Evening star., 1923-08-26
Pay Penalty Among

This Is the third Of six unusual artl.
cies recountinq some Of the remarkable
experiences OF Capt. Monekton as senior
officer of the armed onstabulary, resi-
dent magistrate, and In other posts he
held under the British government Of
New Guinea. The next article will ap-
pear In an early Issue.
BY CAPT. G. A. w. MONCKTON.
At Cape Nelson 1 was now busy in
the erection of my new station. A
New Guinea government station con-
sisted of the resident magistrates
house, police barracks, storerooms,
magazine. married quarters. native
visitors house. police cells and Jail.
At this time I had, under the super
vision of a private of constabulary,
gangs of several hundred Kali Kali at
work. clearing gardens and carry
Ing timber for the jail and barracks;
while another lot was searching for
teakwood with me, and cutting it
into piles for my house. Among my
contingent was short. squat. very
powerful man Of about forty years
who had at one time been badly
wounded in the head. and at intervals
broke into a frenzy or rage with n
apparent reason.
This person was named Komburua
He had engaged to work two month
with me for an AK upon which b
had set his heart. and which tool n
was permitted to use at his work
until it became his own.
komburuas particular job was to
cut the hewn piles to an exact length.
as / measured and marked them. On
one occasion, as / moved from one
pile to another to measure 1t, Kom
hurua seated himself upon the one 1
was stretching my, tape along. 1
shifted him with a hard spank with
my open hand, and again leaned over
my tape
Suddenly 1 caught sight on the
ground Of the shadow of an Ak fly
ing up above the shadow of my he'll
met. Like lightning, I jumped to
one side. just as that ak came crash
ing down on the very spot over
which my head had been.
Before Komburua had time to raise
his AK again had him pinned by the
throat. while two police. who were
but a few feet away. rushing up. first
knocked him senseless with the butts
stood at my back. as 1 blew my
whistle for the detachment to fall in
not. knowing how much further
the trouble was going.
IRON all directions the men came
j tearing up, loading their rifles as
they ran, and savagely striking out
of their way any native in their
path. The excited natives gathered
in clusters and jabbered, and spears
appeared from nowhere.
Peruta soon found out that Kom-
buruas attempt to split my skull was
due to one of his sudden frenzies Of
rage, induced by my thwack, and in
no way concerned the other natives.
He was given seven days in leg-irons,
as a gentle hint to restrain his
temper in the future, and we resumed
our work
Komburua afterward tried to get
square with me by poisoning our well
at night, and. but for the accident OF
heavy rain falling at the time, thus
washing away the greater portion OF
the poison. the whole lot of us would
undoubtedly have been killed. AS 1t
was, we were all extremely i'll; In
fact. two men very nearly died, and
/, for the life Of me, could not make
out the cause. The police said sor-
Gerry. I did not know what to think;
had no suspicion of the water,
though I thought of poison. At the
same time. I could not understand
how 1t could have been administered
to all. Of us. One alarming sign was
took counsel with the police.
"There Is something very wrong l
said, but we have to find out what it
is before we can cure It,"
1T is sorcery," said the police.
We'll, we must find out the sor-
cerer and deal. with him; what sor-
Gerry can do. sorcery can undo" said.
THE proper thing to do with a
sorcerer is to hit him on the head
with a club" said Poruta. 'for they
are no good"
"All very fine" I remarked. "but
frst catch the sorcerer."
You have said it, said Keke (Keke
and the other Kiwais had stronger
stomachs. and were not SO bad as the
rest of us). these people know what
they have done to us and are await
ing results. We can't see them. but
they are certain to have some one
watching us. Tonight, the strongest
Of US will sneak out and catch the
watchers in the early dawn, and then
we shall find out the trouble"
Keke's plan seemed the best. That
night the strongest Ave men crept
out, and, in the morning, they
snapped up a solitary. man, whom they
discovered in a tree watching the
camp, and brought him in. 1t was a
man named Seradi. who later served
for many years with me in the con-
stabulary. in fact, he was still serv-
ing when / left the country.
showed Seradi our sick. As a
matter of fact, with the exception Of
the five men by whom he had been
caught. there was not one of us able
to stand. I asked, What is the mat
ter with these men?'. =.
Il don't know" was the reply.
why are all you people staying
away from the station?"
II don't know" he repeated. which
was a palpable lie.
Reeve rope. and hang him up"
] said.
What. will the governor say?"
asked Keke: to which replied. 1T
does not much matter what he says,
for II we don't And out what this
trouble is he'll only have dead men
to talk to-"
TINE police rove a rope over beam
a. tha ca;l;ro yoov Sav that