s, the American Commodore, came to Samoa. And I
went on board the _Vincennes_ when she came to Apia, and because I spoke
English well, _le alii Saua_ ('the cruel captain'), as we called him,{*}
made much of me, and treated me with some honour. Ah, he was a stern
man, and his eye was as the eye of an eagle."

* Wilkes was called "the cruel captain" by the Samoans on
account of his iron discipline.

Marsh nodded acquiescence. "Aye, he was a strong, stern man. More than
a score of years after thou hadst seen him here in Samoa, he was like to
have brought about a bloody war between my country and his. Yet he did
but what was right and just--to my mind. And I am an Englishman."

Kala-hoi blew a stream of smoke through his nostrils.

"Aye, indeed, a stern man, and with a bitter tongue. But because of
his cruelty to his men was he punished, for in Fiji the _kai tagata_
(cannibals) killed his nephew. And yet he spoke always kindly to me, and
gave me ten Mexican dollars because I did much interpretation for him
with the chiefs of Samoa.... One day there came on board the ship two
white men; they were _papalagi tafea_ (beachcombers) and were like
Samoans, for they wore no clothes, and were tatooed from their waists
to their knees as I am. They went to the forepart of the ship and began
talking to the sailors. They were very saucy men and proud of their
appearance. The Commodore sent for them, and he looked at them with
scorn--one was an Englishman, the other a Dane. This they told him.

"'O ye brute beasts,' he said, and he spat over the side of the ship
contempt 'Were ye Americans I would trice ye both up and give ye each
a hundred lashes, for so degrading thyselves. Out of my ship, ye filthy
tatooed swine. Thou art a disgrace to thy race!' So terrified were they
that they could not speak, and went away in shame."

"Thou hast seen many things in thy time, Kala-hoi."

"Nay, friend. Not such things as thou hast seen--such as the sun at
midnight, of which thou hast told me, and which had any man but thou
said it, I would have cried 'Liar!'"

Marsh laughed--"Yet 'tis true, old Kala-hoi. I have seen the sun at
midnight, many, many times."

"Aye. Thou sayest, and I believe. Now, let me uncover my oven so that we
may eat. 'Tis a fine fat mullet."

After we had eaten, the kindly old man brought us a bowl of water in
which to lave our hands, and then a spotless white towel, for he had
associated much with Europeans i