Adventure, August 1917 — page 125: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Rotorua Rex the outside. Presently he managed to raise himself on one arm so that he could look out of the port-hole. The schooner was smash- ing along through the tail of the squall, reaching at her best gate. The spume flew thick and his horizon was limited to hills of foam-streaked water with once in a while the glimpse of the tumbling horizon. A hoarse order sounded, followed by the tramp of naked feet as the sailors swung to the sheets. The schooner came up, staggered, pitched wildly and fell off on the new tack. Now he could see the land. The squall was easing. The island rose abruptly from the deep. Unscalable cliffs down which tor- rents streamed like gray beards, silent val- leys of woods in between, high peaks chiseled and gouged by the constant buffet of the trades, arrows of sunlight shot through the wrack of the squall and splin- tered on the crags, the windward side of Hapai. They were on their way to Rapanui and a junction with Toruki while Rotorua thought them speeding out to sea as he leisurely pre- pared to send a force after the rebellious chief. The women thinking their peril ended when it had just begun and he cooped up powerless to aid them. Gp alternately seaward and landward until a bold, serrated headland came into view, sheltering a crescent beach. They were still outside thé lagoon but Loudon saw the reefgate marked by spouting breakers for which they headed up. Soon they were in quieter waters. A group of natives ran down the sand and Loudon heard Henderson shouting to them through his megaphone. A tall man joined them. It was Toruki. Something blocked the port-hole, the descending bulk of the whale-boat from thedavits. It dropped into the water, one native clinging to the fall. In a few minutes he saw it speeding shore- ward with the three Hawks and Henderson in stern and bows, the sun gleaming on their rifles. The schooner was equipped with two dozen Lee-Enfields and there were perhaps half that many pistols of various makes and calibers. Rotorua had twenty rifles against the twenty-four. These were probably those of the deserting guard, Loudon re- flected. And the cartridges were in the lele house, the magazine close to the palace. THE Manawa slashed on, tacked 123 The sergeant had a rifle. His own was there with his shotgun. Miss Hargrave had a shotgun and there were some other weapons on the walls of the commissioner’s office. The odds were even—if he could warn them in time. Bee They were having a powwow on th beach. It broke up with Toruki coming off to the schooner. Bottles were opened and Loudon, crouching by his door, heard snatches of the talk which was translated back and forth by Henderson for the benefit of the rest. The schooner was to sail back after dusk and run into the mouth of a mangrove- hidden creek. Then Toruki’s warriors, sup- plemented by the white men, would burst upon the settlement. The magazine would be captured first and resistance limited to the few rounds on hand. Rotorua was to be killed and Toruki announced as king. The white men were to have the money and the loot of the bungalow. A dispute started over the fate of the women. Toruki was adamant. They were to come to him. They had mocked at him in the sight of his followers. It was neces- sary for him to deal with them as he would. “T’ll no stand for it,” said Henderson after he had interpreted. “Men, ye dinna ken what it means. Toruki ’ll have his will of them and then it’s the ovens for what’s left of them, dead or alive. I’ll no be having that on my conscience. If ye knew what I know——”’ | “Then throw your cursed conscience overboard,” said Edler. ‘‘We don’t want the women. There’s only two of them and one of them too old and tough for even Toruki. They’ll be a nuisance and cause trouble. Let Toruki handle them and give him the dude in the cabin into the bargain.” “Tis worse than murder and I'll not stand for it.” “Time enough to settle that,” broke in Brewster. ‘“‘Ask Toruki if any of his men can shoot and what other arms they have.” The consultation ended by the boat re- turning to the shore, two cases of liquor piled in the stern. Soon the bottles were passing. Toruki’s men had been cooking and an oven was opened. The shadows of the shore palms crept down the beach and the men, white and natives, both, relaxed and appeared to sleep.. - Loudon lay down and summoned every faculty to consider the problem. That cComiclsoo © 5}