Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 25, 2025
She had now no white men on board but the captain and his mate, for the negroes had improved so much in seamanship that the economical captain had dispensed with his Chilian crew. Captain Horn was delighted to be able to speak again to a fellow-being, and it pleased him far better to see Maka than any of the others.
As she grew older her golden head turned white, and at last the swish of Mother Carey's horses carried away all her white hair, and left her old, bald, and ugly. So she pined and died, and Maka Ina buried her poor little body under the grass. But some say it was Father Time that blew her hair away, and that El Sol had the body cremated.
There are quite a number of tree houses in the various villages on the ridges seen from here. The people are anxious to get Maka, a light-coloured and very fine- looking native lad, married to one of their girls and settled down amongst them. I said to our African, "They want Maka to marry one of their girls."
"What made you and Cheditafa think that way?" he asked. "I t'ink old one know more," replied the negro, "and Cheditafa t'ink wife make bes' boss when cap'n gone, and young one make bes' wife." "You impertinent black scoundrels!" exclaimed the captain, taking a step toward Maka, who bounced backward a couple of yards. "What do you mean by talking about Miss Markham and me in that way?
"Ask him if he knows the name of that band of men." "Yes," said Maka, presently, "he know, but he no can speak it." "Are they called the Rackbirds?" asked Captain Horn. The shivering negro had been listening attentively, and now half rose and nodded his head violently, and then began to speak rapidly in African. "Yes," said Maka, "he says that is name they are called."
My bombardment had not proceeded many moments before, to my dismay, some of their own shells began to fall among us. Soon they were giving as good as we. "Now, how knew they that we should come to this spot?" I demanded of Maka. I had placed him in my cabinet as soon as I had reached the throne. The old man stroked his beard gravely. "Perchance it had been wrong to come to the old landing.
Yesterday evening, about six, the carriers came in with great shouting, and glad was I to see my lad and companion Maka then. Great was the joy at the division of salt and tobacco. Before we came here the women and children slept in the bush at night, the men in the village.
Maka, who was possessed of better intelligence than most of his fellows, improved a good deal in his English, and learned to cook very well, and having wandered to San Francisco, had been employed for two or three voyages by Captain Horn. Maka was a faithful and willing servant, and if he had been able to express himself more intelligibly, his merits might have been better appreciated.
He brought his gun to his shoulder, and was slowly lowering the barrel to the line of aim, when suddenly something like a great black beast rushed past him, pushing up his arm and nearly toppling him over. It came from the cave, and in a second it was out on the plateau. Then it gave a leap upward, and rushed down toward the sea. Utterly astounded, the captain steadied himself and turned to Maka.
But this he could not do, and, when he called Maka, the negro was not able to help him. The fire had worked its way back of the green vines, and seemed to have found good fuel, for it was soon crackling away at a great rate, attracting the rest of the party. "Can't we put it out?" cried Miss Markham. "It is a pity to ruin those beautiful vines." The captain smiled and shook his head.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking