J. Allan Dunn

“ We’ll make two descents a day It’s clumsy work using hand tools. Two days’ job, I reckon it. Make it three, after we get started.”
“We’ve had enough for one day, I think,” said Hooper. “I fancy our friend Tiburi will be round bright and early tomorrow to see if he can get some more trade, not to mention gin. We’ll have the tribe on top of us most of the time. Like so many kids and, as long as you and Fong are working in the suits, as harmless. We’ll set some of them to work fixing up your pontoon for you. Logs across the canoes and then gratings and planks for the real deck will do it. ”

“ But they are all puppets and Steiner is their strong man.”
“He’d like to get possession of the schooner and emulate the survivors of the Emden, I imagine,” said Manning. “But I don’t see where they’ve got much chance to do more than grit their teeth. Have a hard time getting away from that terrace with Tiburi waiting to scoop them up and glean more gifts as a reward.”
“We’ll guard them, just the same. I’ll use those four men Edwards gave us for one watch. Time they began to earn their wages. Smith, Holabird, White and Hayes. ”

“ And from one of these had come the gold-filled teeth that decorated Tiburi’s necklace. He picked up one of the heads by its tow-colored locks and. proffered it to Hooper with a smile that showed his filed teeth, and another flow of words.
“To give away heads,” he says, “is to do what no other chief has done. Now he has delivered all the skipper’s enemies, so far as he is able.”
Hooper stood his ground, surveying the relics gravely. Manning had harder work to control his feelings. Hooper turned to Edwards. ”

“ As they neared it and caught a fair view of the inner walls the contrast was startling. Half of the crater was in shadow, though it was only midafternoon. The other half showed a jungle of vivid green, palms lifting here and there, water streaming down the sides. ”

“ Some were entirely displaced.
The terrace was nearly twenty feet in width. On it were the grass houses that Steiner had built, still in fair preservation. The Germans were escorted to their old camp and the guards installed after the supplies were landed. As the boats rowed off, Manning, twisting in the stern, saw Steiner standing beside the great central image, less in height than the massive pedestal, staring down at them.
HOOPER ordered one boat back to the schooner and steered his own along the inner reef. ”

“ Some think gold. Some speak peahl. Plenty too much talk they make. They speak along those fo’ men Edwa’d bling with him. Talk they should have mo’ big piecee pay. All same divide that gold, that peahl. Want that two hundled fifty dolla you plomise. Want mo’. Want it now. Tomollow. That Edwa’d talk along that way, I think. Make tlouble.”
“Edwards wasn’t on deck.”
“Too slick fo’ that. All same he tly make double. Tomollow you see. I smoke one li’l pipe in galley. They forget. They think me sleep. I sabby all they talk.”
“All right, Fong. Thanks. I’ll talk it over with Mr. Hooper.” ”