Part 3 (1/2)
As I felt the gentle pressure of her hand downtemples cooled, and in a minute, or even less, I sank into a dreamless and profound slumber
When I awakened it was past nine o'clock, and I found that e, had preparedto him
”Where is Niabon?” I asked
They told one away in search of some plant, or plants, hich to co fora s vine called '_At 'At_ by the natives, and which grows only on the sandiest and most barren soil
”Have you been sleep well, Mr Sherry?” she inquired
”Indeed I did sleep well,” I replied, ”and, more than that, I have eaten a better breakfast than I have for many weeks”
She nodded and showedherself at the table, ate a small piece of shi+p biscuit and drank a cup of coffee It was then that I noticed for the first time that she was, if not beautiful, a very handsome woman Her face and hands were a reddish brown, darkened the own that she earing, that her arhter hue, and I felt sure that she had soh so, wavy, and luxuriant, and was coiled loosely about her shapely head, one thick fold drooping over her left te half of the sracefully arched eyebrows This is as ards her dress, that is easy enough to describe She invariably wore a loose oaistless, and fastened at the neck; underneath this was the ordinary Saown, however, was better made, and of far better enerally; in fact she and Mrs Krause dressed much alike, with the exception that the latter, of course, wore shoes, and Niabon's stockingless feet were protected only by rude sandals of coco-nut fibre such as are still worn by the natives of the Tokelaus and other isolated and low-lying islands of the Equatorial Pacific
Afterup the coil of '_At 'At_ and then expressing the thick colourless jelly it contained into the half of a coco-nut shell, which she placed on soive off stea half a dozen ripe Chili berries, she pounded them into a pulp between two stones, added them to the '_At 'At_, and stirred the mixture till it boiled
”That is all, Simi,” she said, as she removed the shell froh to drink, you must take one-fourth part; another when the sun is _tu'u tonu iluga_ (right overhead), and the rest to-night”
I thanked her, and promised to carry out her instructions, and then said--
”Why do you talk to es, Niabon? I like to hear you speak English best, you speak it so prettily”
Not the ghost of a smile crossed her face, and she replied in Salish to any one who understood Sae ”I alish co further on the subject, fearing I h I felt pretty sure that she was _not_ a full-blooded native However, I had no right to worry her with questions, and if she preferred to be thought a native it was no business of mine
As soon as my medicine had cooled a little, I took asp for breath Then Niabon bade s and blankets I could procure, and undergo a good perspiration, assuring ue after the second dose Calling one ofnative named Tepi, to come and roll me up presently, I first went over to Te, and as I stooped down to exaht, a heavy booted footstep sounded outside, and Krause walked in
One look at his face showed h trying hard to conceal it
”Goodto him; ”take that chair over there, please I just want to look at this fellow's head for a moment”
He stalked over to the chair I indicated and sat down, and a sudden spase distorted his face when he saw Niabon She was seated at the further end of the roo at him so steadily and fixedly that he could not but have resented her gaze, even if his mind were undisturbed by passion Telance of such deadly fury that I murmured to him to keep quiet I rapidly revolved in h I could not see his face, was, I felt, watching my every movement
”That will do,” I said to my patient in the island dialect, which Krause understood and spoke thoroughly; ”lie down again In a few days thou wilt be able to walk”
”By God, he's going to walk _now_,” said Krause, rising suddenly, and speaking in a low, treain
He shook his head and re the back of the chair to steady hi with excitement
”What is the ainst him, for he was armed with a brace of navy revolvers, belted around his waist ”Won't you sit down?”
”No, I won't sit down,” he answered rudely
”Very well, then, stand,” I said, seating myself near him