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all our brains that it was very wrong to harm a white man。
〃By and by； the schooners full of copra and beche…de…mer and our trees empty
of cocoanuts； the three skippers and that mate called us all together for a
big talk。 And they said they were very glad that we had learned our lesson；
and we said for the ten…thousandth time that we were sorry and that we would
not do it again。 Also； we poured sand upon our heads。 Then the skippers said
that it was all very well； but just to show us that they did not forget us；
they would send a devil…devil that we would never forget and that we would
always remember any time we might feel like harming a white man。 After that
the mate mocked us one more time and yelled； Yah！ Yah！ Yah！' Then six of our
men； whom we thought long dead； were put ashore from one of the schooners； and
the schooners hoisted their sails and ran out through the passage for the
Solomons。
〃The six men who were put ashore were the first to catch the devil…devil the
skippers sent back after us。〃
〃A great sickness came；〃 I interrupted； for I recognized the trick。 The
schooner had had measles on board； and the six prisoners had been deliberately
exposed to it。
〃Yes； a great sickness；〃 Oti went on。 〃It was a powerful devil…devil。 The
oldest man had never heard of the like。 Those of our priests that yet lived we
killed because they could not overcome the devil…devil。 The sickness spread。
I have said that there were ten thousand of us that stood hip to hip and
shoulder to shoulder on the sandbank。 When the sickness left us； there were
three thousand yet alive。 Also； having made all our cocoanuts into copra；
there was a famine。
〃That fella trader；〃 Oti concluded； 〃he like 'm that much dirt。 He like 'm
clam he die KAI…KAI （meat） he stop； stink 'm any amount。 He like 'm one fella
dog； one sick fella dog plenty fleas stop along him。 We no fright along that
fella trader。 We fright because he white man。 We savve plenty too much no good
kill white man。 That one fella sick dog trader he plenty brother stop along
him； white men like 'm you fight like hell。 We no fright that damn trader。
Some time he made kanaka plenty cross along him and kanaka want 'm kill m；
kanaka he think devil…devil and kanaka he hear that fella mate sing out； Yah！
Yah！ Yah！' and kanaka no kill m。〃
Oti baited his hook with a piece of squid； which he tore with his teeth from
the live and squirming monster； and hook and bait sank in white flames to the
bottom。
〃Shark walk about he finish；〃 he said。 〃I think we catch 'm plenty fella
fish。〃
His line jerked savagely。 He pulled it in rapidly； hand under hand； and landed
a big gasping rock cod in the bottom of the canoe。
〃Sun he come up； I make 'm that dam fella trader one present big fella fish；〃
said Oti。
THE HEATHEN
I met him first in a hurricane； and though we had gone through the hurricane
on the same schooner； it was not until the schooner had gone to pieces under
us that I first laid eyes on him。 Without doubt I had seen him with the rest
of the kanaka crew on board； but I had not consciously been aware of his
existence； for the Petite Jeanne was rather overcrowded。 In addition to her
eight or ten kanaka seamen； her white captain； mate； and supercargo； and her
six cabin passengers； she sailed from Rangiroa with something like eighty…five
deck passengers Paumotans and Tahitians； men； women； and children each with
a trade box； to say nothing of sleeping mats； blankets； and clothes bundles。
The pearling season in the Paumotus was over； and all hands were returning to
Tahiti。 The six of us cabin passengers were pearl buyers。 Two were Americans；
one was Ah Choon （the whitest Chinese I have ever known）； one was a German；
one was a Polish Jew； and I completed the half dozen。
It had been a prosperous season。 Not one of us had cause for complaint； nor
one of the eighty…five deck passengers either。 All had done well； and all
were looking forward to a rest…off and a good time in Papeete。
Of course； the Petite Jeanne was overloaded。 She was only seventy tons； and
she had no right to carry a tithe of the mob she had on board。 Beneath her
hatches she was crammed and jammed with pearl shell and copra。 Even the trade
room was packed full with shell。 It was a miracle that the sailors could work
her。 There was no moving about the decks。 They simply climbed back and forth
along the rails。
In the night time they walked upon the sleepers； who carpeted the deck； I'll
swear； two deep。 Oh！ And there were pigs and chickens on deck； and sacks of
yams； while every conceivable place was festooned with strings of drinking
cocoanuts and bunches of bananas。 On both sides； between the fore and main
shrouds； guys had been stretched； just low enough for the foreboom to swing
clear； and from each of these guys at least fifty bunches of bananas were
suspended。
It promised to be a messy passage； even if we did make it in the two or three
days that would have been required if the southeast trades had been blowing
fresh。 But they weren't blowing fresh。 After the first five hours the trade
died away in a dozen or so gasping fans。 The calm continued all that night and
the next dayone of those glaring； glassy； calms； when the very thought of
opening one's eyes to look at it is sufficient to cause a headache。
The second day a man diedan Easter Islander； one of the best divers that
season in the lagoon。 Smallpoxthat is what it was； though how smallpox could
come on board； when there had been no known cases ashore when we left
Rangiroa； is beyond me。 There it was； thoughsmallpox； a man dead； and three
others down on their backs。
There was nothing to be done。 We could not segregate the sick； nor could we
care for them。 We were packed like sardines。 There was nothing to do but rot
and diethat is； there was nothing to do after the night that followed the
first death。 On that night； the mate； the supercargo； the Polish Jew； and four
native divers sneaked away in the large whale boat。 They were never heard of
again。 In the morning the captain promptly scuttled the remaining boats； and
there we were。
That day there were two deaths； the following day three； then it jumped to
eight。 It was curious to see how we took it。 The natives； for instance； fell
into a condition of dumb； stolid fear。 The captainOudouse； his name was； a
Frenchmanbecame very nervous and voluble。 He actually got the twitches。 He
was a large fleshy man； weighing at least two hundred pounds； and he quickly
became a faithful representation of a quivering jelly…mountain of fat。
The German； the two Americans； and myself bought up all the Scotch whiskey；
and proceeded to stay drunk。 The theory was beautifulnamely； if we kept
ourselves soaked in alcohol； every smallpox germ that came into contact with
us would immediately be scorched to a cinder。 And the theory worked； though I
must confess that neither Captain Oudouse nor Ah Choon were attacked by the
disease either。 The Frenchman did not drink at all； while Ah Choon restricted
himself to one drink daily。
It was a pretty time。 The sun； going into northern declination； was straight
overhead。 There was no wind； except for frequent squalls； which blew fiercely
for from five minutes to half an hour； and wound up by deluging us with rain。
After each squall； the awful sun would come out； drawing clouds of steam from
the soaked decks。
The steam was not nice。 It was the vapor of death； freighted with millions and
millions of germs。 We always took another drink when we saw it going up from
the dead and dying； and usually we took two or three more drinks； mixing them
exceptionally stiff。 Also； we made it a rule to take an additional several
each time they hove the dead over to the sharks that swarmed about us。
We had a week of it； and then the whiskey gave out。 It is just as well； or I
shouldn't be alive now。 It took a sober man t