Another　had　been　taken　and　lost　as　many　as　four　times。　　Carried
  originally　by　a　mixed　force　from　Savaii　and　Tuamasanga；　the
  victors；　instead　of　completing　fresh　defences　or　pursuing　their
  advantage；　fell　to　eat　and　smoke　and　celebrate　their　victory　with
  impromptu　songs。　　In　this　humour　a　rally　of　the　Tamaseses　smote
  them；　drove　them　out　pell…mell；　and　tumbled　them　into　the　ravine；
  where　many　broke　their　heads　and　legs。　　Again　the　work　was　taken；
  again　lost。　　Ammunition　failed　the　belligerents；　and　they　fought
  hand　to　hand　in　the　contested　fort　with　axes；　clubs；　and　clubbed
  rifles。　　The　sustained　ardour　of　the　engagement　surprised　even
  those　who　were　engaged；　and　the　butcher's　bill　was　counted
  extraordinary　by　Samoans。　　On　December　1st　the　women　of　either　side
  collected　the　headless　bodies　of　the　dead；　each　easily　identified
  by　the　name　tattooed　on　his　forearm。　　Mataafa　is　thought　to　have
  lost　sixty　killed；　and　the　de　Coetlogons'　hospital　received　three
  women　and　forty　men。　　The　casualties　on　the　Tamasese　side　cannot　be
  accepted；　but　they　were　presumably　much　less。
  CHAPTER　VIII　…　AFFAIRS　OF　LAULII　AND　FANGALII
  NOVEMBER…DECEMBER　1888
  FOR　Becker　I　have　not　been　able　to　conceal　my　distaste；　for　he
  seems　to　me　both　false　and　foolish。　　But　of　his　successor；　the
  unfortunately　famous　Dr。　Knappe；　we　may　think　as　of　a　good　enough
  fellow　driven　distraught。　　Fond　of　Samoa　and　the　Samoans；　he
  thought　to　bring　peace　and　enjoy　popularity　among　the　islanders；　of
  a　genial；　amiable；　and　sanguine　temper；　he　made　no　doubt　but　he
  could　repair　the　breach　with　the　English　consul。　　Hope　told　a
  flattering　tale。　　He　awoke　to　find　himself　exchanging　defiances
  with　de　Coetlogon；　beaten　in　the　field　by　Mataafa；　surrounded　on
  the　spot　by　general　exasperation；　and　disowned　from　home　by　his　own
  government。　　The　history　of　his　administration　leaves　on　the　mind
  of　the　student　a　sentiment　of　pity　scarcely　mingled。
  On　Blacklock　he　did　not　call；　and；　in　view　of　Leary's　attitude；　may
  be　excused。　　But　the　English　consul　was　in　a　different　category。
  England；　weary　of　the　name　of　Samoa；　and　desirous　only　to　see　peace
  established；　was　prepared　to　wink　hard　during　the　process　and　to
  welcome　the　result　of　any　German　settlement。　　It　was　an
  unpardonable　fault　in　Becker　to　have　kicked　and　buffeted　his　ready…
  made　allies　into　a　state　of　jealousy；　anger；　and　suspicion。　　Knappe
  set　himself　at　once　to　efface　these　impressions；　and　the　English
  officials　rejoiced　for　the　moment　in　the　change。　　Between　Knappe
  and　de　Coetlogon　there　seems　to　have　been　mutual　sympathy；　and；　in
  considering　the　steps　by　which　they　were　led　at　last　into　an
  attitude　of　mutual　defiance；　it　must　be　remembered　that　both　the
  men　were　sick；　…　Knappe　from　time　to　time　prostrated　with　that
  formidable　complaint；　New　Guinea　fever；　and　de　Coetlogon　throughout
  his　whole　stay　in　the　islands　continually　ailing。
  Tamasese　was　still　to　be　recognised；　and；　if　possible；　supported：
  such　was　the　German　policy。　　Two　days　after　his　arrival；
  accordingly；　Knappe　addressed　to　Mataafa　a　threatening　despatch。
  The　German　plantation　was　suffering　from　the　proximity　of　his　〃war…
  party。〃　　He　must　withdraw　from　Laulii　at　once；　and；　whithersoever
  he　went；　he　must　approach　no　German　property　nor　so　much　as　any
  village　where　there　was　a　German　trader。　　By　five　o'clock　on　the
  morrow；　if　he　were　not　gone；　Knappe　would　turn　upon　him　〃the
  attention　of　the　man…of…war〃　and　inflict　a　fine。　　The　same　evening；
  November　14th；　Knappe　went　on　board　the　ADLER；　which　began　to　get
  up　steam。
  Three　months　before；　such　direct　intervention　on　the　part　of
  Germany　would　have　passed　almost　without　protest；　but　the　hour　was
  now　gone　by。　　Becker's　conduct；　equally　timid　and　rash；　equally
  inconclusive　and　offensive；　had　forced　the　other　nations　into　a
  strong　feeling　of　common　interest　with　Mataafa。　　Even　had　the
  German　demands　been　moderate；　de　Coetlogon　could　not　have　forgotten
  the　night　of　the　TAUMUALUA；　nor　how　Mataafa　had　relinquished；　at
  his　request；　the　attack　upon　the　German　quarter。　　Blacklock；　with
  his　driver　of　a　captain　at　his　elbow；　was　not　likely　to　lag　behind。
  And　Mataafa　having　communicated　Knappe's　letter；　the　example　of　the
  Germans　was　on　all　hands　exactly　followed；　the　consuls　hastened　on
  board　their　respective　war…ships；　and　these　began　to　get　up　steam。
  About　midnight；　in　a　pouring　rain；　Pelly　communicated　to　Fritze　his
  intention　to　follow　him　and　protect　British　interests；　and　Knappe
  replied　that　he　would　come　on　board　the　LIZARD　and　see　de　Coetlogon
  personally。　　It　was　deep　in　the　small　hours；　and　de　Coetlogon　had
  been　long　asleep；　when　he　was　wakened　to　receive　his　colleague；　but
  he　started　up　with　an　old　soldier's　readiness。　　The　conference　was
  long。　　De　Coetlogon　protested；　as　he　did　afterwards　in　writing；
  against　Knappe's　claim：　　the　Samoans　were　in　a　state　of　war；　they
  had　territorial　rights；　it　was　monstrous　to　prevent　them　from
  entering　one　of　their　own　villages　because　a　German　trader　kept　the
  store；　and　in　case　property　suffered；　a　claim　for　compensation　was
  the　proper　remedy。　　Knappe　argued　that　this　was　a　question　between
  Germans　and　Samoans；　in　which　de　Coetlogon　had　nothing　to　see；　and
  that　he　must　protect　German　property　according　to　his　instructions。
  To　which　de　Coetlogon　replied　that　he　was　himself　in　the　same
  attitude　to　the　property　of　the　British；　that　he　understood　Knappe
  to　be　intending　hostilities　against　Laulii；　that　Laulii　was
  mortgaged　to　the　MacArthurs；　that　its　crops　were　accordingly
  British　property；　and　that；　while　he　was　ever　willing　to　recognise
  the　territorial　rights　of　the　Samoans；　he　must　prevent　that
  property　from　being　molested　〃by　any　other　nation。〃　　〃But　if　a
  German　man…of…war　does　it？〃　asked　Knappe。　…　〃We　shall　prevent　it　to
  the　best　of　our　ability；〃　replied　the　colonel。　　It　is　to　the　credit
  of　both　men　that　this　trying　interview　should　have　been　conducted
  and　concluded　without　heat；　but　Knappe　must　have　returned　to　the
  ADLER　with　darker　anticipations。
  At　sunrise　on　the　morning　of　the　15th；　the　three　ships；　each　loaded
  with　its　consul；　put　to　sea。　　It　is　hard　to　exaggerate　the　peril　of
  the　forenoon　that　followed；　as　they　lay　off　Laulii。　　Nobody　desired
  a　collision；　save　perhaps　the　reckless　Leary；　but　peace　and　war
  trembled　in　the　balance；　and　when　the　ADLER；　at　one　period；　lowered
  her　gun　ports；　war　appeared　to　preponderate。　　It　proved；　however；
  to　be　a　last　…　and　therefore　surely　an　unwise　…　extremity。　　Knappe
  contented　himself　with　visiting　the　rival　kings；　and　the　three
  ships　returned　to　Apia　before　noon。　　Beyond　a　doubt；　coming　after
  Knappe's　decisive　letter　of　the　day　before；　this　impotent
  conclusion　shook　the　credit　of　Germany　among　the　natives　of　both
  sides；　the　Tamaseses　fearing　they　were　deserted；　the　Mataafas　（with
  secret　delight）　hoping　they　were　feared。　　And　it　gave　an　impetus　to
  that　ridiculous　business　which　might　have　earned　for　the　whole
  episode　the　name　of　the　war　of　flags。　　British　and　American　flags
  had　been　planted　the　night　before；　and　were　seen　that　morning
  flying　over　what　they　claimed　about　Laulii。　　British　and　American
  passengers；　on　the　way　up　and　down；　pointed　out　from　the　decks　of
  the　warships；　with　generous　vagueness；　the　boundaries　of
  problematical　estates。　　Ten　days　later；　the　beach　of　Saluafata　bay
  fluttered　（as　I　have　told　in　the　last　chapter）　with　the　flag　of
  Germany。　　The　Americans　riposted　with　a　claim　to　Tamasese's　camp；
  some　small　part　of　which　（says　Knappe）　did　really　belong　to　〃an
  American　nigger。〃　　The　disease　spread；　the　flags　were　multiplied；
  the　operations　of　war　became　an　egg…dance　among　miniature　neutral
  territories；　and　though　all　men　took　a　hand　in　these　proceedings；
  all　men　in　turn　were　struck　with　their　absurdity。　　Mullan；　Leary's
  successor；　warned　Knappe；　in　an　emphatic　despatch；　not　to　squander
  and　discredit　the　solemnity　of　that　emblem　which　was　all　he　had　to
  be　a　defence　to　his　own　consulate。　　And　Knappe　himself；　in　his
  despatch　of　March　21st；　1889；　castigates　the　practice　with　much
  sense。　　But　this　was　after　the　tragicomic　culmination　had　been
  reached；　and　the　burnt　rags　of　one　of　these　too…frequently
  mendacious　signals　gone　on　a　progress　to　Washington；　like　Caesar's
  body；　arousing　indignation　where　it　came。　　To　such　results　are
  nations　conducted　by　the　patent　artifices　of　a　Becker。
  The　discussion　of　the　morning；　the　silent　menace　and　defiance　of
  the　voyage　to　Laulii；　might　have　set　the　best…natured　by　the　ears。
  But　Knappe　and　de　Coetlogon　took　their　difference　in　excellent
  part。　　On　the　morrow；　November　16th；　they　sat　down　together　with
  Blacklock　in　conference。　　The　English　consul　introduced　his
  colleagues；　who　shook　hands。　　If　Knappe　were　dead…weighted　with　the
  inheritance　of　B