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Updated: May 4, 2025
"While we waste time here," said the leading chief, "the mountain dogs will get ready for us. Come! Forward!" The chief was right. Ongoloo's ruse caused delay, so that when the Raturans reached the village they found armed men ready to receive them. These they attacked with great courage, and waged a somewhat scrambling fight until daylight enabled each party to concentrate its forces.
Meanwhile our missionary, having told the wondering savages that he brought them good news, was conducted with his companion to Ongoloo's hut. But it was plain that the good news referred to, and even Waroonga himself, had not nearly so great an effect on them as the sight of Orlando, at whom they gazed with an expression half of fear and half of awe which surprised him exceedingly.
By the term "long-pig" Wapoota referred to the resemblance that a naked white man when prepared for roasting bears to an ordinary pig. A grim smile lit up Ongoloo's swarthy visage as he replied "Yes, we will permit a few fat ones to land. The rest shall die, for white men are thieves. They deceived us last time. They shall never deceive us again."
Stooping down quickly, he raised the pirate in his arms as if he had been a child, and bore him away. Avoiding the swamp, he proceeded in the direction of the mountain by another route a route which ran so near to Ongoloo's village, that the Raturans never ventured to use it.
Soon the frigate came in sight of Ongoloo's village, ran close in, brought up in a sheltered bay, and lowered a boat while the natives crowded the beach in vast numbers, uttering fierce cries, brandishing clubs and spears, and making other warlike demonstrations for these poor people had been more than once visited by so-called merchant ships the crews of which had carried off some of them by force.
The height was greater than any sane man would have ventured to leap even to save his life; but the maniac gave no time to thought. He followed the mass of rock with another wild laugh, and next moment stood in the midst of the savage group. These men were no cowards. They were Ongoloo's picked warriors, and would have scorned to fly before a single foe, however large or fierce.
Zeppa advanced, took Ongoloo's face between both hands, and, placing his nose against that of the chief, gently rubbed it. For the benefit of the ignorant, we may explain that this is the usual salutation of friendship among some of the South Sea Islanders. Ongoloo returned the rub, and dropped his club. He was obviously glad of this peaceful termination to the rencontre.
Thus, for several days, the madman and the savage dwelt amicably together, and slept side by side during the night; but Zeppa made it very apparent that he did not wish for his visitor's society during the day-time, and the visitor had the sense to let him wander forth alone. Wapoota was mistaken when he calculated on the cooling of Ongoloo's wrath.
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