day surprised to see Dawson's
boat pulling into the beach, for he had had a visit from his friend only
the previous evening. The moment the boat touched the sand Dawson jumped
out, and Challoner at once saw by the anxious expression on his face
that something was wrong.

He soon learnt Dawson's news, which was bad enough. The _Mocassin_
had run ashore in the night at a place five miles away from Dawson's
village, and it was feared she would become a total wreck unless she
could be lightened and floated over the reef into smooth water. The
captain had sent an urgent message for aid, and in less than half an
hour the two men were on their way to the wreck, accompanied by nearly
every male native in Challoner's village.

Towards sunset on the following day, just as the boats were in sight,
returning from the wreck, Tiaru, the trader's wife, with her one child
and some of her female relatives, were coming from their bathe in
the sea, when they heard screams from the village, and presently some
terrified women fled past them, calling out that Larmer and another
white man and a number of their native allies were carrying away the
brass gun. In an instant the young wife gave the babe to a woman near
her, and darted towards her husband's house. A number of women and
children, encouraged by her presence, ran to alarm the approaching
boats.

In front of the trader's house Larmer and another beachcomber were
directing a score of Kiti natives how to sling the heavy gun between two
stout poles. A sentry stood on guard at the gate of Challoner's fence,
but Tiaru dashed his crossed musket aside, and then sprang into the
midst of her husband's enemies.

"Set down the gun," she panted indignantly, "ye coward men of Roan Kiti,
and ye white men thieves, who only dare to come and steal when there are
but women to meet and fight with thee."

Larmer laughed.

"Get out o' this, you meddling fool," he said in English, and then,
calling to the natives to hasten ere it grew dark, he took no further
notice of the woman before him. Then, as they prepared to raise their
burden by a united effort upon their naked shoulders, Tiaru sprang
into the house and quickly reappeared with a heavy knife in her hand.
Twisting her lithe body from the grasp of one of the beachcombers, with
flaming eyes she burst in amongst the gun carriers and began slashing at
the strips of green bark with which the cannon was lashed to the poles.

"Curse you!" said Lar