arsh men. I worked very hard on little food. It was for that I had
to steal. And I am but one man from Anuda, and there are four hundred
others from many islands--black-skinned, man-eating, woolly-haired
pigs from the Solomon and New Hebrides, and fierce fellows like these
Tafito{**} men from the Gilbert Islands such as I now see here on this
ship. No one of them can speak my tongue of Anuda. And now I am a free
man."

* Anuda or Cherry Island is an outlier of the Santa Cruz
Group, in the South Pacific. The natives are more of the
Polynesian than the Melanesian type, and are a fine,
stalwart race.

** Tafitos--natives of the Pacific Equatorial Islands such
as the Gilbert Group.

"You are a plucky fellow," said the captain, "and deserve good luck.
Here, take this dollar, and tie it up in the corner of your waistcloth.
You can buy yourself some tobacco from the white trader at Salelelogo."

"Ah, yes, indeed. But" (and here he dropped into Samoan again, and
turned to me) "I would that the good captain would take me as a sailor
for his next voyage. I was for five years with Captain Macleod of
Noumea. And I am a good man--honest, and no boaster."

I shook my head. "It cannot be. From Mulifanua we go to Apia And there
will be news there of what thou hast done yesterday, and we cannot hide
a man on this small ship." And then I asked the captain what he thought
of the request.

"We ought to try and work it," said the skipper. "If he was five years
with Jock Macleod he's all right."

We questioned him further, and he satisfied us as to his _bona-fides_,
giving us the names of many men--captains and traders--known to us
intimately.

"Vanaki," I said, "this is what may be done, but you must be quick, for
presently we shall be close to the passage off Saleleloga, and must
go about When you land, go to Miti-loa the chief, and talk to
him privately. There is bad blood between his people and those of
Mulifanua----"

"I know it It has been so for two years past."

"Now, listen. Miti-loa and the captain here and I are good friends. Tell
him that you have seen us. Hide nothing from him of yesterday. He is a
strong man."

"I know it Who does not, in this part of Samoa know of Miti-loa?" {*}

"That is true. And Miti knows us two _papalagi_{**} well. Stay with
him, work for him, and do all that he may ask. He will ask but
little--perhaps nothing. In twenty days from now, this ship will be at
Ap