demanded one. Randolph did his part well. He pointed out to the old men
that unless they gave the man up, the long gun on the ship would destroy
every house and canoe on the island, even if no one were killed. That
meant much to them, whereas one man's life was but little. But, first,
the natives tried cunning. One and then another wretched slave was
caught and bound and taken off to the naval officer as the murderer,
only to be scornfully rejected by Randolph and the captain. Then the
officer's patience was exhausted. If the man who murdered Keyes was not
surrendered in an hour he would open fire, and also hang some of the
chiefs then detained on board as hostages.

Randolph's gloomy face quickened their fears. This captain could neither
be frightened nor fooled. In half an hour the slayer of the trader was
brought on board. The old men admitted their attempt at deception, but
pleaded that the murderer was a man of influence, and they would rather
the two others (who were absolutely innocent) were hanged than this one;
but their suggestion was not acted upon. The trial was just and fair,
but short, and then Randolph urged the captain to have the man executed
on shore by being shot. It would impress the people more than hanging
him on board. And hanging they regarded as a silly way of killing a man.

The naval officer had no relish for work of this nature, and when
Randolph told him that the natives had consented to execute the prisoner
in his (Randolph's) presence (and the captain's presence also if
necessary) he, no doubt, felt glad. Bob Randolph then became M.C., and
gave his instructions to the old men. The whole village assembled in
front of Randolph's to see the show. An old carronade lying in the
corner of the copra house was dragged out, cleaned, and loaded with a
heavy blank charge. Then the prisoner, sullen and defiant to the last,
but wondering at the carronade, was lashed with his back to the muzzle,
and, at a signal from one of the old men, a firestick was applied to the
gun. A roar, a rush of fragments through the air, and all was finished.
Bob Randolph's fox-terrier was the only creature that seemed to trouble
about making any search for the remnants of the body. Half an hour
afterwards, as Bob was at supper, he came in and deposited a gory lump
of horror at his master's feet.

NINA

When Captain Henry Charlton--generally known as "Bully
Charlton"--stepped on shore at Townsville in North Queensl