River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-05-21

that brought the news to Sydney and
intercepted her majestys thirdclass
cruiser Stingaree, as she lay in
Man-of-W War Cove, with her boats
hoisted in and a deck-Ioad Of coal as
high as her bulVUarks, on the eve Of a
long trip into the western Pacific. 1t
was the same old story another
white man sent to his last account in
the inhospitable SoIomons, where if
the climate does not kill you the
black man soon will: Thomas
Hysslop Biggar, commonly known as
Capt Tom aged as; British subject;
occupation, trader in coprah; place
Of residence, Sunfower bay, island Of
Guadalcanar; murdered by the natives
III September, 1888, between the
seventh and the twenty-fourth, and
his station looted and burned" There
was trouble in store for SunfOWer
bay; they had killed Collins in 1884,
and Casseroles, the Frenchman, in
1887, and had drawn upon themselves
an ominous attention by firing into
the Meg Merrilies in the course Of
the same year Murder was becoming
too frequent in Sunhower bay, and
Capt Easement, while policing those
sWeltering seas, was asked to con
duct an inquiry into the alleged MUIR
der of T. r. Biggar and take what
punitive measures he judged to be
necessary"
After a roundabout cruise through
the pleasant groups Of Fiji, Tongata
boo and Samoa, with little to occupy
him save official dinners, tennis par
ties and an occasional dance ashore,
Capt Easement headed his ship for
the wild western islands and pricked
cut course for SunfloWer bay.
There was no visible beach, for the
mangroves ran to the waters edge,
save where it had been partially
cleared away By the man whose muir
der they had come to ayenge; nor
did the closest scrutiny with the glass
batray any telltale smoke or the least
sign Of habitation Capt Easement
surveyed the place with his keen, prac-
ticcd eyes, and the longer he looked
the less lie liked it. The desolation
Jared upon his nerves, and his heart
fell a little as the blow-hole burst
hoarsely under the ships quarter, and
the everlasting breakers on the outer
reef droned their note of menace and
alarm
Goodness gracious!" he said in his
abrupt, impatient fashion, as he stood
beside Facey on the bridge and super
intended the laying of the kedge. 81
don't half like the look of it, Mr.
F'acey: it's a damned nasty-lOoking
place"
Am to go. sir" asked the lieutenant.
Yes" said Easement you must
take Pickthorn and Is men in the first
cutter Send Burder in the second
with 20 more, to cover your landing
And for Gods sake, Facey, keep COOL
and neither get flustered nor over
friendly! Don't shoot unless you have
to; and always remember they are the
most treacherous savages in the
world BE gentle and firm, and do
everything with as little fuss and as
great a show of confidence as you
can"
"AIl right, sir" said Facey.
Half an hour later, Facey, with 25
well-armed men, had vanished into
the mangroves.
Hour after hour passed and brought
mover a sound from the melancholy
woods
Just as things were looking des-
perate and all began to fear the
very worst, a sudden shout reused the
ship, and the shore party noisy and
triumphant, were seen streaming
down to the beach. A few moments
later the two boats pulled slowly off
to the ship. Facey's company the
richer by black man, whose costume
consisted of little more than the ropes
he was bound with. A laundering
cheer hailed them as they swept I'M
der the stern and drew up at the star
board gangway, and Facey was soon
reporting himself on the bridge.
We'll, how did you make out?"
asked the captain.
I'VE landed at the traders house"
began Facey, followed a path that
led inland. and reached some Kanaka
huts. Not a soul in EN-; clean gone,
every man jack. Followed along a
well beaten path which led us into the
next bay, bearing north-northeast half
east, keeping the liveliest lookout all
the time. Three miles along we ran
into another village, chock-a-block
with niggerS. 1t looked a nasty go;
lots of guns and spears, and everybody
pretty skittish, kind of they would and
they wouldn't. | recollected your or
durs and went slow: you know what
l mean, sir-worked off the presents.
and smoked my pipe leisurely. By
and by they came round. tricky as the
devil or to make friends or to eat us
alive: whichever seemed the more
promising | let out what | wanted,
and hit by bit found out that all the
Sunflcwer bay crowd were there, even
to old Jibberik, the chief-him Toombs
said was the biggest scoundrel of the
lot. He looked pretty sick and knew
mighty we'll what we were after.
talked broadsides to that old man, and
put it to him that he had better give
up the chaps who had killed the trader
than waltz back to the ship and be
shot instanter himself-for somebody
had to go, said; and just as soon as
got the old codger alongside of me
gave him to understand that he was
my bird and kent my cooked DiStOl