he madness of
play was upon them. The sad placidity of every day was gone; as in
the throes of the dance they kept their gleaming eyes upon the
fluctuations of fortune before them. Twice I spoke sharply before
they heard me, and then in a frenzy of supplication Apporo threw
herself upon me.

Would I not give her matches--the packets of matches that were under
the Golden Bed? She and her husband, Great Fern, had spent but an
hour in the magic circle ere they were denuded of their every match.
Couriers were even now scouring the valley for more matches. Quick,
hasten! Even now it might be that the packets under the Golden Bed
were gone!

"Surely, then, come," I said, struck by an incredible possibility.
Could it be that the crafty O Lalala--absurd! But Apporo, hurrying
before me down the lantern-lighted trail, confirmed my suspicions.

O Lalala had stated and put into effect the prohibition of any other
stakes other than the innocent matches--mere counters--which he had
mentioned to the governor. But swift messengers had heralded
throughout the valley that there would be gambling--authorized
_par gouvernement_--in Lam Kai Go's plantation, and already the
cards had been shuffled for seven or eight hours. Throughout all
Atuona matches had been given an extraordinary and superlative value.
To the farthest huts on the rim of the valley the cry was "Matches!"
And as fast as they arrived, O Lalala won them.

We hastened into my cabin, and Apporo was beneath the Golden Bed ere
the rays of my lantern fell upon the floor. The packets had
disappeared.

"Exploding Eggs!" cried Apporo, her dark eyes tolling in rage.

"But--he is honest," I objected.

In such a crisis, she muttered, all standards were naught. Exploding
Eggs had been one of the first squatters at the sugar-cane mat.
"The Bishop himself would trade the holy-water fonts for matches,
were he as thirsty to play as I am!"

There were no more matches in the valleys of Atuona or Taka-Uka, she
said. Every dealer had sold out. Every house had been invaded. The
losers had begged, borrowed, or given articles of great value for
matches. The accursed Tahitian had them all but a few now being waged.
Defeated players were even now racing over the mountains in the
darkness, ransacking each hut for more.

The reputation of Hiva-oa, of the island itself, was at stake. A
foreigner had dishonored their people, or would if they did not win
back what he had gained from them. Sh