Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-05-02

forgotten all about the old fogfea
"well, I'll tell you about Jack. He
was hard case, one Of the regular old
style beach combers He had been don't
know how many years in the group and
| had grown 10 be- almost like native.
He nsed to wear lava-lava instead Of
trousers, inst like Samoan, and he
could go abont barefoot anywhere. even
ON coral reef, and that's thing few
white men can manage without cutting
their feet to pieces.
"Tbey did say" and he lowered his
voice unconsciously. "that he was one
Of party Of convicts who had escaped
from Australia when II was penal set
tiement They stole boat and somehow
found their way here and made them
selves at home among the natives, but
the story was only whispered between
white men. and 10 would have been rs
much as ones life was worth 10 even
hint ut the thing TO old Jack. He was a
handy man with his knife, and there
were ne police about to call him to ac-
count for his actions
81 got along well enough with Jack,
though must say he had ways Of deal
| ing with the natives which hardly ap-
proved Of. They were afraid OK him,
though, and fed him on the best the
land could furnish. Jack never did any
thing for them in return. He spent his
days lying on mat in the shade Of one
of their big cool houses, open all round,
| so that the breeze could pass through
and Jack could see all that was going
on without even moving. Sometimes,
when he was particularly energetic, he
would go fishing on the reef at low tide.
when coral showed mp high above the
water and il was easy enough 70 spear
malauli with long three pronged native
spears.
"Still, soon found it was to my in
terest 10 keep in with old Jack. He got
twice as much oil as could for the
same amount of trade. and, though he
was always abusing and i'll treating the
Samoans, strangely enough they would
take their oil TO him rather than to me,
and was as smooth as butter to the
natives, talking kindly TO them and al
ways giving them little presents. / own
that could never quite make II out TO
this day, and no man knows the crooks
and twists Of the Samoan character bet
ter than do cannot understnnd what
gave Jack his extraordinary influence
over tine people, though, 10 be sure, IN
the end they killed him on Manono. But
I'll tell you about that some other time.
$50 il happened that Jack became
sort Of subtrader or assistant and would
buy the natives oil. giving them in
return orders on me for 80 much trade.
paid him good commission, and /
could afford to do 1t, for SO long as Jack
was sober he was the best hand mt bar
gaining with the Samoans ever saw.
but when he got drunk there was no
holding him. had 10 get case OF gin
down from Apia now and again or else
Jack would never have staid with me.
Then he would 60 tearing wild for
week or two until it was all finished and
perhaps wind up by setting fire TO ma
tive house. or carrying of woman, or
something like that. ] had to pay for
the damage, and then Jack sobered
down and went along right enough for
another month or two.
1T was this failing tha, had got the
beach comber into trouble at Tanuna, o
village about 90 miles along the coast,
where he had lived before coming to my
place. The natives there had put mp
with him for long time, but at last
they got sick of the business, and the
chiefs OF the town turned dead against
him and gave him week in which to
clear ont. / never knew rightly what
brought this about. for Jack was very
reticent ON the point. bot it must have
been something very bad or else the ma
tives would never have summoned up
courage TO behave as they did. There
was n taupo, village virgin, mixed
up in-the business, l know, fine look.
ing girl She stuck to him all through
and came away with him to Salua.
where was.
"For q long time Jack had been play
kg of an old beach comber's bounce on
iie natives mt Tanuna. Whenever they
would turn bit nasty he would threat
en- to bring British man-of-war down
on them and have them we'll punished.
This used to scare the people, for men
of.war were scarce in those days, and
the Samoans bad an almost superstitious
awe Of their guns. It's different now,
for the natives have seen SO much OF
modern war vessels that they've grown
.o despise them. They aren't afraid OF
being shelled either. Why, I've seen
.hem over on Upolu, when man n-of-
war did actually fire on the rebels. sit.
ling round smoking quite comfortable
n the bush behind, while the shots
we're dropping into their village and do.
Ing no harm at ALL except perhaps set.
ting fire to house or two, and when,
by pure accident, shell did fall into
:ookhouse and kill five men they said
that the victims had been stealing the
missionary's ducks or else they would