Edward Barry / South Sea Pearler

c mist lay low and heavy upon the waters of the lagoon, Barradas, who

just as the boat came alongs

easantly. "You are back soone

o seem to be well armed, for they kept up a constant fire on the boat till we were o

with a savage oath; "are they

we can easily beat them off. But there's not much chance of their l

d Rawlings, chewing his cigar

oing near the lee side of the lagoon. Yesterday afternoon we could see the shell lying on the bottom anywhere in from four to six fathoms." (This part of Barry's story was quite true.) "And,"

d. "Ah, that is good news about the shel

, who had been examining the boat, and who would have the job of repairing the damage done by the bullets of the savages (fired at the boat when she was empty by Joe and Velo

as gloomily; "as long as they don't interfere w

jaws together like a s

. I would as soona shoota a k

-fired lot of crawlers that beat you off. Give my crowd fifteen Sniders and a hundred rounds each and you see and smell more dead and sti

his contempt and disgust for the ruf

Captain Rawlings, for you to

booted my best man and broke his ribs when he w

noring Warner's remark was again addressing himse

; I say that if any dam kanaka interfera with your busin

ntedly; "if these kanaka sailors of ours heard you say that

wlings suavely; "but Paul doesn'

otest when he met a glance from the cap

in turn, "that if I am to have these men turned over to me, when we begin diving, that I won't have any interference. If you, bos'un, and you, Barra

y," said Rawlings quickly; "and I'm sure that Mr.

id Barradas. "I know my duty, and don't want to be told about

e smile-"of coursa we will nota meddle with the men

herous scoundrel by the throat possessed Barry, but

which was dry at low water; and in fact the whole chain of the thirteen islands were joined to each other except where the deep-water passage into the lagoon broke the continuity. It was therefore possible, at low water, to walk from the south-east islet, which the natives called Ujilong, to the big island visited the previo

st place none of them were able to dive; in the second there was still a smouldering animosity between them and the native crew, and only Barry's s

up their quarters, their amiable master remaining on board the Mahina, ostensibly to assist Rawlings but really to keep himself comfor

ew of six men, all eager for the enterprise, and rejoicing in being under the command o

pth of water ran but from four to six fathoms-that more than half a ton was brought

shell as possible, while Rawlings, the second mate, and the boatswain, opened it, searched every bivalve

y great size had been found, many thousands, ranging in value from 10 pounds downwards, and a vast

with me. I quite recognise that you are something more to me than a mere chief officer at 1

e than that to which I am entitled," replied Barry quietly; "I am anxi

are going on at now," said Rawlings, with his usual sweet smile; "

get them to continue at it until the brig is filled. B

tioning his chief officer to a seat, and calling the steward to

hat do you think the past week's work amounts to? You are an experienced

een hundred pounds in Singapore or Hongkong. And the pearls you have shown me will

going on now, we are getting shell and pearls to

etting about three thousand pounds' worth of shell and pearls every week for three or four or five months at the very least. I have never seen such rich patches in all my experience; and I shall not be surprised if

e three big s

was greatly discounted by their irregular shape, but even these were worth 30 pounds or 35 pounds each; the remaining two were then opened, a

ing them with his handkerchief he handed them over to the captain; "in Auckland or Singapore you would be offered

to make a fishing excursion, others to hunt for robber crabs at night-time on the adjoining islets, others to attend to the puraka[1] plantations of the desert

rry's satisfaction, for he had a certain object in view. He had himself taken possession of the best of the native

a word from Velo, lopped off the lateral branches of a tall pandanus palm, and collecting numbers of fal

it," sa

ed up, and in a few minutes a great pillar of fire was roaring and crackling, sending

rls under cover of the poop awning, by the aid

night," said Rawlings. "Well, they

y and glasses on the skylight; "those men they tell me to-day that they would ma

pping another pearl into a cigar-box which

lo and Joe, set out along the beach towards the chain of islets trending north and westward. Both Velo and Joe carried bundl

racey would see that ere

The island at which we are to meet is only fifteen miles from here along the beach and re

see us again, sir, won't she? I do 'ope, sir, as how it won't

we shall act-swiftly and suddenly. You have been caref

me the word to do so. And they will stand to us, sir, never fear, for they all like

and Peter will help us when the time comes, but I don't want to raise any suspicion.

needn't have no cause to fear. The natives is with you to a man, sir. I can see t

new, devoted to him, and could be relied on to preserve the sec

they marched on in silence-sometimes along the hard, white sand of the inner lagoon beaches, sometimes by narrow paths running parallel with the outer iron-bound coast, where the slow, sweeping billows curled themselves, to break with a sound like muffled th

ld it aloft for an insta

there, Mr

ung women who had formerly accompanied her at their first meeting, Mrs. T

g. Now come with me. There are several empty houses here, just over the brow of the beach, and in one of them

od in a thick grove of giant jack-fruit trees. A bright fire was blazing out in the ope

ey as she bade Barry be seated; "this fi

of the men come down as far as the middle island to hunt and fish, so even if he do

signal, and to know that all was going well, and that I should see you to-night. Now let me bring my native f

the three men, who then, with smiling and interested faces, sat dow

ovisions-all the best delicacies that the steward and I could find, and te

are quite exhausted. I am an Australian born and can't exist without tea, so do let me ma

sort of gear, with two pairs of canvas shoes-the smalles

hing his hand gently; and then she asked

Sydney. I'll tell you the story by and b

said brightly, "and I sha

a long spell here yet before we can settle up matters with

bout the tea, and then we'll have a long

ve three days' liberty, and Rawlings t

then being worked, and of the suspicions of Joe and Velo that Rawlings and his fellow conspirators intended some misc

ak of him as one of the most blood-stained ruffians in the Pacific. We heard that he had, through want of evidence against him, escaped hanging with a sentence of seven years' imprisonment; and then about a year and a half ago some one in Honolulu told us that a ma

ached the end of their tether, and that with God's help we shall bring them to a reckoning. But we shall have to act with caution, for this man Warner

vengeance is God's. If the power of vengeance lay

ile, until her emotion had su

, the other three on board will stand to us when the time arrives. As for the native crew, they have sworn to help us, and when I am out with them in the boats they

ple have been diving for me, and I think we must have quite two or three tons of shell. The pearls we have found I brought with me to show you. There

sleep, for there was much to be talked of, and plans arranged for future meetings. Once every we

three male natives from Tebuan, leaving Mrs. Tracey to "keep house," as she called

, fierce-looking wild pigs; and then after a meal had been cooked and e

tuber called "taro" by the P