g
to kill a man yourself; quite another to bear tales behind his back and
have him shot by a third party; and I determined to deal with the fellow
in some method of my own. I told Ah Fu the story, and bade him fetch me
the cook whenever he should find him. I had supposed this would be a
matter of difficulty; and far from that, he came of his own accord: an
act really of desperation, since his life hung by my silence, and the
best he could hope was to be forgotten. Yet he came with an assured
countenance, volunteered no apology or explanation, complained of
injuries received, and pretended he was unable to sit down. I suppose I
am the weakest man God made; I had kicked him in the least vulnerable
part of his big carcase; my foot was bare, and I had not even hurt my
foot. Ah Fu could not control his merriment. On my side, knowing what
must be the nature of his apprehensions, I found in so much impudence a
kind of gallantry, and secretly admired the man. I told him I should say
nothing of his night's adventure to the king; that I should still allow
him, when he had an errand, to come within my tapu-line by day; but if
ever I found him there after the set of the sun I would shoot him on the
spot; and to the proof showed him a revolver. He must have been
incredibly relieved; but he showed no sign of it, took himself off with
his usual dandy nonchalance, and was scarce seen by us again.

These five, then, with the substitution of the steward for the cook,
came and went, and were our only visitors. The circle of the tapu held
at arm's-length the inhabitants of the village. As for "my pamily," they
dwelt like nuns in their enclosure; only once have I met one of them
abroad, and she was the king's sister, and the place in which I found
her (the island infirmary) was very likely privileged. There remains
only the king to be accounted for. He would come strolling over, always
alone, a little before a meal-time, take a chair, and talk and eat with
us like an old family friend. Gilbertine etiquette appears defective on
the point of leave-taking. It may be remembered we had trouble in the
matter with Karaiti; and there was something childish and disconcerting
in Tembinok's abrupt "I want go home now," accompanied by a kind of
ducking rise, and followed by an unadorned retreat. It was the only blot
upon his manners, which were otherwise plain, decent, sensible, and
dignified. He never stayed long nor drank much, and copied our behaviou