The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-02

couldn't get below. There was no shell
| ter on deck from the blazing sun, the
matches was battened so we couldn't
] get into the forehold so NE had 70 Just
bear It, One man went aft to the scut-
tle-butt for drink Of water, and found
the spigot gone. The skipper saw him
and says to him, You'll find plenty Of
drink in the har'l forrard, and you
know the sort Of liquor that's full Of
Some Of Us flung ourselves down on
! deck, being dog tired as well as hungry
and thirsty. but he was forrard In a
minute with both his shootlng-irons
cooked. UP, Ye spawn, n git some ex-
ercise; yer Settln' too fat n lazy. says
he. SO we trudged about praying that
| he might drop dead, hut none Of Us
willing as yet to face certain death by
defying him. The blessed night came
at last, and we were able to get lit
tie rest, he having gone below, and the
officers, though willing enough to keep
In with him at our expense. not being
bad enough to drive US oil night unless
he was around to see 1t done. Along
about eight bells came the steward.
I with o biscuit apiece for US, and q
bucket OF water-about half pint
each. We were so starved and thirsty
| that the bite and sup was gOd-send.
What made things worse for us was the
suspicion we had one Of tho other. As
/ said, we was, as usual, a mixed crowd
and ready to sell one another for trl-
he. He know that, curse him. and
reckoned with considerable certainty
on getting hold OF the victims he want
ed. Well, the night passed somehow,
and when morning came he was around
again making US work, securing IRON
work bright, hOly-stoninE decks, scrub
/ lFGu do
| pended on the Jobs being done full pelt.
I'VE was drawing in pretty close to
small group Of Islands. closer than we
| had been yet IN those waters, and we
| all wondered what was In the wind.
Suddenly. he gave orders to back the
mainyard and have the dinghy lowered.
She was tiny tub of craft, such as l
never saw carried In n whaler before,
only about big enough for three. A
little Scotchman and myself was order
| ed into her. then, to our amazement. the
| old man got in. showed on, and headed
| her for the opening through the reef
surrounding the biggest island Of the
group It was fairly we'll wooded with
cocoanut trees and low bushes, while,
unlike any OF the other islets, there
/ were several big rocks showing up
| through the vegetation in the middle
Of It. We weren't long getting to the
beach. where we jumped out and ran
her up a piece, SOS he could step out
dry. We waited for u minute or two
while he sat thinking, and looking
straight ahead Of him at nothing. Pres
emily he jumped out and said TO me.
Come and to Sandy, Stay here on
he went up the beach and straight into
the little wood, just as II somebody was
calling him and he had to 90. Appar-
emily there wasn't living soul on the
whole island, except just US three. We
had only got few yards into the bush
when we came to n little dip in the
Eround-a sort Of valley. Just as we
got to the bottom we suddenly found
ourselves In the grip Of two Kanakas,
the one that had hold OF the skipper
being the biggest man / ever saw.
made one wrtgGle. but my man, who
was holding my two arms behind my
back. gave them twist that nearly
wrenched them out OF their sockets and
uuIeted me good. As for the skipper, he
was trying to call or speak, but al
though his mouth worked no sound
came. and he looked like death. The
CLINT that had flung him on his face,
and lashed his wrists behind him with
n bit Of native fish-lIne, then served his
ankles the same was tied next, but
not so cruel as the skipper, indeed, they
didn't seem TO want to hurt me. The
two Kannkas now had sort Of consul
tation by signs neither OF them spenk-
ing a word While they was Mt It 1
noticed the big one was horribly scar
red all over his back and loins they
were both naked except for a bit of
, grass belO as well as crippled In his
. gait. Presently they ceased their dumb
motions and came over to me The big
one opened his mouth and pointed
! where his tongue had been also to his
right eye-socket which was empty.
Then he touched the big white scars on
his body, and finally pointed to the
skipper Whole books couldn't have
explained his meaning better than
understood 1t then. But what was
coming? I declare. I didn't feel glad
bit at the thought that Captain Ram
IreZI was going to get his deserts at
: last.
, Suddenly the giant hoisted the skip
per on his shoulder as II he had been
! q baby. and strobe OF across the valley
| towards the massive heap Of rocks, fol-
, lowed by his comrade and myself. We
, turned sharply around a sort of gate,
composed OF three or four coral blocks.
balanced upon each other, and
; entered a grottO or cave with de-
, scendlng floor. Over the pieces Of rock
with which the ground was strewed we
stumbled onward In the dim light un
til we entered water and splashed on
through It for some distance. Then,
, by the time our eyes being used 20 the
darkness, the general features OF the
place could be made out. CommunicH-
ton with the sea was evident, for the
/ unmIstakable sign Of high water could
be seen on the walls OF the cave Just
above our heads. For a minute or
two we remained perfectly SIN in the
midst OF that dead silence, so deep that
: Eancied could hear the shell-hsn
crawling on the bottom. Then I was
brought a few PAGES nearer the captain,
; as he hung upon the great kanaka's
shoulder. Taking my eyes from his
death like face cast them down, and
there, almost at my feet was one of
those enormous clans such as you sec
} the shells Of thrown mp on all these
benches. big as u chlld's bath. Hardly
had the truth dawned upon me what
was going to happen until II took
, place. Lifting the skipper into an uD-
right position. the giant dropped him
feet first between the gaping shells OF
the big clam. which. the moment II felt
the touch. shut them with smash
thar must have broken the skipper
, legs. An awful wall burst from him,
the first sound he had made. have
said he was brave. and he was, TOO.
: although such a cruel villain. but no|
! he broke down and begged hard for
, life. II may have been that the Kama
kas were deaf as well as dumb. nt any
rate for all signs OF hearing they show
ed they were. He appealed TO me. but
/ was az helpless as he, and my turn
was apparently TO come. But evidently
the Kanakas were only carrying out