The Washington herald., 1906-11-25

I 4
Brisk winds below the line took the
/ tow rope Of the Luly Alice and dragged
/ her along at a rapid clip. AS she neared
the island, the seasoned Mr. Bloke sat
In the bow day after day. watching for
land. At length his eager eyes lifted the
shore line out OF the brine. At that dis
tance Samboa resembled a green skirt cut
en- train. with a fringe OF white petticoat
! huttering at the bottom where the waves
clawed the coral reefs. Half an hour be-
fore sundown the pilot came off and sent
his boat ashore Without a word 70 any
one. the chairman slid into the sea and
took the overland stroke for his. The
! ball Of string went with him.
The pilot was a gsunt man, who had
once been white, with pleasantly situated
chin whiskers and two Adams apples
working tandem in his windpipe whenever
he swallowed It was 70 give the Adams
apples a show for first money and place
that the pilot sent his boat away. He
said he couldn't risk plotting the Luly
Alice into the bottle-necked harbor at
night. Therefore, he would remain on
board. eat, and drink anything offered by
the urbane and gentlemanly skipper and
find d safe anchorage In the morning
THAT means cutting a ham," Kissed the
captain, giving the Jap steward a swift
kick along with the supper order. While
Jute went below to unlock the ham the
pilot grew entertaining, after the manner
of honored guests.
we are having sad times on the island
Of late" said the pilot, brushing some
imaginary dust OF his blue gingham
pajamas. Il expect the firing TO begin
most any day"
who will they fire hrst?' inquired Mr..
Bloke. thinking OF the good Job he lost in
Frisco.
The tandem Adams apples ran a couple
OF dead heats before the pilot replied.
Same old political trouble about the
throne You see, there are two kings
Dippy and Dotty-and they are at war"
Sure. / see said Willie. Republican
and Democrat
You might put 1t that way" said the
pilot. It's a plain case Of graft either
way. Whichever king is in power drags
down all the laundry from the white
folks. King Dotty is on the perch just
now. and he wears a 39-eent bath towel
his queen held out on the German con-
surs wife. She had two"
stop your kidding" chuckIed the tour
ist
It's no joke" said the pilot. ANY
Samboan able to strut in a bath towel is
a monarch. Only kings can afford the
England, and Gcrmany-are mixed up in
the row. We have rs white people or
the island and seven saloons"
What kind OF free lunch do they set
out?" asked the tourist, his mouth be-
ginning to water
Lunch said the pilot "A fly would
starve TO death on rowing commission
along our free lunch route That is the
trouble. There isn't enough drinkers for
one saloon. let alone seven. When the
laundry fight breaks out between the
kings. tho whites cable the three big
powers for warships TO protect vested
interests. With a feet of warships in
harbor the saloon-stock rates high
And the other king, Mr.. Dippy; he is
on the blink. I supDose?"
For the present" replied the pilot.
The local Americans favor DIppy, and
esteem the soft finish he puts On their
shirts. They are bowling like the devil
for a cruiser one started this way. but
broke down at Honolulu"
You are an American subject. all
right"
How did you guess?" grinned the
pilot
by the way you knock" said Willie.
IT'S a national trait Where Is King
Dippy-the one they canned at the last
laundry election2'
out in the tall weeds, back Of town
See that Pole?' the pilot said, pointing to
tall staff among the pines. That's his
fort. Dippy has an army, and IS going TO
move on Dotty and kick the tar out of
him. Every little while Dippy hurls a
def. He has a Job lot Of international
code flags he strings together and runs to
the top Of the pole. Then's when the
three consuls make the ocean boil cabling
for cruisers. Look There goes a signal
now"
In the last rays Of the setting sun
RANDOM mess OF gdudy ndgS, red flannel
shirts and bath towels floated from the
tall stan in the woods. Capt. Jute got
his spyglass and code book and picked
out King Dippys haphazard message to
a waiting world
Send boat-Tm sinking" Il read
What fool rot is that?' growled the
skipper "Camped in the woods and
wants 4 boat! Supper's ready, Mr. Pilot"
While the Iuly Alice beat To and fro
In the moonlight, languid brass band on
shore ground out a medley Of Star
SpangIed Banner God Save the Queen
and Der Wacht am Rhine
The Samboan national anthem" said
the pilot. his cheeks full of the captains
boarded ham.