Part 23 (1/2)
I inquired of the girls what the traders proposed doing with me?
”Shoot you, Black Johnny, and young Harry. Then, when the Captain is once away, they will be strong enough, and the king will not interfere with them.”
Lalia then told me that one of the trader's wives had told her that they had arranged to have us three shot by some of their natives as soon as the Captain had left for Mill. The girls again urged me not to comply with the king's request, and to dissuade Hayston from his intended voyage. Indeed, they tried to prevent me from going to the king at all, Kitty urging me to come to her house, and write a letter to the Captain asking him to meet me there.
The thought of the Captain being a victim, as well as myself and young Harry, to such treachery decided me in an instant, and breaking away from the women, Kusis and I soon reached the king's house.
The traders who were living at Chabral kept carefully within doors. When I reached the courtyard of the king's house I found no one there but His Majesty and Likiak S engaged in earnest conversation. The native missionary glanced uneasily at me, and I at once opened out on him by calling him a treacherous dog, striking him at the same time, and threatening him with the Captain's vengeance. He picked himself up and left.
”Where is the Captain?” I said to the king.
”In my oil-shed,” he answered in a troubled voice.
But I said nothing to him, and, finding Hayston, shortly made him acquainted with what I had learnt from Kitty of Ebon. His face darkened as he strode off to the king.
At that moment the natives called out that there was a vessel in sight, upon which he turned back, and together we walked to the beach in time to see a fine fore and aft schooner sailing in, which Hayston declared was the _Matautu_, belonging to Captain Warner.
”He would never have ventured in if he knew I was here,” quoth the Captain grimly; ”and if I had a few of my boys he'd never go out again, unless the schooner had a new master.”
I reasoned with him against the folly of such an action, when he said that he would use fair means at first, and would try and charter the _Matautu_. He then went to the king, and I could see meant mischief. I was glad to notice the traders getting into canoes and making for the schooner, where they no doubt thought they would be safe, as Hayston had only two native boys with him, and would hardly attempt to tackle the schooner single-handed.
Likiak S was again with the king when we returned. However, he ran away at once, narrowly missing a chair which the Captain threw at him. Old Tokusar seemed scared, as he watched the Captain's darkening face. He inquired in a shaking voice, ”Why you so much angry?”
”Because,” answered the Captain, ”the men who have been living on my food have been plotting against me, and that scheming missionary is at the bottom of it; but look you, King Tokusar, and mark my words well! If I suspect you, too, I will burn your house and town, and drown you like a rat in your own turtle pond!”
”Captain,” I said, ”what folly! You are here almost alone, and all but in the power of your enemies. Return to the boats and get back to Utw.”
He calmed down almost immediately, and said he would see Captain Warner.
He asked me to come with him. I mentioned the fact of the traders being on board the s.h.i.+p, and urged him to be cautious.
We got in the boats, and pulled towards the schooner. Before we were half-way across the Captain laughed contemptuously, and pointed to the traders, who were already leaving the schooner's side in canoes, and making rapidly for the western side of the harbour.
Captain Warner seemed under great excitement when we stepped on deck, but the cordial manner of Hayston's greeting at once rea.s.sured him, so that we were received most politely and asked below.
Captain Warner seemed so intensely amiable that I could hardly help laughing, and as he kept his gla.s.s constantly filled, or rather emptied, his amiability increased proportionately.
In the course of conversation a discussion arose as to some business transactions with Hayston while we were at Ponap, and the skipper laughingly remarked that he had over-reached him in the matter. The Captain, who was now perfectly calm, gave a pleasantly-worded denial, and said, ”No, Captain Warner, I think my supercargo must have got to windward of _you_ there.”
A quarrel ensued forthwith. The burly skipper became offensive, and it ended in our agreeing to meet with pistols on the beach at daylight next morning.
However, at dawn the _Matautu_ had towed out with the first breath of the land-breeze, and was already outside the pa.s.sage standing to the westward. So the duel did not come off. I honestly think the skipper was not afraid, but I suspect he decided not to risk another encounter with Hayston, and so thought discretion was the better part of valour.
Next day we again heard the stirring cry of ”Sail ho!” The new arrival was the _Morning Star_ from Honolulu, from which about ten o'clock landed the Rev. Mr. Morland--a portly, white bearded old gentleman, who at once made his way to his residence, while the Captain and I returned to South harbour. Kusis went home, with a promise from me to follow him next day, the honest fellow begging me to delay as little as possible.
It was dark when we started, and a fierce black squall struck us just after we got out of the pa.s.sage, nearly capsizing the boat. The Captain thought we had better return, but I was anxious to get back to Mout, and said I was sure the squall would not last. So we reefed the sail and dashed out to sea close-hauled, for the squall came from the westward, and was dead against us. However, the wind continued to increase, and the little boat s.h.i.+pped two or three heavy seas. So we agreed to turn back.
We went about in a lull, and had made the entrance to the pa.s.sage, as we thought, when the Captain called out, ”Look out! here comes a sea!”
Looking back, I saw a huge black roller almost on top of us. The next minute I felt we had touched. I shouted, ”By Jove! we're not in the pa.s.sage at all--it's only a creek in the reef. Jump out, quick!”