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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 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。
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 hurry
on that occasionthe arrow impeded his runningand he felt that he could not
take the time to break off the head and pull out the shaft the way it had come
in。 At the present moment he was commander of the SAVAII； the big steamer that
recruited labor from the westward for the German plantations on Samoa。
〃Half the trouble is the stupidity of the whites；〃 said Roberts； pausing to
take a swig from his glass and to curse the Samoan bar…boy in affectionate
terms。 〃If the white man would lay himself out a bit to understand the
workings of the black man's mind； most of the messes would be avoided。〃
〃I've seen a few who claimed they understood niggers；〃 Captain Woodward
retorted； 〃and I always took notice that they were the first to be kai…kai'd
（eaten）。 Look at the missionaries in New Guinea and the New Hebridesthe
martyr isle of Erromanga and all the rest。 Look at the Austrian expedition
that was cut to pieces in the Solomons； in the bush of Guadalcanar。 And look
at the traders themselves； with a score of years' experience； making their
brag that no nigger would ever get them； and whose heads to this day are
ornamenting the rafters of the canoe houses。 There was old Johnny
Simonstwenty…six years on the raw edges of Melanesia； swore he knew the
niggers like a book and that they'd never do for him； and he passed out at
Marovo Lagoon； New Georgia； had his head sawed off by a black Mary （woman） and
an old nigger with only one leg； having left the other leg in the mouth of a
shark while diving for dynamited fish。 There was Billy Watts； horrible
reputation as a nigger killer； a man to scare the devil。 I remember lying at
Cape Little； New Ireland you know； when the niggers stole half a case of
trade…tobaccocost him about three dollars and a half。 In retaliation he
turned out； shot six niggers； smashed up their war canoes and burned two
villages。 And it was at Cape Little； four years afterward； that he was jumped
along with fifty Buku boys he had with him fishing b坈he…de…mer。 In five
minutes they were all dead； with the exception of three boys who got away in a
canoe。 Don't talk to me about understanding the nigger。 The white man's
mission is to farm the world； and it's a big enough job cut out for him。 What
time has he got left to understand niggers anyway？〃
〃Just so；〃 said Roberts。 〃And somehow it doesn't seem necessary； after all； to
understand the niggers。 In direct proportion to the white man's stupidity is
his success in farming the world〃
〃And putting the fear of God into the nigger's heart；〃 Captain Woodward
blurted out。 〃Perhaps you're right； Roberts。 Perhaps it's his stupidity that
makes him succeed； and surely one phase of his stupidity is his inability to
understand the niggers。 But there's one thing sure； the white has to run the
niggers whether he understands them or not。 It's inevitable。 It's fate。〃
〃And of course the white man is inevitableit's the niggers' fate；〃 Roberts
broke in。 〃Tell the white man there's pearl shell in some lagoon infested by
ten…thousand howling cannibals； and he'll head there all by his lonely； with
half a dozen kanaka divers and a tin alarm clock for chronometer； all packed
like sardines on a commodious； five…ton ketch。 Whisper that there's a gold
strike at the North Pole； and that same inevitable white…skinned creature will
set out at once； armed with pick and shovel； a side of bacon； and the latest
patent rockerand what's more； he'll get there。 Tip it off to him that
there's diamonds on the red…hot ramparts of hell； and Mr。 White Man will storm
the ramparts and set old Satan himself to pick…and…shovel work。 That's what
comes of being stupid and inevitable。〃
〃But I wonder what the black man must think of thethe inevitableness；〃 I
said。
Captain Woodward broke into quiet laughter。 His eyes had a reminiscent gleam。
〃I'm just wondering what the niggers of Malu thought and still must be
thinking of the one inevitable white man we had on board when we visited them
in the DUCH