Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-01-19

Kandavu for ten years. It's capital
crime TO eat man now, and punish
able by bollin' the offender alive In
palm OIL"
"wer," rumbled McGuffey. "thls
Tabu-Tabu don't look much like
preacher, II you ask me. But how
about this black coral?"
"Oh, I've ribbed up deal with
him." said Mr.. Gibney. Hell 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 hand.
Tabu's gone ashore 10 talk the king
into doin' business with us. If he
consents, Wen 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
Wen have 10 co."
"Supposin' the king don't care to
have any truck with us?" inquired Nc
Guffey, anXiously.
I'm that case, Mac" replied the
commodore with a smile, "we'll just
naturally shell him out of house and
home"
"Well, then" said McGuffey, "et's
get the guns ready. Somethln' tells
me these people amt TO be trusted,
and I'm tellln' you right now, Glib,
won't sleep we'll tonight unless them
two quarter gatlings and the Maxim
Vickers rapid-hre guns is mounted and
ready for business"
"All right, Mac" replied Mr. Glib
ney, In the tone one uses when humor-
ing a baby. "Set 'em up If it'll make
YOU feel more cheerful. STILL l don't
see why you want to go actin so fool
ish over nothin'"
"Well, Glib" replied the engineer 81
may be crazy, but l amt no fool, and
IL there's a dead whale around the
ship, l can come pretty near smellin'
II. | tell you, Glib, that Tabu-Tabu
niger had a look in his eye for all
the world like n cur dog lickin' q bone.
amt takin' no chances. Ny old man
used TO say: Bart, whatever you do,
alters have an anchor out to wind
ward
by the left hind leg of the Great
Sacred Bull" snapped Captain Scraggs.
IF you amt enough to precipitate
war"
War" replied McGufrey. "is my
long sult-particularly war with native
nlggers. l just naturally crave to
punch the ear of anything darker than
portugee. Remember how I cleaned
out the police department of Panama"
Mount the guns if you're goin' to,
Mac. If not, for the love OF the Lord
don't be demoralizln' the crew with
this talk Of war. All ask is that you
set the guns after I've finished my
business here with Tabu-Tabu. He's
been on q war vessel, and knows what
guns are, and If he saw you mountn'
them it might break up our friendly
relations. He'll think we don't trust
him"
well, we don't" replied McGunfey,
doggedly.
"Well, we do" snapped Captain
Scraggs.
There is always something connected
with the use Of that pronoun of kings
which eats like a canker at the heart
Of men of the McGuffey breed That
officer now spat on the deck, in def
ance OF the rules Of his superior Off
GERS, and Glared at Captain ScraggS.
Speak for yourself, you miserable
little wart," he roared. IF you in
clude me on that cannibals' vlsitin'
list, and 60 to contradictin me agin,
iii"
Mac" interrupted Mr.. Gibney, an
grily, control yourself. It's agin the
rules TO have rag-chewin' and bacl-bit-
in on the Maggie IL. Remember our
motto: All for one and one for ALI
-
Here comes that sneakln' bushy-
/. headed murderer back to the vessel"
interrupted McGuffey 81 wonder
what dcvilment he's up to now"
Mr.. McGuffey was partly right. for I'm
few minutes Tabu-Tabu came along
side, climbed aboard. and salaamed.
Mr. Gibney, fearful Of McGufroy's in
ability 10 control his antipathv for
the race. heckoned Captain Scraegs
and Tabu-Tabu 10 follow him down
into the cabin. Meanwhile McGuiley
contented himself by parading back
ward and forward across the To-
castle head with Mauser rifle in the
! hollow Of his arm and his person fair
~ bristling with pistols and cutlasses.
| Whenever one of the hotilia Of canoes
hove TO at respectful distance.
showed signs of crossing an imagi-
nary deadline drawn by McGuiIey, he
would point his rifle at them and swear
horribly. He scowled at Tabu-Tabu
when that individual finally emerged
y