The Colorado statesman., 1924-07-19
| CAPTAINS OF
| ADVENTURE
BY ROGER POCOCK
Copsright 1srrnC Company
BY ROGER POCOCK

and was being rapidly filed with plum
der. l saw a fat old Maori woman,
who was washerwoman, being dragged
along the ground by huge fellow who
was trying to tear from her grasp one
of my shirts, to which she clung with
perfect desperation. I perceived at a
glance that the faithful old creature
would probably save a sleeve.
AN old man-of-war's man defend
Ing his washing, called out, Hit out.
sir J.. . our MOB will be here In five
minutesp
"The odds were terrible, but 1
at once fioored native who was rush
Ing by me. q. then perceived that
he was one of our own people
so, to balance things, knocked down
another and then felt myself seized
round the waist from behind.
"The old sailor was down now, but
fighting three men at once, while his
striped shirt and canvas trousers still
hung proudly on the fence.
"Then came our mob to the rescue
and the assailants fled.
"Some time after this a little incl
dent worth noting happened at my
friend Ms place. Our chief had for
some time back a sort of dispute with,
another magnate. The question
was at last brought to a fair hearing
ut my friends house. The arguments
on both sides were very forcible; so
much so that in the course of the arbi-
tration our chief and thirty of his
principal witnesses were shot dead in
a heap before my friends door, and
sixty others badly wounded, and my
friends house and store blown up and
burnt to ashes.
MY friend was, however, consoled
by hundreds of friends who came In
large parties to condole with him, and
who, as was quite correct in such
cases, shot and ate all his stock, sheep,
pigs, ducks, geese, fowls. ETC.. all IN
high compliment to himself; he felt
proud. L.. He did not, however, sur
vive these honors long"
Mr. Naming took this poor gentle
mans place as trader, and earnestly
studied native etiquette, on which his
comments are always deliciously fun
ny. Two young Australians were his
guests when there arrived one day
Maori desperate who wanted blankets;
and "to explain his views more clearly
knocked both my friends down, threat
ened to kill them both with his toma-
hawk, then rushed into the bedroom,
dragged out all the bedclothes, and
burned them on the kitchen fire."
A few weeks later, Mr.. Naming be-
ing alone, and reading year-old sgd
ney paper, the desperate called.
Friend said I, my advice to you is
to be off,
"He made no answer but scowl of
defiance. 4 am thinking, friend, that
this is my house. said I, and, spring
ing upon him, placed my foot to his
shoulder, and gave him shove which
would have sent most people heels
over head. ;. But, quick as lightning
he bounded from the ground, flung
his mat away over his head and struck
a furious blow at my head with his
tomahawk. I caught the tomahawk
in full descent; the edge grazed my
hand; but my arm, stiffened like bar
of iron, arrested the blow. He made
one furious, but Intellectual attempt to
wrest the tomahawk from my grasp;
and then we seized one another round
the middle, and struggled like maniacs
in the enaeavor to dash each other
against the boarded floor. Such
battle it was that 1 can hardly describe
1t.
"We had another desperate wrestling
match l lifted my friend high in my
arms, and dashed him, painting, furi-
Gus, foaming at the mouth-but beaten
against the ground. His god had
deserted him.
HE spoke for the first time.
Enough l am beaten; let me rise
"I, incautiously, let go his left arm.
Quick as lightning he snatched at a
large carving fork which was lying
among the sdebris; his fingers touched
the handle and 1t rolled away out of
his reach my life was saved. He then
struck me with all his remaining fire
on the side of the head, causing the
blood to flow out of my mouth. One
more short struggle and he was con-
quered.
But now l had at last got angry
=. l must kill my man, or sooner or
later he would kill me l told him
to get up and die standing. l clutched
the tomahawk for the coup de grace
At this instant laundering sound of
feet a whole tribe coming :.
my friends! He was dragged by
the heels, stamped on, kicked ald
thrown half dead into his canoe.
"All the time we had been fighting,
a little slave imp of a boy belonging to
my antagonist had been loading the
canoe with my goods and schattels.
These were now brought back"
In the sequel this desperate commit
ted two more murders "and also
killed in fair fight, with his own hand,
the first man in native battle
which I witnessed. At last, having