Feeling my way in the darkness along the boat's side,
I reached her stern, where I was sheltered, and searched my saturated
pockets to see if by any chance I had a box of matches, so that I could
light my boat's lantern and have a look round the shed. I found a few
loose ones, but so wetted as to be useless, and was just about to return
to my dwelling-house in disgust, when I heard my name called softly, and
a hand touched my knee.

"Who is it?" I said, greatly startled that any one should be in the
boat-shed at such a time.

"'Tis I, Niabon, the Danger Island girl; and Tematau lieth here on the
ground near me. His master hath beaten him so that he is near to death.
And we have come to seek aid from thee."

I knew the speaker, but did not question her any further at the time,
beyond asking her if he whom she called Tematau could rise and walk to
the house. She replied in the affirmative, but the injured man was so
weak that the girl and I had to support him between us and grope our
way over to the house in face of the furious wind and driving rain. The
moment we were inside we laid the injured man down, and I struck a match
and lit a lamp, whilst Niabon shut and locked the door, not against
any possible intruders, but to keep out the rain and wind. Then, before
doing anything else, I went into the store-room and got the woman a
change of clothes--a rough, ready-made print gown such as the native
women occasionally wear--and a warm rug for the man, who was wearing
only the usual _airiri_ or girdle of long grass, and then, changing
my own sodden garments as quickly as possible, Niabon and I gave our
attention to her companion.

The poor fellow had been fearfully beaten. The whole of his back, arms,
and thighs were in a dreadful state, and the rain had caused the wounds
to bleed afresh. But the worst injury was a deep cut on the face,
extending from the lower left eyelid to the lobe of the ear, and
exposing the bone. My surgery was none of the best, but I succeeded at
last in sewing up the wound satisfactorily, the patient bearing the pain
without flinching, and pressing my hand in gratitude when I told him I
could do no more. As for his other injuries, the girl assured me that
she herself would apply proper native remedies in the morning; and,
knowing how very clever these natives are in such matters, I attempted
nothing further beyond giving the man a glass or two of grog and a tin
of sardines and some bread to eat.