CHAPTER 17
The Ice Man
Later that night while the Ice Man was still on his way, John came out of Princess Kaiulani's hut in a grass skirt. He wore the usual Rough Rider shirt and red scarf. John glanced at the Goddess' shirt which said: "Here today, gone to Maui."
Suddenly through the trees an illuminating hot fire came forth. John noticed the Ice Man's cold blue aura. He got the best look possible.
John complimented the Ice Man. "He looks like he could dance on the moon."
The Rough Riders were on the far side of the Fire
Stage. They watched the Ice Man as he made his way towards the Fire Strip.
Wood then gloated, "Check him out."
Martin commented, "He looks like pure ice."
Beretta joked, "He'll keep your beer cold."
The red hot glowing pumice lit the trees as embers flew into the air. The Ice Man approached the stage and made his way to the beginning of the Fire Strip. He then entered doing his Uwehes and Kaholos across the burning pumice.
The other Blackskirts came behind the Ice Man doing Stage Brush Uwehe as they kicked lava across the fiery strip. They continued dancing and having a great time. Some sighed their way across on top of the burning embers.
John watched patiently from the other side of the stage. Directly behind the last Blackskirt entering the Fire Strip was John. Despite lacking speed, he boldly fought his way across the blazing pumice of the Fire Strip. The pumice lit up as burned his virgin fire dancing body.
He yelled, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"
Locked in a frazzled mode maintaining his run across, John focused on the blazing pumice under his feet. He
musterd the energy to push himself to the edge of the stage.
John yelped, "Son-of-a-bitch! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"
After hearing his screams, two Blackskirts near the edge of the Fire Strip ran back for him. The Kumu Hula grabbed one of John's arms and said, "Wa'awa'a." (Stupid.)
The Kumu Hula and the other Fire Walker realized the burns to his feet were very bad as blood trailed behind him. They dragged him to the Medicine Woman's hut.
John screamed, "Damn, it really hurts!"
First they set him on the grass chair called the Nohomau'u. John sat in the chair yelling and screaming at the top of his lungs. The others came running inside.
Wood notice the blood coming from his badly fried feet. Wood blurted, "What did you do that for?"
Martin shrilled, "Are you crazy? You're bleeding all over the place!"
John replied, "It looked really easy."
The Woman of Lei screamed, "Kapulu!" (Gross.)
Directly behind the Woman of Lei stood Hili Pili. Quickly Hili Pili shrilled, "Kona wawae ua kahe koko." (His
feet are bleeding.)
John cried out in pain, "Mmmm!"
Crazed by ordeal at hand, the Medicine Woman loudly said, "Ohhh!"
Princess Kaiulani babbled to John, "Are you crazy?"
Princess Kaiulani's held some coconut cream for his feet. She told John, "This coconut cream is going to help your bleeding."
Wood wondered how bad it was. He asked, "What are we going to do?"
Martin replied, "I don't know. There is no way he can even ride anymore with his feet that badly burned."
Beretta couldn't believe it. He uttered, "How stupid!"
Shooter asked, "What are we going to tell Roosevelt?"
Wood responded "Well, he is going to have to know. That is bad."
Shooter said, "He's not going to be able to walk for at least a few months. He won't be able to ride either for a couple of months."
Princess Kaiulani said, "Well, you're going to just have to leave him here."
Princess Kaiulani continued to rub coconut cream over John's badly burned feet. The Medicine Woman and the Vamp Girl began to sponge his forehead to keep it soaked with water.
John continued to cry out, "Owww!"
Wood then shrilled out, "What's that?"
A Red Vampire bat landed on the Witchy Woman's shoulders. Hili Pili yelled out, "A'ole ano." (Not now.)
The Goddess of Fire commanded her, "Lawe ia waho." (Take him outside.)
The Witchy Woman left the hut with her bat sitting calmly her shoulder. On her way out of hut, she blurted, "Hiki no." (Okay, I will.)
Outside of the hut, she saw two Rough Riders who had been grossed out by the ordeal.
Martin commented to her, "Looky here, she has a pet bat."
Beretta replied, "Can I get myself one."
The Witchy Woman smiled and pointed with her right hand. She commanded to her bat, "Ho'ouka kaua." (Attack.)
Wood came outside and cracked up, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"
The bat hovered over Beretta, who yelled, "Get it off of me now."
The bat turned and headed in Wood's direction. The
bat circled over his head as he blurted, "Come on, do something."
After a moment or two, the Witchy Woman called her bird of prey back by whispering, "Lawa."
The bat landed on the Witchy Woman's shoulders and they
both walked away.
Wood then queried, "What was that all about?"
Martin answered, "They are just trying to scare us."
John passed out during the ordeal from losing too much blood. Shooter noticed and lipped, "He's passed out. What are we going to do?"
The Blackskirt females continued to sponge his entire body. His face was covered by a Hawaiian shirt.
Princess Kaiulani quoted, "He'll be all right."
Shooter commented, "He's never going to be able to walk."
The Goddess of Fire agreed, "Yeah, I know."
The Vamp Girl informed everyone, "Ho'oma'ule."
(Unconscious.)
The Princess of Hawaii said, "Au ike." (I know.)
Shooter, contrastly, believed that he just needed lots of sleep, especially since all the blood he had lost. She informed them, "Let him sleep until tomorrow."
CHAPTER 18
Discovering The Blackskirts
The next day Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Harding,
along with Mike and Bill, were riding their horses over to Washington Palace. They had just finished some of their shooting exercises and were easing their way closer to the queen's residence.
Bill noticed all the horses were gone. "You know, I don't see their horses over there."
Staring for a moment, Richard Harding Davis replied,
"They probably went to a Hawaiian Luau."
Bill wisecracked, "No, they went to a Mexican Luau."
Roosevelt said, "They better be here, at least one
of them. Just Harding and I will go, you two wait here."
Bill and Mike scooted back onto their saddles, hoping
a visit with the queen was on the agenda.
Mike gibbered out, "God! Make up your minds."
Then Richard Harding quoted, "Just us two are going to talk to the queen, if she's even here."
Marching up to the porch of Washington Palace, Roosevelt noticed two guards standing there. Quickly he asked Harding, "Why are the guards here?"
Richard Harding answered, "Because they are not here I tell you."
Teddy Roosevelt approached the two guards and asked, "Where are the Rough Riders?"
One of the government guards replied, "I'm not sure, you'll have to ask the queen."
The Hawaiian government guard remained still. Roosevelt stood still also as Harding quizzed, "Where is she at?"
The Hawaiian guard pointed to the palace.
Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Harding walked inside. Roosevelt and Harding saw the queen and Kapiolani sitting on a couch.
Teddy Roosevelt asked her, "Where are my men?"
Kapiolano responded, "That's funny that you had to ask."
Queen Liliuokalani told them, "They are with Kaiulani on the other side of the cave called 'Kilauea' with the Blackskirts."
Harding asked her, "Why are they over there?"
Kapiolani shrilled, "They all went to see the Fire Walker from the island Kaho'olawe."
Teddy Roosevelt asked, "Are those them fiery people we saw throwing arrows?"
Queen Liliuokalani tried to ease their minds as she softly said, "They were probably up real late or were having a real great time maybe."
Kapiolani tried to calm them down as well, "They will be back shortly, I'm sure."
Richard Harding stated firmly, "We can't wait for them to come. We are going over to find them, right, Roosevelt."
Roosevelt thought for a second and then asked, "So, Princess Kaiulani is one of them?"
Kapiolani spoke her mind finally, "I am the Old Dowager
Queen, she is the recent queen, and Princess Kaiulani is our heir. Especially with all of the Blackskirts, a tribe I will let you see because...."
Queen Liliuokalani interrupted, "We don't want you exposing them to all of the Americans that will come and live on our island exploiting."
Roosevelt reassured her, "Well, there isn't much I can do about that if all of the Congress signs the treaty."
Kapiolani then said, "If they do, I want you to promise me that they will be left alone. And that nothing is developed on that side of the island."
Richard Harding said, "Come on, Roosevelt, let's go there and see."
Roosevelt uttered, "All right, we'll go see."
They left the palace and headed back to their horses.
Harding said, "I told you, we should go look there again."
They approached Bill and Mike. Bill asked, "What did she say?"
Harding answered, "They are on the other side of the pass."
Mike impatiently yelled, "Well, let's go!"
Next they left for the Blackskirt camp. They made their way to the Fire Cross. They noticed the writing all over it.
Bill said to all of them, "Check this out, looks like some sort of altar."
Mike glanced into the trees that stretched all around them. He noticed horse tracks going into the foliage. He informed them, "Well, the horse tracks and the horse ploppings go far into those trees."
Roosevelt commanded, "Well, go!"
Harding took a good look at the Fire Cross and the way the smoke poured from the top of the Kukui nut torch. The wind blew the smoke around.
Harding said, "I hope they aren't sacrificed already and we are too late."
Wimping to a possible sacrifice, Roosevelt scampered a few words, "They have to be around here somewhere."
Meanwhile John sat in a Nohomau'u. Some of the Hawaiian girls were cooling him with fans.
The Woman of Lei said, "Maika'i a'e?" (Better.)
Roosevelt's gang persisted to make their way through
the trees towards the camp. Harding saw John and yelled out, "Aw! Look at you."
Mike said, "Aren't we lucky today?"
Bill added, "Getting pampered by all of them woman."
John just sat there as Roosevelt chirped, "Why are your feet wrapped up?"
John answered, "I burned the bottoms of them off last night Fire Walking."
Harding questioned John, "So how are you going to ride?"
John shouted back, "Well, there is no possible way I can, look at me -- I'm all wrapped up. I can't ride now anyways."
Princess Kaiulani flowery lips pollenated, "Come on, give him a break. He is hurt can't you see."
Mike replied, "Court martial him, Roosevelt."
John implored, "Why would you want to court martial me? We aren't up here fighting anyway."
Shooter said, dressed in a grass skirt, "All there is to do on this island is dance anyhow."
Harding stood quietly as Roosevelt questioned John,
"So what are you going to do then instead of protecting the queen, sit here and dance?"
Beretta came back with, "Protect her from what? She doesn't need us here."
Wood mentioned to Ted, "She doesn't do anything anyway."
Martin shrilled, "You both should chill out and smell the mango flowers around here."
Richard Harding quizzed John, "So, who is going to take care of you?"
John said back, "I have my honeys to take care of me. There are a few spirits on this island Mane and Ko Ka 'Uhane. And all the girls you see here are my honeys. And they are more powerful than your guns."
Then the Head Hunter walked up to them. The Kumu Hula beat the ipu as Harding asked, "Why are skeletons on that guy?"
Kaiulani petaled her lips again like a flower of silk. "Because he is a Head Hunter."
John then added, "Just think all there is for us to do
is dance. While all there is for you to do is write about
it."
Mike said, "You know what, Harding? I think it is
a great idea to write about it. How this island is so beautiful."
Bill then twaddled, "Yeah, and sit at the beach with
a pina coloda and some of those spiritual honeys."
Beretta added, "Maybe you can end up like John, and have a couple of them."
Wood said, "And maybe if you write a story you can have it published a hundred years from now."
Roosevelt butted in, "Okay, that's enough he writes about me."
Harding looked at Shooter. "So, Shooter, you are going to dress Hawaiian?"
Shooter answered, "It's more comfortable."
Roosevelt then informed them of his duties, "Well, I'll let you stay considering I need to meet up with The Miami before it docks in Montauk, Long Island in New York. I also need to send a letter to General Shafter to start getting more people out with disease. John, just let the queen's heiress take care of you."
Harding said before they left, "I guess I get to for once write about what wimps you all are dressing up like trees and calling that fashion."
Shooter replied, "Can it."
The Rough Riders all yelled out, "Yeahhh!"
CHAPTER 19
The Annexation Celebration
On Wednesday, August 3, 1898 at the Harbor of Honolulu, O'ahu, there were long whistles blowing through the air and reverberating across the pier. It was a notable sign that the warship, The Philadelphia, was approaching. Arriving with the news from Washington's White House -- a treaty signed by Congress and President McKinley.
Everyone had flocked out by the piers. There were a
few visitors from other Hawaiian islands as well. All the Hawaiian Island enthusiasts walked out from the pier very quickly anxious and give a welcome greeting to the USS Philadelphia. The USS Philadelphia dropped anchor and then
gave a noisome salute from its battle guns.
The loud shots rang through the pier and far around the harbor. Everybody remained quiet regarding the arriving news.
The massive war guns rang through the air. When the
USS Philadelphia had docked, officials gave the news of
the annexation. The warship officials welcomed the head member of the Enthusiasts Board in a very serious and realistically deep voice, "President Dole gives approval
for the Annexation for Hawaii, and it will attend, and have the celebration over in front of the Iolani Palace on August 12, 1898."
After receiving the letter of Approval for Annexation from one of the warship officials, the members of the Enthusiasts Board walked away.
Looking at the day of Annexation on August 12, 1898
a day to remember, the grounds of the Iolani Palace were crowded with people from all walks of life. There were many Chinese, Japanese, Somoans, and Haitians, along with Portuguese. The Hawaiians, though, were lacking.
The Hawaiian and the United States flags were entwined.
The ladies all wore bright gowns. President Dole appeared on the podium with his entire cabinet. The music from Captain Berger and his Royal Hawaiian Band stopped. A clergy man came up to the platform.
He took a large breath. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the very precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of those garments: As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, which was intended to bring, Holy Matrimony to the Annexations of the Hawaiian Islands."
The clergyman left the podium. The United States Foreign Minister handed a large blue envelope to President Dole. President Dole opened the letter, which contained a signed copy of the Treaty of Annexation.
President Dole began to read the signed treaty. "A treaty of peaceful union having been made in interest of the Hawaiian body politic, with full confidence a honor, justice and friendship of the American people yield up to you as the representative of the government, the United States, the sovereignty and the public property of the Hawaiian Islands."
As soon as he finished, President Dole signaled Captain Berger. The band started to play the theme for the national anthem, called the Hawaii Ponoii. They played powerfully, as their talents of musical production project their way to even the furthest individual at the far end of the captive audience.
The Rough Riders watched. Wood took Roosevelt's position since he had left for New York. He gave the planned speech, "Well, now we can call Hawaii and Honolulu our home."
Beretta exclaimed, "And we did it without shooting."
Richard Harding remained as Wood's war correspondent.
Shooter then mentioned, "And some of us did it dancing."
Wood noticed the band starting to break up and cried,
"Hey! Look at the band!"
John replied, "Yeah, Kaiulani was very upset today when she ran up to her room."
"And the queen is obviously doing the same," he said
thereafter.
Queen Liliuokalani remained in her room weeping for the lost Hawaiian Islands.
THE END