iendly," she said with the fearless candor of a child. "Squeeze me
again. I like it!"

The next moment she snatched her hand away from him; the sense of his
danger had suddenly forced itself on her mind. "If my father sees you,"
she said, "he will light the signal fire at the Temple, and the people
from the other island will come here and put you to death. Where is
your canoe? No! It is daylight. My father may see you on the water."
She considered a little, and, approaching him, laid her hands on his
shoulders. "Stay here till nightfall," she resumed. "My father never
comes this way. The sight of the place where my mother died is
horrible to him. You are safe here. Promise to stay where you are till
night-time."

The Captain gave his promise.

Freed from anxiety so far, the girl's mobile temperament recovered
its native cheerfulness, its sweet gayety and spirit. She admired the
beautiful stranger as she might have admired a new bird that had flown
to her to be fondled with the rest. She patted his fair white skin, and
wished she had a skin like it. She lifted the great glossy folds of her
long black hair, and compared it with the Captain's bright curly locks,
and longed to change colors with him from the bottom of her heart. His
dress was a wonder to her; his watch was a new revelation. She rested
her head on his shoulder to listen delightedly to the ticking, as he
held the watch to her ear. Her fragrant breath played on his face, her
warm, supple figure rested against him softly. The Captain's arm stole
round her waist, and the Captain's lips gently touched her cheek. She
lifted her head with a look of pleased surprise. "Thank you," said the
child of Nature, simply. "Kiss me again; I like it. May I kiss you?"
The tame turtle-dove perched on her shoulder as she gave the Captain her
first kiss, and diverted her thoughts to the pets that she had left, in
pursuit of the truant dove. "Come," she said, "and see my birds. I keep
them on this side of the forest. There is no danger, so long as you
don't show yourself on the other side. My name is Aimata. Aimata will
take care of you. Oh, what a beautiful white neck you have!" She put her
arm admiringly round his neck. The Captain's arm held her tenderly to
him. Slowly the two descended the cliff, and were lost in the leafy
solitudes of the forest. And the tame dove fluttered before them, a
winged messenger of love, cooing to his mate.

VI.

THE night had come, and the Cap