THE KING OF MAKAWOA'S JESTER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11116, 2 November 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE KING OF MAKAWOA'S JESTER.

(By John Ffemins Wilson.) "The Pathos of the South Seas," said the Oldest Journalist, "is m the second generation. A heavy'-fistad mate of a whaler finds ib profitable, and luxurious to settle down on some palmy coast overblown by the Trades and haunted by dusky women -with lcis round their necks and little hands playing m and out of dark tresses. He makes a few deals m copra, builds a house and drinks his gin .. m the shade. The native. chief sitk at A his door and m due time we hear of King m' Thomas; who rules liis island by force oi arms and a bank account m 'Frisco. One day he dies on the shining sand of the beach Math his bott!« at his hand and his blurred dyes trying 1 to make' out the shadowy vessel outside he reef— a, vessel no one else sees — that is signalling for him to come off to her and go home. So ends the first generation. The second plays m and out of the fish pool tucked under the cliff and chatters m two languages. Later it comes into the bank account plays baseball . and mingles the simplicity of the kanaka mother with the dreams born of the father's blood. Poor little hapa-haoles, truly 'half strangers' where «ve'r they go." , . It way a. long speech for the Oldest Journalist m the ' South Ssas. And when it was finished he sighed agaiu and again, as though the tturden of the whole matter rested on his breast.

"I never took this king business serji•usly/' I said presently. The Oldest Journalist stared out over the darkening Pacific. The breeze from Jelolo Valley flowed softly down over us, bearing scent of niaile and gingerflower/tinkle of ukalele and thum of guitar, whisper of laughter and' cry of frolicking women. Far' down the shore the lights of Honolulu, the • glow of a street-car traversing the town, and the sharp flash of electricity. from a slipping trolley marked; the. city we called home. The golden moonilght illumined before us tlie solitary figure of a fisherman, waist" deep m water inside ■ the tossing reef., "I was thinking of one instance where it was a very serious ■business 1 ," my companion pursued after a little. He was thinking of Henderson of Makawao." ;

'Tve heard of one Makawao, the big > ranch on Maui. Is it the same?"

. "No, not the same," was the response. "This Makawao is down south ; little . island with a big mountain in> t*he middle of it and a harbor on the leeward side. I don't think there is much left of the poulation, now. They had; the measles about ten years ago and the grass of the palace roof had bjown away and the flag polo was lying across the bare rafters the last time I was down there." "Who was Henderson ?" I inquired. "That was the question, for a long time,": the Oldest Journalist explained. "He came to Honolulu first twenty years ago. One! thing was certain : he was an Americun and I thought then he must have come ffora New England. He was a very industrious man, a man who had convictions. \He took the world Jiimself seriously. • That was the odd tiling : that this tall sedate, almost scrupulous man should fall so readily into -life here. Imagine a" chap who made no bones about saying that he thought gambling and drinking were wicked, dropping right into the inner circles of a society that acknowledged no gods except appetites. Henderson -walked straight and the natives Worshipped him. He passed on to •the other side of vioe and the bullies and brajrearts fawned on him and swore by liim. He avoided women and they threw earlantls over his head as he went. "Then a missionary came from down Alakawab wav with a tale of its beauty and seperation from the world. Henderson came to me and shook hands solemnly, •I'm coing down to Makawao, he said. 'I think I shall do well there. I shall try' to see you once m a while, 0»oody "So he .went and I occupied myself watching the fortunes -of a party -here {hat tried to upset the king A and try to set up another m hfc stead. A^year later a trading schooner; brought , Word from Makawao. 'Henderson has mairied Chief ,Tua's daughter, built a fine palace and bought a.Bchooner of his own, said the r^ffis he established himself and as years went by he became known as_ King Joe. I was talking one day to a trader who called at Makawao and he winked when I spoke of Henderson's austerity. 'You dotft know, then,' he sajd, that Henderson was the mate of the Weaner tliat "bloody voyage" and had^to skip from San Francisco for his life! "I believe most that 1 1 hear and 1 saw no reason to doubt this. It explained a good Vnany things, his morality, his aloofness, his avoidance of liquor' and women's whispers. You may noVrecoilect the history of the GJeaner. It was. not all told m the courts. I have reason to believe that Henderson sent two men , bellowing to their account during that voyage. And when a man has- murder m his veins, he neither needs nor desires any other stimulant. s "When I was coming back from Auckland some dozen years ago the barque I was on touched at Makawao. was glad to t/ee me and showed me all over the island. Hs pointed out Jhe-pal-ace the sheds for storing copra, the, little ship-ways he had built to haul his schooner up for repairs, showed me all that he had done to make his kingdom secure. That night he fed me m his palace, -his wife sitting a little way oft, chatting and laughing with a brown baby that tumbled around under pur feet and called Henderson papa. "You will be amazed when I. tell you what else Henderson had to complete his small pageantry. Imagine it I A court fool ! 'The King's Jester !' • "I could -not trust my eyes when a grotesque figure rolled m at the wide door, turned completely over, chuckled and straightened up beside me m the full panoply of a clown. Henderson smiled at my skirt, the wife laughed shrilly, and the baby gurgled joyously. Jingle- of bells and snap of fingers, huge flapping soft Flemish boots and striped cap, twirl of tinseled stick and grimace of broad f ace _ a jester for your life! Incredible! I tell you, I would have run to the beach and called furiously for a -boat to come iand take me off to the barque had I been able. But Henderson smiled, m hts austere- way, and seemed mightily pleased at my astonishment. 'We do things well on Makawao,' he said dryly. " 'Even to the fool !' I answered, plucking my heart up. ■ ■ '"Even to the fool !' he echoed.-— Lh? Jack?' and he poked the jester m the ribs. "I was glad to get clear of Henderson and his island the next morning. I did not care to have anymore to do with such a crowd. It is bad enough to have a King Pat insist on your drinkiug trade gin and laughing at jokes twenty years old on pain of having a fight on your hands. But I did not know that I ever feared anything m my life so much as the austere Henderson and his bedizened fool, playing at king out there m the heart of the Pacific with a few kanakas to giggle and chatter over the pageantry of this mockery." "He must have been insane, I remarked- , „,',. The Oldest Journalist d)d not^ reply to 'this. He lit his cigar and went on : "Now the queerest thing of all this is that this imitation of royalty did compass a royal ending, with all the accompaniments of glory, a faithful people, trusty retainers and a death m the breach. lon will Hardly believe me. I tell yon I was there and I wrote it for the Chronicle on the Coast and they didn't believe it.! They discharged me, m fact. So you aro the first public for my history quorum pars f ill, as we used to write thirty years ago m the old Criterion. ■ I vouch for the facts. Personally, I think they weve not deserved by Henderson — these incidents of real glory and romance. I assure you that- the King of Makawao achieved greater splendor than any king of his time, im that all that he imitated and longed for came to pass, even to the smallest details. "I have already indicated to you what this austere and 'self-centred man from New England, this brutal mate, had become miner Ilie warm sun and azure sky of the Tropics, how ho liad blossomed out : or, if you like it better m the terms of the student of race — and this may bo the explanation— 'thrown back' to some forgotten and militant sire, some border- riding, heavy handed domineering master of a castle of a thousand years ago. wfeo Jorded it with blood and rapine abroad and came back to his hall to

chuckle and roar at tho pranks of a deformed fool. | "You took me up when I spoke of the pathos of the second generation m the South Seas, these children of mixed blood, m their own tongue 'half-strang-ers', hapa-haoles. And yet Ido not know but that the first generation is the pathetic one, the men 'from home,' altogether strangers, playing kings and princes among the isles. . I leave you to judge by the outcome of the history, of which I was a part. "I had not been gone from Makawao and its strange court a year when I had to lgo down to Papeete to untangle the intrigues of the French governor for the benefit of the American public. While there I heard that the French wanted Makawao and that there was a plot 1 on foot to take it secretly. In every such intrigue there are two elements : the ministers of a nations aggresssion .and those that temporarily join themselves to this party lor the gain there is m it. The first party m this instance acted from respectable motives ; but Henderson by rumor was immensely wealthy. What easier than to say to some of the ruffians always at any one's hand m these seas : 'Give us Makawao and we will give you the loot'? ••■•,' '■ ' ..-■.-•

"Such was the arrangement 'made m Papeete. The men who undertook this conquest were men "whom I had. known for many years. If they have any historian, if has been I. Consequently, I learned the. details- of their plot and, indeed, was asked to join the expedition, not* as a combatant or intriguer, but as one who looks on and afterwards celebrates. You can see instantly; their confidence. One does not invite notoriety for a failure. It is the victor who crowns the scribe. •

"On a certain day we sailed from Papeete m the steamer Maxwelton, a small, condemned craft, under the command of a braggart named Haskins. - There were only a half dozen of us whites, for the plot was one of guile, not force. I can not say that they misjudged the character of Henderson. The more I look back over their plans) the shrewder 'I think thoseruffians were. Observe the simplicity of their scheme: •

"They were going to run down to an island a hundred miles away from Makawao. leave the Maxwelton there and take a whale boat for the rest of the trip. Once, on Makawao, they we're to take refuge with Henderson, assert that their schooner had been lost on a reef, and get permission to stay until they could get another schooner to take them to the Colonies. Within a week they would know the exact situation on the island and when the Maxwelton hove m sight, they would decide to go their way on her, if the skipper would allow it. "The next move was for the skipper of the steamer— Haskins— -to come ashore with a lot of liquor and gome pfoyisiqns. These they would use \in preparing ■• a farewell feast to which Henderson and his principal retainers would be invited. During the luau and while Henderson was occupied, the mate of the Maxwelton was to take his. crewy ,and rob the treasury. This done,' the main object of the expedition was accomplished, - except to dicker,, with Henderson as to how much of this treasure he wpuld take to quit the island and allow the plotter^ to ap-. point a French governor. You see ;the point. They were going to steal Henr derson's money and with,, that money buy him off. > No scandal ntust be, allowed; The "paragraph m. the English ,and American papers must read as follows :t— "Papeete, August, 17. — The steamier Maxwelton brings word that owing to the disorders prevailing on 1 the island the French Government stepped m and put Makawao under martial law until the. subsidence of local troubles. It is under. ' stood that the large French interests, at stake are endangered and have petitioned the French resident here, for fuller protection. / When the Maxwelton sailed the French flag was flying from the palace and order had' been restored.'

"We sailed— rl say we, though I had neither part nor share m their plans— and m due time^pn a fine morning whe'h the clouds overhead and, the sea heaved to the horizon m particolored beauty, the Maxwelton cast anchor inside the Teef of Nua^ one. hundred ipiles east of Makawap. " The whale' boat %pt away with; £he.,plotters inriC'aiid.l-was 'Ufthi& sit under the dirty awnings and listen to Haskins talk of 'his vilenesses.

"I am a good listener. I did not quarrelwith Haskins. And m due iime he hovo up anchor and we steamed out into the ocean again and tooled along by night, raising the high peak of Makawao by moonlight.. At dawn we rode outside the town, watching it wake to its last day. as an independent kingdom. "There was not a hitch m the proceedings, and m due time the villainous Haskins received the conspirators with fine assumption of ignorance, and we went ashore laden with liquor, and makings of a feast. . ■ .

"You resent my being there? Remember that I was not a party to the scheme, and Henderson was a murderer and, to tell the truth, I hoped to play a little part m his defence. Not that. I had any definite plan; I simply felt that if opportunity came, I might step forward. "It was with almost a feeling of shame that I viewed again the mimic court of this pretender. And I assure you that m the presence of these ruflians Henderson did no^ abate a whifc of his passion for pageantry. There were gaudy sentinels at his gate; the kanaka who showed Us where to put the provisions we brought wore the keys of a seneschal. Henderson himself received us austerely, seated on a. chair m the high, dusky room of the palace, the fool sporting m the corner.

"Oddly enough, it impressed those rascals I was with. I saw them abashed, observed them seek each ; other's eyes, fumble over the matters they had agreed to speak of. Amazing! I tell you these blushless scoundrels fairly groveled before Henderson, Henderson with his grave countenance, his preoccupied manner, his sudden accesses of dignity. "Viewing once more this strange phantasm of a royal court I fell to dreaming of this sel f made . king's past: there rose before me (and the boom of 'the surf on the tossing reef filled his hall) the scenes ho had been actor m during his youth. The rocky hills of New England, the worn boulders along its stony highways, the little- churches, the bells, the peaceful lanes and domestic meadows were lifelike to my thought. I pictured him sailing out of Boston or Bath, his grave, thoughtful face turned to the outer world, his ears listening to strange 1 sounds. What happened on the Gleaner, when sailors snarled at his unbending demeanor, and his stern hand had dealt death with all the accessories of murder on the lonely seas? How had this man looked when faces whitened at the last cry of the slain? With what thoughts had he left that blood-haunted barque to come solemnly to the South Seas? I tell you all these things roved through uiy mind, passed before my eyes as I sat that torrid afternoon m his dim, echoing hall and watching the mimicry -of ius pretence, the stolidity. of his obsession, the incredible subservience of wild and lawless scoundrels to the image. of his authority. "But the plajis of the conspirators progressed by lapse of time. .They had fooled him utterly. He accepted Haskins and his windy thundering of good fellowship at par.. H e opened up his royal hand and threw them his bounty. And m the- dark corner the fool juggled his bells, tossed his crooked limbs and Tulfilled his comic parts m. the tragedy. "The mute of the Maxwelton stormed the treasury with oaths and shouts while we feasted with the king. Nothing could have prospered better than the careless plot of these blacklegs, If Destiny has a hand m such miniature politics, Henderson met his fate as gloriously us a Napoleon. .

"The end came suddenly. A man stepped in> from the starry night and tossed a word to Haskins. He rose to his feet unsteadily and walked down the hall to where Henderson sat aloof. 'We've got you, all right,, old chum,' Haskins yelled - drunk&ily. 'We've got your money and you takes your choice.' "The only effect on' Henderson was to call to his face a look of scorn, as of a sober man for a tippler. But Haskins did not take it. 'I tell you, you're down and out of a job,' he went on shrilly 'Ain't that right, boys?' "The hall suddenly echoed to a tumult. I heard a cry from outsido, the bel- ! low of an order. Before you could rise from your seat the end of the conspiracy had come. They surrounded Henderson, roaring threats and cajolery at him. One of them; leaping to the table with infinite gusto for the jest pounded on it with a stick and droned out, 'How, much am I offfcre-d for. the taions of Ein£ Joe?

How. much? how much? how much? Going for a song ! Going, going !' "It took the crowd like wildfire. They sting and shouted , m chorus, dancing round that fallen king, l 'Going, going, going' ! "Riot and bestial revelry filled the air. One heard the yell of those outside disposing of 4/he treasure m the ,boat, the rush of feet ad they 'looted the village, all the tempest and' turmoil of a city's sack.

"Suddenly I heard a shriek. I saw Henderson's tall form plunge into the midst of the vulture gang that circled him. A< club swung to the glow of the lantern dependent from the ceiling and another, shriek rose quiveringly^ In that moment's battle I heard one cry that sent a thrill of joy over me. It' was from Haskins, and it died m the slow moans of death. ' ■ , ! "Imagine it! This austere, self made king, this mimic of) other days, usurper of dignities, was come to his own ! He killed these men who had come to bind him. He fought them with the first weapon to his hand. Without battlecry or prayer he drove them to their hell, silA ently,. never glancing aside from his vic-| tim, his eyes never wavering. 'In a minute, of time they lay behind him, grotesque of sliadow : under the. lanterns, and he swung his huge club without hindrance, seeking another t6 rise before him. ' > '

"I fled as did all who were not dead m the p*alace. I never ran so fast mmy life. A man panted "behind me and I swerved aside m cold fear. The mate of the. Maxwelton slipped past me, his breath coming and going raucously, his body hurled onward by the powers of terror. , r

"The boat was still on the beach, the natives of its crew gaping /at the scene among the palms. The mate gained it and thrust it off into the clear water of th© lagoon, the crew splashing oiit alongside, tumbling m over its side as it forged out into the moonlight. \ : - ' 'There was no escape and I withdrew, with what courage I might into the shadow of a papaya grove. Thence; l saw the king coming down," his , club 'still m his hand, his torn clothing streaming behind him. He reached the beach and plunged into the water after the boat, floating a dozen yards , away. He even uttered his first coarse cry. And the mate,' balancing 'himself with feverish huste pulled oufc his pistol and fired. He fired again and then again. The king gave vent to one more cry. Then he subsided, gently .and silently, . into dark wateiy The- ripplek circled out and lapped tho boat m which -..the mate still stood with smoking pistol, lapped on the shore >vhere I stood m hiding. But the king did not rise. The ripples faded .and the lagoon spread outonce more tyke a mirror to the wall of the reef, supporting on its unbroken surface the ' boat whei'e the mate lifted up his weapon m fear.- ' '■■":■- - : ~ ■ ' . : . „- ' " . ''So ended the first ; generation. . The king 1 had gone from his realm, gone with all his tinsel pomp and pageantry; leaving only ripples m the, lagoon. Behind, m the dimness of his palace, lay those he had sent before him, the blacklegs and rascal^ of a thousand crimes, now silent, grotesque and harmless. Strange tragedy of a kingdom and a J<ing ! And yet/ I can, not think of that austere fanatic, even now, without deep respect. I still hear the craven cry of Haskms, ringing through that Equatorial night, shrilling to the stars that burned above this scene of earthly vileness. .Haskins was no.coward. Therefore, he must riot, appear as the last, ultimate justification- of Henderson's claims of sovereignty— his cry acclaimed this usurper his master! •■■■■ • -II."'. •• ■' . \-- .-.'

' 'This does not end the Story- of Henderson of Makawao— it only begins it. I told you of the fool that scraped and fawned upon him, bedizened after the fashion of a .thousand years' before. I' assure you that Henderson's end was glorious,' with all the accompaniments of royalty m distress,' all the pomp' and cirdunistance of romance. Henderson was dead and .his dead lay up there under the lantern lit 1 roof of his palace. Now I conte to the second generation— the pathbS pf this history. , . "In Hue time the mate and his boat re^urped to. it^fcea'cji.-.- > £1, stepped out f rom'imy grove , : ' assuring.the. mate, who I was, and we discussed what to do. The cpnspiratol's and Haskins were dead. It did not need personal assurance further to that effect. .What to do?

"We beat the subject over m. whispers, looking constantly out tb the lights. of the Maxwelton, at anchor off the entrance. I remember ''a- growing fear df the mate. He handled his pistol incessantly, and his rough voice added impatience and ill temper as, he spoke. Then it occurred to me that he was not forgetful of the object of the expedition. He distrusted my intent. The treasure was m his mind. ,

"I assured him I did not want it. .1 told him there was but one thing to do —get out to the steamer and put to sea. Out of sight of: this scene of murder, we could patch up a story. In fact, I mentioned to him Jny profession and referred to it, with sickly humor, as expert m hiding just such events from jthe curious. He closed our debate curtly: "There's another sack of coin up there/ he said. 'We'll not leave that behind. '-

"We went up to the treasury, passed through its "wrecked door, ana groped for that small sack; I recollect my chagrin when I felt it under my hand and found that it was no bigger than a woman's purse. I expected/a full bushel of gold. ' " v ■ ■■' .-' ' 'T?hen we went back to the boat. As I reached" it, I saw that the crew were not alone. The mate stepped back and drew his pistol again, '-Who is. it?' he demanded, shrilly. •••''. "I stepped m and found it was the fool. He looked up into my face, with a drawn and contorted' visage. In his arm was huddled a little girl. a fool,' I said shortly. The mate put up his pistol with a apologetic laugh and we pushed off. "It wasn't a hundred yards across the lagoon, nor a hundred more to the little entrance through the reef. But it seemed to me that we floated for hours over it mirror and that qvery moment I saw, staring up fro^i the coral, the austere countenance of Henderson. I rejoiced when the surf met us and we hauled the boat through the shallow gut into the sea.

"At dawn the Maxwelton was beating her way through the warm water, far astern the blue peak of Makawao lifting into the untainted sky. The mate was on the bridge, poring over a chart, and I was on tiie little maindeck, watching the fool.

"I have not described him before, because until that day I could not discern his aspoct. Under the glaring daylight, on the confined deck of the Maxwelton, I saw that he was a man, of possibly thirty years-. Not a white man, but a half-wfiite, a hapa-haole. His wizened face, misshapen shoulders and scrawny legs made him a perfect clown of nature. But he bore no comic aspect that morning. He was busy over the little girl, whose brown skin , and darkling eyes showed that she, too,, was half-white. I did not need any assurance that she was Henderson's daughter. "As the day drew on and .1 thought over the feverish night, the king of Makawao's last night, I was m "no mood to offer words or consolation to his daughter or her grotesque attendant.. Nor was my mood more yielding on the succeeding days, when the attitude of the mate left little doubt m .my mind that he intended to keep the treasure for himself, even at the cost of shooting me m the back. But of the fool and the whimpering girl he took no account, probably thinking them' helpless and no factor m his reckoning. , "A week of eternal cradling through steaming seas brought us to within a day's sail of Tahiti. The mate had openly threatened me, and I simply waited till his temper broke and my last: battle was to fight. I was not fighting for the gold. I had no other object to live than life. But I think I recollect a certain lust for blood that his murderous instinct may have detected m me and misinterpreted. But a certain caution brought him. to amicable conversation that night. 'I can't kill you^now,' he said grimly, 'for I want to have a clean- get-away m Papeete. So I'm going to change our course for Honolulu. They 6)on't know anything about this expeditoin up there. You have another week to live.'

''"You talk bravely of killing me.' I re. torted. 'I'm only waiting for my chance to \ill you.' ! .' ■ '

"What posesssed me to say that, I don't know. It was the very thing. You know, this fellow had been plotting my <Jeath coldly, without anfir thought that I might be doing the sams thing. I bs-

lieve he did not think me capable of deliberate murder. But that hot answer of mine to his threats took his nerve. I laughed to see his face. I could have killed him there wiljh ease. . "But neither of -us, was to cut the other's throat. All because this mate did not reckon with. Henderson. t The king of Makawao 'was dead, but his powei 1 , at least m one breast, still la'sfc cd. And it was to Henderson that the mate of the Maxwelton owed his tragic end. , '..'''"

'The mate had removed the treasure to his own cabin, where it lay. m a .corner. I ne,ver passed his door, but that I knew his eye was upon me. But when I" was on deck, trusting the kanakas not to haye any ambitions beyoiid the hour, he was at rest so far as anxiety for his treasure went. But this constant vigilance wore on his nerves arijT'he thought out a scheme worthy of his crafty .nature, a plan that would obviate my murder and possibly of retribution from the law' We were about twetity miles off Hawaii one night when I sa^r the mate stick a pin m his chart and Jjarefully figure. the bearings. He even cameon deck.and, on pretence of establishing the steamer's position, took bearings that I knew had nothing to do with lh& navigation of the Maxwelton.- : ' '?' ■

"To tell the truth,. l was not particularly interested. The^hext day would see us m Honolulu and I Ayas determined not to make any. plans tyLsafe there. But when, the mate had disappeared for an hour, and the fool, who had never spoken to me, plucked at my arm, I gave an instant attention. Hp ; pointed to the mountain rising high'in the -distance axid demanded tio know its name. 'Hawaii ;[ I responded. \\ • :<■/.'■ "He nodded and slipped over to 'the wheel man , . who. was drb wsily conning the coast. ' With a deft iand almost imperceptible movement the 1 , fool put the wheel ovei'i under the'sailor's very nose, and then stepped silently to the rail arid peered over. I noticed ;the steamer swing outward a little, but paid rip attention .to it. But when the dwarf repeated this rmanoeuvre', I went tb'!the "rail, with equal silence, and peered^ oyjer. WJiat. I; saw was this : The mate > was leaning out of his- cabin 1 windowy. with a watch m one hand, the other grasping, a rope' that went down to a netted : bag dragging m the ; water. You see i the point? That netted bag held the treasure- of Makawa<>, and he had figured that a shoal which , we. were: to cross' would allow him to slip it' down with-, a biioyed rope, m secret. Then .he , could • assert that no treasure had ever been 'oft the Maxwelton, and, having proved , his lie, choose opportunity, place his; ship m the position he had marked: c»n the chart and pick up Ins tiny buotf ■ and, haul m the treasure. ' Beautiful plan, ! But .he Hail' made his reckonings, Without ; . counting on the fool. .' •';.? ■ . • .:■ '

"Gradually the fteajner swerved farther and farther out oi< her- course, ai^d the dozing wheelman r'lofiinjf-hia firstlandmark, lost ,the, others, stn,d trusted to his compass, ' which;, he had suddenly consulted. ' And; down-there, • leaning out of .his. "window, Syas;>the ! mate, watch, m liand. Suddenly [ lie Sliiapped . the •case shut, lowered the net it swung out beyond' the screws and ' threw, the rope silentl* o^ver. :, .

-y ■.-.•. *< "It paid put rapidly,'. and . I fairly aughed to see:, his perplexity i as the 'fathoms flashed down into} the dark iwateri Wiih a swift effort hs, swung. 'the buoy at the end of the rope £lesLr of the ship's side. It disappeared lsve a: stone* ■' The fool's cackling giggle* pounded ! from beside me and the mate 1 looked' up. ; I shall never forget his fade, for. it w^s-the last time I saw it. 4l second later 'he was on the deck," raging* at the wheel? man, prostrate under £|s blow. ' Then he turned on the foofr and j, the fool jumped, lightly and surely, at his throat. ( '■■.'..■•■>"■ • "They went over tlie rail • together, mate and fool, into the fathobile'ss depths where the treasure of jf akawao , had descended. I peered over. ; the etemj into the whitening wake frdin the. screw, out I jiever sa\r even a glimpse of thepi. I gazed backward till tUe' iriil^e . had been swallowed up and a little." hand : m mine pulled me round. ; ? ■ ;"•. v "So' passed Hendersbii,,.-; King of Ma. ka\vao,ijand • his ., ene^ies.v|so P 3^"! bis glory; tlifr glory of a *ma^f ■w^sel dreani of gieatness came true— -jflgh. hall resounding with acclaim," treasure.; for himself, retainers for his, bidqfng and' fool •for his pleasure. They w^Jt'e devoured by the ocean, disappeared/into its caverns'; his kingdom vahishipd . and; ' his name is forgot; But there 'remained that little cool hand m mme — the second genoration. That is the. pathos of it. Little hapa-haole, half-stranger, child of dusky princess and austere New Englander, left alone of all her people^ her veins filled with, mingled blood, her soul torn with mingled desire." The Oldest Journalist ceased. I had listened quietly. Now . I spoke : "You have forgotten the pathos of the faithful fool." •

"His was the unmixed- glory," he said