your ------ arm out of the
socket," he said, with an oath, and turning on his heel he went off with
his following of bucks. All of them were armed with rifles and the long
beheading knives called _Nifa oti_ (death-knife), and as we three had
nothing but our fists we should have had a bad time had they attacked
us, for we were in an unfrequented part of the beach and would have been
half murdered before assistance came. But in Samoa in those days street
brawls were common.

"The next time you _do_ meet him," said Hamilton as we resumed our walk,
"don't give him a chance. Drill a hole through him as soon as he gets
within ten paces, and then clear out of Samoa as quick as you can."

* * * * *

Quite a month after this I had to visit the little port of Asaua on
the Island of Savaii; and as I was aware that "Flash Harry" was in the
vicinity of the place on a _malaga_, or pleasure trip, I kept a sharp
lookout for him, and always carried with me in my jumper pocket a small
but heavy Derringer, the bullet of which was as big as that of a Snider
rifle. I did not want to have my arm pulled out of the socket, and knew
that "Flash Harry," being twice my weight almost, would give me a sad
time if he could once get within hitting distance of me, for like most
men-of-war's men he was very smart with his hands, and I was but a
stripling--not yet twenty.

I had come to Asaua with a load of timber to be used in the construction
of a church for the French Mission, and in the evening went to the
resident priest to obtain a receipt for delivery. As he could not
speak English and I could not speak French we had to struggle along in
Samoan--to our mutual amusement. However, we got along very well, and I
was about to accept his hospitable offer to remain and have sapper with
him when a young chief whom I knew, named Ulofanua ("Top of a High
Tree") came in hurriedly and told us that "Flash Harry" and ten or
fifteen young men, all more or less drunk, were coming to the village
that night with the avowed intention of boarding the cutter under the
pretence of trading, seizing all the liquor and giving me a father of a
beating--the latter to avenge the insult of a month before.

Laughingly telling the priest that under the circumstances discretion
was the better part of valour, I bade him goodbye, walked down to my
boat, which was lying on the beach, and with two native sailors pulling,
we started for the cutter, a mile away. The night was be