AN ISLAND WIZARD.

Samoa Weekly Herald, Volume 1, Issue 41, 23 September 1893, Page 3

AN ISLAND WIZARD.

AMEMOKT OF THE EASTERN PACIFIC. (By Matklot.) A loxq swooping curve of coast fringed with tall, plumed palms casting waving shadows on tho yellow sand as they sway and swish softly to the breath of tho trade wind. Bravely it whistles through the thickly-ver-dured hummocks on the weather side of tho island, to dio away into a soft breath, as, aftor passing through a belt of cocoa-nuts, it faintly ripples the transparent depths of thc'lugoou—a broad sheet of blue and silvt r stretching away from the far distant western line of reef to the smooth yellow beach at tho foot of the palms on the eastermost islet. And here, beneath their lofty crowns, are the brown thatched huts of tho people, and the home of Clinton, the trader.

'Twns lev that Lion Poeae, tho savagely humorous and voluble colleague of Captain ■ Bully ' [lnvest, tho modern pirate of tho South Sens, one day appeared. Lupton, with his son and two natives, were out sourchin" the beach of a little islet for turtles' eggs, when a boy. who had been sent

to obtain a few voung drinking mi nuts from u palin somo little distance away, called out, Tc Puhi! C n shin). A. few minutes passed, ami then, outlined against the narrow strip of cocoaliuts tir.tr grew on tin- northern end of the main islet of tlio lngoon, Imptou saw tho sails of a schooner making for tin- oidy oneniug—a narrow passage on tho eastern side. Now vessels como hut rarely to Mururea, for Du Petit Thenars," the French Admiral of the I'acitic fleet, had long since closed tho group to the Sydnov trading ships that om ante there for pearl slu 11; and Lupton f. It uneasy. The vessel belonging to the Tahitian lirm, for whom lie traded, was not due for many months. Could the Btraiiger be that wandering Ishmaolof the sea—sPeeso? Only he or his oqunllv darintr and dreaded eollengue, Bully Hayes—would dare to sail a vessel of any size in among the coral 'mushrooms' that studded the Ourrent-swopt waters of that dangerous passage.

What did he want? And honest Frank I.upton. a iiuiel and industrious trader, thought of bis stoi f pearl-shell and felt still more doubtful. Audi II know l'eese so well, tb" dapper handsome little Kuglishmnn with tho pleasant voice that had in it always a ripple of laughter—tin-voice Otld laugh that concealed bis tigerish heart and savage viudictiveuess. I.upton had children, too. sons and daughters, and Pees C—who looked upon women as mere articles of nv rchandiso would nave thought no more of carrving oil' bis two pretty daughters than lie would of ' taking' a cask of oil or a basket of pearlshell.

His anxious fnco—paling beneath the tropic bronze of t>o years ocean wanderings—betrayed his toolings :-. tho two natives who were now null! the boat with all their strength to gain tiie village, and one. Maora, his wife's brother, a big, light-skinned

man, with that keen, hawk-like visage peculiar to the i plo of the eastern Polynesia, said:-

" 'Tis an ovil .lav. Farnni: No ship but that of the I.ittle Man with the Beard hath ev.-r passed the lag since the great Knglish fighting shin (be spoke of 18li:l ; for the reef hath grown nnd spread out and nearly closed it. duly lb.- little boiirdoil devil would dare' it, for be hath 1 n here twice with the man with tinstrong band Haves), and. r'arani, listen 'the baud to tho club.'"

Thev c.-as, ,1 pulling. ['mm tin village came the sound of an almost forgotten cry—u signal of danger t.. the dwellers under the palms—' the hand to the club'—meaning for the men to iiiiti.

Lupton hesitated. Tlio natives Would, liu kn.vv, stiuid i" liini i" 11 mnu if violence to, i.v robbery of liini woro attempted. Hut to (rain tlio village ho must needs pass closo to tin. vessel, and to pass on and nut Ijoaiil hor would buyout of cowardice—and Lupton was an Englishman, mid his twonty years wanderings among the dangerous nooplo of some of tlio Islands of tho iiuunotti group had stuoK.il his nerves t.. moot any danger or omergonoy, So without * nltormg tho course of the boat he ruu along sido of tho vessel.

" How oro vnii, Lupton, my deal follow?" sui.l' I'eeso, a* tlm trailer gainod tlm deck, wringing hi» timid offusively, as if ho wore a long-l<»l brother. 'By floavons, Cm glad tu incut ii couutj viiiiin ngiiin nnil tliul countryman Frank Lupton, Don't like lotting your hand go,' and -till grasping the trador's rough hand in his—ilelicnt,, mill smooth asa woman's —ha boatnod upon him with an air of infantile ploasuro.

This was one of Pooso's pceuliu-iti. ■- —an all'istali f ahsolttto affection for any Englishman ha net, fern the captain of an English man-of-war (these, h„wever. ho avoided at much n» possible), to « peer bwwh-eomber with hut n grass girdle round his

"What bring you here, Captain I'ooso t said Luptoii, bluntly,iwliiseyes

sought tin- village, uud saw tho half ] : ,.',.,'';. ! ' i';" ' :.;'..''' ■■"" -, liv f •' »:■ "■>?■"-■ V • 1 : l 'V:-'|C,.r:-. : '-!\-'' 1 o''.'l Appearing into tho puka scrub. It Wife h,i " : r M -. M '»»^,.htS &■.-■•'.?:,,'.:,»s Peose's glance followed his, and the handsome little captain laughed, and slapped the gloomy-faced and suspicious trader on the back with an air

" -My dear fellow, what an excessively suspicious woman vour .»„od Mnmen ■:■■ Yin-, .c> not 1 aliened I have not come her... to tto ami bmih<m this tiino ; but to land a passenger and us soon as his t,;,„s , ~. ,„, \]. beach I'm off again to Ma,a I?.™ Such are,he e.-i.e„,ie-.,„y,,?,,!.„.; ton. of a trading captain's life in the South Seas: 1 , | ~v , .„ s„are the time to go „n shore with )ou and enjoy the hospitality of the o-ood Manioui uud y.,n- two fair daughter.. But jm,..r''",ra"'" ' - ' Vn " cib'm. ' '''■"• "■ '■' ■' ' ■

The passenger s appearance, so Lup ton told me. was enough to iimko i man's blood curdle, so ghastly pal, and emancipated was he. Me rose «• Luntou entered and extended hi hand.

"My friend here." said tho worthy little Ishmaol, bowing and c ua—si,,:.his long silky beard, "is. ah !—humMr. Brown, lie is. as y,.u will observe, my dear Lupton, in a somewhat weak state of Uealth and in search of

eltporate .sufficiently " " Hon't lie uunoJossnriiv, sir." Pees, bowed affably .and smiled, and tie strung..!- addressed Lupton. -My name is not Brown—'tis of n, c«mso<j.uen •■ what it is: bin I aiu. In de- i. as yr,„ see. in a had WIIV, Will

but a few months at most to' live Captain Pocse, at my request out „,.'• into this lugoon. II ■ I,as told that the plaeo is seldom visited bv shrps, and that the , pled. u-ar'e about strangers. V-:. have v»u Mr I.upton, any objections to ,„,«,;„„ ashore liere, and living,,,,, t ,', ~... ,? t my lit.-- I have trade g i- Bi,tlicomeaX(lrgo\lpon'you e "' Ut "Very well, sir. The island is as | l eo„\?l J s J t!!, n uuV™o'Vlso fcrnfiiv-"'; here if I wish d" to. Imtyou'do'iooll Vs_«s ll! ; M MUffllJ. ,;| :„: :„, And

Ilodgo between'you and here to bono my shell and el-ar ~.,. ?••

For answer t'he sick man ~,,.„.-' a despatch box that lav on lie cabin table, and took from it a Lag of

- This," said he. •■ is the sum I agr.,,l to pay Captain I'.-.-se to lan I. me on any island ~f ,„ v ,-|,.-;,-,. i„ ,1,,. Fnmnotu Archipelago," and this unsigned order bare is in bis 1av,,,,,- on tho Maisou Brandor. of Tahiti, For a Sailing; the pap-,-, he |,.i-b-d it with tho money oyer to 1' .-. an.l " t assur, yutl, Mr. Lap; ,;,, t ] m | tins is Hi,, only transaction 1 have ever bad wall i'aplaill l'eese. I .aloe -., ilia, in Chili, hearing be was hound •o the Pttiuniitii Group. 1 had never -e. a Ilia, before, and after to-day I will not, in oil human probnbili y, ' ••'Perfectly correct, my dear sir." -aid l'eese. -And, now,'as our business i. finished, perhaps our dentin -.el, I.upton, will save mo the trouble of lowering a boat by takinf»» ashoroiuhis own, which'is along"

l-'ive minutes later Lupton and tbstranger were seated in the bunt.

"<■• W>yo, my dunr I.iiptun, nn.l <ulim my dear Mr. Hrowu. [ shall ™ ivnii-muor our plensnnt relation* on hoard iuv liumnlo little tm.lii,v,--!,- ~i,,| tlio renowned I'eeso, win), from former associations liad n wny of drifting into tin. .Spanish tonkin of m-isoiiH mid fottors—which later liu unco won. for many u weary day mi ill., min r tluriii.iiili'i! Pusirro on |,i H ivav to tlio uloomv prison of Jluuillu. " Thu l.ont Inul baroly traversal hull tlio distauco to thu shore cm Hi.' l.rifrnntiuo'H anchor was nt her hows, imd then, IViwu, Willi his tool assurance, 1..-HI her through tlio intrient.. mul stood out into tlio loi« poll ..I' tlio I'm■ilio.

Pour mouth* had passed whon quo day Urown, with Luptou's chi dron, returned t,i llie villugo. As they posse,! in through the doirwny with boiuc merry chant up in t icir linn, they saw n native seated on the mnttod floor. 11.- was a young man with straight, liaielsoni' l fi'iitiircs, such an one inav

wo any day in Bottom Polynesia, but tho children, with terrified 4 faces, shrank aside as they passed him and went In their lather.

Tho pnlo ft if tho silent ma turnod ptiringly to Lupton, wh

" "I'is Mnmcri's teaching,you knew, sin. i. u Catholic fr.Hu Mngarovu, and prays and tells let- heads enough to work a whnleship's crew Into Ueartu. Hut this man is u 'Soul t'atelier.' ami If any of us here get »iek Minion Would let tho faith she ml reared up

in, goto the wall and send for tlio • Soul Catcher.' He's a kindoi all-round pro t ih«t, wizard, uud general wisdoia merchant. Took over tho soul-catching business from his father—runs in die family, you know." ■ All," said tho silent man, looking nt t!io native who, tho moment ho hud enter*], bout his eyes to the ground, '•and in which of tun manifold capacities has he I'omo to sett you, Lupton." Lupton hesitated a moment, then laughed. '•Well, sir," ho says, "ho wants to speak to you. Wants to talk some kind of rot, I suppose. It's his trade, you know. I'd sling him out only thnt ho isn't a bad sort of fellow—and .'i bit mad. Mam, ri savs that he'll quit as soon us ho ii is hud his say.' " ljel him talk," said tho enliu. quid v,,i,.,. : '< I like to hear those people t ilk—better than J would whilo

Then, with his dark, dilated eyes moving from Iho pal- face of the white man to that of Lupton, the native wizard and Se,r of Unseen Things spoke in low imprcssivo tones. Then again his eyes sought tho ground. ■• What does ho sny?" queried Lumen's guest. p> . angrily. •■Till m,-exactly, if von please. I feel interested." " ■■ Well, he says, ii ■ was asleep in hi- house when his 'spirit voice' nwokc him and said,"—hero Lupton pans,,l and looked at his guest, and then, seeing the faint smile of amused interest on his melancholy features, r. -u,ue,l in Ids r.a.gh jocular way. "and said—the spirit voice, you know—was s: i to get loose, and is going awuv from you to-night. And the long and short of it is that this young fellow hero wants to know if vouTl lot him ■■ ivo it—keep you I'roin dviug, voi know. Savs he'll do I the job for nothing, because you're n ■ g 1 man. and a friend to all the

Mr. ISrown put his thin hand nei ■ his mouth, and his eyes smiled nt Upton. Then some sudden, violout .-morion stirred him, and ho spike with ton half rose from bis seat in vague alarm. "Tell him," lie said—" that is. if the langungo oxpr s it—that my soul Ims b,e,i ill hell these t.n years, and its place fillel with ruined hopes I lila,-!; d..sp:iir." .111,1 ih, a ho sank haek on his couch of mats, and turned bis face to the wall. The See,- of i -u—ri Tilings, at a sign from tho now angry Luptou, rose to his feet. As ho passed the trader, ho whispered, •• IV not angrv with me, Farnni: art not thou and all "thy lions,, dear to mo, the sb irerof souls and kcoporawav of evil things? Audi can truly make a snare to save the soul of tho siient man, if ho so wishes it." The low, impassioned I, s of tho wizard's voice showed him to bo under strong emotion, mid Lupton. with smoothoned I,row. jdii.-ed bis hand on the native's chest " rtirani," said he, " seo'est thou these?" and bo pointed to where, in op. a loorw.iv. two large white butl rllios Uovered'aud tluttored. I'hey were a species but rurelv seen in Muniren. and the natives had many curious <u■•Ay-," said the "trailer! "what of the ■ '< 1I: n: vv. ' Ml til It dull.a--. One is : „d of a woman, the other of a man ; 1 their bodies are lung ago .In-- in a far-olt laud. I tell tie,-, i-'aruii, they wail, wail, wail. To-morrow lliev will be gone, but tb.-re wiii then i. ■ three." Stopping a: die doorwav the tall native turned, and again his'strange, full black .-,-.-- lixed upon the ligure of Uphm's visilor. To -a dnwlv ho untied froiunoirelel of poli h.-d' pi,,-.-, of pearlshell strung logetio-r round his sinewv i I; a little i-...in.l leaf-wrapped bundle. and stood before the strange white man and extended bis hand. ••Take it.Diuun.witlillio swift hand and the strung heart, I'm- it is thine." And then in- passed slowly out.

Lupton .■.mill only sec tli.it tin llii' outside wrapping* of I'll' leave* f-11 ~tV tllov revcnlol a black sllhstlllcc, when Mr. Urown quicklv plicod it in tlio bosom of Ilia shirt.

"Ami, sure enough," contiuued Lnpt.m, knocking thu nsh.-s fruin his ll'iiTo'ld iimrue, and speaking in for him, strangely softened tones, " tlm |, () ,,rchup did die that night, leastways liiilugn mnu (cockcrow)," mi.l tli.n fin »»»,,«■ ...l mi hi 5,,;,,.. in silence, gazing th« while away out to tlm northwest point.

At list the trader turned again to nie, almost restored to his usual eq.uanimilv. " I'm a pretty rough ens,., Mr. -—. ami not much given to any kind of sentiment or snuiriuing, l.ul I w.mi.l give lialf I'm worth to have him hack again. Honor! "t got n pull on inv feoliu's tho llrst time ho over spoke tu'uic, and, as tlio days went on, 1 took to him Hint much thutlfho'd a wanted toinnrrv my llttlo Torotual I'd bnvo given her to him cheerful, Sot th.it wo over don., much tnlkiii', Iml bo'd

■ it night after night and ninko me talk, mid when I'd spun u good hour's yum Jo.'.i ..i.:> ...i. -'I imli. you, Lupton,

••Aii." I said, "and so he told you at the last—l mean his reason for coming to die at Mururea." •'No, ho didn't. He only told me something; Peeso told mo tho rest. And he laughed when he told me," and the .lark-faced trader struck his hand on his knee. " Peeso would laugh if he saw his mother crucified."

" Was Pcese back her,., again, then?" 1 inquired. •• Vcs, two months ago. He hoveto outside, uud camo ashore inacanoo. Said ho wanted to hear how his dear friend Brown was. Ho onlyßtnyod an hour, uud then cleared out again." "Hid he die suddenly?" I asked, my mind still bout on this strange

"No. Just before daylight ho culled me to him—with my boy. He took tho boy's hand and said he he'd have been glad to hive lived after all. He had be,-,, happy in a way with me uud tho children here in Mururea. Thou ho asked to see Tcremai and Lorani. Thev both cried when they saw he was u goiu'—all native-blooded people do thut it thev cares anything at all about a white man, and sees him dyi'n'." " Have you any message, or anytiling to say in writiu'. sir?" I says to him.

J Ho didu't answer at onco, only took Lliu girls' hands in his, mill kisses ouch | of 'oiu ..,. ili- face, then ho soys, " No, I j Luptou, neither. But send the childwith me to thoinst which will be soon.*' I Then he put his hand under his pil- I low, ~ud took ..ut n tiny little uareel, i and held it m his closed haud. " Mr. Lunt.ni, 1 nsk you before God to speak honestly. Have \ on, or lu.vo you not, ever heard of and why I came here, to die, away from tlio eyes of men." "No, sir," I said. "Before Ood I know no more of you now than the day 1 liisi snw von." "Can you, then, tell mo if the native soul-doetor wiio cnino here last %l is ~ friend of Captain I'eese ? Did he. •• I'eese when I luuded hero ? □as he talked «*ith him?" "No. When von came hero with Poese, tho soul-seer was away irt an- j other isl md. And as Eor talking with him, howeouldho? t'ecsocuu'tsneak I two words of L'aiuimtu." He closed his eyes a minutes. Then lie reached nut his hand to me and said. - Look at that; wiial is it?" It .. is the iitt . blaek tiling that the man .vie. sees bevund guvfl him, and was a curious affair altogether. " Von kie.w what an air. tr.laga is'." ilsbed Lupton. •■ Yes; a 'devil's ear'-—tlmfs wind the natives call fungus."

■■ Woll," raiitinuc.l Lujitoii, "this was a piuco of di-ioJ fungus, ami j-ot it n isn't a niecu of fungus. Lt win tli,. i start slmi r u liiiiuaii Ucait—jiui ms I'vo sui-n ii model of it niailu

..C mix. Tlial Itu Lu't liuou its natural shupi-, lint tin; siil s liuil liuun 1.r..u-ht tu^f.luu'mi ! stituliul wit!, lium-.ui hj n'r I ■ i ; V llsl ,-,| 4 -|. «, , ,■■■.-.. it back I" Iti n. I Lin li.ij{.-r, ,l—.-l nniii-1 i again." ■■ What is il ''" n, ; si.vs ii-mill. - It's u in .11 ... ll fiuiiiuii hj. ir. ' s,,v- 1, llill'lu ..t fungus. '■• Mv i;.ni:" hj. kivm, "Imw ■ ml 1 l,„ know :'" ■L'lß'ilh.Mli'.lH'tsiiviilu „,.»v, mill m iiimtln-r Hull i.i Imiir ur' - . !„■ ,1... ■!„!..! ml , !..„,a„ly lik-. 1 |.i.il;uil f.ir iii.- li.' . with Muni-M-i in ■■ W.ll. nv iMiriixl liim. Ami u.iw li..vu ill.mv is n 11.i.l ivur M-. I li.-1i..v.. 111., 1 11111 l Haiku s.„ll-,ut-ll,'|- il..- .1 •:.!• iugs Willi th.j Uuvil. 1 limlj»»tnt.nv.Hl H... ~,.,• .:,,|, in lii 3 uiillu ~,..1 was -.■il,,' ~, nail il llown when In, .■.,„„. ~,. »-..lks lip t.. Ill", an.l *iva lie wauls 1.l - I,u .1.M.1 lilllll'rt hau.i. .In,: t« Imiu.mr liiiu I lii'i.l olt ili" aliuul. Thu b.iul-c.iU;li.T '.Hi.-1 tliu.lua«l Hum's lunula ~r..|'n!!v, iiii.l i!..mi I'm ,1 ! it liu UUln'i lav i..at ilrial li.'iirtoii his ,'lu.st uii.l pivs's tlm Haul, .1 .w,i uvur "Whiit'H that IWr" mivs l. "•Xia the li...ii-i i.[ tho woiuiiu 1151..w sl..w in lior alcup. Lul il liu witliliiiu m, i 11.,, ,l„,v IIIUV liu IWIU',, livtw .. t1„.,„ at hurt," ami tliun l.u glides ana, liku „ siial;.'.

'• I lot it -mv, wit thiiiUinjc mu li ..f it ut t.ho tin..-. W.-11, ns I wax ti-lliu' you LVo imio i.piiu. Sooiair ho win. illouu 1 ir.Mi.-l Imu woll uinl ho Inn! achat, iiii.l tli.-n 1 h.M him all <.lm.ul Mr. Uruwu'H .lmitli iiml tlio lumi-uivor an.l tho.lrio.l li.'nrt. And thou IVwi iiu.l (fiviH „..- I hiuutti.i-. I brought il wiili mot.mhow you."

I lookthu |.i.< ' |ini, i, iiu.l n» I road n oolil hill "1' uurmr lu-M my

" l„-.l. l'.M..r.iiu;;'..h i. i.i.|. 1.i.. Mi* from tlio Si ito l'i,--..i »t ->.., (lii.-iitiii (Cttl.) 111.-t ,»-. oil, 1.1,-I in -Vll.il In 1... now ..i. I. . ,i .i .•iUwrt.i ll.imiliilu or Tahiti, li In.•'. I—1» iiworuii Itlmt ii vontnuiii .1 m ilii-v li .. !•• ■ ...1.-'in In .. voiy -v,i nuutin • . in-, i ilurii tii.. I.i-: i.-..'»--. :. i • oltwl li!-r I . . AlthoiiL-li w ivlj • ,rl ■ v-.ii- In, plm»wf»i Ii mimlttwl hU tcmWo ■ rim... ill.- iitMH i.m» ii.ilur.- ut' it mil lunjf bu ruuiuuiburod,. iTuuug, « iilthy.

good night,' and give a smile all round respected, and talented, he hail been to , ia, fro mold;USineri t011... youngest married but half a year when tho tama, and go to bed. And yet ho did whole- of the Pacific slope was startled a tiling that'll go hard agin' him, 1 with tho intelligence that ho had mm--fear." dered his boautiful young wife, who

had, ho found, boon disloyal to him. Entering the bedroom ho shot his sleeping wilo through the temples, and with a koen-odgcd knife had cut out her still-boating heart. This, enclosed in a small box, ho took to the house of the man who had wronged him. and desired him l<» open it and look at the contents. Ho did so, and Morniugtou, barely giving him time to realise the tragedy, and that his perfidy was known, shot him twice, the wounds proving fatal next day. The murderer made* good his escape to Mexico or South America, only returning to the States a month ago, when ho was recognised (although disguised) and captured, and at the time of his escape was within two days of the time of his trial before Judge Crittenden.” “There is always a woman in these things,” said Lupton. as X gave him back the slip. Come on. Ami lie got down from his seat on the wall, “ there’s Mameri calling us to kaikai —stewed pigeons. She’s a bully old cook ; worth her weight in Chile dollars.”