Part 6 (2/2)
”There will be danger, but no death,” she replied drea her face away fro her arain thy heart's desire For I have seen it all, even as I see it now”
”My heart's desire! Tell me what is my heart's desire?”
I stepped up to her and placeddown, saw that her eyes were closed
”My heart's desire, Niabon? tell ain, and as I spoke I caught my breath, and tried hard to steady reat deed! This is thy heart's desire, Sis as were done by the three men of whom thou dreame----”
”What three hdeeds of Jack Collier of Tahiti, of tousle-headed Barney Watt of the _Ripple_, and big Cameron of Honolulu
”Who are the three men of whom I dream?”
She pressed her hands to her bosom, and then turned her face, with her eyes still closed, to mine
”I do not know, Simi I cannot see beyond as I can do sos are in my mind But yet I can see one man of the three whom thou dost so often think”
”Tell irl and looked upwards to her face--”tell me of one man of the three What is he like?”
”Sih I can see e to me And they quickly become faint and dim, and then vanish--but the sound of their voices seem to beat upon my closed ears--and I cannot understand, Simi, I cannot understand”
I took her hand in ently I did not want to tor more of the one man of the three of whom she had spoken
”Can you telland strong, and of good looks?”
”He is not young, but is strong, and his eyes are deep-set and stern; and a great red beard flon upon his broad chest; his feet are covered with boots that come to the knee, and he carries a stick in his hand, for he is lame”
I started I _knehom she meant--it was Cameron of Honolulu, and had theon his heavy stick as he walked, she could not have described him more clearly!
”No more shall I doubt you,” I cried ”I will do all you wish”
She made no answer, but sat with eyes still closed, and her boso that I should do her some harm if I endeavoured to rouse her from what seee feeling of exaltation tingling through my veins, took downout No 780--one of the four sheets e the North and South Pacific--studied it carefully
”I shall do it, I shall do it,” I said aloud, and already I fancied I could seeinto either Levuka or else Apia Harbour, fifteen hundred s run up by the shi+ps in port, as I stepped out of my boat on to the beach to report myself to the British Consul--”Jiht feet whale-boat, from Tarawa Island, in the Gilbert Group”
It _would_ be an achievement, and I should become as well known as Cameron But--and here my vanity received a check--Cahy, and yet succeeded in reaching Jaluit in the Marshall Islands, whilst I should have everything in my favour as far as equipht If I reached either Sao on across to New Caledonia, and possibly from there on to the east coast of Australia! That would be so that had never yet been done by any one in a sht I was too excited to think of sleeping, so re care to avoid any noise, for I found that Niabon was now really asleep, and I did not want to disturb her
She did not awaken till nearly ht, just as Tematan returned He handedme, if it would not be inconvenient to reatly wished to see me on a matter of importance I suess what it was that the lady was so anxious to see ht, and on reaching Taritai village found Mrs Krause expecting ined, looking better than she had e last met She went into the subject at once
”Mr Sherry, will it not be possible for you to let o with you in the boat?”
”Yes, you can come But I tell you frankly that wevoyage reat, even if we have fine weather all the way”