FOg THE CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17955, 3 December 1921, Page 3 (Supplement)

FOg THE CHILDREN.

THE COOOANUT ISLAND. "Oh, oh, mercy, massa. Hab mercy massa. " Mercy-he-he you brown villain. Have mercy, eh ? Again you've spoiled the soup. Yes, I'll thrash you every time you do so.' "No you won't, car/n. That is, I hope you won't, sir. Forgive my speaking, but I can't stand by and see you thrash this kanaka, fd. rather you thrashed me, air.'* " As indeed I will if I have any more of your cheek. Get. forward at once, or I'll have you triced to the mainmast and hear you yell mercy." Percy Laxon Started forward at Captain Barnes* bidding and Wilfred, his younger brother, followed at his henls. The two boys were voyaging on the schooner Sunflower from SanTrancisco to Papeete, the capital of the lovely island of Tahiti. They hoped to-find their only parent, their father, awaiting them. Captain Barnes of the Sunflower was a regular "bully, and none of the kanaka crewt were happy. AH, indeed, were terrified at the huge white man whom bad temper and drink had made so unpopular, and so feared. Often in the fortnight which had gone since they sailed from America had Captain Barnes thrashed a member of his brown crew, but poor Sam, the kanaka cook, suffered most. Late that nipht when the captain had sought his cab.n, the two English boys

found Sam in the .galley, and told him how very sorry they were, and when they produced a big packet of pomfret cakes, and gave the greater part to tho brown boy, no seemed to forget his troubles and grinned with glee. Tho boys went to their bunks, and soon wero sound' asleep. By midnight, Will was awake and aroused bis brother. " A storm has come, Percy. Did you ever he3r such a row!" It was indeed a storm, such as we in these cooler climes never see. The wind roared, the waves dashed headlomr on the poor little schooner as she made her flight for life, and the rain came down in torrents hissing on tho deck. , "The captain wasn't ready for this, or ho would have had sail taken off and so saved his masts," Percy shouted to his brother. It was hard to make oneself heard in tho constant roar. Suddenly the cabin door burst open and Sam came tumbling in. " Come quick. De captain and all rest dey gettee into d'e two boats cos do ship she be lost. Come quick; I helpee all can do." Brave little Sam! He was losing his own chance of escape in order to repay the kindness these two English boys had Shown to him scarce four hours since. The three.lads strugglod through, the' wator which waß now pouring down the hatch into tho cabin. When they reached deck not a soul was to be seen. The boats had gone! \The crash came sooner than they could have thought possible. One moment they

were in the trough of the deep sea; the next the little vessel was piled up on the terrible reef; and the next by God's goodness another wave completely lifted the Sunflower into the almost, calm waters of the reef-enclosed sea. What had happened the boys did not at that time know. They did know, however, that the little ship's hour had come, for the water was pouring into her by a dozen /holes made by the sharp-toothed coral. "Der be no boatee left, but we no done yet. Helpee me tie dese togeder," said the brown boy, gathering some wrecked spars to make a raft. But the raft was not wanted, for the One who had so wonderfully taken them over that dreaded reef caused the little Sunflower to run gently ashore on the white coral sand.' It was an easy matter for the boys.to climb along her bowsprit and drop on to the warm sand. The sun came very soon after this, and. the tired lads found that they had been cast on one of those lovely Pacific Islands on which the.lofty cocoanut palm is tho best gift of God, Indeed, just above the spot " We shall not starve,, at anyrate," exclaimed Percy as he ate the first nut. Nor did they.