gerish
grin. "Yes, he was afraid. I would have shot him; but I did not because
he was with you. What is your name, white man?"

I told him.

"Ah, I have heard of you. You were with Kapitan Ebba (Captain Ever) in
the _Leota?_"

He filled his pipe, lit it, and then extended his hand to me for the
halt-plucked bird, and said he would finish it Then he looked at me
inquiringly.

"You have the shaking sickness of the western islands. It is not good
for you to lie here on the leaves. Come with me. I shall give you good
food to eat, and coco-nut toddy to drink."

I asked him where he got his toddy from, as there were no coco-nut trees
growing so high up in the mountains. He laughed.

"I have a sweetheart in Siumu. She brings it to me. You shall see her
to-night. Come."

Stooping down, he lifted me up on his right shoulder as if I were a
child, and then, with his own rifle and my gun and bag and the mountain
cock tucked under his left arm, he set off at a rapid pace towards one
of the higher spurs of the range. Nearly an hour later I found myself in
a cave, overlooking the sea. On the floor were a number of fine Samoan
mats and a well-carved _aluga_ (bamboo pillow).

I stretched myself out upon the mats, again shivering with ague, and
Te-bari covered me over with a thick _tappa_ cloth. Then he lit a fire
just outside the cave, and came back to me.

"You are hungry," he said, as he expanded his big mouth and grinned
pleasantly. Then from the roof of the cave he took down a basket
containing cold baked pigeons, fish and yams.

I ate greedily and soon after fell asleep. When I awoke it seemed to
be daylight--in reality it was only a little past midnight, but a full
bright moon was shining into the cave. Seated near me were my host and a
young woman--the "sweetheart". I recognised her at once as Sa Laea, the
widow of a man killed in the fighting a few months previously. She was
about five and twenty years of age, very handsome, and quiet in her
demeanour. As far as I knew she had an excellent reputation, and I was
astonished at her consorting with an outlawed murderer. She came over
and shook hands, asked if I felt better, and should she "lomi-lomi"
(massage) me. I thanked her and gladly accepted her offer.

An hour before dawn she bade me good-bye, urging me to remain, and rest
with her earless lover for a day or two, instead of coming on to Siumu,
where there was an outbreak of measles.

"When I come to-morrow nig