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Updated: May 4, 2025
The girl was a beauty. There are many like her in that far-away cluster of coral atolls. That she was a chief's child it was easy to see; the abject manner in which the commoner natives always behaved themselves in her presence showed their respect for Le-jennabon. Of course we all got very jolly. There were half a dozen of us traders there, and we were, for a wonder, all on friendly terms.
"'Marriage hides the tricks of lovers. "Le-jennabon and the girls bent their heads and said nothing. Then the devil's imp commenced again "'Marriage hides the tricks of lovers. "Some of the girls laughed and whispered to Le-jennabon. She shook her head, and looked around timorously. Plain enough, wasn't it? Presently the boy creeps up to the fence, and drops over a wreath of yellow blossoms.
Le-jennabon sat on a fine mat in the big room, and in a sweetly dignified manner received the wedding-gifts. One of our number, Charlie de Buis, though in a state of chronic poverty, induced by steadfast adherence to square gin at five dollars a case, made his offerings a gold locket covering a woman's miniature, a heavy gold ring, and a pair of fat, cross-bred Muscovy ducks.
"I'll come now," and we went into the big room and sat down. "Air ye game ter come and see me get married?" he asked, looking away past me, through the open door, to where the surf thundered and tumbled on the outer reef. "Ned," I said solemnly, "I know you don't joke, so you must mean it. Of course I will. Who's the girl, Ned?" "Le-jennabon." "Whew!"
The girls laughed. One of them picked it up, and offered it to Le-jennabon. She waved it away. Then, again, the cub outside sang softly "'Marriage hides the tricks of lovers, "and they all laughed again, and Le-jennabon put the wreath on her head, and I saw the brown hide of the boy disappear among the trees." I went back to the house. I wanted to make certain she would follow the boy first.
I would have shot him for the toddy racket, but I was waitin' for a better reason.... The old hag who bosses my cook-shed said to me as she passed, 'Go and listen to a song of cunning over there' pointing to a clump of bread-fruit trees. I walked over quietly. Le-jennabon and her girls were sitting down on mats. Outside the fence was a lad singing this in a low voice
"No, I couldn't hurt HER. But I held her with one hand, she feeling dead and cold, like a wet deck-swab; then the old cook-woman undid my flash man's long hair, and, twining her skinny old claws in it, pulled it taut, while I sawed at the chap's neck with my right hand. The knife was heavy and sharp, and I soon got the job through. Then I gave the thing to Le-jennabon to carry.
The old cook-hag showed me the way they had gone, and grinned when she saw what I had slid down inside my pyjamas. I cut round and got to the place. I had a right good idea where it was. "The girls soon came along the path, and then stopped and talked to Le-jennabon and pointed to a clump of bread-fruit trees standing in an arrow-root patch. She seemed frightened but went.
Old Lebauro, the cook, slid through the trees and stood over him, and said, 'U, GUK! He's a fine-made man, and gave me her knife; and then I collared Le-jennabon, and " "For God's sake, Ned, don't tell me you killed her too!" He shook his head slowly.
There were about a hundred natives belonging to them. The younger man was chief of Likieb a flash buck. The first day he saw Le-jennabon he had a lot too much to say to her. I watched him.
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