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〃Well； then where did the beggar get that Snider？〃 harped Mr。 Brown。
But just then McTavish lifted the packing case。 The manager started；
then tore off the lid。 The case was empty。 They gazed at one another in
horrified silence。 Harriwell drooped wearily。
Then McVeigh cursed。
〃What I contended all alongthe house…boys are not to be trusted。〃
〃It does look serious；〃 Harriwell admitted； 〃but we'll come through it
all right。 What the sanguinary niggers need is a shaking up。 Will you
gentlemen please bring your rifles to dinner； and will you； Mr。 Brown；
kindly prepare forty or fifty sticks of dynamite。 'make the fuses good and
short。 We'll give them a lesson。 And now； gentlemen； dinner is served。〃
One thing that Bertie detested was rice and curry； so it happened that
he alone partook of an inviting omelet。 He had quite finished his plate；
when Harriwell helped himself to the omelet。 One mouthful he tasted；
then spat out vociferously。
〃That's the second time；〃 McTavish announced ominously。
Harriwell was still hawking and spitting。
〃Second time； what？〃 Bertie quavered。
〃Poison；〃 was the answer。 〃That cook will be hanged yet。〃
〃That's the way the bookkeeper went out at Cape March；〃 Brown
spoke up。 〃Died horribly。 They said on the Jessie that they heard him
screaming three miles away。〃
〃I'll put the cook in irons；〃 sputtered Harriwell。 〃Fortunately we
discovered it in time。〃
Bertie sat paralyzed。 There was no color in his face。 He attempted to
speak； but only an inarticulate gurgle resulted。 All eyed him anxiously。
〃Don't say it； don't say it；〃 McTavish cried in a tense voice。
〃Yes； I ate it； plenty of it； a whole plateful！〃 Bertie cried explosively；
like a diver suddenly regaining breath。
The awful silence continued half a minute longer； and he read his fate
in their eyes。
〃Maybe it wasn't poison after all；〃 said Harriwell； dismally。
〃Call in the cook；〃 said Brown。
In came the cook； a grinning black boy； nose…spiked and ear…plugged。
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〃Here； you； Wi…wi； what name that？〃 Harriwell bellowed； pointing
accusingly at the omelet。
Wi…wi was very naturally frightened and embarrassed。
〃Him good fella kai…kai；〃 he murmured apologetically。
〃Make him eat it；〃 suggested McTavish。 〃That's a proper test。〃
Harriwell filled a spoon with the stuff and jumped for the cook； who
fled in panic。
〃That settles it；〃 was Brown's solemn pronouncement。 〃He won't eat
it。〃
〃Mr。 Brown； will you please go and put the irons on him？〃 Harriwell
turned cheerfully to Bertie。 〃It's all right； old man； the Commissioner will
deal with him； and if you die； depend upon it； he will be hanged。〃
〃Don't think the government'll do it；〃 objected McTavish。
〃But gentlemen； gentlemen；〃 Bertie cried。 〃In the meantime think of
me。〃
Harriwell shrugged his shoulders pityingly。
〃Sorry； old man； but it's a native poison； and there are no known
antidotes for native poisons。 Try and compose yourself and if〃
Two sharp reports of a rifle from without； interrupted the discourse；
and Brown； entering； reloaded his rifle and sat down to table。
〃The cook's dead；〃 he said。 〃Fever。 A rather sudden attack。〃
〃I was just telling Mr。 Arkwright that there are no antidotes for native
poisons〃
〃Except gin；〃 said Brown。
Harriwell called himself an absent…minded idiot and rushed for the gin
bottle。
〃Neat； man； neat；〃 he warned Bertie； who gulped down a tumbler two…
thirds full of the raw spirits； and coughed and choked from the angry bite
of it till the tears ran down his cheeks。
Harriwell took his pulse and temperature； made a show of looking out
for him； and doubted that the omelet had been poisoned。 Brown and
McTavish also doubted； but Bertie discerned an insincere ring in their
voices。 His appetite had left him； and he took his own pulse stealthily
under the table。 There was no question but what it was increasing； but he
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failed to ascribe it to the gin he had taken。 'mcTavish； rifle in hand； went
out on the veranda to reconnoiter。
〃They're massing up at the cook…house；〃 was his report。 〃And they've
no end of Sniders。 'my idea is to sneak around on the other side and take
them in flank。 Strike the first blow； you know。 Will you come along；
Brown？〃
Harriwell ate on steadily； while Bertie discovered that his pulse had
leaped up five beats。 Nevertheless； he could not help jumping when the
rifles began to go off。 Above the scattering of Sniders could be heard the
pumping of Brown's and McTavish's Winchestersall against a
background of demoniacal screeching and yelling。
〃They've got them on the run；〃 Harriwell remarked； as voices and
gunshots faded away in the distance。
Scarcely were Brown and McTavish back at the table when the latter
reconnoitered。
〃They've got dynamite；〃 he said。
〃Then let's charge them with dynamite；〃 Harriwell proposed。
Thrusting half a dozen sticks each into their pockets and equipping
themselves with lighted cigars； they started for the door。 And just then it
happened。 They blamed McTavish for it afterward； and he admitted that
the charge had been a trifle excessive。 But at any rate it went off under the
house； which lifted up cornerwise and settled back on its foundations。 Half
the china on the table was shattered； while the eight…day clock stopped。
Yelling for vengeance； the three men rushed out into the night； and the
bombardment began。
When they returned； there was no Bertie。 He had dragged himself
away to the office； barricaded himself in； and sunk upon the floor in a gin…
soaked nightmare； wherein he died a thousand deaths while the valorous
fight went on around him。 In the morning； sick and headachey from the
gin； he crawled out to find the sun still in the sky and God presumable in
heaven； for his hosts were alive and uninjured。
Harriwell pressed him to stay on longer； but Bertie insisted on sailing
immediately on the Arla for Tulagi； where； until the following steamer day；
he stuck close by the Commissioner's house。 There were lady tourists on
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the outgoing steamer； and Bertie was again a hero； while Captain Malu； as
usual； passed unnoticed。 But Captain Malu sent back from Sydney two
cases of the best Scotch whiskey on the market； for he was not able to
make up his mind as to whether it was Captain Hansen or Mr Harriwell
who had given Bertie Arkwright the more gorgeous insight into life in the
Solomons。
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THE INEVITABLE WHITE MAN
〃The black will never understand the white； nor the white the black； as
long as black is black and white is white。〃
So said Captain Woodward。 We sat in the parlor of Charley Roberts'
pub in Apia； drinking long Abu Hameds compounded and shared with us
by the aforesaid Charley Roberts； who claimed the recipe direct from
Stevens； famous for having invented the Abu Hamed at a time when he
was spurred on by Nile thirstthe Stevens who was responsible for 〃With
Kitchener to Kartoun；〃 and who passed out at the siege of Ladysmith。
Captain Woodward； short and squat； elderly； burned by forty years of
tropic sun； and with the most beautiful liquid brown eyes I ever saw in a
man； spoke from a vast experience。 The crisscross of scars on his bald pate
bespoke a tomahawk intimacy with the black； and of equal intimacy was
the advertisement； front and rear； on the right side of his neck； where an
arrow had at one time entered and been pulled clean through。 As he
explained； he had been in a hu