The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-07
Our Daily Short Stories
A PEARL OF SAMOA.
BY H. S. CANFIELR
Copyright. 1901. by Authors syndicate.>

Olaf Petersen was the son of a
Norseman, who was the son of Ions
line of Norsemen. He had the sea in
his blood. Big shouldered and blue
eyed, he could not be happy away from
sound Of the surf's thunder and the
singing of the winds that sweep around
the world. He found this out when he
turned his back upon New York city
and set out for the interior of America,
determined to get fortune somehow.
He had been taught English and other
things in the university at Christiana
and he was 25 years old when he pass
ed Sandy Hook. bound inward. once
away from the Atlantic seaboard, he
turned his hand with the industry OF
his race to many things. He was por-
ter in a little country hotel and cleaned
cuspidors while muttering scraps Of
Homer He was hired to a farmer who
was unable to write correctly two con-
secutivs sentences. He worked with
Irishmen digging dirt and making
scar on the surface of earth along
which a railway was to pass. His mus
cles stood him in stead when he swung
an ak with the lumbermen of the
northwest. He earned not largely, but
he saved patiently and, having half
formed purpose in his mind, he let al
cohol alone.
After two years he found that. I'M
consciously, he had been trending west
ward. He was then beyond Omaha, rid
ing after cattle. Twelve months later
he was in the drift of an Idaho mine.
Six months afterward he sat in hall
bedroom in San Francisco and took
stock. The sea air blew through the
open window and he was glad. At first
he had an idea that the Pacific was
less salt than his loved Atlantic, but
he hired a catboat. went out beyond
the Golden Gate and tasted the waves
and found them much the same. Count
ing his money. which he carried in a
broad soft belt under his clothing, he
laid it in three piles upon the single
bed. Big bills were in one pile, smaller
in another and smallest in another.
Three thousand dollars was the total.
Ii had taken him nearly four years to
get that much together and he re-
garded 1t with a sort of reverence. 1t
seemed mighty sum. He stuffed 1t
back into the belt, buckled the belt
about him, put on his clothing and
drew a deep breath.
That" he said. sis a lot of money.
man, young. strong and intelligent.
ought to be able to conquer his fate
with it,"
In a bar-room of side street, where
they served good food cheaply and
good wine at no price at all, he met
weatherbeaten man with a hooked
nose and cast in his left eye. This
man was a sailor, Petersen was a sail
or and no more need be said. They
fraternized. The man with the cast
spoke English after fashion and a
half dozen Kanaka dialects. He was
South ocean seaman and longed
again for sunlit isles and the dropping
fronds of breadfruit trees. He was a
cautious man, too, permitting Peter
sen to pay for the food and to make
most of the advances. Warmed by
claret, port. angelica and new brandy
he unbosomed.
I'm William Thompson, matey. a
shellback and a windjammer, and my
mateys call me Bill Squints. They
amt nothin to be had in this here lat
itood. Less get south. / know the
Kamehameha country and the FRENZY
isles and the land-lay down Solomon
sea way. and l amt never been ct by
cannybals. They's wimmen there and
pearls. Look here"
He drew a dirty handkerchief from
his shirt bosom and unwrapped it,
Inside was a dirty case of oilskin. In
the oilskin was a clean envelope. In
the envelope. each wrapped in a bit
of cotton wool. were five pearls, small
but perfect. One of them was jet black
with an iridescent reddish CLEAN upon
it's sides. Petersen had no idea of their
values, Bill Squints said they were
worth a thousand dollars.
II show 'em to YOU" he remarked,
returning them cautiously and secure
ly 20 their hiding place, because you
amt man enough to rob me. and you
don't look like land-shark."
AS a result of their acquaintance the
pearls were sold a week later to Mar
ket street jeweler. They brought 5000.
Peterson added $1,000 to this. Bill
Squints was to have third of the
profits of the enterprise. They bought
slow but sea- worthy schooner of 200
tons burden and hired cheaply three
sailors who wanted to get to Honolulu
right away and quietly. for reasons
best known to themselves.
I'VE can get all the niggers we need
at Lulu" said Bill, land they don't