The Methodical Mr. Burr of Majuro | Page 2

fat cross-bred Muscovy ducks. The bride accepted them with a smile.
'Who is this?' she asked, 'looking at the portrait your white wife?'
'No,' replied the bashful Charles, 'another man's. That's why I gave it away, curse her. But the ducks I bred myself on Majuru.'
A month or two passed. Then, on one Sunday afternoon, about dusk, I saw Ned's whale-boat coming over across the lagoon. I met him on the beach. Trouble was in his face, yet his hard, impassive features were such that only those who knew him well could discover it. Instead of entering the house he silently motioned me to come further along the sand, where we reached an open spot clear of coconuts. Ned sat down and filled his pipe. I waited patiently. The wind had died away, and the soft swish and swirl of the tide as the ripples lapped the beach was the only sound that broke upon the silence of the night.
'You were right. But it doesn't matter now..... He laughed softly. 'A week ago a canoe-party arrived from Ebon. There were two chiefs. Of course they came to my house to trade. They had plenty of money. There were about a hundred natives belonging to them. The younger man was chief of Likieb--a flash buck. The first day he saw Le-jennabon he had a lot too much to say to her. I watched him. Next morning my toddy-cutter came and told me that the flash young chief from Likieb had stuck him up and drunk my toddy, and had said something about my wife--you know how they talk in parables when they mean mischief I would have shot him for the toddyracket, but I was waitin' for a better reason.... The old hag who bosses my cook-shed said to me as she passed, "Go and listen to a song of cunning over there" pointing to a clump of bread-fruit trees. I walked over quietly. Le-jennabon and her girls were sitting down on mats. Outside the fence was a lad singing this-in a low voice:
"Marriage hides the tricks of lovers,"
Le-jennabon and the girls bent their heads and said nothing. Then the devil's imp commenced again:
"Marriage hides the tricks of lovers,"
Some of the girls laughed and whispered to Le-ennabon. She shook her head, and looked around timorously. Plain enough, wasn't it? Presently the boy crept up to the fence, and dropped over a wreath of yellow blossoms. The girls laughed. One of them picked it up, and offered it to Le-jennabon. She waved it away. Then, again, the cub outside sang softly:
"Marriage hides the tricks of lovers,"
and they all laughed again, and Le-jennabon put the wreath on her head, and I saw the brown hide of the boy disappear among the trees.
'I went back to the house. I wanted to make certain she would follow the boy first. After a few minutes some of Le-jennabon's women came to me, and said they were going to the weather side--it'snarrer across, as you know--to pick flowers. I said all right,to go, as I was going to do something else, so couldn't come. Then I went to the trade-room and got what I wanted. The old cook-hag showed me the way they had gone, and grinned when she saw what I had slid down inside my pyjamas. I cut round and got to the place. I had aright good idea where it was.
'The girls soon came along the path, and then stopped and talked to Le-jennabon and pointed to a clump of bread-fruit trees standing in an arrowroot-patch. She seemed frightened--but went. Half-way through she stopped, and then I saw my beauty raise his head from the ground and march over to her. I jest giv' him time ter enjoy a smile, and then I stepped out and toppled him over. Right through his carcase--them Sharp's rifles make a hole you could put your fist into.
'The girl dropped too--sheer funk. Old Lebauro, the cook, slid through the trees and stood over him, and said, "U, guk' He's a fine-made man," and gave me her knife; and then I collared Le-jennabon and--
'For God's sake, Ned, don't tell me you killed her too!' He shook his head slowly.
'No, I couldn't hurt her. But I held her with one hand, she feeling dead and cold, like a wet deck-swab; then the old cook-woman undid my flash man's long hair, and, twining her skinny old claws init, pulled it taut, while I sawed at the chap's neck with my right hand. The knife was heavy and sharp, and I soon got the job through. Then I gave the thing to Le-jennabon to carry.
'I made her walk in front of me. Every time she dropped the head I slewed her round and made her lift it up again. And the old cook-devil trotted