Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-03-11


eled before Jack, imploring him at
least to save their lives.
1.-The rascally interpreter explained
to the lieutenant that the natives wish
ed to pay homage to the queen, and that
they would take steps at once to find out
where Wilkinson was hiding.
"On the other hand, he told the
chiefs that he had interceded for them,
and that the officer had promised to
spare their lives if they brought next
morning a whole boatload of pigs and
yams and taro and bananas, all the food
they could raise. The natives were glad
to get off so easily, the young men were
sent at once to plantations, and they
promised to have everything ready i'll
the morning.
''After some more talk, just to cover
up his deceit, Jack informed the lieu
tenant that the man they were after had
gone to "a place IA few miles off i'll the
bush, but that the natives would send
after him and bring him back i'll the
morning.
$50 the officer, well satisfied, took
his men and his guns back on board
again, and Jack stopped with the ma
tives, being treated now with the great
est respect.
next day he had the large village
war canoe, which seated 20 paddlers on
each side loaded up with pigs and fresh
provisions of all kinds and went off to
do some business with the Sea Gull. AS
they had had nothing but salt horse on
board for month, the purscr was glad
to buy the food, and Jack pocketed 500
by the transaction. He didn't give the
natives penny of it, but told them the
man-of-war would let them off this
time if they would promise to behave
themselves in future.
"Then he informed the captain he
had learned that Wilkinson had gone
across the mountains to Salua, and that
if he liked he would pilot him back
there.
"On the way Jack thought of a new
dodge. He knew that by this time I
would have returned from the cattle
hunting expedition, and that, if he went
ashore with the officer, they would find
out who he was. After the way he had
lOOltu bLlO al llc ltlU CtIUultI
that there would be no mercy for him.
So he persuaded the captain it was no
use going straight into Salua with the
ship, for Wilkinson would only run
away again as soon as he saw her COM
ing.
"Yo on land me, he said, 'at point
about mile this side of the town and
70 80, ho ;c,h+
walk into Salua and tell Wilkinson
you abandoned the search and gone
away. I'll keep him there for the night
and next morning you can slip in quiet
ly and arrest him before he has time to
get away
1.-The land to the westward of Salua
juts out in long point, so that a yes
sci coming from this direction, if she
keep well inshOre, cannot be seen until
she is right off the bay. The man of
war lay to the other side of this point.
and Jack, who knew of handy boat
passage through the reef, was put on
shore. In the afternoon he walked into
my house and found me wondering
where he had got to, as l wanted him
to help salt down a fine COW had shot
"'Never mind the blanked beef, he
shouted. Get the gin quick or else I
shall die of laughing
''He just held his sides and screamed
for about half an hour, and then when
he had swallowed couple of stiff nips
he told me all about it.
81 couldn't help laughing, too, though
did not half like being personated by
such an old scoundrel, and, besides, |
was afraid 1 might get into trouble
when the captain found out the trick.
He might think had been helping Jack
to deceive them, and perhaps arrest me
instead.
81 told Jack this, but he only laugh
ed the more. Then got angry and told
him to clear out at once or else | would
give him up when the ship came back,
but he wouldn't go for long time, not
until he had finished the bottle, and be-
fore he left he wrote a letter to the cap
tain. He wouldn't let me help him,
though he was not much of scholar.
Said he wanted to have the joke all to
himself. l kept a copy of the letter as a
curiosity. This is what he wrote:
"DERE CAPTING-This is to thank you for you
crate kindenes in tallin me for u passige to
Tanuna any times you wants a pilet l shall be
glad to be Of servis. ef you want any more pigs
my friend williams will suppl them. am
goin back to the bush, ef you want me you
must fetish me from their. Your grateful sar-
vint, J. WILKINSON.
"Then he went off into the thick
bush which covered the mountains in
the interior of the island, where no
white man could catch him.
Next morning 1 had to bear my
share of the joke. When the lieutenant
came on shore, he found me sitting on
the veranda, just where Wilkinson had
been a couple of days before. He made
sure he had got his man. 1t was no use
my explaining. So l was arrested and
taken off to the man of-war, and gave
the captain Jacks letter. He was mad
when he read it, but then, like a.gentle-
man, he saw the joke, though it was
against him.
"'We've been sold, he said; most
damnably sold,' and then he told his
officers, and they all laughed together.
"They treated me we'll on board when
they found that ] was innocent, and l
got them some Samoans to guide the
party which went into the bush i'll pur-
suit Of Jack, but it was no manner of
use their trying to catch him, even if
the natives had not taken care to lead
them astray. So after fooling around in