lace maniap's, eager as
a boy's; his voice sounding abroad shrill and jubilant, over half the
compound. War is what he wants, and here was his chance. The English
captain, when he flung his arms in the lagoon, had forbidden him (except
in one case) all military adventures in the future: here was the case
arrived. All morning the council sat; men were drilled, arms were
bought, the sound of firing disturbed the afternoon; the king devised
and communicated to me his plan of campaign, which was highly elaborate
and ingenious, but perhaps a trifle fine-spun for the rough and random
vicissitudes of war. And in all this bustle the temper of the people
appeared excellent, an unwonted animation in every face, and even Uncle
Parker burning with military zeal.

Of course it was a false alarm. Tebureimoa had other fish to fry. The
ambassador who accompanied us on our return to Butaritari found him
retired to a small island on the reef, in a huff with the Old Men, a
tiff with the traders, and more fear of insurrection at home than
appetite for wars abroad. The plenipotentiary had been placed under my
protection; and we solemnly saluted when we met. He proved an excellent
fisherman, and caught bonito over the ship's side. He pulled a good oar,
and made himself useful for a whole fiery afternoon, towing the becalmed
_Equator_ off Mariki. He went to his post and did no good. He returned
home again, having done no harm. _O si sic omnes!_

CHAPTER VI

THE KING OF APEMAMA: DEVIL-WORK

The ocean beach of Apemama was our daily resort. The coast is broken by
shallow bays. The reef is detached, elevated, and includes a lagoon
about knee-deep, the unrestful spending-basin of the surf. The beach is
now of fine sand, now of broken coral. The trend of the coast being
convex, scarce a quarter of a mile of it is to be seen at once; the land
being so low, the horizon appears within a stone-cast; and the narrow
prospect enhances the sense of privacy. Man avoids the place--even his
footprints are uncommon; but a great number of birds hover and pipe
there fishing, and leave crooked tracks upon the sand. Apart from these,
the only sound (and I was going to say the only society) is that of the
breakers on the reef.

On each projection of the coast, the bank of coral clinkers immediately
above the beach has been levelled, and a pillar built, perhaps
breast-high. These are not sepulchral; all the dead being buried on the
inhabited side of th