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Now a few scattered bushes and tufts of bone-dry "toa" grass began to show in the hollows between the dunes, and at length, on breasting an unusually high one a veritable mountain of sand, three or four hundred feet in height a new and marvelous scene stretched before me.
Toa fired, and apparently missed, and the brute came rushing towards me. I aimed at his fore-shoulder, hoping, if I did not kill him outright, to stop his career.
I did not fail to give Fanny the chiefs message. She and Mary laughed heartily. "I must not tamper with his affections," she said, "but I cannot possibly encourage him, and I think that when he comes on board again it will be better for me not to appear." Mary and I agreed with her, and it was settled that she should remain in the cabin when Toa paid his farewell visit.
On seeing its enemy thus escaping, the boar made a dash at the tree, and attacked it with its tusks, biting at it with the greatest fury, till Toa, approaching, settled it with a ball through its head. In this way, in a short time, we killed four large hogs, each weighing at least five hundredweight.
After remaining a short time quiet Toa gave the signal, and the birds were simultaneously thrown into the air, when they flew up and commenced, as they had been taught, wheeling round and round. In a short time a number of wild pigeons seeing them from a distance, and supposing from their movements that they were hovering over their food, came from all directions to join them.
Presently Toa cried out, "Take care; get behind the trees all of you," and we saw an enormous wild boar which the dogs had been keeping at bay. The chief advanced running from tree to tree with great rapidity, that he might get near enough to the animal to shoot it without injuring the dogs. At length the boar caught sight of him and charged.
"They're sitting in it from the time they get out of their swaddling rags." Bobbie walked up to the nearby fruit merchant. "How much is this apple, Tony?" The Italian looked at him warily, and then smirked. "Eet's nothing toa you, signor. I'ma da policeman's friend. You taka him." Bobbie laughed, as he fished out a nickel from his pocket. He shook his head, as he replied.
The reply would perhaps be Tulifau. Again, there is the Toa, and the other party would reply Tuisamoa. And so on they went till one party had exhausted all the names they could think of, owned the defeat, and paid the forfeit. In a similar game one party would name a bird or beast, and the other a fish with a corresponding rhyme.
I felt much interested in the stranger whom Toa had saved, and as he required to be attended to more than any one else, I invited him at once to come on board the Dainty, where I was sure Harry would be glad to receive him till he was better able than at present to go on shore. The ladies who had friends preferred at once going on shore to the house of one of the English residents.
I struggled to free myself from its clutch as I fought through the mass of vegetation, and pausing perforce to let my panting lungs gulp the air, I saw around me ever new and stranger growths orchids, giant creepers, the noni enata, a small bush with crimson pears upon it, the toa, or ironwood, which gave deadly clubs in war-time, but now spread its boughs peacefully amidst the prodigal foliage of its neighbors.
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