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has been thousands of dollars。 The head clerk has given me this paper。 It
says that in the year you have drawn just eighty…seven dollars and twenty
cents。〃
〃Is there any owing me？〃 he asked anxiously。
〃I tell you thousands and thousands；〃 I answered。
His face brightened； as with an immense relief。
〃It is well；〃 he said。 〃See that the head clerk keeps good account of it。
When I want it； I shall want it； and there must not be a cent missing。
〃If there is；：〃 he added fiercely； after a pause； 〃it must come out of the
clerk's wages。〃
And all the time； as I afterwards learned； his will； drawn up by
Carruthers； and making me sole beneficiary； lay in the American consul's
safe。
But the end came； as the end must come to all human associations。
It occurred in the Solomons； where our wildest work had been done in
the wild young days； and where we were once more principally on a
holiday； incidentally to look after our holdings on Florida Island and to
look over the pearling possibilities of the Mboli Pass。 We were lying at
Savo； having run in to trade for curios。
Now； Savo is alive with sharks。 The custom of the woolly…heads of
burying their dead in the sea did not tend to discourage the sharks from
making the adjacent waters a hangout。 It was my luck to be coming aboard
in a tiny； overloaded； native canoe； when the thing capsized。 There were
four woolly…heads and myself in it； or rather； hanging to it。 The schooner
was a hundred yards away。
I was just hailing for a boat when one of the woolly…heads began to
scream。 Holding on to the end of the canoe； both he and that portion of the
canoe were dragged under several times。 Then he loosed his clutch and
disappeared。 A shark had got him。
The three remaining niggers tried to climb out of the water upon the
bottom of the canoe。 I yelled and cursed and struck at the nearest with my
fist； but it was no use。 They were in a blind funk。 The canoe could barely
have supported one of them。 Under the three it upended and rolled
sidewise； throwing them back into the water。
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I abandoned the canoe and started to swim toward the schooner；
expecting to be picked up by the boat before I got there。 One of the
niggers elected to come with me； and we swam along silently； side by side；
now and again putting our faces into the water and peering about for
sharks。 The screams of the man who stayed by the canoe informed us that
he was taken。 I was peering into the water when I saw a big shark pass
directly beneath me。 He was fully sixteen feet in length。 I saw the whole
thing。 He got the woolly…head by the middle； and away he went； the poor
devil； head； shoulders； and arms out of the water all the time； screeching in
a heart…rending way。 He was carried along in this fashion for several
hundred feet； when he was dragged beneath the surface。
I swam doggedly on； hoping that that was the last unattached shark。
But there was another。 Whether it was one that had attacked the natives
earlier； or whether it was one that had made a good meal elsewhere； I do
not know。 At any rate； he was not in such haste as the others。 I could not
swim so rapidly now； for a large part of my effort was devoted to keeping
track of him。 I was watching him when he made his first attack。 By good
luck I got both hands on his nose； and； though his momentum nearly
shoved me under； I managed to keep him off。 He veered clear； and began
circling about again。 A second time I escaped him by the same manoeuvre。
The third rush was a miss on both sides。 He sheered at the moment my
hands should have landed on his nose； but his sandpaper hide （I had on a
sleeveless undershirt） scraped the skin off one arm from elbow to
shoulder。
By this time I was played out； and gave up hope。 The schooner was
still two hundred feet away。 My face was in the water； and I was watching
him manoeuvre for another attempt； when I saw a brown body pass
between us。 It was Otoo。
〃Swim for the schooner； master！〃 he said。 And he spoke gayly； as
though the affair was a mere lark。 〃I know sharks。 The shark is my
brother。〃
I obeyed； swimming slowly on； while Otoo swam about me； keeping
always between me and the shark； foiling his rushes and encouraging me。
〃The davit tackle carried away； and they are rigging the falls；〃 he
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explained； a minute or so later； and then went under to head off another
attack。
By the time the schooner was thirty feet away I was about done for。 I
could scarcely move。 They were heaving lines at us from on board； but
they continually fell short。 The shark； finding that it was receiving no hurt；
had become bolder。 Several times it nearly got me； but each time Otoo was
there just the moment before it was too late。 Of course； Otoo could have
saved himself any time。 But he stuck by me。
〃Good…by； Charley！ I'm finished！〃 I just managed to gasp。
I knew that the end had come； and that the next moment I should
throw up my hands and go down。
But Otoo laughed in my face； saying：
〃I will show you a new trick。 I will make that shark feel sick！〃
He dropped in behind me； where the shark was preparing to come at
me。
〃A little more to the left！〃 he next called out。 〃There is a line there on
the water。 To the left； masterto the left！〃
I changed my course and struck out blindly。 I was by that time barely
conscious。 As my hand closed on the line I heard an exclamation from on
board。 I turned and looked。 There was no sign of Otoo。 The next instant he
broke surface。 Both hands were off at the wrist； the stumps spouting
blood。
〃Otoo！〃 he called softly。 And I could see in his gaze the love that
thrilled in his voice。
Then； and then only； at the very last of all our years； he called me by
that name。
〃Good…by； Otoo！〃 he called。
Then he was dragged under； and I was hauled aboard； where I fainted
in the captain's arms。
And so passed Otoo； who saved me and made me a man； and who
saved me in the end。 We met in the maw of a hurricane； and parted in the
maw of a shark； with seventeen intervening years of comradeship； the like
of which I dare to assert has never befallen two men； the one brown and
the other white。 If Jehovah be from His high place watching every sparrow
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fall； not least in His kingdom shall be Otoo； the one heathen of Bora Bora。
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THE TERRIBLE SOLOMONS
There is no gainsaying that the Solomons are a hard…bitten bunch of
islands。 On the other hand； there are worse places in the world。 But to the
new chum who has no constitutional understanding of men and life in the
rough； the Solomons may indeed prove terrible。
It is true that fever and dysentery are perpetually on the walk…about；
that loathsome skin diseases abound； that the air is saturated with a poison
that bites into every pore； cut； or abrasion and plants malignant ulcers； and
that many strong men who escape dying there return as wrecks to their
own countries。 It is also true that the natives of the Solomons are a wild
lot； with a hearty appetite for human flesh and a fad for collecting human
heads。 Their highest instinct of sportsmanship is to catch a man with his
back turned and to smite him a cunning blow with a tomahawk that severs
the spinal column at the base of the brain。 It is equally true that on some
islands； such as Malaita； the profit and loss account of social intercourse is
calculated in homicides。 Heads are a medium of exchange； and white
heads are extremely valuable。 Very often a dozen villages make a jack…pot；
which they fatten moon by moon； against the time when some brave
warrior presents a white man's head； fresh and