The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-20
Chic ain, Va se

was d8 Oa1A d0 tuo EOo0O EWOUu S0AAG50
a collier. went on into ths thick OF It
without anything to guide me and in a
short time came to a clearing. t was
sort of crater like you see along the
higher part of the islands and was about
a hundred feet deep. The other. side
seemed to be about fifty fathoms across
There were big chunks of rock In the
bottom below and they showed plain
enough in the starlight. On the farther
side there appeared to be a deep hole
for it looked black and the outline showed
clear on the coral rock went down.
the slope and had just reached the bot
tom, when heard a yell and saw a fig
ure start from the black hole It bore
down on me SO quick 1 could hardly get
the cutlass ahead of me- and as I made.
a pass &thei fellow grabbed the blade in
J his hand and came in with a long knife.
In two seconds I was on my back and
the knife half an inch in my ribs before
he stopped. Then I saw it was the chief
and that he knew me. He remembered
how had helped him to make sennit
mats and gear them out with tassels CT
turks heads and crown knots SO he could
sell them, when I was here before. I
was on the Petrol then and we were
good friends. He stopped that long
knife Just in time, for he as so big an
AAd2A was do EASY " %
a baby after he got foul Of him. He
looked ugly and could see his eyes
Shine while he hesitated about. finishing
off his old mate. Then he spoke.
"sYou were looking for me, he said,
Il saw you in the boat
g That I was not I answered. was
hunting water
There is some in here. but I think
you lie. All you Christians do
<Hi~.~ l.,k$1 \ T.
we'll enough and as I spoke I got my
head a little to one side and looked for
the cutlass I dropped. It was lying close
aboard and I edged my right hand to-
wards it.
...You are Christian and you must
die, said the chief.
s". m a Turk and you know well enough
7 never cared for anything but rum
You've clean forgotten me-, I said F1e
hesitsted moment longer and Erinned
little.
:. y GU did steal the pig at the mission
you and the bcE-legged sailor-I remem-
ber.'
"He Stacked his hold on my neck, but
still held the knife ready. It was like
sneaking a mates grog, but there wss
no help for it. bore him quickly to one
side with all my strength and grabbed
the hill of the cutlass. Before he could
recover had swung it's blade up against
the side of his head, lying there on n:y
back as was. Then was. on my feet
again, and as he came for me landed
fairly on his head and nigh scalped him.
pa ssed my belt around his arms ana he
was fast.
You know the rest. The poor devil
came quietly enough with us and he know
the way I did for him and I'm ashamed
of being q white man when things like
this take place only did 1t because I
tried to do my duty abroad here in bring
ing him in. I don't mean any disrespect,
tan when things happen like this. They
happen pretty often and don't care to
belong to the crowd fonSd on these ISL
ands. They have turned a paradise into
a hell. I'm sick of having bounded a
poor broken and ruined man to his
death.
There's no use going into the affairs
you saw how the fellow acted. Cool,
quiet and more of a man than anyone
in my watch. It was cruel business.
The chief pulled himself together when
the order came and piped for them
to swing him off, He looked hard at the
to windward with the bright sun shining
on them and his eyes were moist. But
there was no sign Of fear in them. No,
sir, they looked like those of a sailor who
bas been out for q. long time and has made
the home port at last: lie moved his lips
.Loa'-Then he was. gone. That is all,
but I would rather be in his place than
go through the business again. meant
no disrespect; but no man can joke me
about it, sir. That's the reason I knock
al Johnson down - ralI