knew that it was
useless to argue with a man when his mind was made up, for it only
increased his stubbornness, and she held her peace. And now on the
shabby schooner, threading her way across the silent sea, among those
lovely islands, was enacted a dark, tense drama of which the fat little
captain remained entirely ignorant. The girl's resistance fired Bananas
so that he ceased to be a man, but was simply blind desire. He did not
make love to her gently or gaily, but with a black and savage ferocity.
Her contempt now was changed to hatred and when he besought her she
answered him with bitter, angry taunts. But the struggle went on
silently, and when the captain asked her after a little while whether
Bananas was bothering her, she lied.

But one night, when they were in Honolulu, he came on board only just in
time. They were sailing at dawn. Bananas had been ashore, drinking some
native spirit, and he was drunk. The captain, rowing up, heard sounds
that surprised him. He scrambled up the ladder. He saw Bananas, beside
himself, trying to wrench open the cabin door. He was shouting at the
girl. He swore he would kill her if she did not let him in.

"What in hell are you up to?" cried Butler.

The mate let go the handle, gave the captain a look of savage hate, and
without a word turned away.

"Stop here. What are you doing with that door?"

The mate still did not answer. He looked at him with sullen, bootless
rage.

"I'll teach you not to pull any of your queer stuff with me, you dirty,
cross-eyed nigger," said the captain.

He was a good foot shorter than the mate and no match for him, but he
was used to dealing with native crews, and he had his knuckle-duster
handy. Perhaps it was not an instrument that a gentleman would use, but
then Captain Butler was not a gentleman. Nor was he in the habit of
dealing with gentlemen. Before Bananas knew what the captain was at, his
right arm had shot out and his fist, with its ring of steel, caught him
fair and square on the jaw. He fell like a bull under the pole-axe.

"That'll learn him," said the captain.

Bananas did not stir. The girl unlocked the cabin door and came out.

"Is he dead?"

"He ain't."

He called a couple of men and told them to carry the mate to his bunk.
He rubbed his hands with satisfaction and his round blue eyes gleamed
behind his spectacles. But the girl was strangely silent. She put her
arms round him as though to protect him from invisible h