Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-12-05

There was 4 long pause, ana No
drank more kava and smoked In a.
lence. Then the old gentleman became
reminiscent.
"she was years old when the old
woman died, and the boy here, well, he
could Just toddle about, holdins on to
his mothers skirts. There were some
who blamed me for taking her to that
outlandish New Britain, where the peo-
pie are real savages, and not civilized,
like here. But what was TO do? I'd
been trading for McAlister & Co.
you've heard Of them, suppose-when
the firm broke up, and was left
stranded on the beach. hadn't had q
chance to save much, and there were
the wife and child to keep. When I
got the offer to go to New Britain and
open up some new trading stationA I
jumped at It, without thinking over
much Of the risk.
II was q fool, I know, and now-if I
could only take It all backp' He took
another cup Of kava to hide his emo.
ton.
could think Of nothing appropriate
to say, 80 I sat and waited, while the
girl, squatting on the door, looked up
in her masters face and thoughtfully
began to prepare second bowl Of Ia
va.
At last he resumed the broken mar
rative: I'VE Got on oil right - long
as we were at the head station, where
there were several whites, and the ma
tives had in q way learned some man
ners. But when went away to dis.
tant parts Of the isle to open up new
stations began to feel sorry that I'd
brought the missis with me. But she
would not hear Of going back, not she!
She swore she'd stick to me through
thick and thin, and 90 abe did till the
end.
''But. to cut long story short We
opened up three or four stations safely
enough. We used to 60. Just ourselves,
in boat with our boxes Of trade and
a crew Of four boys from the Duke Of
York's isle. They were more afraid OF
being eaten than we were, 70 they
stuck to us pretty close.
ut was the cheek Of the thing did Il,
and wonder now, when I look back,
that we were not killed and cooked q
dozen times over. The natives simply
could not understand q white man
coming among them like that all alone.
and they were 20 astonished that they
forgot to attack us. They were Q poor
lot of savages. going about quite naked.
and If you gave one OF them q piece Of
print he would hang It around hi neck
and walk away - proud a. Punch.
They were always aghtinS among
themselves and thought no more Of
killing q man than We would Of shoot
ing pigeon. Why, I've seen youns
fellow executed there Just for stealing
cocoanut OF q chiefs tree. and II
they had dared they would have killed
me as readily for the sake Of my trade.
"They hadn't much to buy goods
with, either-A little eopra and some
beche demer and pearl shells. They
wanted axes and tomahawks and
knives; bnt, most Of all, they wanted
tobacco pipes-common clay tobacco
pipes. What they did with them l
don't know, for they did not buy any
tobacco; kept them as q sort Of idol or
fetch. suppose. They wouldisell ev-
erything they had to get pipe. and
especially black one, and It was BE-
cause Of those cursed pipes that lost
my wife. and nearly lost my own life
too. Perhaps It might have been a.
we'll" he added despondently.
Nonsense, man." l interposed, ~
cheerfuuy a. could. 'but how did It
happenP Tell me all about it,
ut was the fourth place was ct,
1 think, . wild part whore no mis-
sionary had ever dared to set his foot
We were q long way from the main
station. and bad to depend upon my
self entirely. II was up at the head Of
a deep bay. and there were lot Of
mangrovss, remember. growing along
the beach, and then you went up .
steep bank 10 or II feet high, On top
Of which was the village.
"Well. the chief was very glad to zee
me. He said they wanted . white
trader badly and invited mo to stay.
So l pitched en- likely spot in the
middle OF grove Of palms close to the
beach. you may be sure. We soon ran
up rough bamboo house. and got
the wife and children, for there were
two BY this time, into It. Then we car.
ried the goods ashore. hauled up the
boat, and at down to wait for my
customers.
81 might have been waiting till this
day for al the business I did. The
chief was very pleasant and fair
spoken and took all the presents gave
him with the greatest condescensisn.
But when 1t came to trading found
the people wsss - poor that they'd
nothing to trade with. got about 100
pounds Of copra ald little pearl shell
In week. That was al. soen made
up my mind that the place was not
good enough for my business, and be-
sides, from one OF two little things I'd
noticed. came to the conclusion that
1t would b healthier to leave ~ soon
as possible.
ut would not do, knew, 70 appear
In hurry to get away, 70 took mat
tiers easily and gradually packed up
the trade and got everything ready for
starting. But quiet q I was about Il
the natives were too smart for me.
They saw what I was. up to, and the
word went round the village that the
white man was not to be allowed to
80 away and to take al that lovely
trade with him. WAS IN . tight place,
and l knew II, and the boats crew tust
Eat shivering IN their naked fest, for
they felt that their fate veuld be the
same as mine.
but the old woman was not Amid
ut all. II was 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. I was pretty
well worn out with watching, and did
not get wink Of sleep for three nights.
The natives would come around friend.
" enough during the daytime and look
at our goods, and we had 10 treat them