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The flare arced up toward the big white…porched house but it was short and burned brightly just this side of the Commissionerˇs front porch。
¨Good old Commissioner；〃 Frank reloaded。 ¨That will show the bastard whether weˇre patriotic or not。〃
¨Take it easy； Frank；〃 Tom urged him。 ¨We donˇt have to play rough。〃
¨Tonightˇs my night；〃 Frank said。 ¨The Queenˇs night and mine。 Get out of my way； Tom； while I nail Brownˇs dock。〃
¨Heˇs got gas on it；〃 Roger said。
¨Not for long；〃 Frank told him。
It was impossible to tell whether he was trying to miss each shot to devil Roger and Thomas Hudson or whether he was really being bad。 Neither Roger nor Thomas Hudson were sure either but they knew no one should be able to shoot a signal pistol with that much accuracy。 And there was gas on the dock。
Frank stood up； took careful aim with his left arm down at his side like a duelist； and fired。 The flare hit the dock at the far end from where the gas drums were piled and ricocheted off into the channel。
¨Hey；〃 someone yelled from the boats that were tied up at Brownˇs。 ¨What the hell？〃
¨Almost a perfect shot；〃 Frank said。 ¨Now Iˇm going to try for the Commissioner again。〃
¨You better damn well cut it out；〃 Thomas Hudson told him。
¨Rupert；〃 Frank called up； ignoring Thomas Hudson。 ¨Let me have some of that； will you？〃
¨Yes sir； Captain Frank；〃 Rupert said。 ¨You got a cup？〃
¨Get me a cup；〃 Frank said to Fred； who was standing watching。
¨Yes sir； Mr。 Frank。〃
Fred jumped and came back with the cup。 His face was shining with excitement and pleasure。
¨You figure to burn down the Commissioner； Mr。 Frank？〃
¨Only if he catches fire；〃 Frank said。
He handed the cup up to Rupert who three quarters filled it and reached it down。
¨The Queen； God bless her；〃 Frank drained the cup。
It was a terrific slug of rum to take like that。
¨God bless her。 God bless her； Captain Frank；〃 Rupert said solemnly； and the others echoed； ¨God bless her。 God bless her indeed。〃
¨Now for the Commissioner；〃 Frank said。 He fired the signal pistol straight up in the air； a little into the wind。 He had loaded with a parachute flare and the wind drifted the bright white light down over the cruiser astern。
¨Sure missed Commissioner that time；〃 Rupert said。 ¨Whatˇs wrong； Captain Frank？〃
¨I wanted to illuminate this beautiful scene；〃 Frank said。 ¨No hurry about the Commissioner。〃
¨Commissionerˇd burn good； Captain Frank；〃 Rupert advised。 ¨I donˇt want to influence you in it but it hasnˇt rained on island for two months and Commissionerˇs dry as tinder。〃
¨Whereˇs Constable？〃 Frank asked。
¨Constableˇs keeping out of the way of things；〃 Rupert said。 ¨Donˇt you worry about Constable。 Nobody on this dock would see shot if shot was fired。〃
¨Everybody on this dock lay flat down on their faces and see nothing；〃 a voice came from back in the crowd。 ¨Nothing has been heard。 Nothing win be seen。〃
¨I give the command；〃 Rupert urged。 ¨Every face is averted。〃 Then； encouragingly； ¨Sheˇs just as dry as tinder that old place。〃
¨Let me see how youˇd do it；〃 Frank said。
He loaded with another parachute flare and fired up and into the wind。 In the falling garish light everyone on the dock was lying face down or was on hands and knees with eyes covered。
¨God bless you； Captain Frank；〃 came Rupertˇs deep solemn voice out of the dark when the flare died。 ¨May He in His infinite mercy give you courage to burn Commissioner。〃
¨Whereˇs his wife and children？〃 Frank asked。
¨We get them out。 Donˇt you worry；〃 Rupert said。 ¨No harm of any kind come to anyone innocent。〃
¨Should we burn him？〃 Frank turned to the others in the cockpit。
¨Oh； cut it out；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨For Christˇs sake。〃
¨Iˇm leaving in the morning；〃 Frank said。 ¨As a matter of fact Iˇm cleared。〃
¨Letˇs burn him；〃 Fred Wilson said。 ¨Natives seem to favor it。〃
¨Burn him； Captain Frank；〃 Rupert urged。 ¨What do you say？〃 he asked the others。
¨Burn him。 Burn him。 God give you strength to burn him；〃 said the boys on the dock。
¨Nobody want him unburned？〃 Frank asked them。
¨Burn him； Captain Frank。 Nobody see it。 Nothing ever been heard。 Not a wordˇs been said。 Burn him。〃
¨Need a few practice shots；〃 Frank said。
¨Get off this damned boat if youˇre going to burn him；〃 Johnny said。
Frank looked at him and shook his head a little so that neither Roger nor the boys on the dock saw it。
¨Heˇs ashes now；〃 he said。 ¨Let me have just one more； Rupert； to stiffen my will。〃
He handed up the cup。
¨Captain Frank；〃 Rupert leaned down to speak to him。 ¨This will be the deed of your life。〃
Up on the dock the boys had started a new song。
¨Captain Frank in the harbor
Tonightˇs the night we got fun。〃
Then a pause； and pitched higher 。。。
¨Captain Frank in the harbor
Tonightˇs the night we got fun。〃
The second line was sung like a drum bonging。 Then they went on：
¨Commissioner called Rupert a duty black hound
Captain Frank fired his flare pistol and burnt him to the ground。〃
Then they went back to the other old African rhythm four of the men in the launch had heard sung by the Negroes that pulled the ropes on the ferries that crossed the rivers along the coast road between Mombasa； Malindi； and Lamu where； as they pulled in unison； the Negroes sang improvised work songs that described and made fun of the white people they were carrying on the ferry。
¨Captain Frank in the harbor
Tonightˇs the night we got fun。
Captain Frank in the harbor〃
Defiant； insultingly； despairingly defiant the minor notes rose。 Then the drumˇs bonging response。
¨Tonightˇs the night we got fun！〃
¨You see； Captain Frank？〃 Rupert urged； leaning down into the cockpit。 ¨You got the song already before you even commit the deed。〃
¨Iˇm getting pretty committed；〃 Frank said to Thomas Hudson。 Then； ¨One more practice shot；〃 he told Rupert。
¨Practice makes perfect；〃 Rupert said happily。
¨Captain Frankˇs practicing now for the death；〃 someone said on the dock。
¨Captain Frankˇs wilder than a wild hog；〃 came another voice。
¨Captain Frankˇs a man。〃
¨Rupert；〃 Frank said。 ¨Another cup of that； please。 Not to encourage me。 Just to help my aim。〃
¨God guide you； Captain Frank；〃 Rupert reached down the cup。 ¨Sing the Captain Frank song； boys。〃
Frank drained the cup。
¨The last practice shot；〃 he said and firing just over the cabin cruiser lying astern he bounced the flare off Brownˇs gas drums and into the water。
¨You son of a bitch；〃 Thomas Hudson said to him very quietly。
¨Shut up； christer；〃 Frank said to Thomas Hudson。 ¨That was my masterpiece。〃
Just then； in the cockpit of the other cruiser； a man came out onto the stern wearing pajama trousers with no top and shouted； ¨Listen； you swine！ Stop it； will you？ Thereˇs a lady trying to sleep down below。〃
¨A lady？〃 Wilson asked。
¨Yes； goddam it； a lady；〃 the man said。 ¨My wife。 And you dirty bastards firing those flares to keep her aw