| lot have dried M much IN the time Still
| mere WAS TO doubt about her leaking and
| soon found out the reason. Those devils
| Of natives had been at Ter. and some time
! II must have been during the previous
| Light. had mana ged 10 knock n lot Of holes
| in her bottom. They we're quiet over the
work. too. for. though the boat was close
| by. we never heard a sound. They had
| STAYED in the planks with the heads Of
tEeIr StoEe axes. Il was n good Job I had
! OF sold them any iron tonafawks or else
| the boat wpui1 have teen cut To pieces be-
yoni repair. 1t had enough. but as
I the wrecked craft lay there in the man
| grove swamp, l saw glimmer of hope II
! We could patch her up we might still get
away. If we coulGnt-well. ] knew none
| OF MS would see another dawn. 1t was
touch and go. but there just a chance
| j posted the men on guard all around the
| palisade. with strict injunctons to fire at
| every native they saw approaching. Then
the wife and !. and she was a brave little
| woman. set to work. We collected all the
| old meat tins We could find about the place.
| and, as we had been living on nothing hut
/ timed stun for the past week there were
| plenty l made fire and melted the solder
| out OF the tins. so that had a number of
strips OF clean metal to use as patches 1t
/, was hard work. ] can tell you lying on nv
! back in the mud amid the prickly MAN.
! grove stumps. mailing little bits of tin on
| each broken place We put the children to
| sleep IN the bottom of the boat while nv
| wife held the candle for me. How many
| hours toiied don't know, but / thought
| would never have finished. Now and
again an ailigator-and they are pienty in
| those parts-wouid crawl out of the water
| TO see what was going on, or perhaps in
! search OF his supper. but the wife would