Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-07-29
The portrait I took down from Its

things, as on the era for which they
stood, dropped the lid of the mates
chest.
The morning came on, brilliant ard
fresh with the cleansi.' sweep Of tho
trades. Sky and sea sparkled in a
diamond clarity, ard below me on the
beach patiently waited the dignitaries
of my tribe in fest al regalia. Since
this was our parting, I, too, came out
decked in the finey of bird-plumage.
did not allow then to climb to the
now empty shrine. hut led them down
with me to the beach, where shortly
a boat came bobbng over the water.
A queer enough spectacle we must
have made, like a flock of blackbirds
patched with the orioles orange and
the cockatoo's rose. / myself, burned
out of my Caucasian birthrisht, diff
fered from them only in my size.
For a time the handful of white
men in the boat hesitated to risk the
chances of landing and being kai-
kaied. AS they circled at a distance
made my throat raw shouting reassur-
ances in English, while my wondering
blacks contemplated with deep awe
this talking of the gods.
At last the rescuers rowed in, and
[ waded out waist-doep to meet them.
The officer in command was a great
Scotchman with a ruddy face and an
honest mouth, as stiffly sober, as
hol ;nlJ 10 t1,a
duction of a smile. He gave me a de-
tail of two Kanakas, whose brawny
arms carried down the chest and It's
contents.
At last came the moment I had
dreaded. | must break the news to
these waiting children that the
priests from the stars had not come
to bring them ncv and permanent
wonders, but to taNo back to the lands
of mystery their goddess and myself
wished then fo- fuller knowledge
of their tongue, that l might soften
the tidings: but could not bring nv
self to the mendacity Of promising a
return, though they pleaded. When
1t came to partin~ with Ra Tuiki, I
forgot my quasidivinity and seized
the old head hunters hand in an un,
godlilse, Anglo-Saxon grip.
Their island would now be charted.
Missionaries would come to them
with teachings Of new faith, but
treading on their heels woud come
men of another SOFT; and as I thought
of these I wished that we might be
able to leave the place unchronicled.
The contract-trader would soon ar.
rive, supported, if need be by the au-
thority of his flags navy, bringing to
my cannlhalls, or some of them, long
terms Of peonage under hard planta,
tion masters.
what. If I NAV ask" suggested the
solemn-visaged Scot at the helm,
when the bow was turned outward
and the boat crew was bending to the
oars, "was all the demonstration of
tn niggers?"
"They were saying good-by,"I ex-
planned Eve came to have very
satisfactory understanding"
He pondered my answer for time
in sober silence, then dismissed the
matter with single observation.
"They took it cruel hard, sir"
Over the side of the Gretchen I
rent to kindly reception. told all
of my story which wished to tell, ad.
Mating that l had posed as a sort of
ant hrao I'M, int 30
godship which was over my godship.
A week Of hurricane and storm had
tested the ships endurance, exhaust
ed the crew, and driven the Gretchen
into unknown waters.
"If it hadn't been for your signal
fires" the captain told me, 1--WE might
have gone to smash on the outlying
needles. Your lights probably saved
US as well as yourself"
This was no larger than the Was
trel, but when one went to his berth
at night it was with confidence that
his sleep would not be interrupted by
the sudden necessity of getting up to
die. She had carried q cargo of trade
stuffs south and was returning to
Singapore by way Of Brisbane, laden
with copra and pearl shell.
Her direction lay westerly, while
wished to go east, but that was sec
ondary. At the Australian port,
could reship. Indeed, I was told oui
course might shortly cross that of a
regular line of steamers between Bris
bane and Honolulu.
For a few days it was satisfying
enough to pick up the lost ends of the
| worlds stale news. While | had beer
marking time, the world had been
marching; hundred paragraphs had
been lived into history.
On the fourth day d slender thread
of smoke rose over the western horl
zon and grew into clean-painted and
white-cabined steamer.
AS the gap closed white-clad men
even women. stood out against the