The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-02-17
!. Me very good friend

board, / talk. Me very good friend
white MASTER"
BLESS my sweet-scented soul y
/ gasped the commodore. "What won't
them missionaries do next? Cut off
my ears IL this niger amt civilized y
He beckoned to the canoe and 1t shot
alongside, and its brown crew came
climbing over the rail Of the Maggie
II.
Mr.. Gibney met the spokesman al
the rail and they rubbed noses very
| solemnly, after the manner of saluta-
tion in Kandavu Captain Scraggs
hustled forward, full of Importance.
"Interduce me, Glib" he said amiably,
and then, while Mr.. Gibney favored
him with sour glance, Captain
| Scraggs stuck out his hand and shook
briskly with the native.
Happy to make your acquaintance"
he said. "Scraggs is my name, sir.
Shake hands with McGuffey. our chief
engineer. Hope you left all the folks
at home well. What'd you say your
name was?"
The islander hadn't said his name
was anything but he grinned now and
replied that it was Tabu-Tabu.
WELL my bucko," muttered McGuf-
fey, who always drew the color line,
I'm glad to hear that. But you amt
the only thing that's taboo around this
packet. You can Jest check that war
club with the first mate, pendin' our
better acquaintance. Hand it over,
you black beggar. or I'll hit you a
swat In the ear thatll hurt all your
relations. And hereafter, Scraggsy,
just keep your niger friends to your
self. ] amt waxin' ELUSIVE over this
savage, and it's agin my principles
ever to shake hands with colored
man. This chaps id ugly Gus
toner, and you take my word for it."
Tabu-Tabu grinned again, walked to
the 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
rude. You might hurt this poor lads
feelin's. OF course he's only simple
native niger, but even a dawg has
/ feelin's. YOU
"A-r-r-rh = snarled McGuffey.
"You two Delay talkin' and snappin'
at each other" commanded Mr.. Glib
ney, 'an' leave all bargainin' to me-.
| This boy is all right and we'l get
along first rate If 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
amt little fightin' mixed up in it?"
| ne asked.
"Not 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 q
/ galley police when he was a kid, and
/ he got civilized and learned to talk
English. He was cannibal in them
days, but the chaplain aboard showed
1 him how fnn1fch n 70 do nh
things, and finally Tabu-Tabu got re-
! ligion and asked as special favor to
be allowed to return to Kandavu to
civilize his people. AS a result of
Tabu-Tabu's efforts, he tells me the
king has concluded that when he eats
a white man he's flynn in the face of
his own interests, and most generally
a gunboat comes along in few months
and shells the bush, and-well, any
how, there amt been a barbecue on
Kandavu for ten years. It's capital
crime to eat man now. and punish
able by boilin' the offender alive In
palm OIL"
! 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. 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 to talk the king
into DOM business with US. If 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 a big feed, and
We'll have to CO."
"Supposin' the king don't care to
have any truck with us?" inquired Nc
Guffey, anxiously.
an that case, Mac" replied the
commodore with smile, "we'n just
naturally shell him out of house and
home"
"WeIl, then" said McGuffey, :1et's
get the guns ready. Somethin' tells
me these people amt to be trusted,
and I'm tellin' you right now. Glib, 1
won't sleep well tonight unless them
two quarter gatlings and the Maxim
Vickers rapid-fire guns is mounted and
ready for business
"All 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, Glib" replied the engineer, 81
| rna,, he crazr hut I amt no fool and