rd; and the captain's heart exulted
as he felt her tremble underfoot, and (looking back over the taffrail)
beheld the roofs of Papeete changing position on the shore and the
island mountains rearing higher in the wake.

But they were not yet done with the shore and the horror of the yellow
flag. About midway of the pass there was a cry and a scurry, a man was
seen to leap upon the rail, and, throwing his arms over his head, to
stoop and plunge into the sea.

"Steady as she goes," the captain cried, relinquishing the wheel to
Huish.

The next moment he was forward in the midst of the Kanakas, belaying-pin
in hand.

"Anybody else for shore?" he cried, and the savage trumpeting of his
voice, no less than the ready weapon in his hand, struck fear in all.
Stupidly they stared after their escaped companion, whose black head was
visible upon the water, steering for the land. And the schooner
meanwhile slipped like a racer through the pass, and met the long sea of
the open ocean with a souse of spray.

"Fool that I was, not to have a pistol ready!" exclaimed Davis. "Well,
we go to sea short-handed; we can't help that. You have a lame watch of
it, Mr. Hay."

"I don't see how we are to get along," said Herrick.

"Got to," said the captain. "No more Tahiti for me."

Both turned instinctively and looked astern. The fair island was
unfolding mountain-top on mountain-top; Eimeo, on the port board, lifted
her splintered pinnacles; and still the schooner raced to the open sea.

"Think!" cried the captain, with a gesture, "yesterday morning I danced
for my breakfast like a poodle dog."

CHAPTER V

THE CARGO OF CHAMPAGNE

The ship's head was laid to clear Eimeo to the north, and the captain
sat down in the cabin, with a chart, a ruler, and an epitome.

"East a half no'the," said he, raising his face from his labours. "Mr.
Hay, you'll have to watch your dead reckoning; I want every yard she
makes on every hair's-breadth of a course. I'm going to knock a hole
right straight through the Paumotus, and that's always a near touch.
Now, if this South East Trade ever blew out of the S.E., which it don't,
we might hope to lie within half a point of our course. Say we lie
within a point of it. That'll just about weather Fakarava. Yes, sir,
that's what we've got to do, if we tack for it. Brings us through this
slush of little islands in the cleanest place: see?" And he showed where
his ruler intersected the wide-lying labyr