Middletown transcript., 1921-12-31


hereafter, Scraggsy,
1gger friends to your
Shkin' effusive over this
it's agin my principles
hands with q colored
30 chaps a id ugly Gus
and you take my word for 1t. ."
4bu-Tabu grinned again, walked to
lhe rail, and tossed his war club down
into the canoe.
'Me good missionary boy" he said.
rather humbly.
"McGuffey, my dear boy" protested
captain Scraggs, don't be SO doggone
hde. You might hurt this poor lads
elin's. OF course he's only simple
re niger, but even dawg has
Is. You"
z-r-r-rh = snarled McGuffey.
"You two belay talkin' and snapAin'
at each other" commanded Mr.. Glib
ney, IAN leave all bargainin' to ME.
This boy is all right and we'll get
along first rate IL you two just haul
ship and do somethin' useful besides
buttin' in on your superior officer.
Come along. Tabu-Tabu. Makee little
eat down in cabin. You talkee cap-'
tain"
"Gib, my dear boy" sputtered CAP
tain Scraggs, bursting with curiosity,
following the commodore's reappear-
ance on deck, "whatever's in the
wind?"
"Money-fortune," said Mr.. Gibney,
solemnly.
McGuffey edged up and eyed the
commodore seriously. "Sure there
Sain't a little fightin' mixed up in it?'
he. asked. aA
mot a bit Of it." replied Mr.. Gibney.
you're as safe on Kandavu as If you
was in church. This Tabu kid is sort
of prime minister to the king, with a
heap of influence at court. The crew
Of British cruiser stole him for a
galley police when he was kid, and
he got civilized and learned to talk
English. He was a cannibal in them
days, but the chaplain aboard showed
him how foolish it was to do such
things, ard finally Tabu-Tabu got re-
ligion and asked as special favor to
be allowed to return to Kandavu to
civilize his people. As result Of
Tabu-Tabu's effortsl he tells me the
king has concluded that when he eats
white man he's fyin' in the face Of
his own interests, and most generally
| a gunboat comes along in few months
and shells the bushA and-well, any
how, there amt beeM a barbecue on
| Kandavu for ten yearsA It's capital
crime to eat man now and punish
able by boilin' the offender alive In
palm OIL"
"well," rumbled McGuffeS, ''this
Tabu-Tabu don't look much like a
preacher, If you ask me. But how
about this black coral"
"Oh, I've ribbed up deal with
him." said Mr.. Gibney. "He1l see
that we get all the trade we can lug
away. We're the first vessel that's
touched here in two years. and they
have thunderin' lot Of stuff on haiidk
Tabu's gone ashore to talk the king
| into dom business with US. II he
consents, we'll have him and Tabu-
Tabu and three or four Of the SUBJ
chiefs aboard for dinner, or else he'll
invite us ashore for big feed, and
we'll have to CO."
"Supposin' the king don't care to
have any truck with us?" inquired Nc
Gunfey, anxiously.
I'm that case, Mac" replied the
commodore with a smile, well just
naturally shell him out Of house and
home"
"Well, then," said McGuffey, "let's
get the guns ready. Somethin' tells
me these people amt to be trusted,
and I'm tellin' you right now, Glib,
won't sleep well tonight unless them
two quarter gatlings and the Maxim.
Vickers rapid-fire guns is mounted and
ready for business"
"An right, Mac" replied Mr.. Glib.
ney, In the tone one uses when humor.
ing baby. "Set 'em up If it'll make
you feel more cheerful. Still, ], don't
see why you want to go actin SO fool.
ish over nothin'."
"Well, Gib," replied the engineer, q
may be crazy, but amt no fool, ar
IL there's a dead whale around the
ship, can come pretty near smellin
it. I tell you, Glib, that Tabu-Tabr
niger had a look in his eye for al
the world like cur dog lickfn' a bone
amt takin' no chances. My old mar
used to say: Bart, whatever you do
alters have an anchor out to wind
ward.'"
Il 'sBy the left hind leg Of the Great
Sacred Bull" snapped Captain Scraggs
"if you amt enough to precipitatl
war"
"War," replied McGuffey, 'is m,
long suit particularly war with native
niggers I just naturalk crave II
punch the ear of anything knr thar
q Portugee. Reneshber T
out the police departmS