of the war-club when it strikes. The
bones of Beaten to Death were fishhooks before we knew of his death.
All Taaoa was angry. The family of Beaten to Death demanded vengeance.
The priest went into the High Place, and when he came out he ran all
day up and down the valley, until he fell foaming. War was the cry
of the gods, war against Atuona.

"But there was too much peace between us, too many men with Atuona
women, too many Atuona children adopted by Taaoa women. The peace
was happy, and there was no great warrior to urge."

"You had brave men and strong men then," I said, with a sigh for the
things I had missed by coming late.

"_Tuitui!_ You put weeds in my mouth!" exclaimed Kahuiti. "I cannot
talk with your words. _Ue te etau!_ By the great god of the dead! I
am born before the French beached a canoe in the Marquesas. Our gods
were gods then, but they turned to wood and stone when the tree-guns
of the _Farani_ roared and threw iron balls and fire into our valleys.
The Christian god was greater than our gods, and a bigger killer of
men."

"But Beaten to Death--?" I urged.

"Beaten to Death was in the stomachs of the men of Atuona, and they
laughed at us. Our High Priest said that the _Euututuki_, the most
private god of the priests, commanded us to avenge the eating of
Beaten to Death. But the season of preserving the _mei_ in pits was
upon us. Also the women of Atuona among us said that there should be
peace, and the women of Taaoa who had taken as their own many
children from Atuona. Therefore we begged the most high gods to
excuse us."

"Women had much power then," I said.

Kahuiti chuckled.

"The French god and the priests of the _Farani_ have taken it from
them," he commented. "I have known the day when women ruled. She had
her husbands,--two, four, five. She commanded. She would send two to
the fishing, one to gathering cocoanuts or wood, one she would keep
to amuse her. They came and went as she said. That was _mea pe_!
Sickening! _Pee!_ There are not enough men to make a woman happy.
Many brave men have died to please their woman, but--" He blew out
his breath in contempt.

Strong in Battle said aside, in French:

"He was never second in the house. Kahauiti despised such men. He
was first always."

"So the slaying of Beaten to Death was unavenged?" I asked.

"_Epo!_ Do not drink the cocoanut till you have descended the tree!
I have said the warriors were withheld by the women, and there was