long, was very sharp. Walker chuckled softly.

"The devil, the impudent devil."

He had no doubt it was Manuma who had flung the knife. He had escaped
death by three inches. He was not angry. On the contrary, he was in high
spirits; the adventure exhilarated him, and when they got back to the
house, calling for drinks, he rubbed his hands gleefully.

"I'll make them pay for this!"

His little eyes twinkled. He blew himself out like a turkey-cock, and
for the second time within half an hour insisted on telling Mackintosh
every detail of the affair. Then he asked him to play piquet, and while
they played he boasted of his intentions. Mackintosh listened with
tightened lips.

"But why should you grind them down like this?" he asked. "Twenty pounds
is precious little for the work you want them to do."

"They ought to be precious thankful I give them anything."

"Hang it all, it's not your own money. The government allots you a
reasonable sum. They won't complain if you spend it."

"They're a bunch of fools at Apia."

Mackintosh saw that Walker's motive was merely vanity. He shrugged his
shoulders.

"It won't do you much good to score off the fellows at Apia at the cost
of your life."

"Bless you, they wouldn't hurt me, these people. They couldn't do
without me. They worship me. Manuma is a fool. He only threw that knife
to frighten me."

The next day Walker rode over again to the village. It was called
Matautu. He did not get off his horse. When he reached the chief's
house he saw that the men were sitting round the floor in a circle,
talking, and he guessed they were discussing again the question of the
road. The Samoan huts are formed in this way: Trunks of slender trees
are placed in a circle at intervals of perhaps five or six feet; a tall
tree is set in the middle and from this downwards slopes the thatched
roof. Venetian blinds of coconut leaves can be pulled down at night or
when it is raining. Ordinarily the hut is open all round so that the
breeze can blow through freely. Walker rode to the edge of the hut and
called out to the chief.

"Oh, there, Tangatu, your son left his knife in a tree last night. I
have brought it back to you."

He flung it down on the ground in the midst of the circle, and with a
low burst of laughter ambled off.

On Monday he went out to see if they had started work. There was no sign
of it. He rode through the village. The inhabitants were about their
ordinary avocation