Edward Barry / South Sea Pearler

within a quarter of a mile of the shore of a narrow little bay, embowered amidst a luxuriant grove of coco and pandanus palms. Presently Velo, the Samoan, who was stan

he added presently, pointing to a spot midway between the

o, so we will run into the beach and wait for

ater right into the beach. Fine place, sir. And look at all th

ploughed her stem into the hard w

"You, Velo, and you, Joe, come with me. We'll have a look around

d up the beach and entered the forest of coco-palms. Every tree was laden with fruit in all stages of gr

h the island was of great length, it was in no part more than a mile in width from the lagoon shore to the outer ocean beac

ir, ain't it?" said Joe to the officer. "It se

, Joe. I love the smell of th

olite reply to his remark, Joe (who was

a bit; but I'd be mighty glad, sir, if you could let m

the captain, Joe.

," said the sai

r the Greek was received in sullen silence and carried out with a muttered curse. The reason for this was not far to seek. Barry was a rigid disciplinarian, but never laid his hand on a man unless provoked beyond endurance, whilst the captain, Barradas, and the Greek boatswain were chary of neither abuse nor blows-too often without the slightest reason. Consequently Joe and his three shipmates-who recognised him as their leader-had developed a silent though bitter hatred of all the officers except Barry-a hatred that only awaited an opportunity to take vengeance for past brutalities. All four of them, so Velo told Barry one night, had served a sentence of three month

men pursued their way in sile

ople's business, sir; but I'd like to tell

ed his officer good-na

t's struck me and my mates that there's something wrong about the skipper, and fr

What makes you t

him confaberlatin on the quiet with the second mate and the bo'sun-all three together-and if you chanced to come up they'd either quit talkin' or pr

u the truth there is something mysterious about this ship-som

now here's somethin' else you ought to know-somethin' about this red-bearded,

ickened interest, "what

h and speaking very slowly the

o the cabin and laid him in his bunk, hopin' the swab was dead. The skipper told us to open his shirt at the neck, as he was a-breathin' so bad, and when we opens his shirt I sees a ship tattooed across his chest-then I knew wher

d the officer, as

ed from fever. Then when she was coming back to Fiji she got caught in a hurricane and dismasted, and sailed into Levuka under jury-masts, and us chaps were set to work to help refit her for the voyage to Sydney. And the first thing I saw when I got aboard was this here chap Warner, who was washing himself up for'ard with a sentry standing over him and his leg irons lying on the deck ready to be shackled on again as soon as he had finished washing. I

d Barry. "I believe the man is an out-and-out villa

turned their atten

palms, and further back were some hundreds of huge jack fruit trees-a species of breadfruit bearing fruit of irregular shape, and containing large seeds. The brig could be moored wi

boat, one of the men in her called out to Velo that the three natives

t he looked along the beach at the three advancing figure

said Barry to Joe. "Ha

. Then the two brown-skinned, half-nude figures sat down on the sand, and the third c

nd meet them

them coming she waved her hand to them; then toiling wearily up to the top of the beach, she sat dow

," cried Joe, as th

again, and with outstretched hands came to meet him, and Barry saw that she was a young woman of abo

Barry took her hand, "and I have hurt my f

Barry caught her. Then, overcome by exci

y to talk now," he said kindly; "why, what is this-your foot is covered with blood." Kneeling beside her he

as buried in the sand," she managed to

ther loss of blood, Barry again lifted her in his arms, and carried h

up," he said, as he laid her down in th

sh water, and cleansed the cut carefully-making sure by probing it with a pocket knife that no piece of foli[1] shell or stone was

eagerly, and then laid her head on the pillowed coat again, but quickly raised it when she heard Velo calling to her two compani

sir," said Velo, who could unders

dsome, to come and look. They did so, and the moment they saw their mistress they jumped i

night, and as there was an abandoned native house within a few hund

"and I don't want you to talk too much when you are so weak, but tell me

ou need have no fear of them-all the rest were carried away b

for to-night. We have plenty of sleeping mat

ed for the injured woman, a quantity of young coconuts husked by another sailor lay on the ground, and when Barry laid his charge down u

rry as he placed some biscuit and meat and a tin mug of coffee beside the woma

observe that she was a remarkably handsome woman, with clearly cut, refi

women sat near by munching the biscuits given them by Joe; and Joe himself,

e more coffee?" sa

l much better now. You ha

though her face was still drawn and pa

enough to talk very much; but will you tell me how

ed here by an American whaleship five months ago. She brought me from Ocean Island. I came here in the hope that my h

he a trader

I was on deck, I overheard two of the officers and a man who was a passenger plotting to seize

! What was th

Mah

that for a moment or two he could

you? What was you

y do you look like that? Ah, you know

himself to reply. The woman, with pale face

He is

head and covered he

never see him again-that they would murder him as the

in a fit of melancholy. He was lying on board the Mahina-and the

he cap

me is R

was the passenger; and wh

Spaniard, a

e all you know about my husband. See, I am not crying. My grief is

's crew out of hearing, but Mrs.

no harm; and if they are

mn promise to do all in my power to retake the Mahina, for now I

ssel, with an edge as k