United States or Mauritania ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
It proved as he anticipated, for Wakatta, who must have received a highly flattering account of us from Eiulo, was not satisfied until he had bestowed upon each one of us, Johnny included, similar tokens of his regard, Max rushing forward, with an air of "empressement," and taking the initiative, as he had promised.
"I don't fear that I shall be misunderstood, if I speak plainly," answered Morton, after a pause. "It seems, from what you have intimated, that for some reason they wish to get Eiulo into their hands; they are his own people, and their leader is his own uncle; have we any right to refuse him to them?" "Why, Morton!" interposed Browne, warmly, "what cold-blooded doctrine is this?"
Eiulo thought that this swimming in smooth water was but indifferent sport and began to talk to Arthur with great animation, in his native tongue, about the pleasures of "faahee," or surf-bathing, and the exquisite fun of dodging the "manos," or sharks, among the rollers.
A moment afterwards, Atollo, attended by the messenger, as he appeared to be, plunged into the forest, first giving to the others, who remained upon the shore, some direction, which from the accompanying gesture, appeared to have reference to ourselves. Johnny and Eiulo had already climbed into the Aoa, whither we stood ready to follow, at a moment's notice.
Saying that he would return in a few moments, he walked along the west bank of the brook in the direction of the ridge, followed by Johnny and Eiulo, who seemed as animated and unwearied as ever. Presently they turned a bend in the stream, and we lost sight of them. For lack of more interesting occupation, I began to count the stems of the grove-tree.
He prevailed upon Morton, Browne, and myself to set about digging a "lime-pit" in the gully beside Castle-hill, while he took Eiulo and Johnny with him in the boat, to go in search of a quantity of the sponge-shaped coral, which, he said, was the best adapted to his purpose.
Johnny either re-arranges his "collection," or plays jack straws with Eiulo, or devotes himself to the education of the parrot. As for me, I have hitherto amused myself during the evenings in writing up "the narrative," and occasionally reading portions of it aloud, claiming, however, the privilege of skipping such passages as I think proper.
"Do you remember," said he, when he had finished, "hearing Eiulo, in talking of affairs at Tewa, make mention of a person named Atollo?"
The action accompanying these words must have given Eiulo a clue to their purport, for he hastened eagerly to protest, through Arthur, as interpreter, that the oysters at Tewa were much larger and fatter; he added, "that since we liked them so much, he would have them all `tabooed, as soon as we arrived, so that `common people, wouldn't dare for their lives to touch one."
You will, I presume, enjoy the exercise of so precious a privilege, even with a cocoa-nut breakfast, which you can probably obtain, by requesting Prince Eiulo to scale one of yonder tufted trees." Max's culinary operations being at last completed, Johnny placed a huge shell to his lips, and sounded a long blast by way of announcement that breakfast was ready.
Word Of The Day