an island in the pacific. the sun was shining down from a cloudless sky, the sea was breaking on the white beach, there was just sufficient breeze to move the leaves of the cocoanut trees that formed a dark band behind the sands. a small brig of about a hundred tons' burden lay anchored a short distance from the shore. the paint was off in many places, and everywhere blistered by the sun. her sails hung loosely in the gaskets, and the slackness of her ropes and her general air of untidiness alike showed the absence of any sort of discipline on board.
in front of a rough shanty, built just within the line of shade of the cocoanuts, sat three men. two drunken sailors lay asleep some fifty yards away. on the stump of a tree in front of the bench on which the three men were sitting were placed several black bottles and three tin pannikins, while two gourds filled with water and covered with broad banana leaves stood erect in holes dug in the sand.
"i tell you what it is, atkins, your men are carrying it on too far. bill here, and i, were good friends with the natives; the chief gave us wives, and we got on well enough with them. what with the cocoanuts, which are free to us all, and the patches of ground to cultivate, we had all we wanted, and with the store of beads and bright cotton we brought here with us we paid the natives to fish for pearls for us, and have collected enough copra to trade for rum and whatever else we want. you have got all our copra on board, and a good stock of native trumperies, and i should recommend you to be off, both for your own sake and ours. your men have been more or less drunk ever since they came here. i don't mind a drinking bout[pg 15] myself now and again, but it does not do to keep it up. however, it would be no odds to us whether your men were drunk all the time or not if they would but get drunk on board, but they will bring the liquor on shore, and then they get quarrelsome, use their fists on the natives, and meddle with the women. now, these fellows are quiet and gentle enough if they are left alone and treated fairly, but i don't blame them for getting riled up when they are ill-treated, and i tell you they are riled up pretty badly now. my woman has spoken to me more than once, and from what she says there is likely to be trouble, not only for you but for us."
"well, sim," the man that he was addressing said, "there is reason enough in what you say. i don't care myself a snap for these black fellows; a couple of musket-shots would send them all flying. but, you see, though i am skipper, the men all have shares and do pretty much as they like. at present they like to stay here, and i suppose they will stay here till they are tired of it."
"well, atkins, if i were in your place i should very soon make a change, and if you like, bill and i will help you. you have got six men; well, if you shot three of them the other three would think better of it; and if they didn't i would settle them too."
"it is all very well talking like that, sim. how could i sail the brig without hands? if i only kept three of them i should be very short-handed, and if i ever did manage to get to port they would lay a complaint against me for shooting the others. it is all very well for you to talk; you have lived here long enough to know that one can only get the very worst class of fellows to sail with one in craft like this and for this sort of trade. it pays well if one gets back safely, but what with the risk of being cast ashore or being killed by the natives, who are savage enough in some of the islands, it stands to reason that a man who can get a berth in any other sort of craft won't sail with us. but it is just the sort of life to suit chaps like these; it means easy work, plenty of loafing about, and if things turn out well a good lump of money[pg 16] at the end of the voyage. however, they ought to have had enough of it this job; the rum is nearly gone, and if you will come off to-morrow i will let you have what remains, though if they are sober i doubt if they will let you take it away."
"we will risk that," the third man said. "we are not nice about using our pistols, if you are. i was saying to simcoe here, things are going a lot too far. enough mischief has been done already, and i am by no means sure that when you have gone they won't make it hot for us. we are very comfortable here, and we are not doing badly, and i don't care about being turned out of it."
"the pearl fishing is turning out well?" atkins asked quietly.
"it might be worse and it might be better. anyhow, we are content to remain here for a bit.
"i don't like it, jack," he said, as the skipper, having in vain tried to rouse the two drunken men, rowed himself off to the brig. "my woman told me this morning that there had been a big talk among the natives, and that though they did not tell her anything, she thought that they had made up their minds to wipe the whites out altogether. they said that if we hadn't been here, the brig would not have come; which is like enough, for atkins only put in because he was an old chum of ours, and thought that we should have got copra enough to make it worth his while to come round. well, if the niggers only wiped out the crew, and burned the ship, i should say nothing against it, as long as they let atkins alone. he has stood by me in more than one rough-and-tumble business, and i am bound to stand by him. but there aint no discrimination among the niggers. besides, i am not saying but that he has been pretty rough with them himself.
"it makes all the difference whether you settle down and go in for making a pile, or if you only stop to water and take in fruit; we agreed as to that when we landed here. when we stopped here before and found them friendly and pleasant, and we says to each other, 'if we[pg 17] can but get on smooth with them and set them fishing for us we might make a good thing out of it.' you see, we had bought some oysters one of them brought up after a dive, and had found two or three pearls in them.
"well, we have been here nine months, and i don't say i am not getting tired of it; but it is worth stopping for. you know we reckoned last week that the pearls we have got ought to be worth two or three thousand pounds, and we agreed that we would stay here till we have two bags the size of the one we have got; but unless atkins gets those fellows off, i doubt if we shan't have to go before that. there is no reasoning with these niggers; if they had any sense they would see that we can't help these things."
"perhaps what the women tell us is untrue," the other suggested.
"don't you think that," simcoe said; "these black women are always true to their white men when they are decently treated. besides, none of the natives have been near us to-day. that, of course, might be because they are afraid of these chaps; but from this shanty we can see the canoes, and not one has gone out to-day. who is to blame them, when one of their chiefs was shot yesterday without a shadow of excuse? i don't say that i think so much of a nigger's life one way or another; and having been in some stiff fights together, as you know, i have always taken my share. but i am dead against shooting without some reason; it spoils trade, and makes it unsafe even to land for water. i have half a mind, bill, to go on board and ask atkins to take us away with him; we could mighty soon settle matters with the crew, and if there was a fight and we had to shoot them all, we could take the brig into port well enough."
"no, no," said bill, "it has not come to that yet. don't let us give up a good thing until we are sure that the game is up."
"well, just as you like; i am ready to run the risk if you are. it would be hard, if the worst came to the worst, if we couldn't fight our way down to our canoe, and once[pg 18] on board that we could laugh at them; for as we have proved over and over again, they have not one that can touch her."
"well, i will be off to my hut; the sun is just setting and my supper will be ready for me." he strolled off to his shanty, which lay back some distance in the wood. simcoe entered the hut, where a native woman was cooking.
"nothing fresh, i suppose?" he asked in her language.
she shook her head. "none of our people have been near us to-day."
"well, polly,"—for so her white master had christened her, her native appellation being too long for ordinary conversation,—"it is a bad business, and i am sorry for it; but when these fellows have sailed away it will soon come all right again."
"polly hopes so," she said. "polly very much afraid."
"well, you had better go to-morrow and see them, and tell them, as i have told them already, we are very sorry for the goings on of these people, but it is not our fault. you have no fear that they will hurt you, have you? because if so, don't you go."
"they no hurt polly now," she said; "they know that if i do not come back you be on guard."
"well, i don't think there is any danger at present, but it is as well to be ready. do you take down to the canoe three or four dozen cocoanuts and four or five big bunches of plantains, and you may as well take three or four gourds of water. if we have to take to the boat, will you go with me or stay here?"
"polly will go with her master," the woman said; "if she stay here they will kill her."
"i am glad enough for you to go with me, polly," he said. "you have been a good little woman, and i don't know how i should get on without you now; though why they should kill you i don't know, seeing that your head chief gave you to me himself."
"kill everything belonging to white man," she said quietly; and the man knew in his heart that it would[pg 19] probably be so. she put his supper on the table and then made several journeys backwards and forwards to the canoe, which lay afloat in a little cove a couple of hundred yards away. when she had done she stood at the table and ate the remains of the supper.
an hour later the man was sitting on the bench outside smoking his pipe, when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps among the trees. he knew this was no native tread.
"what is it, bill?" he asked, as the man came up.
"well, i came to tell you that there is a big row going on among the natives. i can hear their tom-tom things beating furiously, and occasionally they set up a tremendous yell. i tell you i don't like it, simcoe; i don't like it a bit. i sent my woman to see what it was all about, but though she had been away three hours, she hadn't come back when i started out to talk it over with you."
"there has been a biggish row going on on board the brig too," the other said. "i have heard atkins storming, and a good deal of shouting among the men. i suppose you have got your pearls all right in your belt? things begin to have an awkward look, and we may have to bolt at short notice."
"you trust me for that, simcoe; i have had them on me ever since the brig came in. i had no fear of the natives stealing them out of my hut, but if one of those fellows were to drop in and see them he would think nothing of knifing the woman and carrying them off."
"i see you have brought your gun with you."
"yes, and my pistols too. i suppose you are loaded, and ready to catch up at a moment's notice?"
"yes; my girl has been carrying down cocoanuts and plantains to the canoe, so, if we have to make a bolt, we can hold on comfortably enough until we get to the next island, which is not above three days' sail, and lies dead to leeward, as the wind is at present. still, bill, i hope it is not coming to that. i think it is likely enough they may attack the brig in their canoes, but they have always been so friendly with us that i really don't think they can turn[pg 20] against us now; they must know that we cannot help these people's doings."
"that is all very well," the other said, "but you and i know half a dozen cases in which the niggers have attacked a ship, and in every case beachcombers were killed too."
simcoe made no answer; he knew that it was so, and could hardly hope that there would be an exception in their case. after thinking for a minute he said, "well, bill, in that case i think the safest plan will be to take to the canoe at once. we can stay away a few weeks and then come back here and see how matters stand."
"but how about atkins?"
"well, we will shout and get him ashore and tell him what we think of it, and give him the choice of either stopping or going with us. nothing can be fairer than that. if he chooses to stop and harm comes of it we cannot blame ourselves. if we come back in a few weeks of course we should not land until we had overhauled one of their canoes and found out what the feeling of the people was. they will have got over their fit of rage, and like enough they will have said to each other, 'we were better off when the two white men were here. they paid us for our fishing and our copra, and never did us any harm. i wish they were back again.'"
"that is reasonable enough," the other agreed. "what about the trade things?"
"well, we have only got some beads and small knick-knacks left. polly shall carry them down to the canoe; we shall want them for trading till we come back here again."
he said a few words to the woman, who at once began to carry the things down to the canoe. then he went down to the beach and shouted, "atkins!"
"hullo!" came back from the brig.
"come ashore; we want to talk to you about something particular." they saw the dinghy pulled up to the ship's side, then atkins rowed ashore.
"i have been having a row with the crew," he said. "i[pg 21] thought it was coming to fighting. two or three of them took up handspikes, but i drew my pistols and things calmed down. what do you want me for?"
"bill here has brought news that there is a row among the natives. they are beating their drums and yelling like fiends, and we expect it means mischief. at any rate it comes to this: we are so convinced that there is going to be trouble that we mean to cut and run at once. we have got enough grub put on board our canoe to take us to the next island, but we did not want to leave you in the lurch, to be speared by the niggers, so we have called you to offer you a seat in the canoe."
"that is friendly," atkins said, "but i should lose the ship and cargo; and pretty near all that i have got is in her. why should not you two bring your canoe off alongside and hoist her up? then we could get up anchor and be off. three of the fellows are dead-drunk and the other three half stupid. i would give you each a share in the profits of the voyage."
"well, what do you think of that, simcoe?" bill said.
"i tell you straight i don't care for it. you and i are both good paddlers, and the canoe sails like a witch in a light wind. once afloat in her and we are safe, but you can't say as much for the brig. i have sailed in her before now, and i know that she is slow, unless it is blowing half a gale. it is like enough that the natives may be watching her now, and if they saw us get under way they would be after her, and would go six feet to her one. as to fighting, what could we three do? the others would be of no use whatever. no, i like our plan best by far."
"well, i don't know what to say," atkins said. "it is hard to make a choice. of course if i were sure that the natives really meant mischief i would go with you, but we cannot be sure of that."
"i feel pretty sure of it anyhow," bill said. "my girl would be safe to follow me here when she got back and found the hut empty, but i am mightily afraid that some harm has come to her, or she would have been back long before this. it wasn't half a mile to go, and she might[pg 22] have been there and back in half an hour, and she has been gone now over three hours, and i feel nasty about it, i can tell you. i wish your crew were all sober, atkins, and that we had a score of men that i could put my hand on among the islands. i should not be talking about taking to a canoe then, but i would just go in and give it them so hot that they would never try their pranks on again."
"have you got all the things in, polly?" simcoe asked the woman, as she crouched down by the door of the hut.
"got all in," she said. "why not go? very bad wait here."
"well, i think you are about right. at any rate, we will go and get on board and wait a spear's-throw off the shore for an hour or so. if bill's susan comes here and finds we have gone she is pretty safe to guess that we shall be on board the canoe and waiting for her. what do you say to that, bill?"
"that suits me; nothing can be fairer. if she comes we can take her on board, if she doesn't i shall know that they have killed her, and i will jot it down against them and come back here some day before long and take it out of them. and you, atkins?"
"i will go straight on board. like enough it is all a false alarm, and i aint going to lose the brig and all that she has got on board till i am downright certain that they——"
he stopped suddenly, and the others leaped to their feet as a burst of savage yells broke out across the water.
"by heavens, they are attacking the ship!" simcoe cried; "they will be here in a moment. come on, polly! come on, atkins! we have no choice now." taking up his arms, he started to run. "quick, quick!" he cried; "i can hear them."
they had gone but some thirty yards when a number of natives burst from the wood. had they arrived a minute sooner at the hut none of its occupants would have lived to tell the tale, but the impatience of those in the canoes lying round the brig had caused the alarm to be given[pg 23] before they had placed themselves in readiness for a simultaneous rush on the hut. there was no further occasion for silence; a wild yell burst out as they caught sight of the flying figures, and a dozen spears flew through the air.
"don't stop to fire!" simcoe shouted; "we shall have to make a stand at the boat and shall want every barrel."
they were three-quarters of the way to the boat and the natives were still some twenty yards behind them. suddenly bill stumbled; then with a savage oath he turned and emptied both barrels of his fowling-piece into the natives, and the two leading men fell forward on their faces, and some shouts and yells told that some of the shots had taken effect on those behind.
"are you wounded, bill?" simcoe asked.
"yes, i am hit hard. run on, man; i think i am done for."
"nonsense!" simcoe exclaimed. "catch hold of my arm; i will help you along."
one native was in advance of the rest. he raised his arm to hurl his spear, but the native woman, who had all along been running behind simcoe, threw herself forward, and the spear pierced her through the body. with an exclamation of fury simcoe leveled his musket and shot the native through the head.
"throw your arms round my neck, bill; the poor girl is done for, curse them. can you hold on?"
"yes, i think so," he replied.
simcoe was a very powerful man, and with his comrade on his back he ran on almost as swiftly as before.
"now, atkins, give them every barrel that you have got, then lift bill into the boat, and i will keep them back. i am not going until i have paid some of them out for poor polly."
atkins fired his pistols, and with so steady an aim that each shot brought down a savage; then he lifted bill from simcoe's shoulders and laid him in the canoe.
"get up the sail!" simcoe shouted. "they will riddle us with spears if we paddle." he shot down four of the natives with his double-barreled pistols, and then[pg 24] clubbing his gun threw himself with a hoarse shout upon them. the loss of seven of their leaders had caused their followers to hesitate, and the fury of simcoe's attack and the tremendous blows he dealt completed their discomfiture, and they turned and fled in dismay.
"now is your time!" atkins shouted; "i have cut the cord and got the sail up." turning, simcoe was in a moment knee-deep in the water; pushing the boat off, he threw himself into it.
"lie down, man, lie down!" he shouted to atkins. but the warning was too late; the moment simcoe turned the natives had turned also, and as they reached the water's edge half a dozen spears were flung. two of them struck atkins full in the body, and with a cry he threw up his arms and fell over the side of the canoe. then came several splashes in the water. simcoe drew the pistols from his companion's belt, and, raising himself high enough to look over the stern, shot two of the savages who were wading out waist deep, and were but a few paces behind.
the sail was now doing its work, and the boat was beginning to glide through the water at a rate that even the best swimmers could not hope to emulate. as soon as he was out of reach of the spears simcoe threw the boat up into the wind, reloaded his pistols and those of his comrade, and opened fire upon the group of natives clustered at the water's edge. like most men of his class, he was a first-rate shot. three of the natives fell and the rest fled. then with a stroke of the paddle he put the boat before the wind again, and soon left the island far behind.
"this has been a pretty night's work," he muttered. "poor little polly killed! she gave her life to save me, and there is no doubt she did save me too, for that fellow's spear must have gone right through me. i am afraid that they have done for bill too." he stooped over his comrade. the shaft of the spear had broken off, but the jagged piece with the head attached stuck out just over the hip. "i am afraid it is all up with him; however, i must take it out and bandage him as well as i can."[pg 25]
a groan burst from the wounded man as simcoe with some effort drew the jagged spear from the wound. then he took off his own shirt and tore some strips off it and tightly bandaged the wound.
"i can do nothing else until the morning," he said. "well, polly, i have paid them out for you. i have shot seven or eight and smashed the skulls of as many more. of course they have done for those drunkards on board the brig. i did not hear a single pistol fired, and i expect that they knocked them on the head in their drunken sleep. the brutes! if they had had their senses about them we might have made a fair fight; though i expect that they would have been too many for us."
just as daylight was breaking bill opened his eyes.
"how do you feel, old man?"
"i am going, simcoe. you stood by me like a man; i heard it all till atkins laid me in the boat. where is he?"
"he is gone, bill. instead of throwing himself down in the boat, as i shouted to him directly he got up the sail, he stood there watching, i suppose, until i was in. he got two spears in his body and fell overboard dead, i have no doubt."
"look here, sim!" the latter had to bend down his ear to listen. the words came faintly and slowly. "if you ever go back home again, you look up my brother. he is no more on the square than i was, but he is a clever fellow. he lives respectable—rose cottage, pentonville hill. don't forget it. he goes by the name of harrison. i wrote to him every two or three years, and got an answer about the same. tell him how his brother bill died, and how you carried him off when the blacks were yelling round. we were fond of each other, tom and i. you keep the pearls, sim; he don't want them. he is a top-sawyer in his way, he is, and has offered again and again that if i would come home he would set me up in any line i liked. i thought perhaps i should go home some day. tom and i were great friends. i remember——" his eyelids drooped, his lips moved, and in[pg 26] another minute no sounds came from them. he gave one deep sigh, and then all was over.
"a good partner and a good chum," simcoe muttered as he looked down into the man's face. "well, well, i have lost a good many chums in the last ten years, but not one i missed as i shall miss bill. it is hard, he and polly going at the same time. there are not many fellows that i would have lain down to sleep with, with fifteen hundred pounds' or so worth of pearls in my belt, not out in these islands. but i never had any fear with him. well, well," he went on, as he took the bag of pearls from his comrade's belt and placed it in his own, "there is a consolation everywhere, though we might have doubled and trebled this lot if we had stopped three months longer, which we should have done if atkins had not brought that brig of his in. i can't think why he did it. he might have been sure that with that drunken lot of villains trouble would come of it sooner or later. he wasn't a bad fellow either, but too fond of liquor."
