J. Allan Dunn

“ The languid figure came to action with a smart clap of palms to which a second loin-clad boy responded promptly.
"Hari, you take um canoe, ten men along of you. You go Rewa on Viti Levu—my word, better you walk along plenty fast, go catch Kapitani Wells. You speak him come along here Levuka way, plenty quick, in his schooner."
The kanaka vanished and Louis relaxed again. He would have sent his fast launch but the screw had fouled the top of a floating coco-palm in the darkness and, until another came from Suva, the craft was out of commission. ”

“ In the Snuggery Louis sipped at his vermouth. His eyes had dimmed again and he saw the ravaged villages of France, the weeping women and the wondering, frightened children.
"Pour les veuves et les orphelins, Fanchon," he murmured. "Par le bon Dieu, c'est une bonne idée."
AN HOUR before midnight, Hurley, in his launch chugged out to where the Lehua awaited him and the schooner passed over the rim of the horizon and patrolled on long tacks until the dawn showed the Akua leaving Levuka behind her, off for the Solomons. ”

“ Wells spent no time shuffling the deck. In his walk to the Snuggery he had learned that the Akua was provisioning. His own schooner was fairly well stocked, lacking only water, and that he had ordered supplied. If he had to chase Wells the latter would soon see the hopelessness of trying to get away and Louis might tire of the delay.
He looked into the Frenchman's smiling eyes and read that Louis had also gone over the situation. Between men of their caliber sparring was a waste of time.
"Few good things going now, Louis," said Hurley. "When one breaks we should all be willing to share it." ”

“ But brain is better than muscle, mon brave, and it is in my mind that we can help the cause here in the Fijis. I have a plan which should bring much money at the expense of those pigs of Germans. And money always wins. This money, mon ami, we will send to aid our braves at the front. If you will, you shall take it presently and tell them it is a gift from Louis Bodin, once of Alsace, now of the Fijis, a gift from Levuka Louis and yourself. ”

“ It is doubtful if she will touch at our atoll. She must not hear your little plan. Also Hurley must not dip his fingers in this bowl of poi. He will try—which makes the game more interesting than solitaire."
Louis chuckled.
"You will provision tonight and go out on the ebb an hour before dawn. Do not wait to rot the pearls. The smell might prove traitor down the wind. Better to lose a few. You will find the best shell at the north end of the lagoon. Come to see me as soon as the tide turns. I shall be awake. I fancy Hurley may pay me a little visit and perhaps he will show some of his cards. ”

“ So the marines were not real, eh Hurley? That was very clever of you."
"Fakes, every one of them," said Hurley. "Outside of Renault not one of the bunch knew a word of French. How about the pearls?" A gleam came into Louis' eyes.
"Fakes every one of them, mon ami. They cost me sixty dollars a long time ago. Made in Melbourne, Hurlee. I will give you sixty dollars for them. The real ones were hidden in the Fleur-de-Lys. I bought them myself, on speculation, for twenty thousand dollars. Wells has the money with him, to give to widows and orphans. Never mind the gun, Hurlee. Be a good loser. ”

“ The first was closeted with Bodin in his Snuggery and the second sneaked aboard the Manu from a shore-boat and took passage to Suva.
Twenty-four hours later the launch Fleur-de-Lys passed through the reef entrance with a smother of foam at her sharp bows. Fifty miles offshore Wells saw the topsails of w the two schooners returning to Levuka.
"It looks like clear sailing, Tim," he said.
"There's one thing ye should rimimber," answered Donnelly. "Louis is a fox, but Hurley, bad 'cess to him, is a wolf. Sure, that engine runs like a watch, Skipper. What are we making?" ”

“ It will do you no harm to be such a messenger. It is in my mind that they will need good master-mariners. Perhaps we will build with this money a little, quick ship, with you in command, to go hunting these sharks of U-boats, nom de guerre, that would be better than drill for six months to learn in which end of the gun fits the bayonet, non? ”

“ Besides, what is the use of blocking one another? Partners don't trump aces unless they are fools."
"Of a truth. Even Fanchon knows that. Eh, my cabbage? The dog sleeps. She has been running and is tired. Have you a proposition to make to me, mon ami?"
Incidentally his hand strayed to where a piece of cloth lay on the table beneath a cigar box. Hurley grinned at the gesture.
"Sure have I, Louis. You're on to a good thing right now. ”

“ He passed it to Wells.
"That came out of Hurley's trade-room," said the latter. "He has passed out two hundred fathoms of the stuff. No one else has it."
"It does not surprise me," said Louis. "He came ashore in his launch half an hour ahead of the Akua."
"And kept me chinning on the beach about the war till it was nearly dark," said Wells. "I left him at Ching-Foo's on the way up."
"One of his boys will steer standing for a while," said Louis. "Let us go inside. It is warmer but more private."
"This is the news I got from Suva," said Louis presently. ”

“ Then we shall see."
"What's the matter with Hurley getting on to that too?" said Wells. "He knows all about the accident and where you are getting the new screw. He'll see it when it comes. He'll play some trick. Tip the thing off to the Government, likely."
"If he does that," said Louis, "we will have to make a race of it with the Leopard. She can not make better than ten knots. You will have to stop at the Hebrides, at Malaita and maybe at Choiseul to get fresh gasoline for her tank and carry extra drums. See always you have plenty of gasoline, Wells, if we use the Fleur-de-Lys. ”