By Reef and Palm | Page 7

it is gone now."
"Even so," said Letia, smelling the gaudy label on the tin of salmon in
the anticipative ecstasy of a true Polynesian, "PE SE MEA
FA'AGOTOIMOANA (like a thing buried deep in ocean). May God
send me a white man as generous as thee--a whole tin of SAMANI for
nothing! Now do I know that Nalia will bear thee a son."
* * * * *
And that is why Challis the Doubter has never turned up again.

"'TIS IN THE BLOOD"

We were in Manton's Hotel at Levuka-Levuka in her palmy days. There
were Robertson, of the barque ROLUMAH; a fat German planter from
the Yasawa Group; Harry the Canadian, a trader from the Tokelaus,
and myself.
Presently a knock came to the door, and Allan, the boatswain of our
brig, stood hat in hand before us. He was a stalwart half-caste of
Manhiki, and, perhaps, the greatest MANAIA (Lothario) from Ponape
to Fiji.
"Captain say to come aboard, please. He at the Consul's for papers--he
meet you at boat," and Allan left.
"By shingo, dot's a big fellow," said Planter Oppermann.

"Ay," said Robertson, the trading skipper, "and a good man with his
mauleys, too. He's the champion knocker-out in Samoa, and is a match
for any Englishman in Polynesia, let alone foreigners"--with a sour
glance at the German.
"Well, good-bye all," I said. "I'm sorry, Oppermann, I can't stay for
another day for your wedding, but our skipper isn't to be got at
anyhow."
The trading captain and Harry walked with me part of the way, and
then began the usual Fiji GUP.
"Just fancy that fat-headed Dutchman going all the way to Samoa and
picking on a young girl and sending her to the Sisters to get educated
properly! As if any old beach-girl isn't good enough for a blessed
Dutchman. Have you seen her?"
"No," I said; "Oppermann showed me her photo. Pretty girl. Says she's
been three years with the Sisters in Samoa, and has got all the virtues of
her white father, and none of the vices of her Samoan mammy. Told me
he's spent over two thousand dollars on her already."
Robertson smiled grimly. "Ay, I don't doubt it. He's been all round
Levuka cracking her up. I brought her here last week, and the
Dutchman's been in a chronic state of silly ever since. She's an
almighty fine girl. She's staying with the Sisters here till the marriage.
By the Lord, here she is now coming along the street! Bet a dollar she's
been round Vagadace way, where there are some fast Samoan women
living. 'Tis in the blood, I tell you."
The future possessor of the Oppermann body and estate WAS a pretty
girl. Only those who have seen fair young Polynesian
half-castes--before they get married, and grow coarse, and drink beer,
and smoke like a factory chimney--know how pretty.
Our boat was at the wharf, and just as we stood talking Allan sauntered
up and asked me for a dollar to get a bottle of gin. Just then the
German's FIANCEE reached us. Robertson introduced Harry and

myself to her, and then said good-bye. She stood there in the broiling
Fijian sun with a dainty sunshade over her face, looking so lovely and
cool in her spotless muslin dress, and withal so innocent, that I no
longer wondered at the Dutchman's "chronic state of silly."
Allan the Stalwart stood by waiting for his dollar. The girl laughed
joyously when Harry the Canadian said he would be at the wedding and
have a high time, and held out her soft little hand as he bade her adieu
and strolled off for another drink.
The moment Harry had gone Allan was a new man. Pulling off his
straw hat, he saluted her in Samoan, and then opened fire.
"There are many TEINE LALELEI (beautiful girls) in the world, but
there is none so beautiful as thou. Only truth do I speak, for I have been
to all countries of the world. Ask him who is here--our supercargo--if I
lie. O maid with the teeth of pearl and face like FETUAO (the morning
star), my stomach is drying up with the fire of love."
The sunshade came a little lower, and the fingers played nervously with
the ivory handle. I leant against a coconut tree and listened.
"Thy name is Vaega. See that! How do I know? Aha, how do I?
Because, for two years or more, whenever I passed by the stone wall of
the Sisters' dwelling in Matafele, I climbed up and watched thee, O Star
of the Morning, and I heard the other girls call thee Vaega. Oho! and
some night I meant to steal thee away."
(The rascal! He told me two days afterwards that