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Father belong me； that time he strong fella。 He throw 'm one fella spear。
That fella spear he go in one side that white Mary。 He no stop。 My word；
he go out other side that fella Mary。 She finish。 Me no fright。 Plenty
kanaka too much no fright。〃
Old Oti's pride had been touched； for he suddenly stripped down his
lava…lava and showed me the unmistakable scar of a bullet。 Before I could
speak； his line ran out suddenly。 He checked it and attempted to haul in；
but found that the fish had run around a coral branch。 Casting a look of
reproach at me for having beguiled him from his watchfulness； he went
over the side； feet first； turning over after he got under and following his
line down to bottom。 The water was ten fathoms。 I leaned over and
watched the play of his feet； growing dim and dimmer； as they stirred the
wan phosphorescence into ghostly fires。 Ten fathomssixty feetit was
nothing to him； an old man； compared with the value of a hook and line。
After what seemed five minutes； though it could not have been more than
a minute； I saw him flaming whitely upward。 He broke surface and
dropped a ten pound rock cod into the canoe； the line and hook intact； the
latter still fast in the fish's mouth。
〃It may be；〃 I said remorselessly。 〃You no fright long ago。 You plenty
fright now along that fella trader。〃
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〃Yes； plenty fright；〃 he confessed； with an air of dismissing the subject。
For half an hour we pulled up our lines and flung them out in silence。
Then small fish…sharks began to bite； and after losing a hook apiece； we
hauled in and waited for the sharks to go their way。
〃I speak you true；〃 Oti broke into speech； 〃then you savve we fright
now。〃
I lighted up my pipe and waited； and the story that Oti told me in
atrocious bech…de…mer I here turn into proper English。 Otherwise； in spirit
and order of narrative； the tale is as it fell from Oti's lips。
〃It was after that that we were very proud。 We had fought many times
with the strange white men who live upon the sea； and always we had
beaten them。 A few of us were killed； but what was that compared with the
stores of wealth of a thousand thousand kinds that we found on the ships？
And then one day； maybe twenty years ago； or twenty…five； there came a
schooner right through the passage and into the lagoon。 It was a large
schooner with three masts。 She had five white men and maybe forty boat's
crew； black fellows from New Guinea and New Britain； and she had come
to fish beche…de…mer。 She lay at anchor across the lagoon from here； at
Pauloo； and her boats scattered out everywhere； making camps on the
beaches where they cured the beche…de…mer。 This made them weak by
dividing them； for those who fished here and those on the schooner at
Pauloo were fifty miles apart； and there were others farther away still。
〃Our king and headmen held council； and I was one in the canoe that
paddled all afternoon and all night across the lagoon； bringing word to the
people of Pauloo that in the morning we would attack the fishing camps at
the one time and that it was for them to take the schooner。 We who
brought the word were tired with the paddling； but we took part in the
attack。 On the schooner were two white men； the skipper and the second
mate； with half a dozen black boys。 The skipper with three boys we caught
on shore and killed； but first eight of us the skipper killed with his two
revolvers。 We fought close together； you see； at hand grapples。
〃The noise of our fighting told the mate what was happening； and he
put food and water and a sail in the small dingy； which was so small that it
was no more than twelve feet long。 We came down upon the schooner； a
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thousand men； covering the lagoon with our canoes。 Also； we were
blowing conch shells； singing war songs； and striking the sides of the
canoes with our paddles。 What chance had one white man and three black
boys against us？ No chance at all； and the mate knew it。
〃White men are hell。 I have watched them much； and I am an old man
now； and I understand at last why the white men have taken to themselves
all the islands in the sea。 It is because they are hell。 Here are you in the
canoe with me。 You are hardly more than a boy。 You are not wise； for each
day I tell you many things you do not know。 When I was a little
pickaninny； I knew more about fish and the ways of fish than you know
now。 I am an old man； but I swim down to the bottom of the lagoon； and
you cannot follow me。 What are you good for； anyway？ I do not know；
except to fight。 I have never seen you fight； yet I know that you are like
your brothers and that you will fight like hell。 Also； you are a fool； like
your brothers。 You do not know when you are beaten。 You will fight until
you die； and then it will be too late to know that you are beaten。
〃Now behold what this mate did。 As we came down upon him；
covering the sea and blowing our conches； he put off from the schooner in
the small boat； along with the three black boys； and rowed for the passage。
There again he was a fool； for no wise man would put out to sea in so
small a boat。 The sides of it were not four inches above the water。 Twenty
canoes went after him； filled with two hundred young men。 We paddled
five fathoms while his black boys were rowing one fathom。 He had no
chance； but he was a fool。 He stood up in the boat with a rifle； and he shot
many times。 He was not a good shot； but as we drew close many of us
were wounded and killed。 But still he had no chance。
〃I remember that all the time he was smoking a cigar。 When we were
forty feet away and coming fast； he dropped the rifle； lighted a stick of
dynamite with the cigar； and threw it at us。 He lighted another and another；
and threw them at us very rapidly； many of them。 I know now that he must
have split the ends of the fuses and stuck in match heads； because they
lighted so quickly。 Also； the fuses were very short。 Sometimes the
dynamite sticks went off in the air； but most of them went off in the canoes。
And each time they went off in a canoe； that canoe was finished。 Of the
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twenty canoes； the half were smashed to pieces。 The canoe I was in was so
smashed； and likewise the two men who sat next to me。 The dynamite fell
between them。 The other canoes turned and ran away。 Then that mate
yelled； Yah！ Yah！ Yah！' at us。 Also he went at us again with his rifle； so
that many were killed through the back as they fled away。 And all the time
the black boys in the boat went on rowing。 You see； I told you true； that
mate was hell。
〃Nor was that all。 Before he left the schooner； he set her on fire； and
fixed up all the powder and dynamite so that it would go off at one time。
There were hundreds of us on board； trying to put out the fire； heaving up
water from overside； when the schooner blew up。 So that all we had
fought for was lost to us； besides many more of us being killed。
Sometimes； even now； in my old age； I have bad dreams in which I hear
that mate yell； Yah！ Yah！ Yah！' In a voice of thunder he yells； Yah！ Yah！
Yah！' But all those in the fishing camps were killed。
〃The mate went out of the passage in his little boat； and that was the
end of him we made sure； for how could so small a boat； with four men in
it； live on the ocean？ A month went by； and then； one morning； between
two rain squalls； a schooner sailed in through our passage and dropped
anchor before the village。 The king and the headmen made big talk； and
it was agreed that we would take the schooner in two or three days。 In the
meantime； as it was our custom always to appear friendly； we went off to
her in canoes； bringing strings of cocoanuts； fowls； and p