"Niabon," I said to the girl, whose face was stern and set, "thou, too,
must eat and then lie on my conch and sleep. I will sit here and read my
book and watch the sick man, for the fever is in my bones to-night and I
cannot sleep. So eat and rest."

She shook her head. "Nay, I feel no hunger, Simi,{*} and I would sit
here with thee if it offend not. And then when the cold seizeth thee
at the time when the dawn pushes away the night I can boil thee thy
coffee."

* Jim--pronounced Seemee.

I was somewhat surprised that she knew that at dawn I usually had an
attack of ague, for she lived ten miles away, and seldom even met any
of the natives of the village where I was stationed, though she was well
known to them by reputation. However, I was too ill and wearied at the
time to think anything more of the matter, so after thanking her for her
offer to sit up and attend the unfortunate Tematau I lay down on a cane
lounge in the room and watched her making a cigarette.

"Shall I fill thy pipe, Simi?" she asked me as she approached me in
a manner so self-reliant and unconcerned, and yet so dignified,
that physically and mentally exhausted as I was I could not but feel
astonished. For to me she was nothing more--as far as her appearance
went--than an ordinary native woman, although I had quite often heard
her name spoken in whispers as one who had dealings with the spirits and
who had supernatural protection, and all that sort of stuff.

"No, thank you, Niabon," I replied, unintentionally speaking in English,
"I must not smoke again tonight."

She smiled and seated herself on a mat beside my couch, then rising
suddenly she placed her hand on mine, and said as she looked into my
eyes--

"Why do you speak Englis* to me, Simi? Who has been tell you I
understan' Englis'?"

"No one, Niabon. I did not know you could speak English or even
understand it. Who taught you?"

"I shall tell thee at some other time," she replied in the Tarawa
dialect, and then pointing to the figure of her companion she said she
was sure a smoke would do him good. I gave her a new clay pipe, which
she filled, lit, and placed in Tematau's mouth. He drew at it with such
a deep sigh of satisfaction that the woman's stern features relaxed into
a smile.

"My blessing on thee, Simi," said the man, as he blew a stream of smoke
through his nostrils; "in but a few days I shall be strong, and then
there shall be but one white man alive on Tarawa--