BLUE SHIRT 



" A strong, untutored intellect, eyesight, heart; a strong, wild 

 man . ' ' C A RL YLE . 



HALF a century ago, when hardy and adventurous men 

 made laws unto themselves, and their somewhat hasty 

 and inconsiderate hands began to sting the aboriginal 

 population, there lived on this Isle a stalwart native 

 whose force of character constituted him a captain 

 among his fellows. 



Possibly he was Tom's father. Before he passed 

 away, Tom had often told that his father was king of 

 this realm and a man of parts. He it was who harpooned 

 a huge green turtle to the east. The game was so 

 extraordinarily strong that others hastened to his aid, 

 for the capture was beyond the capabilities of one man 

 kneeling in a tucked-up sheet of bark. The whole fleet 

 of canoes barely succeeded in towing the massive and 

 reluctant creature to the nearest beach, and Tom was 

 wont to tell that it took eight strong men to turn it on 

 its back. It was "kummaoried" on the sand, and Tom 

 oft pointed out the very spot as proof of the most 

 famous feast within the range of tradition. 



Let it be accepted, then, that Blue Shirt was Tom's 

 father, since history is silent on the point, and none is 

 left to question or authenticate it. He was a big man, 

 and his son was like him. He was fond of colours; so, 

 too, was his son. He was a fighter; his son's meritori- 



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