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cocoanuts into copra； there was a famine。
〃That fella trader；〃 Oti concluded； 〃he like 'm that much dirt。 He like
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'm clam he die KAI…KAI （meat） he stop； stink 'm any amount。 He like 'm
one fella dog； one sick fella dog plenty fleas stop along him。 We no fright
along that fella trader。 We fright because he white man。 We savve plenty
too much no good kill white man。 That one fella sick dog trader he plenty
brother stop along him； white men like 'm you fight like hell。 We no fright
that damn trader。 Some time he made kanaka plenty cross along him and
kanaka want 'm kill m； kanaka he think devil…devil and kanaka he hear that
fella mate sing out； Yah！ Yah！ Yah！' and kanaka no kill m。〃
Oti baited his hook with a piece of squid； which he tore with his teeth
from the live and squirming monster； and hook and bait sank in white
flames to the bottom。
〃Shark walk about he finish；〃 he said。 〃I think we catch 'm plenty fella
fish。〃
His line jerked savagely。 He pulled it in rapidly； hand under hand； and
landed a big gasping rock cod in the bottom of the canoe。
〃Sun he come up； I make 'm that dam fella trader one present big fella
fish；〃 said Oti。
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THE HEATHEN
I met him first in a hurricane； and though we had gone through the
hurricane on the same schooner； it was not until the schooner had gone to
pieces under us that I first laid eyes on him。 Without doubt I had seen him
with the rest of the kanaka crew on board； but I had not consciously been
aware of his existence； for the Petite Jeanne was rather overcrowded。 In
addition to her eight or ten kanaka seamen； her white captain； mate； and
supercargo； and her six cabin passengers； she sailed from Rangiroa with
something like eighty…five deck passengers Paumotans and Tahitians；
men； women； and children each with a trade box； to say nothing of
sleeping mats； blankets； and clothes bundles。
The pearling season in the Paumotus was over； and all hands were
returning to Tahiti。 The six of us cabin passengers were pearl buyers。 Two
were Americans； one was Ah Choon （the whitest Chinese I have ever
known）； one was a German； one was a Polish Jew； and I completed the
half dozen。
It had been a prosperous season。 Not one of us had cause for complaint；
nor one of the eighty…five deck passengers either。 All had done well； and
all were looking forward to a rest…off and a good time in Papeete。
Of course； the Petite Jeanne was overloaded。 She was only seventy
tons； and she had no right to carry a tithe of the mob she had on board。
Beneath her hatches she was crammed and jammed with pearl shell and
copra。 Even the trade room was packed full with shell。 It was a miracle
that the sailors could work her。 There was no moving about the decks。
They simply climbed back and forth along the rails。
In the night time they walked upon the sleepers； who carpeted the deck；
I'll swear； two deep。 Oh！ And there were pigs and chickens on deck； and
sacks of yams； while every conceivable place was festooned with strings
of drinking cocoanuts and bunches of bananas。 On both sides； between the
fore and main shrouds； guys had been stretched； just low enough for the
foreboom to swing clear； and from each of these guys at least fifty
bunches of bananas were suspended。
It promised to be a messy passage； even if we did make it in the two or
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three days that would have been required if the southeast trades had been
blowing fresh。 But they weren't blowing fresh。 After the first five hours
the trade died away in a dozen or so gasping fans。 The calm continued all
that night and the next dayone of those glaring； glassy； calms； when the
very thought of opening one's eyes to look at it is sufficient to cause a
headache。
The second day a man diedan Easter Islander； one of the best divers
that season in the lagoon。 Smallpoxthat is what it was； though how
smallpox could come on board； when there had been no known cases
ashore when we left Rangiroa； is beyond me。 There it was； though
smallpox； a man dead； and three others down on their backs。
There was nothing to be done。 We could not segregate the sick； nor
could we care for them。 We were packed like sardines。 There was nothing
to do but rot and diethat is； there was nothing to do after the night that
followed the first death。 On that night； the mate； the supercargo； the Polish
Jew； and four native divers sneaked away in the large whale boat。 They
were never heard of again。 In the morning the captain promptly scuttled
the remaining boats； and there we were。
That day there were two deaths； the following day three； then it
jumped to eight。 It was curious to see how we took it。 The natives； for
instance； fell into a condition of dumb； stolid fear。 The captainOudouse；
his name was； a Frenchmanbecame very nervous and voluble。 He
actually got the twitches。 He was a large fleshy man； weighing at least two
hundred pounds； and he quickly became a faithful representation of a
quivering jelly…mountain of fat。
The German； the two Americans； and myself bought up all the Scotch
whiskey； and proceeded to stay drunk。 The theory was beautifulnamely；
if we kept ourselves soaked in alcohol； every smallpox germ that came
into contact with us would immediately be scorched to a cinder。 And the
theory worked； though I must confess that neither Captain Oudouse nor
Ah Choon were attacked by the disease either。 The Frenchman did not
drink at all； while Ah Choon restricted himself to one drink daily。
It was a pretty time。 The sun； going into northern declination； was
straight overhead。 There was no wind； except for frequent squalls； which
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blew fiercely for from five minutes to half an hour； and wound up by
deluging us with rain。 After each squall； the awful sun would come out；
drawing clouds of steam from the soaked decks。
The steam was not nice。 It was the vapor of death； freighted with
millions and millions of germs。 We always took another drink when we
saw it going up from the dead and dying； and usually we took two or three
more drinks； mixing them exceptionally stiff。 Also； we made it a rule to
take an additional several each time they hove the dead over to the sharks
that swarmed about us。
We had a week of it； and then the whiskey gave out。 It is just as well；
or I shouldn't be alive now。 It took a sober man to pull through what
followed； as you will agree when I mention the little fact that only two
men did pull through。 The other man was the heathenat least； that was
what I heard Captain Oudouse call him at the moment I first became
aware of the heathen's existence。 But to come back。
It was at the end of the week； with the whiskey gone； and the pearl
buyers sober； that I happened to glance at the barometer that hung in the
cabin companionway。 Its normal register in the Paumotus was 29。90； and
it was quite customary to see it vacillate between 29。85 and 30。00； or even
30。05； but to see it as I saw it； down to 29。62； was sufficient to sober the
most drunken pearl buyer that ever incinerated smallpox microbes in
Scotch whiskey。
I called Captain Oudouse's attention to it； only to be informed that he
had watched it going down for several hours。 There was little to do； but
that little he did very well； considering the circumstances。 He took off the
light sails； shortened right down to storm canvas； spread life lines； and
waited for the wind。 His mistake lay in what he did after the wind came。
He hove to on the port tack； which was the right thing t