THE LOSING HAZARD.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 47, 24 August 1878, Page 2

THE LOSING HAZARD.

, A drama in one act, by Stage Steuck.) | Dramatis Pei-sonte Ex-Consul G., I Commissioner G., Messrs. F —r —1, Ac—--11 =ta, P~k--r, Y--ug, Pilot H., aud Lieut*. ' 1 Wiudoor and Fish'em. Time and Costume —Tho present day. j Scene I.—The deck of the &R. war steamor " Eves," preparing to leave the port. I Ex-Consul G. (who is about to leave by the " Eves," anxious to see how the process of weighing anchor is proceeding, appears on deck from the ward-room, and catches sight of three creditors; : Oh ye gods and little rishes, here's a muss ! •Vhere can 1 riy to escape these duns ? To return to the ward-reom, would ut o.igo proclaim my guilt, an I i utweeo wis and toe s.v red prw i.icts ul the captain's s in mere u.i.is these confounded tc. Ilows, w.i in i sought to escape, barring ; my path :i..0 a pack of hungry wolves ready to spring on me and tear me to pieces. An well, there is nothing for it but to put on a ooid front, and iacethem like a man ; ii I can but get into yonder cabin 1 can then deiy them, iur I have the key of the Consulate still in my pocket, which prevents them from obtaining warrants lor ny arrest. All ha ! my bold boys, you thought me a fool, but I knew too much to hand over the ar--1 chives 01 toe Consulate to my suc- ■ cessor till I could aucuro my own escape. But here comes F—r—l, so i musC try iny little game, Good morning P—r—l, • why do 1 see you here, aro you taking ' passage in the snip i , F--r—l: My business hero, if you wish to know, Is to say that you shan't go Till you've paid tins lutlo bill. I'vo had enough of all suehdodgers, So I'll talk to Captain Kudgers; If he don't make you, 1 soon wih. E.t-Con. : Bo calm my Irioud, what is the amount i Mr. Commissioner will pay it on my account. F--r- 1 (to Mr. Com.) : Will you pay this little bill; Corn. : Oh most certainly I will. F- r-I.: Then that will bo all right, But you might have suiued it last night, And saved me from giving chase, And causing you this sad disgrace. Exit i'-r-l. Ac—st— : Most potent grave and consular

souor, i J want you to pay mo lor you diunor. 1 Ex-Con.: 1 u»'» you for dinner, what nonsense you Bpeak, I've not uoon in your house lor i more than a week. Ar-st-- : Dat is true senoi, I know, what you say. But it's lor dinuors before dut i want you to pay ; You ut,ii me to send you de bos' 1 could get, - Auo. uow you dun't want to pay me you debt; I fought you a gen'hnan always before Or i would not have let you enter my door. ' Ex-Con.: That will do my dear friend Jo;-, I'll pay you by order what 1 ow- ; To Air. Commissioner, tuke this lettur, Aiiu no will give you what is hotter —The money. [Kxit Ac—st--Ex-Con.: There's another yet upon the poop stairs, lie's voinu noout tho table and cuau*. ; . I cannot pass him, lor ho ib afrieud, Ana his >rothor lias trussed mo io > no end. t Gooa morning John any do you As ii wuii those eyes me you wouid ,- pierce. s P—k--p: It's no g o.i you putting o.i such di D uiiieu .i.rs, j Tin }ua've naid lor that rouua tau.. Una uluure. Ex-Con.: Believe mo dear John, joa i »..• wanted to see, In order to give you tho Consulate r ku -> '< > To send it tho Taimua I think 1 would be better, So I'll give it to you in aclosOßoaled i letter. 5 P. -k--r: What about the chairs and table. ' Ex-Con.: To settle lor those 1 urn not quite able, 1 But u mi entrance to the house you i can got, j You may take them all to pay for my uoot. [Kxit i'— k-r. Who in the name of tuundur is this t I Met A red-bearded Scotchman hast'ning toward me ? Now, .sir, tell me, be vary explicit, Why do you honour me with this visit r 5 Y--mj : Well, sir, that's good, if you don't 0 know you ought, 9 I found you had fled, so with posthaste I sought i You to pay for your passage per schooner Dreadnought. t Ex-Con.; My passage in tho schooner Dreadr nought did you say, , Then that I most certainly shall now pay. Y—«g".* To pay no one apparently is your intention, Unless it is done by forced deten- • tion? > Ex-Con. : Do you know where you are, sir, end to whom you now speak P i T--nf: Yes, I'm talking to a low, mean, i dirty sneak, 1 Whoao iMention in of hi» debts not a rod eeat to pay, t And by this wary ship is running away. I'll now learn you, you sneaking little hound, 1 For they well know your charact«T > all the ship round, And a surer way to gut paid I have just found. [Exit Y--ng.

Scene 11.- -The poop of the same ship.

Ex-Con.: What an awful bore it is to have so many friends when one is about to leave a place. It must have been un'der such circumstances a 6 this that the renowned who was it now?—wrote ."Save me from my friends." I fee that these are mv sentiments at tb present time. I wonder whether i shall have any more after me. On that I had remained in charge of the Consulate till the ship was ready for sea. Why is this delay ? It seems as if everything were turning against me. Had 1 known we were going to be so long 1 would have remained on shore till the last. 1 wonder whothcr the vessel will go out to-day ; she was to have sailed at !l o'clock and now it's 10. I'll ask the pilot. Say captiug, are we going out today, because if we are not 1 may as well go ashore anil take charge of the Consulate a little longer. Pilot: I hear it is likely to be C p.m. before we get away. Ex-Con.: Oh that I had not been in such a hurry to got on board. Liout. W indoor (poking Ex-Con. in the ribs): What's the matter old fellow, why do you look so glum ? Why you look for all the world like a siok Chinaman. Ex-Con.: I've left so many weeping friends on shore, that I cannot help feeling anxious to get out of sight. When Jo wo start?

Lieut. Wind >or: As soon as ever the captain gives the order, and the anchors aie out oi the mud. Ex-con. : And when will that be ' 1 am anxious to got away before my successor commences operations.

Lieut. Wiudoor: It may be to-day and it may not be till next week. [Exit Window.

[Ex-Con. leans upon the spanker boom and moans perceptibly. Lieut. Fish'em of the Marines, comes up and startles him by poki ,g him in the ribs.] I Fish'em : Why old fellow, what's the row? You look like a dogjthat has killed nis father. Are you thinking'of the gin you are leaving behind, or, is it the washerwoman ?

Ex-Con.: Do you know when we are going to sail ? Fish'em : Are you in a hurry to get away? If you are, and are anxious to know, will you let mo make a suggestion ? Ex-Con. : Certainly, any information you can g.'ve .no 1 will look upon as n great favour. Fish'em: Do you want to know very badly I Ex-Con.: I do, please relieve my anxiety by teiiin,' mo. Fish'em: Well, if it will relieve you very much, I'll tell you how you jiuay lind out. Ask the Captain I [Anothei playful poke in tho ribs, and then exit.] [Ex-Con. again leans his head upon tue oo >iu and sobs.]

Ex-Con. [nervously fingering his moustache] : Tho whole object of my life iu this couutry has been to secure a treaty between it and my own, and what has it cost ? I have prostituted the flag of my country iu various ways ; 1 have hazarded my honour, reputation, freedom and evou life, to obtain the end 1 had in v;ew. I nave succeeded, but then to me it oas proved a Losing Hazard