Sudest
p. 82 · Read in the full issue
A Tale Of Old
THE following may read like a fairy tale —but it is quite true.
In the early days, on Sudest Island, there arrived an old man named Bob Olgier. He was a Canadian by birth, and had been an alluvial miner in his youth. On Sudest, he discovered gold in a creek that had been missed by other miners, and settled down there.
He employed his native neighbours to make a big garden and, when the crop were fit to harvest, all were invited to help themselves. Old Bob was very proud of his garden—and he stood No. 1 with his neighbours.
They gave him, or sold him. a young woman—not a princess! Later a son and heir was born. Bob was very proud of his son, because he had a birth-mark, the same as he.
All was bright and happy—and this went on for some years. In the mean time, the natives abandoned the task of making gardens of their own—they lived on Bob’s garden. Then came evil days.
The gold cut out —and also Bob’s cash, and the natives would not work in his garden without pay. His son died, and the mother went home to her relatives.
The hungry natives began abusing old Bob, because there were no gardens.
Several years passed before their gardens were back to normal again.
Thence forward, Bob lived on the generosity of a white neighbour, Billy Lamb. When Bob died, the natives said he was no good—he had humbugged them, they said, and made them lose their gardens.
Billy Lamb was American by birth. He was a keen business man and he started a native store. When the gold cut out he built up a business that is a going concern to-day, in the name of Tagula Plantations. When Billy died, the natives said he was a good, white man —he had made a big store and there they could
buy “plenty something.”