THE ADVENTURES OF TUTU

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22519, 29 September 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE ADVENTURES OF TUTU

Now when Tutu and his merry crew had rested well at the Port of Bluff Tutu decided to. charter a smart little clipper’ and go in search of Ruapehu, the bloodthirsty pirate. So on a day he gathered his crew together and, having shipped a good supply of arms, powder, and provisions, he gave thG signal to man the capstan, up anchor, and sailed away due west-by-west-nor’-west on the track of the pirates. Swiftly with all sail set they bowled along right merrily-o, and the days sped away until, on a morning seven days out from Bluff, Jibber, who was out on the jabboom (No. 1 named Jabber was out on the jib-boom) spied a sail two points off to starboard. Instantly there was great excitement among the crew, who swung by their tails to the rigging and shook their fists at the distant vessel, being sure it was Ruapehu and his bloodthirsty pirates. Speedily they overhauled the strange sail, and were soon able to make out the skull and crossbones flying at the pirates’ masthead. Using a megaphone. Tutu hailed the pirate chief, who trod his quarter-deck, stopping every now

(ByJ.J. Stroud)

and:again to level his telescope on the - pursuing clipper. “Ahoy, pirate!” roared Tutu over the dancing waves, “heave to while I board!” •

Ruapehu stamped on his quarterdeck with rage. “Frizzle my bones!” he yelled back. “I’ll blow your planks to splinters!” And he signalled his chief gunner to put a shot into the . fast approaching clipper. But Tutu wasn’t having kindling wood made of his smart little vessel, so, putting the helm hard over, he fell off in the wind, and the shot hit the sea well astern of the Bluff Eagle, which was the name of Tutu’s ship. Soon Tutu’s guns were in action, and timber flew in all directions. ■One shot hit the pirate ship, the Saucy Mutton-bird, right abaft the binnacle, and caused Ruapehu to throw a back somersault. Another tore away the pirates’ steering gear,' which-looked, like an unlucky shot for Tutu, for’it brought the ships together, and before you could say Jack Robinson the pirates were aboard the Bluff Eagle slashing and carving away at Tutu’s crew with flashing cutlasses. Ruapehu .threw himself at Tutu, but Tutu sidestepped, and Ruapehu plunged his cutlass into the stout timbers of the Bluff Eagle, and, before he could withdraw it, Tutu brought his pistol butt down on the pirate chief’s skull and gave him such a lesson in astronomy that he knew no more of the fight tiff it was all over. Meanwhile the ■ monkeys. under Moko the Chi.ef Mate gave a good account of themselves, for ■ they cleverly skipped out of, the way of the. flashing cutlasses, and-r-at, a

given signal—each monkey leapt into the rigging and, hanging by the tail, each picked up a pirate and dumped him overboard. Jibber and Jabber, at a signal from Tutu, picked up the fallen pirate chief and heaved him overboard, too.

“And,” said Tutu, “that’s that!” Which, by the way, is what Tutu told the Bluff reporter when he berthed the Giant’s Sandal with all the treasure,

Tutu and his merry crew cross swords with the pirates again before long. I’ll tell you all about it.

Jamaica Jamaica is the largest island of the British West Indies; being about 145 miles in length and 50 miles across its widest part. It has a population of a little more than a million.- . . ’ Discovered by Columbus in 1494, it remained in Spanish possession for 160 years, but surrendered to a British force in 1655, and is now one of the Empire’s oldest colonies. Since 1865 it has been a Crown Colony, and the Governor is known as'the The name Jamaica is derived from the word Xaymaca, which' means “well-watered”—a name which •is fitting for this land of rushing streams, verdant scenery, and thick forests.

Teal A teal is a small fresh-water duck, of which two kinds, the Common Teal and the Garganey, are found in Britain. Other species —there are 17 in all—are found ia America and other countries.