The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-06-13
The Stingaree in
Sunflower Bay
Copyright. by Joseph B. BowlesJ
By LLOYD OSBOURNE

It was the Sandfy, Capt. Toombs,
that brought the news to Sydney and
intercepted her majesty's third-class
cruiser Stingaree, as she lay in
Man-of-War Cove, with her boats
hoisted in and deck-load of coal as
high as her bulwarks, on the eve of
long trip into the western Pacific. 1t
was the same old story-another
white man sent to his last account in
the inhospitable Solomons, where II
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, Sunflower bay, island OF
sGuadalcanar; murdered by the natives
In September, 1888, between the
seventh and the twenty-fourth, and
his station looted and burned" There
was trouble in store for Sunfiower
sbay; they had killed Collins in 1884,
and Casseroles, the Frenchman. in
1887, and had drawn upon themselves
IN ominous attention by firing into
The Meg Merrilies in the course of
the same year. Murder was becoming
toe frequent in Sunfower bay, and
Capt Easement, while policing those
ssweltering seas, was asked to CON
duct an inquiry into the alleged muir
der OF T. H. Biggar, and take what
punitive measures he judged to be
necessary"
After 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
out a course for Sunflower bay.
There was no visible beach, for the
-mangroves ran to the waters edge,
save where 1t had been partially
cleared away by the man whose MUIR
der they had come to avenge; nor
did the closest scrutiny with the glass
betray any telltale smoke or the least
sign Of habitation. Capt. Easement
surveyed the place with his keen, prac-
ticed eyes. and the longer he looked
the less he liked it. The desolation
Jared upon his nerves, and his heart
fell q little as the blow-hole burst
Thoarsely 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. u
don't half like the look of 1t, Mr..
Facey; it's a damned nasty-looking
place"
"Am to 60. sir?" asked the lieuten-
ant.
EYES," said Easement. You must
take Pickthorn and rs 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 fustered 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 dc
everything with as little fuss and as
great show of confidence as you
can"
"All right, sir" said Facey.
Half an hour later Facey, with 2!
well-armed men, had vanished into
1.-THE mangroves.
Hour after hour passed and brough-
never sound from the melancholy
woods.
Just as things were looking des
perate and all began to fear tn,
very worst, q sudden shout reused the
ship and the shore party, noisy ant
triumphant, were seen streaming
down to the beach. A few moment,
later the two boats pulled slowly of
to the ship, Facey's company tn,
richer by black man. whose costum,
consisted OF little more than the rope
be was bound with. A thunderinl