Takings and Leavings

KING TAHORAI was a successful monarch. He stood near six feet, and could hurl his bone-tipped spear through a man fifty yards away. But Tahorai was progressive. He realized that the old spear was a waste of efficiency.

Tahorai got him a balky single-shot pistol from a drunken trader and a supply of powder, buckshot, and caps. With this improved weapon, it was possible for Tahorai to approach close to an enemy, place the pistol near the man’s ear and pull the trigger. The resulting damage was highly gratifying and the pistol insured Tahorai complete sovereignty over the islands of Aoha, near Malikolo, in the South Seas...