



Produced by David Widger





OFFICER AND MAN

From "The Tapu Of Banderah and Other Stories"

By Louis Becke

C. Arthur Pearson Ltd.

1901

The anchor of her Majesty's ship _Hannibal_ was underfoot and the
captain on the bridge, and Rear-Admiral Garnet had shaken hands with
the last of the "leading" Fijian white residents, who always did the
welcoming and farewelling when distinguished persons visited Levuka,
when Lieutenant Bollard approached him and intimated that "a person"
from the shore had just come alongside in a boat and desired to see "his
Excellency on private and important business."

"What the devil does the fellow want?" said the Admiral irascibly, not
a whit softened by the "his Excellency" style of address; "I'm going on
the bridge, and can't see any one now; we can't delay the ship and get
into a mess going through the passage."

"Told him so, sir; but he says he wants to see you upon an important--a
most pressing matter."

"Oh, well! Confound him! Let the sentry sh