Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-05
By C. J. CUTLIFFE HYNE.

pills will get hindered at their proper work
and you'll be knocked over"
Thanks said Carter. But I always
understood
I'm sure you did. Now there's one
other thing I want to impress on you, my
lad. Your duty is to get on, and the way
to do that is to scratch up cargo and send
it home by the Mposo. You see, my lad
I've got more influence with ONell and
Craven than any other captain on the
coast Though you needn't go and stir up
mischief by spreading that about, and if
you keep yourself in my memory by the
way Malla-Uulla ships cargo by me I'll let
them fully understand at the home office
that services like yours want big raise
in salary. There, don't you bother to
thank me. my lad, and just you stow that
box of pills where they won't get lost II
you're split going ashore through that surf.
It's mighty bad beach today"
"Ah. morning. Carter said Mr.. Bargar-
ME as he hustled up. Got all your things
up on deck? It's no concern of mine, OF
course. but if there are any little odds and
ends you want, such as socks or Florida
water. or a mosquito bar / believe Chips
and the bosn keep sort OF surreptltious
shop somewhere in the forecaste where
you could fill up your stores"
Much obliged, said the passenger, but
l think I've got all l want, or rather all L
can afford
Remembered to bring donkey clippers
please. What | really wished to mention
to you was this: When your pay comes in
you'll naturally want little comforts sent
out from home. and you won't care to
worry any of your friends to get them
for you. Now don't you have any qualms
about making use of me. Just say what
you want, and I'll get it and bring it out
Mr. Bargarnie winked most pleasantly.
I'm purser here, of course. and have to
back up the company's charges, but | can
always make the rates reasonable to oblige
friend There, goodbye, old fellow. The
boats ready to take you OFF,
A surf boat swung diZZily up and down
at the guesswarp alongside and the two
yellow gladstone bags in its floor seemed
ludiCrOuSly out of place beside the savage
paddlers. Carter was conscious that his
heart worked up to an unpleasant activity,
but he carried a serene face. dropped to
his knees in the gangway and began with
unaccustomed feet to Chamber down the
Jacobs ladder. He noted without disturb
ance that he was daubing coal dust and
orange-cClored palm oil onto his hands and
white drill clothes in the process but he
had mind now which entirely disregarded
the trivial; all his interest was fixed upon
the boat
Don't jump too SOON
Take 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 if you a shark
stream of advice much of it satirical,
pelted him from above. Looking over his
shoulder, he saw beneath him the leaping
boat and ring of negro grins. 1t was
these last that stiffened him into action.
The surf boat swooped up sideways, and
when it seemed to him that she had reach
ed the zenith of her leap he let go the
Jacobs ladder and sprang for her
1t is a matter of nice judgment, this de-
termination of the psychological moment
for a jump, and the amateur has it not.
AS consequence Carriers foot slid on the
wet gunwale, he buttocked painfully onto
a thwart and was saved from spinning
overheard by rough and ready black fingers.
The new pith helmet 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 Kroo-
boy crew were perched ape-like on the
gunwales and stabbing strenuously at the
water with trident headed paddles. The
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 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 an enormously high
iron wall and to their shouts of farewell
and futterng of handkerchiefs he could
not bring himself to return more than
curt hand-wave. 1t seemed to him that he
was cut off entirely from white men and
white mans territory and was launched be-
yond release into West Africa with all its
smells and accouterments.
He settled himself in the mid thwart of
the surf boat. with the water on the floor
flowing merrly in and out of his pipe
clayed shoes. Whatever a white man may
feel. he always assumes GOODNESS and indif-
ference before the black, and Carter picked
up the instinct of his race,
His progress shoreward had two distinct
phases At one time he and the boat lay
in a watery ravine with high sides tower
ing above him and no view save of sleek
bottle-green water and cobalt sky over
head. The next moment he was expressed
upward onto an eminence, and there be-
1ox Il, 10
most pleasant qualities. At these last mo-
ments of exaltation he saw a glazing beach
set along the seas edge, carrying white
factory buildings and backed in by an or
derby wall of green.
He saw also palm-oil puncheons being
brought off, and an interest In the work bit
him Immediately. Here was the commod-
ity which (bar DEATH would for years to
come be his chiefest intimate. Between
eclipses of the rollers he watched every
stage of the work-the great white ended
barrels rolled down the glazing beach,
naked savages swimming them through the
surf with unimaginable SKILL green-paint-
ed surf boat at anchor outside the break
ers making them fast to buoyed hawser.
He saw another hawser load being heaved
out to the steamers winch, with the great
casks popping about like a string of gigan-
tic cherries. Already on the M'poso he
had seen other puncheons howked on board
by a steam crane which was driven by
one-eared Krooboy.
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 perspiration. 1t is one thing
| to take ones regular meals on a fine-sized
steamboat, whatever weather may befall;
| II is quite another to do ones voyaging in
| a leaping lancing, dancing, wallowing surf
boat. Few men take their first surf-boat
! ride over a bad roll without being violently
| seasick, and Carter was exception to
| the normal law.
| In hazy sort of way he noted that the
| paddlers had stopped their song and their
monotonous effort, and he was seized with
| tremendous desire to hurry them forward
and get himself and his gladstone bags
planted on the stable beach. Ahead Of
| them were roaring, spouting breakers.
| which it seemed impossible for any boat
| to live through: but waiting outside their
| fringe was even more intolerable.
| ''Oh, get on! For heavens sake, get on!'
| he wanted to shout. but almost to his as
| constituent pride of race kept him grimly
| silent. He had never felt before the whole
| debt that is owing to white skin.
| The headman in the stern sheets sculled
| now and again with his oar to keep the
boat head on to the roll, and between
| whites chartered nervously. The Krooboy
| paddlers on the gunwales rested on their
1 paddles ad scratched themselves. Roller
| after roller went by finging the boat up
| toward heaven, sucking her back again to
! the sea grass below, with a rocking mo-
1 =,