White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-09-27
CHAPTER XIV
Caught by the British at Wa.
kaya

The island was Wakaya. Several
Did sailing ships were in the harbor.
We gazed at them with hungry eyes,
and eager plans of capturing one ran
through our minds. Natives on shore
ypied US, took US for shipwrecked sail
prs, and put boat out to meet US.
Il suited our plans to et-them go right
On thinking we had been shipwrecked.
That might make 1t much easier for
US to get some information about the
vessels at anchor. Leaving couple
pf my boys In the boat, the other four
Of us accompanied the natives to their
huts, where they treated US Hospitality.
They were simple, trusting people.
Several half-breeds and couple OF
white men, however, looked at US sus.
piciously. One half-breed was par
ticularly offensive and insisted on ask
ing US many questions. We did not
like his behavior at all.
Kircheiss and took a walk along
path In the woods to talk over what
seemed another menacing situation.
A white man came galloping by on
horseback. He was pale with excite
ment. He slowed down for moment,
gazed at us, responded CURLY to our
greeting, and went on. Thoroughly
alarmed, we hurried back to the vii
iage. Some curious business was afoot,
and we were determined to find out
what 1t was.
sour last half gallon OF rum"
Kircheiss murmured regretfully.
eyes," 1 responded, ut is too bad.
put 1t will go to a useful purpose"
We got hold of the half-caste who
aad been so inquisitive. The white
man we had seen on horseback was
with him. Something, indeed, was
afoot. We talked casually with them
and then suggested drinking. They
we're interested, and became enthusi.
astic when we produced our half-gal
ion of rum. In the half-breed's hut
we staged a drinking bout, which last
ed half through the night. Nothing
like rum to make men friendly and
conversational. The half-breed got so
conversational that he blurted out:
"Why, you're all right. But at first
we thought you were Germans. We
could get fifty pounds II you were
Germans"
Now, as an American sailor would
say, you've got to 'hand it" to the
English. They know how to spend
money when It is useful. We Ger.
mans are usually more niggardly, or
careful" some might call 1t. We will
try to save mark and then lose thou
sands. Having received the wireless
warning from the resident at Aitutaki
Of mysterious armed Germans 10 the
South Seas, the authorities In the
Fills had passed word among the ia.
lives to be on the lookout for us, and
had offered a notwithstanding
dollar reward to anyone who turned
In definite information about. a party
Of Germans posing as neutrals.
: It was clear enough that the half.
breed and the white man had been
plotting to hand US over to the au.
thorities, but how far they had gone
we did not know. We didn't find out
that night. 1t was not Until later that
we learned the white mans horseback
ride had been to give warning about
us to the captain Of cutter IN the
harbor and that the cutter had at
6fiee showed of to carry the message
70 the officials Of the larger islands a
days sail away. >la~
r Not knowing this, we used good
deal of persuasion to put the idea
irmly into the heads Of the two men
that we could not possibly be Ger.
mans. It may have been our elo-
auence, or, more likely, the genial in
duence of the rum, but, at any rate,
they seemed to lose all of their sus
picions and became convinced that we
we're the truest Norwegians from
Scandinavia. Kircheiss and I, some.
What the Worse from our session at
ietective work, slept at the English.
mans house.
The four others were offered quar-
ters ashore for the night, but two Of
nv bows remained In the boat as
precaution. 1t was well they did, too.
During the night, native swimmers
vent out to her and cut the anchor
rope. They were put up to 1t by a
Malay police officer who was suspi
,ious of US. Not knowing any of my
men would remain on board her, since
che was only an open lifeboat, he
planned to search her. So he sent his
swimmers out to pull her ashore and
beach her. The wind was inshore
The anchor rope cut, the boat drifted
IN. Our two men were asleep, and
,nly awakened when keel Jared
against bottom. Dark figures were
around in the water, trying to pull the
ooat on the beach. Our men, pistol
IL hand. drove them away and then
pushed out into open water.
On the following day. we made our
anal costly error. The ships In the
harbor weighed anchor and raised sail
I've picked the one that seemed the
newest and arranged with the skipper
10 take US along with him to Suva, on
the main island VIII Lew. OF course.
our plan was simply to sail few
miles out to sea with him and then
take the ship ourselves after donning
our uniforms and getting out all ,of
our weapons A sudden squall blew
IN and forced the vessel back to port.
we returned with her And now. we
should have taken her while she lay
Al anchor. Tie people ashore would
have seen what was going on. but we
could have held up the island and theil
out to sea, storm or no storm. That