Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/175

Rh through your little game? You would like me to take these islands, establish stations on them all, with Englishmen in charge. Then when we had civilised and opened up the islands, decimated as many natives as we could, and been killed and eaten ourselves, you Germans would step in and reap the benefit.” This was so exactly what they had thought that they all burst out laughing and owned up.

“No,” I said, “I should put as many Germans as I could get into all my stations, and when they had done enough killing and been killed in their turn, then I should introduce a number of British, and where would you be then?”

“If ever you get those islands, or any islands,” said young Cart, “just you engage me. I will serve you faithfully, that I promise you, and I never knew any one I would sooner serve than you.”

I said I would remember, that I believed him, and made all due acknowledgments. Then I said [I shall always remember those idle words spoken in jest], “That would be splendid; you could be killed and eaten instead of me. Prepare yourself for it.”

[Here I must insert what did happen, and what has caused me to remember those idle words.

This young Herr Cart (I have read somewhere hat his name was not Cart, but Caro, but I am not sure what it was) entered the service of Herr Mencke, the millionaire. They went to the island of St. Matthias in the yacht, and landing there had a fight with the natives. Herr Mencke was wounded and died two days later, Cart and many of their escort were killed. The body of poor young Cart was never found, and it is believed he was eaten by the natives. Some say he was not eaten, but how can they know? I do not