The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-07-11
Continued From Our Last Issue)
CHAPTER VIII.
NV Man Eritax


My Man Friday.
This was the pleasantest year
of all the life | led In this place.
Friday began to talk pretty we'll,
and understand the names of al
most everything.
After Friday and became
more intimately acquainted let
! him into the mystery tfor such II
was to HIM of gunpowder and
bullet, and taught him how to
shoot. l gave him a knife. which
he was wonderfully delighted
with.
| showed him the ruins of our
boat, which we lost when we es-
capped, now fallen almost to pieces.
Upon seeing this boat, Friday
stood musing great while. At
last says he, I'VE see such boat
like come to place at my nation.
But he brought me better to
understand him when he added
with some warmth. I'VE save the
white mans from drown"
Then / presently asked him If
there were any white mans, AS he
called them, in the boat. Yes,
he said; 1.-The boat full of white
mans" | asked him how many.
He told upon his fingers seven
teen. | asked him then what be-
came of them. He told me. They
live, they dwell at my nation
lie assured me they had been
there about four years. This
brought to my mind the boat |
thought | had seen several years
before from the hilltop. Evident
ly my eyes had not played me
false.
1t was after this some consid-
cradle time that, being on the top
OF the hill from whence, as |
have said, | had discovered tho
mainland. Friday, the weather be-
ing very serene, looks very earn
estly toward the mainland, and in
a kind of surprise falls a-jumping
and dancing, and calls out to me.
"Oh, joy!" says he. oh, glad"
There see my country, there my
natiOn?"
l said, Friday, do not you
wish yourself in your own coun-
try, your own nation?"
Yes" he said; 81 be much o
glad 70 be at my own nation
"What would you do there ?"
said |. Would you turn wild
again, eat mems flesh again, and
| be n savage as you were before? p
He looked full of concern, and
said, mo, no; Friday tell them
to live good. tell them to pray
God, tell them to eat corn-bread,
cattle-flesh, milk, not eat man
again"
"Why. then" said I to him,
they will kill you
He looked grave at that, and
then said, NO, they no kill me;
they willing love learn"
Then | asked him IL he would
go back to them. He smiled at
that, and told me he could not
swim so far. | told him | would
make a canoe for him. He told
me he would go il | would go
with him.
81 go!" says |; why, they will
eat me IL come there"
mo, no." says he: "me make
they no eat you; me make they
much love you"
From this time had mind to
venture over, and see If | could
possibly join with these bearded
men, not doubling but, IL | could,
we might find some method of
escape from thence, being upon
the continent, and good COM
y pany together.
I So, after some days, I told him
Ii would give him a boat to go
back to his own nation; and, &C
cordingly, | carried him to my
frigate, which lay on the other
side of the island.
I found he was most dexterous
at managing 1t. So | said to him,
well, now, Friday, shall we go
to your nation?"
He answered not one word, but
looked grave and said. I asked
him what was the matter with
him.
He asked me again thus, "Why
you angry mad with Friday?
What me done?"
l told him | was not angry with
him at all.
mo angry! no angry" says
he; "why send Friday home away
to my nation?" .
why" says I, Friday, did
you not say you wished you were
there?"
Eyes, yes" says he; wish we
both there; no wish Friday there,
no master there" In a word, he
would not think of going there
without me.
1T go there, friday" says Il;
what shall l do there?"
He turned very quickly upon
me at this. you do great deal
! much good" says he; you teach
wild mans to be good sober tame
mans; you tell them know God,
pray God, and live new life."
ALAS! friday says /, thou
knowest not what thou sayest; /
lam but an ignorant man myself"
Eyes, yes" says he; "you
teachee me good, you teachee
them good"
mo, no, Friday" says I; "you
shall go without me; leave me
here to live by myself, as I did
before"
| He looked confused again at
that word, and running to one of
the hatchets he takes 1t up hasti-
ly, comes and gives 1t to me.
What must l do with this?"