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'Thy words are brave, Tanéo; but only because that behind them lieth no danger. Only a coward could talk as He sprang back. 'Ho, men of Paré! Listen! So that but one or two men may die, and many live, let this quarrel lie between me and any one of ye that will battle with me here, spear to spear, on this beach. Is it not better so than that Tetoro the King should weep for so many of his people?
A low murmur, half anger, half pity, broke from the assembled people. 'Thou fool! said Laea, pityingly; and then she turned to Tanéo. 'And so thy brother hath died by the hand of a slave? Let us part in peace. Farewell!
Must blood run because of the vain and bitter words of a silly woman? Then, with an angry gesture, Laea released her hold of the slave girl's slender wrist, and she, too, held up a warning hand to her warriors. 'True, Tanéo, she said mockingly; 'thy people are as ten to one of mine, as thou sayest, and for this alone dost thou dare insult me. Oh, thou coward, Tanéo!
A tall, grey-headed old warrior leapt out from the ranks of those that stood behind Laea. 'Thou and I, Tanéo, shall fight till one of us be slain. Suddenly Milli the Slave sprang between them with outstretched arms. 'Peace, peace! Drop thou thy spear, Tanéo, and thou thine, old man. There is no need for blood but mine for Narü is dead.
'Why is it that none of ye speak either to me, or to one another? Am I a corpse that is dressed for the funeral rites? Then one of them, named Tanéo, his foster-brother, answered, and bent his head as he spoke, 'Oh, Narü, son of Mahua, and mine own brother, hast thou not heard of the dream of Milli?
'Oh, Narü! replied Tanéo, ''tis more than a dream; for the god Oro hath spoken to her, and shown her things that concern thee and all of thy father's people. And with that the young men arose and left him without further speech. Little did Narü know that scarce a stone's throw away from where he stood, Milli, with love in her eyes, was watching him from behind a clump of plantain trees.
There was silence awhile, and then Tanéo, the foster brother of Narü, clothed in his armour of cinnet fibre, and grasping a short stabbing spear in his hand, stepped out of the ranks. 'Get thee back again to Tahiti, O men of Paré, he said quietly, striking his spear into the sand. 'This marriage is not to our minds.
And then, as the men of Paré returned in silence to their canoes, Tanéo and his people closed in upon the kneeling figure of the slave girl, who bent her head as a man stepped before her with a club.
'Back! cried Tanéo, warningly; 'back, ye men of Paré, back, ere it be too late, and thou, Laea, harm not the girl, for see, O foolish woman! we here are as ten to one, and 'twill be a bloody day for thee and thy people if but a spear be raised. And then, facing round, he cried, 'And back, O men of Tetuaroa. Why draw ye so near?
'I am Tanéo, the foster brother of the man thou seekest to marry. And because that a warning hath come to us against this marriage do I stand here, spear in hand. Laea laughed scornfully. 'I seek thy brother in marriage? Thou fool! Would I, the daughter of my father, seek any man for husband? Ah! the Englishman, who is both a clever and strong man, is more to my liking. * Meaning in rank.
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