in the centre and
watched them carefully, speaking every now and then to the child, who
seemed scarcely to heed, as she gazed at Senior's long, yellow beard,
and his bright, blue eyes set in his honest, sun-tanned face. Then, when
the fish were cooked, Suka turned them out of their coverings and placed
them on broad, freshly plucked _puka_ leaves, and Senior brought the
hard ship biscuits, and, putting one beside a fish, brought it to the
child and bade her eat.

She put out her left hand timidly, and took it from him, her strange
eyes still fixed wonderingly upon his face. Then she looked at Suka, and
Suka, with an apologetic cough, placed one hand over his eyes and bent
his head--for he was a deacon, and to eat food without giving thanks
would be a terrible thing to do, at least in the presence of white men,
who, of course, never neglected to do so.

The child, hungry as she must have been, ate her food with a dainty
grace, though she had but one hand to use, and our little attentions to
her every now and then seemed at first to increase her natural shyness
and timidity. But when the rude meal was finished, and my companion and
myself filled our pipes and sat in the front of the cave, she came with
Suka and nestled up against his burly figure as he rolled a cigarette of
strong, black tobacco in dried banana leaf. The rain had ceased, but the
fronds of the coco-palms along the lonely shore swayed and beat together
with the wind, which still blew strongly, though the sun was now shining
brightly upon the white horses of the heaving sea.

For nearly half an hour we sat thus, watching the roll and curl of
the tumbling seas upon the reef and the swift flight of a flock of
savage-eyed frigate birds which swept to and fro, now high in air,
now low down, with wing touching wave, in search of their prey, and
listening to the song of the wind among the trees. Then Suka, without
speaking, smiled, and pointed to the girl. She had pillowed her head
upon his naked bosom and closed her long-lashed eyes in slumber.

"She will sleep long," he said. "Will it vex thee if I stay here with
her till she awakens? See, the sky is clear and the rain hath ceased,
and ye need but walk along the beach till----"

"We will wait, Suka," I answered; "we will wait till she awakens, and
then return to the village together. How comes it that one so young and
tender is left to wander about alone?"

Suka pressed his lips to the forehead of the slee