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and waited。
All other white men had respected his tambos； but not so Bunster。
Mauki's weekly allowance of tobacco was two sticks。 Bunster passed them to his
woman and ordered Mauki to receive them from her hand。 But this could not be；
and Mauki went without his tobacco。 In the same way he was made to miss many a
meal； and to go hungry many a day。 He was ordered to make chowder out of the
big clams that grew in the lagoon。 This he could not do； for clams were tambo。
Six times in succession he refused to touch the clams； and six times he was
knocked senseless。 Bunster knew that the boy would die first； but called his
refusal mutiny； and would have killed him had there been another cook to take
his place。
One of the trader's favorite tricks was to catch Mauki's kinky locks and bat
his head against the wall。 Another trick was to catch Mauki unawares and
thrust the live end of a cigar against his flesh。 This Bunster called
vaccination； and Mauki was vaccinated a number of times a week。 Once； in a
rage； Bunster ripped the cup handle from Mauki's nose； tearing the hole clear
out of the cartilage。
〃Oh； what a mug！〃 was his comment； when he surveyed the damage he had wrought。
The skin of a shark is like sandpaper； but the skin of a ray fish is like a
rasp。 In the South Seas the natives use it as a wood file in smoothing down
canoes and paddles。 Bunster had a mitten made of ray fish skin。 The first time
he tried it on Mauki； with one sweep of the hand it fetched the skin off his
back from neck to armpit。 Bunster was delighted。 He gave his wife a taste of
the mitten； and tried it out thoroughly on the boat boys。 The prime ministers
came in for a stroke each； and they had to grin and take it for a joke。
〃Laugh； damn you； laugh！〃 was the cue he gave。
Mauki came in for the largest share of the mitten。 Never a day passed without
a caress from it。 There were times when the loss of so much cuticle kept him
awake at night； and often the half…healed surface was raked raw afresh by the
facetious Mr。 Bunster。 Mauki continued his patient wait； secure in the
knowledge that sooner or later his time would come。 And he knew just what he
was going to do； down to the smallest detail； when the time did come。
One morning Bunster got up in a mood for knocking seven bells out of the
universe。 He began on Mauki； and wound up on Mauki； in the interval knocking
down his wife and hammering all the boat boys。 At breakfast he called the
coffee slops and threw the scalding contents of the cup into Mauki's face。 By
ten o'clock Bunster was shivering with ague； and half an hour later he was
burning with fever。 It was no ordinary attack。 It quickly became pernicious；
and developed into black…water fever。 The days passed； and he grew weaker and
weaker； never leaving his bed。 Mauki waited and watched； the while his skin
grew intact once more。 He ordered the boys to beach the cutter； scrub her
bottom； and give her a general overhauling。 They thought the order emanated
from Bunster； and they obeyed。 But Bunster at the time was lying unconscious
and giving no orders。 This was Mauki's chance； but still he waited。
When the worst was past； and Bunster lay convalescent and conscious； but weak
as a baby； Mauki packed his few trinkets； including the china cup handle； into
his trade box。 Then he went over to the village and interviewed the king and
his two prime ministers。
〃This fella Bunster； him good fella you like too much？〃 he asked。
They explained in one voice that they liked the trader not at all。 The
ministers poured forth a recital of all the indignities and wrongs that had
been heaped upon them。 The king broke down and wept。 Mauki interrupted rudely。
〃You savve meme big fella marster my country。 You no like m this fella white
marster。 Me no like m。 Plenty good you put hundred cocoanut； two hundred
cocoanut； three hundred cocoanut along cutter。 Him finish； you go sleep m good
fella。 Altogether kanaka sleep m good fella。 Bime by big fella noise along
house； you no savve hear m that fella noise。 You altogether sleep strong fella
too much。〃
In like manner Mauki interviewed the boat boys。 Then he ordered Bunster's wife
to return to her family house。 Had she refused； he would have been in a
quandary； for his tambo would not have permitted him to lay hands on her。
The house deserted； he entered the sleeping room； where the trader lay in a
doze。 Mauki first removed the revolvers； then placed the ray fish mitten on
his hand。 Bunster's first warning was a stroke of the mitten that removed the
skin the full length of his nose。
〃Good fella； eh？〃 Mauki grinned； between two strokes； one of which swept the
forehead bare and the other of which cleaned off one side of his face。 〃Laugh；
damn you； laugh。〃
Mauki did his work throughly； and the kanakas； hiding in their houses； heard
the 〃big fella noise〃 that Bunster made and continued to make for an hour or
more。
When Mauki was done； he carried the boat compass and all the rifles and
ammunition down to the cutter； which he proceeded to ballast with cases of
tobacco。 It was while engaged in this that a hideous； skinless thing came out
of the house and ran screaming down the beach till it fell in the sand and
mowed and gibbered under the scorching sun。 Mauki looked toward it and
hesitated。 Then he went over and removed the head； which he wrapped in a mat
and stowed in the stern locker of the cutter。
So soundly did the kanakas sleep through that long hot day that they did not
see the cutter run out through the passage and head south； close…hauled on the
southeast trade。 Nor was the cutter ever sighted on that long tack to the
shores of Ysabel； and during the tedious head…beat from there to Malaita。 He
landed at Port Adams with a wealth of rifles and tobacco such as no one man
had ever possessed before。 But he did not stop there。 He had taken a white
man's head； and only the bush could shelter him。 So back he went to the bush
villages； where he shot old Fanfoa and half a dozen of the chief men； and made
himself the chief over all the villages。 When his father died； Mauki's brother
ruled in Port Adams； and joined together； salt…water men and bushmen； the
resulting combination was the strongest of the ten score fighting tribes of
Malaita。
More than his fear of the British government was Mauki's fear of the
all…powerful Moongleam Soap Company； and one day a message came up to him in
the bush； reminding him that he owed the Company eight and one…half years of
labor。 He sent back a favorable answer； and then appeared the inevitable white
man； the captain of the schooner； the only white man during Mauki's reign； who
ventured the bush and came out alive。 This man not only came out； but he
brought with him seven hundred and fifty dollars in gold sovereignsthe money
price of eight years and a half of labor plus the cost price of certain rifles
and cases of tobacco。
Mauki no longer weighs one hundred and ten pounds。 His stomach is three times
its former girth； and he has four wives。 He has many other thingsrifles and
revolvers； the handle of a china cup； and an excellent collection of bushmen's
heads。 But more precious than the entire collection is another head； perfectly
dried and cured； with sandy hair and a yellowish beard； which is kept wrapped
in the finest of fibre lava…lavas。 When Mauki goes to war with villages beyond
his realm； he invariably gets out this head； and alone in his grass palace；
contemplates it long and solemnly。 At such times the hush of death falls on
the village； and not even a pickaninny dares make a noise。 The head is
esteemed the most powerful devil…devil on Malaita； and to the possession of it
is ascribed all of Mauki's greatness。
〃YAH！ YAH！ YAH！〃
He was a whiskey…guzzling Scotchman； and he downed his whiskey neat； beginning
with his first tot punctually at six in the morning； and thereafter repeating
i