merriment, collapsed upon the sofa, and hid her
mirth in its cushions.

"Never mind," said the skipper, "it's not the clo'es that make the man.
Thank God for that, Scarlett. Clo'es can't make a man a bigger rogue
than he is."

"Thank God for this." Scarlett tapped his waist. "I've got here what
will rig you out to look less like a Guy Fawkes. You had your money in
your cabin when the ship struck; mine is in my belt."

"I wondered, when I pulled you ashore," said the Maori girl, "what it
was you had round your waist."

Scarlett looked intently at the girl on the sofa.

"Do you mean _you_ are the girl that saved me? You have metamorphosed
yourself. Do you dress for a new character every day? Does she make a
practice of this sort of thing, Miss Summerhayes--one day, a girl in the
_pa_; the next, a young lady of Timber Town?"

"Amiria is two people in one," replied Rose, "and I have not found out
which of them I like most, and I have known them both for ten years."

"Most interesting," said Captain Sartoris, shambling forward in his
marvellous garb, and taking hold of the Maori girl's hand. "The
privilege of a man old enough to be your father, my dear. I was glad to
meet you on the beach--no one could ha' been gladder--but I'm proud to
meet you in the house of my old friend, Cap'n Summerhayes, and in the
company of this young lady." There could be no doubt that the over-proof
spirit was going to the skipper's head. "But how did you get here, my
dear?"

"I rode," replied Amiria, rising from the sofa. "My horse is on the
drive. Come and see him."

She led the way through the French-window, and linked arms with Rose,
whilst the two strange figures followed like a couple of characters in a
comic opera.

On the drive stood the Pilot, who held Amiria's big bay horse as
if it were some wild animal that might bite. He had passed round the
creature's neck a piece of tarred rope, which he was making fast to the
tethering-post, while he exclaimed, "Whoa, my beauty. Stand still, stand
still. Who's going to hurt you?"

The Maori girl, holding her skirt in one hand, tripped merrily forward
and took the rope from the old seaman's grasp.

"Really, Captain," she said, laughing, "why didn't you tie his legs
together, and then lash him to the post? There, there, Robin." She
patted the horse's neck. "You don't care about eating pilots, or salt
fish, do you, Robin?"

"We'll turn him into the paddock up the hill," said Rose. "D