SHOUT STORY.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 422, 19 May 1904, Page 7

SHOUT STORY.

'l* begianißg to feel a bit of an unbanador, if you ask me,' said Captain Bantam to Webbe. Tve studied the people and their habits, and 1 understaed their lingo to some extent, even if it has to be worked in signs. Now, they're heathens, and, for anything I know, cannibals, and the only way to imuress 'em «to work miracles. To do that yen have to go out of the ordinary a bit, and I'm going to weigh in solid a 8 a medicine man. That's what I've derided to do, and I'm going to push ahead with this empirejnmpiag in a way that'll astonish you, Mr Webbe.*

'We den't want any quack fooline,' observed Webbe sourly. ' I thought it was agreed as good business that we should give these people what they want,' answered Bantam. •They want folly, M' Webbe, and I'm letting 'em have a bellyful of it They've got it into their thick heads that we can work wonders, and it would be foolish not to encourage 'em to go on thinking that way. It'll make our progress easier, take my word for it. What I propose,' he continued, speaking rapidly, and ignoring signs of impatience in bis companion, 'is to play the diplomatic game with gilts of medicine to prevent the good men of the district from being struck in the back with knives, to keep them safe from harm, to supply fish and coloured clays to make the women more hideous than they are already, and generally to load them all up with charms. By way of a special treat, I'm taking a little cask of compound engine oil, which will come in either as a drink or ointment.'

'Tien you'ie not; going to do asjthing of thesort/, snapped Webbe. «We ean't have this serious buaineES of kingdommaiiag turned into a fool's game. We must go the right -way to work, and that way has proved to be the plan which has been successful all through with Britishers. Let's play the game fair, and without any trimmings. Leave your rank engine oil to be poured down the engineroom of the next steamer you get, and leave the diplomatic part of this business tome. You don't shine muohcff shipboard sometimes/ Webbe turned on his heel with this patting gibe, and Bantam watched him disappear into the tent which was pitched oh the shore of the lake. His jaw bad hardened, and his eyee glittered, and there were many harsh things in his mind which he would have liked to say. But be refrained from speech, and put his pride in his pocket, and, his cask of oil in the boat, with other stores.

When tne two men were sailing up the lake towards the north, Webbe kicked against the edge of the barrel. It was a hard knock, and the blow, being on the shin, he groaned with pain. 'Didn't I tell you I wouldn't have this filth on board V he said savagely. Bantam did not answer. One hand, his left, was on the tiller, and the other was tightly clenched, Webbe began pushing aside boxes and water-casks and stores in which the barrel was made snug and firm, by way of ballast.

* What are you going to do ?' demanded the captain at last. 'Throw it overboard,' answered Webbe, 'lf you do, you go after it/ said Bantam, without emotion. ' This isn't much of a ship, and there isat room in her for two captains.' Webbe'a face flushed a darker hue, and his lips moved as if in speech 5 but no sounds escaped, and after a long pause, he gave an unpleasant laugh, aad turned his back on the captain. Throughout that day no word was spoken, and when, after a twenty hours' sail, Webbe stepped ashore, he stalked off without giving a hand with the tying up of the boat. Where he was going, or what his exact purpose was in visiting this particular spot, Bantam did not know. He did know, however, that they were in a malarious district, where black and white men alike were victims to fever, and that the group of villages which they were visiting was a favourite resort of caravan leaders, who made an easy and profitable living out of their trade, The entire country had been alaioat depopulated, and there was scarcely a human being left, to capture. It waa a dangerous trip, an expedition in which it was imperative that the two men should work together on a ground of common understanding, and yet they had quarrelled over such an unseemly trifle as a cask of engine oiL Bantam was entirely alone. Webbe, who had seat Ms carriers and servants ahead, had probably gone to join them at a given rendezvous, and in his rage asd wounded pride had left the captain to his own resources, and anything that Fate might have in store for him. But Bantam waß equal to most emergencies and

surpluses, and with a pipe stuck hard between hia teeth, and his helmet tilted well back ou his head, he began the long task of getting the stores out of the boat and piled upon the beach.

The eraft was emptied at last, and Bantam waa exhausted. There was no of Webbe and the captain .had seen nothing of the men who had been sent on in advance. The day was nearly ended, and in order that re might get his bearings, Bantam strolled towards a coooanut tree grove, in which a little squalid village stood. He had removed bis helmet so that be could cool his brow, and was gazing thoughtfully at the cork lining, when he heard a strange commotion and tern filing near hint in a cluster of trees. Instinctively he sprang aside. Just as he did so Webbe dashed past, with bowed head, best body, and clenched fiats. Blood waa streaming down his face, and his clothing waa torn into rags. ' What*s the matter ?' shouted Bantam. * What are you bolting for f If Webbe heard the question he gave no sign of having done so. He held on his course towards the boat, blindly, and like Borne hunted animal, and neither turned to look behind, nor stopped to answer.

Bantam ran his hand round his belt, and groaned and coned. He had left his revolver in the boat, and was an entirely defenceless man. He gave one swift look behind, and saw, breaking through the cover of the trees, a mixed band of savage*. One or two of the foremost carried rifles, and there was the cracxling of discharges and the whistling of bullets wbfoh were sent after the fugitives. Tarn captain had never turned his back on a foe, and he refused to do so now, until he saw that the odds were hopelessly against him. Then he sprang forward, and, with head bent and fists clenched like Webbe'e, he leapt after mm. Soundness of lung and fleetneea of foot would have saved him; bat he could not travel faster than the ballets, w.ich were now

discharged at him instead of at Webbe, who had already disappeared from view round eome rising ground. With quickly beating heart, and a pasting of the breath, Bantam swept after Webbe, and sprang round the sheltering hillock as a bullet whistled. overhead. The boat was in sight, five honored yards away, and Bantam bow that Webbe had ■topped and was busy unfastening her.

RANSOMED,

By Walter Wood.

•Well ju.t do it,' exclaimed the captain breathlessly. «A final sprint—a jump on board, and—my Gosh!' Bantam pulled up dead sharp, and struck his hand against his chest as it he had beon stabbed. But he received a harder blow than steel or lead could have dealt hir», for he had seen Webbe jump into the beat, bout the and rush to the tiller, and even now the little craft was gathering way before a fresh breeze which waß whitening the water of the lake.

'My Qoshl' groaned Bantam again. 'But he must be mad. No Englishman who was sane could bo Bkunk enongh to do a trick lixe this '

Then his pride returned, and, refusing to run another step, he turned hia back en the bitter sight of the departing boat and faced the enemies, who were now almost upon him. They came up within two hundred yards, then a man, who looked like an Arab slave-driver, presented a rifle at the captain. Bantam knew a marksman when he saw one, and he was conscious that the muzzle was pointed straight at the region of his heart. He was not given to over much serious thinking, tut, like a flash, there came into his mind many things which he would rather not have charged against him. Like a flash, also, there came to him a vision of his little home in England, and the thought, which was a pang, that he never found it possible to make provision for hia wife if she became a widow. That was all, except that Bantam saw that the rifle which was aimed at him was a magazine, and so far as he could tell a LeeMetford. ' There ought to be a homely feel about the bullet,' he reflected with bitter sarcasm, 'seeing that the gun comes frcm Birmingham.' There was a flash and a crack, and Bantam instinctively shuddered, and clasped his to his chest, There was much crying, toe, and sound of struggling, and when the captain could open his eyes to look, he saw that the man who had fired the shot was surrounded by a furious mob who were wrenching the weapon from his grasp. Bantam knew that he was unhurt, for he saw clearly tbat at the instant of discharge the rifle had been struck up in the air, and that the bullet had whistled harmlessly overhead, and dropped into the lake.

Bantam sprang forward towards the writhing mob, and, bending swifty, he snatched the rifle from the ground, to which it had been knocked in the struggle. Before he could be stopped or captured, he had rushed away, and had disappeared round the rising ground. When the first man from the crowd got near him, he raised the rifle and fired. This time the bullet went home, and Bantam saw that the man he had shot, and who was lying very Btill on the ground, was the man who had presented the weapon a t him, and who had just dashed out from the mob to recover it.

The captain gave a swift, longing look across the water to the spot where the white Bail of the boat showed like a bird. Then he threw himself on the beach, in the midst of his stores, and with the resouree of a sailor and the energy of a desperate man, he made a zareba of his stores, and sheltered his body as much as possible behind the cask of engine oil. After a long, weary watch, Bantam saw a woolly head thrust cautiously round the little sheltered headland. He got hiß rifle ready, but refrained from firing. The head was followed by a body, and another head, and very soon a small band of negroes was standing fixedly regarding Bantam and his stores. They were unarmed, and one of them—he who had first craned his neck round the corner—waved a white rag, and made other overtures of peace. Bantam rose to his feet, and signalled to the savage to advance, at the same time resting his rifle on the ground, but holding it tightly by the barrel, in readiness for use.

The man began operations at once. He hurled meaningless words at Bantam, and made many uncouth signs. For the most part the skipper stared uncomprehendiagly; then a word here and there, and his own quick wits, enlightened him. Why had he and Webbe, he was being asked, come down after slaves P Had not the tribes enough to do to fight against the regular raiders, was not the country white with the bones of those who had fallen, and were there not many ' roads of skulls' to mark the routes which caravans had taken P

' The blundering fool 1' murmured Bantam, and again he glanced at the tiny speck across the water. 'And coward, too—that*s the hardest pill to swallow, I caa forgive him everything but this ratting out/

When the man had finished speaking, Bantam said: ' "Sou're only a messenger. Send the head nun of the district, and I'll talk with him. Until he comes my month is ahqt.' 'Now,' said Bantam, when tbe chief appeared and the two were standing alone, 'there's been .a big mistake. You've tried to shoot the wrong poople. The man who's gone over there'—he nodded in the direction of the boat, which was no longer visible—' had gone to fetch some soldiers with guns and swords. He's left me here as a hostage.' Bantam's month grew dry as he invented the fiction, not through fear of personal evil, bnt because of shame at his abandonment by his comrade. The headman began slowly to understand. A. hostage! Then what had Captain Bantam to offer for his release P How could he provide a ransom ? Bantam pushed forward some of the choicest of his stores. These were part of his price for delivery. They inoluded hardware, of many degrees of bad quality, cotton of many unwarranted colonrs, and pictures and mirrors at an exceeding low rate of cost per square foot in production. But these were not enough, Had not the captain moreP Was he not a medicine man, with medicine to bring rain, to keep off evil spirits, to make the women faithful, and to keep the headman clear of pain and sickness and death by the hand of the assassin or raider P

Captain Bantam fell upon tne cask as a last resource. His engine oil, he explained, was speoially prepared for such emergencies as the headman had referred to. Applied outwardly it was a certain charm against the knife or ballet; taken internally it was a sure conqueror of pain and human fears. ' That is my ransom,' said Bantam, ' and it is yours when you have pnt me on board one of your bark canoes and shoved me off from the bank. And I can tell you this, Mr. Chief, that if you play any hanky-panky tricks, all the devils in Africa will rise up from that cask and worry you for ever. If itfß a deal—produce your canoe, and I'll hand over the medicine. If it isn't, say so, and I'll let the stuff loose on you. In that case I should be very sorry for you.' He had put on a bold front, but his exterior belied his feelings. He knew that his life hong in the balance, and that if he were eared at all, it would be by working on the grotesque fears and superstition of the savages. There were those amongst the crowd which assembled.

when the palaver ended, who would have destroyed Bantam, and defied the evil spirits to do their wont; bat in the end the chief prevailed, and the bark canoe, with fruit and water and paddles in, complete for voyaging, was brought to the shore at the spot from which Webbe had embarked, and with exaggerated ceremony, Captain Bantam Btepped in, gripping his rifle until he had been pushed cff into the lake, and only placing it tenderly down when he had managed to scull the crazy craft well out on tha water. Then he set his course in the track of Webbe, and got back to the starting point. # * * # *

'So that is your explanation, . Mr. Webbe V Baid Bantam. ' ton went a bit too far in fooling with some of the tribe, and a sudden funk seized yon P That's why you turned tail, and ran and left me in the lurch ?'

' I'm run down, and I lost my nerve,' said Webbe shamefacedly. 'And pretty nearly made me lose my carcase P' observed Bantam. He tried to pass it cff as a joke, and lauehed, but there wis no mirth in the sound he made. 'lt's not pleasant to think,' he added, ' that I owe a bigger debt of gratitude to a cask of oil than I do to a fellow countryman.'

Webbe winced and hung his head, but did not answer.

There was a long pause, then Bantam turned away, but before he went, he sr.id, ' I shall keep my mouth shut about; your little share in this expedition, Mi Webbe, for, by Gosh I I'm a humane man, and I wouldn't nuke ycu feel worse than you must feel whenever you come within sight or smell of a cast of oil.'