m in the thick jungle, where they
imagined he might have strayed and lost himself.

"So that is why these people here have acted so strangely, Mr. Sherry,"
she concluded. "It would be terrible for them to be all killed, and the
village burnt. For the Germans are very cruel. I have seen them do very,
very cruel things."

"I think the Utiroa people have done right. The German brought his
death on himself. But I fear that the secret must come out some day. The
Taritai people will surely suspect something."

"No. No one of the Taritai people will ever know. By this time to-morrow
they will all say that he has been drowned when crossing one of those
narrow channels between the islands on the weather side, for there are
many deep pools, and the coral sometimes breaks under the pressure of a
man's foot. And so they will think he has fallen in one of those pools,
and his body carried out to sea, or into the lagoon, and eaten by the
sharks."

Her emphatic manner reassured me.

"Well, it is a bad business, Niabon; but it cannot be helped. But I
shall get away from here as soon as possible."

"I am glad. And Simi, there is yet one other thing of which I have not
yet spoken. It is of Lucia."

She always called Mrs. Krause by her Christian name, as did the natives
generally.

"What of her?"

"She desires greatly to come with us in the boat. And I pray thee to be
kind to her, else will she die here of loneliness and terror."

CHAPTER VI

This was a pretty astonishing request, and for a few seconds I gazed
blankly at the girl.

"Good Heavens!" I said, "she must be mad to think of such a thing! And
I should be as equally mad to even entertain the idea of taking her with
me in a small boat on a voyage of more than a thousand miles."

"Nay, she is not mad, Simi. And she hath set her heart on this. It would
be cruel to leave her to die."

"And to take her away would be still more cruel," I cried. "Such a long,
long voyage is a hard and dangerous venture even for strong men--men
who should be both good navigators and good seamen. But a weak, delicate
woman--oh, it's all sheer nonsense, girl."

She put her hand on mine, and the moment I felt her warm touch, my
impatience ceased. I would argue the thing out with her, I thought, and
soon convince her that it would be impossible. Impossible--folly, utter
folly. I must not think of such a thing for a moment. And yet--and
yet--I rose from my seat, walked to the window,