ded and was only assuming cheerfulness,
gave him a stiff tot of rum.

"Here's luck to you, Atkins. Tessa dear, don't cry. Atkins will fix me
up in a brace of shakes as soon as we get to the village. And look here,
Tess. See what I found upon the reef."

*****

Long before sunset Harvey was sleeping quietly in the head-man's house,
with Tessa and Maoni watching beside him. Atkins had carefully set
the broken limb with broad splints of coconut-spathe; and, proud and
satisfied with his work, was pacing to and fro outside the house,
smoking his pipe.

Presently Latour and Malua appeared, and the Frenchman beckoned to the
second mate.

"What is it, steward?"

"Huka has just come back, sir. He wants to see you. The captain is
dead."

"Thank God for that. Where did they get him?"

"Huka will tell you, sir. Here he is."

The Savage Islander stepped forward, and raised his hand in salute, with
a smile of pride upon his lips.

"I been kill him," he said in his broken English; "I was come along back
to meet Mr. Harvey, when I hear the guns. And then I see the captain
come, running quick. He have Winchester in his hand, and when he see
me he stop. He fire two, three times at me. Then I run up to him, and I
drive my turtle spear through him, and he fall down and I put my foot on
his mouth, and he die."

Atkins slapped him on the shoulder. "Good man you, Huka! Stay here a
moment, and I'll bring you a big drink of rum. Then we must go and bury
both the swine."

*****

Three weeks later the _Sikiana_ sailed into the lagoon, and the "good
little Dutch skipper," of whom Harvey had spoken, had him brought on
board and placed in his bunk for the voyage to Ponape.

"My tear Mees Tessa," he said, "Mr. Carr haf dold me dat your fader vill
gif me five hundred dollar ven ve get to Ponape. If der _Sikiana_ vas
mein own ship I vould dake you und Mr. Carr and der second mate und all
your natives to Ponape for nodings; for your fader vas a good man to me,
und Harvey Carr vas a good man to me ven I sailed mit him in the _Belle
Brandon_. But you must invide old Westphalen to the wedding."

"Indeed we shall, captain."

"And me too, miss?" asked Atkins, with a sly twinkle in his eye.

"And you too, of course, dear, dear Atkins, so good, brave, and true.
There, look, Harvey, I am going to kiss Mr. Atkins."

"God bless you both, miss," said the mate huskily.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Tessa, by Louis Becke