Louis Becke

“ Ten years ago a wandering white man stood, with Taku the Sailor, at the base of the wall of the great papaku, and the native pointed out the last resting-place of the wanderer. There, under the shadow of the Silent Faces of Stone, the brave and loving heart that dared so much is at peace for ever. ”

“ The sun was high when the white girl awoke, and fear leapt into her eyes when she saw the house filled with people who came to question Taku and me about the stranger. With them came the girl Temeteri, whose head was still filled with foolish thoughts of Farani, her white lover. ”

“ Some sixty or seventy natives clustered round the boat as she touched the shore. With smiling faces and outstretched hands they surrounded the captain, and pressed upon him their simple gifts of ripe bananas and fish baked in leaves, begging him to first eat a little and then walk with them to Mataveri, their largest village, distant a mile, where preparations were being made to welcome him formally. ”

“ And as he held it up in his hand to the people, they, too, shouted in wonder; and then the girl Temeteri cast aside those that stood about her, and tore it from his hand and fled.
“‘Who is she?’ said the white girl, in a weak voice to Taku; ‘and why hath she robbed me of that which is dear to me?’ and Taku was ashamed, and turned his face away from her because of two things—his heart was sore for Temeteri, who is a blood relation, and was shamed because her white lover had deserted her; and he was full of pity for the white girl’s tears. So he said nought. ”

“ There was a great buzzing of talk among the women. Some came to her and touched her hands and forehead, and said: ‘Let thy trembling cease; we of Rapa-nui will be kind to the white girl.’
“And as the people thronged about her and talked, she shook her head and her eyes sought mine, and hot tears plashed upon my hand. ”

“ For about half a mile they walked behind the captain and his boatsteerer and the woman Varua without uttering a word. Presently Varua stopped, and called out the name of “Taku” in a low voice.
A fine, handsome native, partly clothed in European sailor’s dress, stepped apart from the others and came to her.
Turning to the captain, she said, “This is Taku the Sailor. He can speak a little English and much Spanish. I tell him now to come with us, for he has a paper.” ”

“ Seating herself, with Taku the Sailor, on the mats, Varua motioned the captain to one of the boxes, and then told him a tale that moved him—rough, fierce, and tyrannical as was his nature—to the deepest pity.
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III
“It is not yet twenty days since the fighting pahi afi (steamer) came here, and we of Mataveri saw the boat full of armed men land on the beach at Hagaroa. Filled with fear were we; but yet as we had done no wrong we stood on the beach to welcome. ”

“ A week after the Pocahontas lay becalmed close in to the lee side of Rapa-nui, and within sight of the houses of the principal village. The captain, always ready to get a “green” hand, was thinking of the chances of his securing the Chilian deserter, and decided to lower a boat and try. Taking four men with him, he pulled ashore, and landed at the village of Hagaroa. ”

“ I can’t show you the letter that the pore creature herself wrote; that I ain’t going to show to any one.”
The two captains rose and stood beside him, and read the entry in the log of the Pocahontas.
“November 28, 187—. This day I landed at Easter Island, to try and obtain as a ‘green’ hand a young Chilian seaman who, the captain of the Chilian corvette O’Higgins informed me, had run away there. On landing I was shown the body of a young girl, whom the natives stated to be the deserter. She had died that morning. Buried her as decently as circumstances would permit. ”

“ I mean to nar-rate just all I do know to Father Damon of the Honolulu Friend. Thar’s nothing like a newspaper fur showin’ a man up when he’s been up to any onnatural villainy, and thinks no one will ever know anything about it. ”