The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-06


A surfboat swung dizzily UP and down
mt the guess-warp alongside and the two
yellow gladstone bags on Its floor seemed
ludlcrously out of place beside the savage
paddlers. Carter was conscious that his
heart worked up to an unpleasant activi-
ty; but he carried serene face, dropped
to his knees in the gangway, and began
with unaccustomed feet to Chamber down
the Jacobs ladder. He noted without
disturbance that he was daubing coal
dust and orange-colored palm oil onto his
hands and white drill clothes in the pro-
cess, but he had mind now which
entirely disrcgarded the trivial; all his in
terest was fixed upon the boat
Don't jump too SOON"
Take care you don't drop that new pith
hat
Mind. don't let the boat come up and
squash you"
DON'T furry the man so. Put your
feet in your pocket II you see n shark"
a stream of advice. much OF II shtirical.
pelted him from above. Looking over his
shoulder he saw beneath him the leap
ing boat and ring OF negro grIns. IL
was these last that stifened him into ac-
ton. The surf-boat swooped up sideways,
and when it seemed to him that she had
reached the zenith of her leap, he let go
the Jacobs ladder and sprang for her
1t is matter OF nice Judgment, this
determination OF the psychological mo-
rnent for jump; and the amateur has
it now. AS consequence Carriers foot
slid on the wet gunwale: he buttocked
painfully onto thwart. and was saved
from spinning overheard by rough and
ready black fingers. The new pith hell
met received its first crack, the white
drill clothes were further soiled, and he
was left to gather himself out of the
slop OF water on the bottom OF the boat
as best he pleased Already the Krooboy
crew were perchcd apc-like on the gum
wales. and stabbing strenuously at the
water with trident-headed paddles. Tho
headman straddled In the stern with the
muscles standing out in him like nuts,
as he sculled with the steering oar.
1t had all passed so quickly that the
steamer had only accomplished one-half
of a roll The white faces that he had
seen last beside him were now small and
far away at the top of enormously
high iron wall. and to their shouts of
farewell and nuttering OF handkerchiefs
he could not bring himself to return more
than curt hand-waye. 1t seemed TO
him that he was cut off entirely from
white men and white mans territory, and
was launched beyond release into West
Africa with all It's smells and account
rements.
He settled himself in the mild thwart
OF tho surf-boat with the water on tho
floor flowing mcrrily in and out OF his
pipe-clayed shoes. Whatever n white man
may feel. he always assumes coolness
and Indifference bcfc.e the black. and
Carter picked up the Instinct of his race.
His progress shorcward had two dis
tinct phases. At one time he and the
boat lay in n watery ravine with high
sides towering above him. and no view
save of sleek bottle-green water and cobalt
sky overhead. The next moment he was
expressed upwards to an eminence
and there before him lay landscape and
seascapc of most pleasant qualities. At
these last moments of exaltation. he saw
n glarng beach set along the seas edge,
carrying white factory buildings, and
backed in by an orderly wall of green.
He saw also palr-ofl -,'nr'rc- ing
brought off, and an interest In the work
bit him Immediately. here sas ...e 1o.li-
modify which (bar death) would for years
to come be his chiefcst intimate. Be-
tween ecipses of the rollers, he watched
every stage of the work-thc great white
ended barrels rolled down the glazing
beach, naked savages swimming them
through the surf with unimaginab!e skill.
a green painted surf-boat at anchor out
side the breakers making them fast to
a buoyed hawser. He saw another haw-
ser-load being heaved out to the steam
er's winch, with the great casks popping
about like q string of gigantic cherries.
Already on the M'poso he had seen other
puncheons howked on board by steam
crane which was driven by oEe-eared
He had grasped this much OF his new
trade when sight seemed to grow misty
to him. and his body was chilled with
an unpleasant pcrspiration 1t Is one
thing to take ones regular meals on
fne-sized steamboat. whatever weather
nay befall; it is quite another to do ones
in leaping, lancing. dancing,
wallowing surf-boat. Few men take their
irst surf-boat ride over n bad roll with
nut being violently seasick, and Carter
vas no exception to the normal law.
In hazy sort of way he noted that
he paddlers had stopped their song and
heir mohotonous effort, and he was seized
With n tremendous desire to hurry them
Onward and get himself and his glad
stone bags planted on the stable beach.
Ahead of them were roaring, spouting
which. it seemed impossible for
my boat to live through: but waiting out