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"Yes," argued Nelwang, "but just there my trouble comes in!" "Do you know the woman you would like to get?" I asked, wishing to bring him to some closer issue. "Yes," replied he very frankly, "I want to marry Yakin, the Chiefs' widow up at the inland village, and that will break no infant betrothals." "But," I persevered, "do you know if she loves you or would take you?"
The day was excessively hot, and the perspiration poured over her face in streams. She, too, sat as near to me as she could get on the women's side of the Church. Nelwang looked at me and then at her, smiling quietly, as if to say, "You never saw, in all your white world, a bride so grandly dressed!" I little thought what I was bringing on myself when I urged them to come to Church.
I replied, "Well, how can I help you?" He quickly answered, "I want to get married, and I need your help." I protested, "Nelwang, you know that marriages here are all made in infancy, by children being bought and betrothed to their future husbands. How can I interfere? You don't want to bring evil on me and my wife and child? It might cost us our lives." "No! no!
But one morning, as I began my work at my house alone, the brave Nelwang appeared at my side! "Hillo!" I said, "where have you come from? and where is Yakin?" "I must not," he replied, "tell you yet. We are hid. We have lived on cocoanuts gathered at night. Yakin is well and happy.
On seeing him hovering so alarmingly near, tomahawk in hand, I saluted him, "Nelwang, do you want to speak to me?" "Yes, Missi," he replied; "if you will help me now, I will be your friend forever." I answered, "I am your friend. That brought me here and keeps me here." "Yes," said he very earnestly, "but I want you to be strong as my friend, and I will be strong for you!"
The result of the deliberations was that Nelwang was to secure the confidence of two friends, his brother and the orator Taia, to place one at each end of the coral rocks above the village as watchmen, to cut down with his American tomahawk a passage through the fence at the back, and to carry off his bride at dead of night into the seclusion and safety of the bush!
"That's exactly what I see, Missi," continued Nelwang; "but I want you just to think you are in my place, and tell me how you would carry her off. You white men can always succeed. Missi, hear my plans, and advise me." With as serious a face as I could command, I had to listen to Nelwang, to enter into his love affair, and to make suggestions, with a view to avoiding bloodshed and other miseries.
They clung by us like our very shadow, partly through fear of attack, partly from affection; but as each of them could handle freely both musket and tomahawk, which, though laid aside, were never far away, it was not every enemy that cared to try issues with Nelwang and his bride.
Delay now could gain no purpose, and I wished the strife and uncertainty to be put to an end. Nelwang knew our customs. Every worshiper has to be seated, when our Church bell ceases ringing. Aniwans would be ashamed to enter after the Service had actually begun.
Thus strangely God provided us with wonderful assistance. Yakin soon learnt to wash and dress and clean everything, and Nelwang served me like a faithful disciple.
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