The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-13

puCheIeu his lips anu began 10 WINS
tie gaily the air of the children's
song;
Merrily merrily, swinging away,
Under the green leaves all the bright
day.
There was something SO unexpect-
ed in the man being alive after hav-
ing been hanged for more than an
hour something so uncanny in his
wide-open eyes, so creepy in his gay
whistle and his smiling mouth, that
the onlookers might have been par
doned had they turned in a body and
fled. And the partial congestion of
the blood in the face lent hideous
color to the belief that the man was
hanged, yet living.
And the sweet birds come, and the
sweet birds go;
And the sunbeams dance on the
ground below.
Wilkins braced himself in his seat,
took steady, deliberate aim at the
lariat just above the head of the
hanged man, and fired. The hair
thong parted as clean as from a
knife cut, and the Man under the
Tree landed in the soft earth, upright
and rigid on his feet, instead of fall
ing prone, as a decent corps would
have done.
But when the swing breaks, then
down you must spill,
Like Jack on a summer day tumbled
with Jill.
Having finished whistling this air,
the Man under the Tree opened his
eyes very wide and looked in turn at
each of the men before him, ending
by trying to stare out of countenance
the Irishman kneeling on his saddle.
Whereat that perturbed spirit let out
howl that broke the CHASTITY spell
and springing from his horse, Wilkins
approached the bound man.
1t was with the greatest doubt and
trepidation that the others watched
Wilkins as he freed the Man under
the Tree of the moose about his neck
and severed his bonds; but instead of
falling down, corpse, or vanishing
like a ghost, he gratefully stretched
his limbs, cleared his throat, licked
his congested lips, and, singing out
the Irishman, addressed him pleas.
antly, if somewhat hoarsely:
Good afternoon, sir"
At these words the supersititous
Hibernian collapsed, looking for all
the world, with his great, lank arms
and legs, like some queer kind vi
game, all tentacles, thrown across his
horses saddle.
wilkins, not having seen the man
hanged, was less affected than the
others, and he was the first to find
speech.
1--WE owe you an apology, sir" he
began, rather lamely.
The Man under the Tree held up
his hands deprecatingly. mo apol
ogy, no apology, sir; no occasion to
apologize. l like pleasant joke now
and then as we'll as any man."
At these reassuring words all the
remainder of the company, saving
the Irishman, found speech, and
many were their CALCULATIONS of won.
der and delight as they dismounted
and crowded around the Man under
the Tree.
why, you Urinary cuss," cried the
former speaker of the quorum
you'll hold whisky yeti"
Whisky" said the Man under the
Tree, meditatively. Whisky! Il
seems to me l have heard that word
before. Ali" He took one of the
several TASKS hastily proffered him
and holding it high over his head
cried: Gentlemen, toast! Here's
to the man who likes whisky when
it's good and men when they're q
little myself"
This toast was drunk with the high.
est approval, and the Man under the
Tree proposed a second.
Here's to the man who can wills
tie when he's blue, and who likes
everybody to enjoy themselves
myself"
This grim toast was received with
voiceferous acclaim, and the Man un
der the Tree proposed a third and
last toast.
Here's to the man who can't hang
for his windpipe is silver, and the
rope only tickles him and makes him
/ laugh-myself!
There was a crash of broken glass
and the Man under the Tree drank
the third tost alone, for those about
him had let drop their TASKS in sheer
surprise.
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