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"He would make just the same effort to save the plain John Smiths as he would to save the princes of the world." "Pooh!" said Velo, sneering. "I guess not! Why should he? He knows a thing or two and you will find it out some day. Why, nobody does anything for anybody unless they get paid for it somehow or other!"
Velo mumbled his name, a deadly fear growing in him. He was a coward and the thought of bloodshed filled him with a cold, deadly terror. He regarded the Lieutenant with staring eyes. His teeth chattered. The young officer smiled. He called two soldiers. "Take this man to the South Barracks," he said coldly. "Under guard," he added significantly. He knew men.
Here, in full view of those on board the brig, they drew the boat up on the beach, leaving the two native sailors in charge, and then struck off into the palm grove, walking steadily on till they reached the centre of the island. "Let us wait here, Velo," said the officer; "this is the place where a messenger from Mrs. Tracey is to meet us."
Zaidos looked up at the face, white with cowardice. "Come here!" said Zaidos. Still kneeling he pointed a small but business looking revolver at his cousin's heart. "Come here!" he ordered. Velo obeyed, the look on his face changing from white terror to black hate. Zaidos saw the look, and read it with unconcern. "Come here, Velo!" He held Velo's shifty eyes. "You get to work here.
A new shift goes into the field in ten minutes, and we go back to the rear to one of the farm-houses there to rest until ten to-morrow. Come on, let's start." "To-morrow, then," whispered Velo to the Evil in his soul. The boys walked slowly back, picking their way as well as they could in the darkness, occasionally taking to the zig-zag trenches when the surface paths were too obscure.
"Honestly, the more I think of it, the madder I get!" "You stop your nonsense!" said Velo suddenly over his shoulder. His voice took on a whine. "What makes you act so, Zaidos?
Perhaps I had better tell you all about everything, now you have sort of adopted me." "Not if you think best not to," said Helen; "but of course I would love to know all about you." "And I had better tell you," said Zaidos. "You see, I have no relatives at all except Velo, and we aren't too sure of him yet, are we?"
All at once he knew how deeply and utterly his cousin hated him. He knew as well as if Velo had shouted it aloud that he meant to be the instrument of his death in some way or other, sooner or later. And Zaidos, filled with the frenzy of the battle, did not care. He was not afraid of Velo. He put him aside as though he was something that might be attended to later.
And some sure instinct in his heart cried, "Beware, beware!" When the dying Count handed the thin packet of precious papers to his son, Zaidos slipped them in the inner pocket of his blouse. At that moment Velo approached the bedside. "Uncle," he said, "unfortunately my cousin here has been impressed into service. Would it not be well for me to keep these papers?
Then he began again. "Parri, I would like to tell thee of a little thing which is in my mind." "All right, Velo, go ahead," said Barry in English, as he sat up and filled his pipe; "what is the 'little thing'?" "Only that I desire the girl Paní for my wife." "That will be all right, Velo," said Barry lazily; "but why marry a woman of this wild place when there are better in Samoa?"
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