St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-03-15

boarding the cutter under the pre-
tence of trading, then, after selling
all the liquor, they meant TO give me
father of beating-the latter to
avenge the insult of month before.
Laughingly telling the priest that
under the circumstances discretion
was the better part of valor, babe
him good-by, and walked down to my
boat, which was lying on the beach.
With two native sailors pulling, we
started for the cutter, mile away.
The night was beautifully calm, but
dark; and as I was not well acquaint-
ed with the inner part of Asaua har-
Dor, several times ran the boat on
submerged coral boulders. Finally 1
lost the narrow channel altogether.
Then I told one of my men-a
sturdy, splendid specimen of a native
of the Gilbert islands, named TIE
Manu- Uraura ("Red Bird''), to come
aft, and take the steer-oar, knowing
that his eyesight, like that of all
Polynesians, was better than that of
any white man.
The poor fellow laughed good-na-
turedly. I little thought that this
simple order of paine would, when he
came aft and took the steer oar from
me, Indirectly be the cause Of an in
Jury which would cripple him for life.
l then seated myself on the after
thwart and began to pull. We were at
this time about 30 yards from the
beach. between it and the inner reef
along for two or three hundred yards
without hitch, and I was thinking
of what my cook would have for sup
per. when we suddenly pumped into
a patch of dead coral and stuck hard
and fast.
Knowing that the tide was falling,
we all jumped out, and pushed the
boat eff into deeper water as quick
~ as possible, just as half-a-dozen
bright torches of coco-nut leaves
lared up on the shore, which revealed
the boat dimly to the torch bearers.
At first I imagined that the chief of
the village had sent some of his peo-
pie to help us through the channel,
but l was quickly undeceived when l
heard ''Flash Harry's" voice.
1--WE got you now, my sancy, quar-
terdeckstyle of rotten pup. Slew round
head off,
One glance towards the beach
showed me that we were in desper-
ate position. "Flash Harry" who was
all but stark naked, having only
girdle of ti-tree leaves round his
waist, was covering the boat with his
Winchester rife, and his armed fol-
lowers were ready to fire a volley in
to us-if they had not been so drunk.
"They cant hit us, Te Manu." cried
to the Gilbert islander, whose Unborn
fighting proclivities were showing in
his cleaning eyes and short, painting
breaths. ''Most of them have no car
tridges in their guns, and they are all
too drunk to shoot straight. Let us
60 on"
TIE Manu- gripped the haft of the
steer oar and swung the boats head
round; and then I and the native at
the bow oar-a mere boy of 16-pulled
for all we were worth, just as Flash
Harry" dropped on one knee and fired.
Poor TIE Manu- swayed to and fro
for few moments, and then cried
out, "He has broken my hand, sir!
But go on, pull-pull hard!"
Under scattering fire from the
beach-comber's drunken companions,
we pulled out into deeper water and
safety; then. shipping my oar.
sprang to Te Manu's aid. The bullet
had struck him on the back of the
right hand. and literally cut off three
of the poor fellows knuckles. l did
what / could to stop the loss of blood,
and told him to sit down; but he re-
fused. and although suffering intense
pain, insisted on steering with his left
hand. As soon as we reached the cut
ter I at once hove up anchor and
stood along the coast before strong
breeze to Matautu harbor, where I
was able to have the man properly
attended to. TIE Manu-. however. only
to very slight extent recovered the
use of his hand.
I never saw "Flash Harry again.
A few months later left Samoa for
the Caroline group, and a year after
wards was told that he had at last
found the country too hot for him,
and had left the island in German
s.blackbirder' bound to the Solomon
islands.
Quite six years had passed before
I learnt, in somewhat curious man
ner, what became of eFlash Harry"
One day, in Sydney, New South Wales,
three captains and myself, all en-
gagged in the South Sea trade, met for
lunch at the Paragon hotel on Circu-
lar Quay. One Of the company, .
( -