The Calumet Chieftain (Calumet, Okla.), Vol. 14, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 23, 1922 Page: 2 of 8
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THE CALUMET CHIEFTAIN
^The Qreen Pea Pirates
cAuthor of "WEBSTER —MAN'S MAN," "
Copyrifht, by Peter B. Kync
By PETER B. KYNE
THE VALLEY OF THE GIANTS," ETC.
CHAPTER XI—Continued.
—12—
"Well, what's In the wind this
time?" Inquired McGuffey.
"We're Invited to a big feed with
the king of Knndavu," replied Cnptnln
Scraggs, as happy as a boy. "Hop Into
ii clean suit of ducks, Mac, and come
along. (jib's gciln' to broach a little
keg of liquor and we'll muke a night
of it."
"Good lord," groaned McGulTey,
"does the man think I'm low enough
to eat with niggers?"
"Leave him to bis own devices,-'
said Mr. Glbney, indulgently. "Mac's
Just as Irish as If he'd been born In
Dublin, instead of 1,; old man. No-
body yet overcome the prejudice of
an Irishman so we'll do the honors
ourself, Scraggsy, o i skittles, and
leave Mac In charge of the ship."
"Mind you're both back at a season
able hour," warned McGulTey. "If you
ain't, I'll suspect mischief and—say!
Gib! Well, what's the use of talkin'
to a man with an Imagination? Only
If I have to go ashore after you two,
those Islanders'!) date time from my
visit, and don't you forget It."
Upon arrival at the beach the two
adventurers were met by a contingent
of frightful-looking savages bearing
long spears. As the procession formed
around the guests of honor and
plunged Into the bush, bound for the
king's wari, two Island maidens
marched behind the two sea-dogs, wav-
ing huge palm-leaf fans, the better to
make the passage a cool and comfort-
able one.
"By the gods of war, Gib, my dear
boy," said the delighted Captain
Scruggs, "but this is class, eh, Gib?"
"Every time," responded the commo-
dore. "If that chuckle-headed McGuf-
fey only had the sense to come along
he might beenjoyln' himself, too. You
must be dignified, Scraggsy, old sala-
mander. Remember that you're big-
ger an' better'n any king, because
you're an American citizen. Be digni-
fied, by all means. These people are
sensitive and peculiar, and that's why
we haven't taken any weapons with
us. If they thought we doubted their
hospitality they'd have the court
bouncer heave us out of town before
you could say Jack Itoblnson."
"I'd love to see them giving the
bounce to McGuffey," said Captain
Scrnggs, musingly. Mr. Glbney had a
swift mental picture of such a proceed-
ing aftd chuckled happily. Ilad he been
permitted a glance nt McGuffey at
that moment he might have observed
that worthy sweltering In the heat of
the forward hold of the Maggie II,
for he was busy getting his guns on
deck. From which it will readily be
deduced that B. McGuffey, Esquire,
was following the advice of his pa-
ternal ancestor and getting an anchot
out to windward.
One might go on at great length and
describe the triumphal entry of Com-
modore Glbney and Captain Scraggs
into the capltol of Knndavu; of how
the king, an undersized, shriveled old
savage, stuck his bushy head out the
window of his bungalow when he saw
the procession coming; of how a min-
ute later he advanced Into the space
in the center of his wari, where in the
olden days the populace was wont to
gather for its cannibal orgies; how
he greeted his distinguished visitors
with the most prodigious rubbing of
noses seen in those parts for many
a day; of the feast that followed; of
the fowls and pigs that garnished the
festive board, not omitting the jjeg of
Three Star thoughtfully provided by
Mr. Gihney.
Tabu-Tabu acted as interpreter and
everything went swimmingly until
Tabu-Tabu, his hospitality doubtless
strengthened by frequent libations of
the Elixir of I.ife, begged Mr. Glbney
to Invite the remainder of his crew
ashore for the feast. Mr. Glbney, him-
self rather Illuminated by this time,
thought It might not be a bad Idea.
"It's a rotten shame, Scraggsy," he
enid, "to think of that fool McGuffey
not beln' here to enjoy himself. I'm
gain' lo send a note out by one of
Tabu-Tabu's boys, askin' him once
more to come ashore, or to let the
first mate and one or two of the sea-
men come If Mac still refuses to be
civil."
"Good Idea, Gib," said Captain
Scraggs, his mouth full of roast chick-
en and yams. So Mr. Glbney tore a
leaf out of his pocket memorandum
book, scrawled a note to McGuffey, and
handed It to Tabu-Tabu, who at once
dispatched a messenger with It to
the Maggie II.
Within half an hour the messenger
returned. He was wildly excited and
poured a torrent of native gibberish
Into the attentive ears of Tabu-Tabu
uud the king. He pointed several
times to the point of his Jaw, rubbed
the small of his back, and once he
touched ills nose; whereupon Mr. Glb-
ney was aware that the said organ had
a slight list to port, and he so In-
formed Captain Scraggs. Neither of
the gentlemen had the slightest trou-
ble In arriving at the correct solution
of the mystery. The royal messenger
had been Incontinently kicked over-
board by II. McGuffey, Esquire.
Tabu-Tabu's wild eyes glittered and
grew wilder and wilder as the mes-
senger reported the Indignity thus
heaped upon hlin. The king scowled
at Captain S-raggs, and Mr. Gibney
was suddenly aware that goose-flesh
was breaking out on the backs of his
sturdy legs. He had a haunting sen-
suth ,< that not only had he craw' -d
into a hole, but he had pulled the en-
tire aperture In after him. For the
first time he began to fear that he
had been too precipitate, and with the
thought It occurred to the gallant com-
modore that lie would be much safer
back on the decks of the Maggie II.
Always crafty and Imaginative, how-
ever, Mr. Glbney came quickly to the
front with an excuse for getting back
to the ship. He stepped quickly to-
ward the little group around the out-
raged royal ambassador, and Inquired
the cnuse of the disturbance. Quiver-
ing with rage, Tabu-Tabu Informed
him of what had occurred.
Mr. Glbney's rage, of course, knew
no bounds. Nevertheless, he did not
have to simulate his rnge, for he was
truly furious. When he could control
his emotions, he requested Tabu-Tabu
to Inform the king that he, Glbney, ae
companled b.v Captain Scrnggs, would
forthwith repair to the schooner and
then and there flay the offending Mc-
Guffey within an Inch of his life. Suit
tug the action to the word, Mr. Glbney
called to Captain Scraggs to follow
him, and started for the beach.
As Captain Scraggs arose, a trifle
unsteadily, from his seat, a black hand
reached around him from the rear and
closed over his mouth. Now, Captain
Scraggs was well versed In the rough
and-tumbJe tactics of the San Fran-
cisco waterfront; hence, when he felt
a long pair of arms crossing over his
neck from the rear, he merely stooped
and whirled his opponent over his
head. In that Instant his mouth was
free, and clear above the shouting nnd
the tumult rose his frenzied shriek for
help. Mr. Glbney whirled with the
speed nnd agility of a panther just In
time to dodge a blow from a war club
Ills fist collided with the Jaw of Tabu
Tabu, nnd down went that savnge as
If pole-axed.
Pandemonium broke loose at once.
Captain Scraggs, after his single shriek
for help, broke from the circle of sav-
ages and fled like a frightened rabbit
for the beach. One of the natives
hurled a rock at him. The missile took
Scraggs In the back of the head, and
be Instantly curled up In a heap.
"Scraggsy's dead," thought the hor-
rified Gibney, nnd sprang nt the king.
In that moment it came to Mr. Gibney
to sell out denrly, and If he could dis-
pose of the king, he felt that Scrnggs'
death would be avenged. In nn Instant
the commodore's great arms hnd
closed around the king, nnd with the
helpless monarch In his grizzly bear
grip Mr. Glbney backed up against the
nearest bungnJow. A fringe of spears
threatened him In front, but for the
moment he was safe behind, and the
king's body protected him. Whenever
one of the savages made a Jab at Mr.
Glbney, Mr. Glbney gave the king a
boa-constrictor squeeze, and the mon-
arch howled.
"I'll squeeze him to death," panted
Mr. Glbney to Tabu-Tabu when that
Individual hnd mannged to pick him-
self up. "Let me go, or I'll kill your
king."
The answer was an earthenware pot
which crashed down on Mr. Glbney's
head from a window In the hungalow
behind him. He sagged forward and
fell on his face with the gasping king
In his arms.
CHAPTER XII.
On board the Maggie II R iMcGuffey,
Esquire, had Just gotten Into position
the Maxlm-Vlckers "pom-pom" gun on
top of the house. The last bolt that
held It In place had Just been screwed
tight when clear and shrill over the
tops of the Jungle and across the still
surface of the little bay there floated
to McGuffey's ears the single word:
"Help!"
McGuffey leaned against the gun,
and for the moment he was ns weak
as a child. "Gawd," he muttered,
'that was Scraggsy and they're a-goin'
to eat him up. Oh, Gib, Gib, old man,
why wouldn't you listen to me? Now
they've got you, and what In blazes |
I'm going to do to get you back, dead
or alive. I dunno."
It was fully half an hour before poor
McGuffey could pull himself together,
and when he did, his grief was super-
seded by a fit of rage that was ter-
rible to behold.
"Step lively, you blasted scum of
the seas," he bawled to the mate, and
the crew gathered around the gun.
"Lug up a case of ammunition and
well shell that bush until even a par-
rot vfon't be left alive in It."
"Aye, aye, sir," responded the crew
to a man, and sprang to their task.
"I'm an old navy gunner," said the
first mate quietly. "I'll handle the
gun. With a "pom-pom' gun it's Just
like playing a garden hose on them,
only It's high-explosive shell Instead of
water. I can search out every nook
and cranny In the coast of this Island.
Those guns are sighted up to 4,000
yards."
•'Kill 'em all," rnved McGuffey, "kill
all the blasted niggers."
When Mr. Glbney fell under the Im-
pact of the earthenware pot he was
only partially stunned. As he tried to
struggle to Ills feet half a dozen hands
were laid on him and in a trice he was
lifted and carried back of the wari to
a clear space where a dozen heavy
teak wood posts stood in a row about
"I'll Handle the Gun."
four feet apart. Mr. Gibney was quick-
ly stripped of his clothing and bound
hand nnd foot to one of these posts.
Three minutes later another delega-
tion of cannibals arrived, bearing the
limp, naked body of Captain Scraggs,
whom they bound In similar fashion to
the post beside Mr. Gibney. Scraggs
was very white and bloody, but con-
scious, and his pale-blue eyes were
flickering like a snake's.
What's—what's—the meanln' of
tills, Gib?" he gasped.
It means," replied the commodore,
"that It's all off but the shouting with
ire and you, Scraggsy. This fellow
Tabu-Tabu Is a d—d traitor, and his
people are still cannibals. He's the
decoy to get white men ashore. They
schemed to treat us nice and be friend-
ly until they could get the whole crew
ashore, or enough of them to leave the
slilp helpless, and then—O Gawd,
Scraggsy, old man, can you ever for-
give me for gettln' you into this?"
Captain Scraggs hung his head and
inhered like a hooked fish.
"Will they—eat—us?" he quavered,
finally.
Mr. Glbney did not answer, only
Captain Scraggs looked into his hor-
rified eyes and read the verdict.
"Die game, Scraggsy," was all Mr.
Glbney could say. "Don't show the
white feather."
"D'ye think McGuffey could hear us
from here If we was to yell for help?"
Inquired Captain Scraggs hopefully.
"Don't yelp, for Gawd's sake," Im-
plored Mr. Glbney. "We got ourselves
into this, so let's pay the fiddler our-
selves. If we let out one yip and Mc-
Guffey hears It, he'll come ashore with
hft crew and tackle this outfit, even If
he knows he'll get killed. And that's
Just what will happen to him If he
comes. Let poor Mac stay aboard.
When we don't come back, he'll know
It's all off, and if he has time to think
over it he'll realize It would be foolish
to try to do anything. But right now
Mac's mad as a wet hen, and If we
holler for help—Scraggsy, please don't
holler. Die game."
Captain Scraggs turned Ills terrified
g'ance on Mr. Glbney's tortured face.
Scraggs was certainly a coward at
heart, but there was something In Mr.
Glbney's .inselfisliness that touched a
spot In his hard nature—a something
he never knew he possessed. He
bowed his head and two big fpnrs stole
down his weatherbentpn face.
"God bless you, Gib, my dear boy,"
he said brokenly. "You're a man."
At this juncture the king enme up
and thoughtfully felt of Captain
Scraggs In the short ribs, while Tabu-
Tabu calculated the precise amount
of luscious tissue on Mr. Glbney's well-
upholstered frame.
"Bimeby we eat white man," said
Tabu-Tabu cheerfully.
"If you eat me, you bloody-handed
beggar," snapped Captain Scraggs,
"I'll pizen you. I've chawed tobacco
all my life, and my meat's as bitter as
wormwood."
It was too funny to hear Scrnggs
Jesting with death. Mr. Gibney forgot
his own mental agony and roared with
laughter In Tabu-Tabu's face. The
cannibal stood off a few feet and
looked searchingly In the commodore's
eyes. He was not used to the brand
of white man who could laugh under
such circumstances, and he suspected
treachery of some kind. He hurried
over to join the king and the two held
a hurried conversation. As a result of
their conference, a huge savage was
called over and given some instruc-
tions. Tnbu-Tabu handed him a war
club and Mr. Glbney, rightly conjectur-
ing that this was the official execu-
tioner, bowed his head and waited for
the blow.
It came sooner "than he expected.
Thet>nrth seemed to rise up and smite
Adelbert F. Gibney across the face.
There was a roar, as of an explosion
in his ears, and lie fell forward on his
face. He had a confused notion that
when he fell the post came with him.
For nearly a minute he lay there,
semi-conscious, and then something
warm, dripping across bis face, roused
him. He moved, and found that his
feet were free, though his hands were
still bound to the post, which lay ex-
tended along his back. He rolled over
and glanced up. Captain Scraggs was
shrieking. By degrees the bells quit
ringing in the commodore's ears, and
this Is what he heard Captain Scraggs
yelling:
"Oh, you McGuffey. Oh, you bully
Irish terrier. Soak it to 'em, Mac. Kill
the beggars. You've got a dozen of
'em already. Plug away, you good old
hunk of Irish bacon."
Mr. Gibney was now himself once
more. He struggled to his feet, and
as be did, something burst ten feet
away and a little fleecy cloud of smoke
obscured his vision for a moment.
Then he understood. McGuffey had a
rapid-fire gun trained on the wari, and
the savages, with frightful yells, were
fleeing madly from the little shells.
Half a dozen of them lay dead and
wounded close by.
"Hooray," yelled Mr. Gibney, and
dashed at the post which held Captain
Scraggs prisoner. lie struck it a pow-
erful blow with his shoulder and
Scraggs and the post crashed to the
ground. In an Instant Mr. Gibney was
on ills knees, tearing nt Scraggs' rope
shackles with his teeth. Five minutes
later, Captain Scraggs' hands were
free. Then Scraggs did a like service
for Glbney.
All the time the shells from the Mag-
gie II were bursting nround them
every second or two, and it seemed as
if they must be killed before they
could make their escape.
As they tore along through the
jungle path Glbney's good rlg'it
eye (his left was obscured) detected
two savages crouching behind u clump
of coco palms.
"There's the king and Tabu-Tabu,"
.felled Scraggs. "Let's round the beg-
gars up."
"Sure," responded the commodore.
"We'll need 'em for hostages if we're
to get that black coral. We'll turn 'em
over to McGuffey."
"I'd better ease up a minute, sir,"
said the mate to Mr. McGuffey. "Tlie
gun's getting fearful hot."
"Let her melt," raved McGuffey,
"but keep her worktn' for nil she's
worth. I'll have revenge for Gib's
death, or—sufferln* mackerel!"
McGuffey once more sat down on
the cabin ventilator. He pointed
dumbly to the bench, and there, pad-
dling off to the Maggie II, were two
naked cannibals and two naked white
men In a canoe. Five minutes inter
they came alongside. McGuffey met
them at the rail, and he smiled nnd
licked his lower lip as rbe trembling
monarch and his prime minister, in re-
sponse to a severe application of Mr.
Glbney's hands and feet, came flying
over the rail. Mr. Gibney and Captain
Scraggs followed.
"I'm much obliged to you, Mac," said
Mr. Glbney, striving bravely to appear
Jaunty. "One of your first shots came
between my legs and cut the rope that
held me, and banged me and the post
I was tied to all over the lot. A frag-
ment of the shell appears to have
taken away part of my ear, but I
guess I'll recover. We're pretty well
shook up, Mac, old socks, and a Jolt
of whisky would be In order after
you've put the irons on these two can-
nibals."
At 6:30 o'clock of the morning of
the day following the frightful experi-
ence of Commodore Gibney and Cap-
tain Scraggs with the cannibals of
Kandavu, the members of the Maggie
II syndicate faced each other acioss
the breakfast table with appetites in
no wise diminished by the exciting
events of the preceding day.
McGuffey surveyed Ills superior offi-
cers, cursed tliein bitterly, and re-
marked, with tears of joy in his hon-
est eyes, that both gentlemer* had
evaded their ju.-t deserts wlier they
escaped with their lives. "If it .ladn't
been for the mnte," said McGuffey se-
verely, "I'd 'a' let you two boobies suf-
fer the penalty for your foolishness.
Any man that goes to work and fra-
ternizes with a cannibal ain't got no
kick comln' if he's made up into chick-
en curry with rice. The minute I hear
old Scraggsy yippln' for help, says I to
myself, 'let the beggnrs light their own
way out of the mess.' But the mate
conies a-runnin' up and says he's nretty
sure he can come near plantin' a mess
of shells in the center of the disturb-
ance, even if we can't see the wari on
account of the Jungle. 'It's all off with
the commodore and the skipper, any-
how,' says the mate, 'so we might just
as well have vengeance on their mur-
derers.' So, of course, when he put it
that way I give my consent—"
At this juncture the mate, passing
around McGuffey on his way to the
deck, winked solemnly at Mr. Gibney,
who hung his war-worn head In simu-
lated shame. When the mate had left
the cabin the commodore pounded
with his fork on the cabin table and
announced a special meeting of the
Maggie II syndicate.
"Hie first business before the meet-
ing," said Mr. Glbney, "is to readjust
the ownership in the syndicate. Me
and Scraggsy's had our heads together,
Mac, and we've agreed that you've
shot your way Into a full one-third In-
terest, instead of a quarter as hereto-
fore. From now on, Mac, you're an
equal owner with me and Scraggsy,
and now that that matter's settled,
you can quit rlppin' It into us on the
race question and suggest what's to lie
done In the case of Tabu-Tabu and
this cannibal king that almost lured me
and the navlgatin' officer to our de-
struction,"
"I have the villains In double irons
and chained to the mainmast," replied
McGuffey, "and as a testimonial of my
gratitude for the increased Interest in
the syndicate which you and Scrnggs
has just voted me, I will scheme up a
fittin' form of vengeance on them two
tar babies. However, only nn extraor-
dinary sentence can fit such nn ex-
traordinary crime, so I must have time
to think it over. These two bucks Is
tnine to do what I please with and I'll
take any Interference as unneighborly
and unworthy of n shipmate."
"Take 'em," said Captain Scraggs
vehemently. "For my part 1 only ask
one tiling. If you can see your way
clear, Mnc, to give me the king's scalp
for a tobacco pouch, I'll lie obliged."
"And I," added the commodore,
"would like Tabu-Tabu's shin l one for
a clarionet. Pendin' McGuffey's re-
flections on the hamperin' of crime in
Kandavu, however, we'll turn our at-
tention to the prime object of the ex-
pedition. We've had our little fun and
it's high time we got down to business.
It will be low tide at nine o'clock, so
I suggest, Scraggs, that you order the
mate and two seamen out in the big
whuleboat, together with the divin' ap-
paratus, and we'll go after pearl oys-
ters and black coral As for you, Mac,
suppose you take the other boat and
Tabu-Tabu and the king, and help the
mate. Take a rifle along with you,
and make them captives dive for pearl
oysters until they're black in the
face—"
"Huh!" muttered the single-minded
McGuffey. "What are they now? Sky
blue?"
"Of course," continued the commo-
dore, "if a tiger shark happens along
nnd picks the niggers up. It nln't none
of our business. As for me and
Scraggsy, we'll sit on deck and smoke.
My head aches and I guess Scraggsy's
in a similar fix."
"Anythin' to be agreeable," acqui-
esced McGuffey.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Hokum.
Civilization is largely the escape of
the race from a belief in hokum. How
much hokum do you believe in? Al-
ways some. .
A friend In speech but not In deed
is no true friend to a friend la need.
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Penn, S. A. The Calumet Chieftain (Calumet, Okla.), Vol. 14, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 23, 1922, newspaper, February 23, 1922; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc173835/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.