ed him at that moment was the fact that Captain Bergen
just then reached the cabin, and, instead of stopping within, passed
on beyond.

The conclusion of Storms was natural that he had gone to the upper
part of the island to dig up the pearls; in which case, in his
peculiar mental condition, he would, most likely, lose them all. This
would never do, and the mate excused himself, saying:

"I am a little uneasy respecting the captain, and I will leave you two
here while I look after him."

Fred Sanders saluted him, and told the truth when he said he would
forgive his departure with pleasure; with which the ragged mate went
hurrying after the ragged captain.

"Won't you step on board the proa for a little while?" asked Fred, who
was rather tired of standing on the sand under the palm-trees. "As it
is to be your dwelling-place for a few days, you may like to select
your apartments."

Inez said she would be glad to do so, and Fred uttered some sharp
exclamation, which caused both of the dusky natives to spring to
their feet and hasten to the side of the proa nearest the shore, where
they waited the chance to help her aboard. Inez noticed that the
islanders were muscular, athletic fellows, with such a peculiar
appearance that she could not avoid staring at them for a few seconds.
Each was fully six feet in height--an unusual stature among the South
Sea Islanders--and their breasts, arms and legs were tattooed with
all sorts of figures and representations. Since these portions of
their anatomy were uncovered, the singular ornamentation was very
prominent.

They had the curious tattooing on their cheeks, noses and foreheads,
so that their appearance was repellent. Besides this, their teeth were
black, their noses large and flat, and their mouths wider than there
was any necessity for. Their heads were bare, and, indeed, were
furnished by nature with all the covering they could need. The hair
was very long, but frizzly, so that as it curled up about their ears
and crowns, it formed an immense bushy screen, which gave their heads
prodigious size. Their hands and feet were very large, and it would
have been hard, in short, to discover anything in their looks that
could attract a person toward them. Surveying them dispassionately,
one could not help suspecting they belonged to a tribe of cannibals.

However, Inez did not show any repulsion which she might have felt,
but stepping close to the proa took the extended hand, an