Ralph Stock

“ I came through Hawaii on my way here, and they're growing pineapples there on land that costs them a thousand dollars an acre; pineapples no better than ours in the bush of Malita. It costs them a dollar and a half a day for labour, and they're making money. Here we should pay nothing for the land, a shilling a day for labour—and a thousand for the canning plant," he ended a trifle hurriedly. ”

“ The launch left Malita the next morning, manned by its owner, Tomlin, and Rands, and, after waving it farewell from the landing, Webb and I returned to the bungalow in pensive silence. We both knew that we were a couple of old fools, who had been carried away in a weak moment by a full glass and the contagious enthusiasm of youth. We both knew that at that moment we would have cheerfully given what little we possessed to be able to hail the launch and cry off. Also, we both knew that it was too late. "How will they do it?" I ventured to suggest at lunch. "Force?" ”

“ He's the only one of the family who has the knack. The others are like the father and the extraordinary thing is that the old man's prouder of the spendthrift than of all the others put together. A son of Colin Sterling who doesn't think twice about keeping a taxi waiting! He's looked on as unique in the annals of the family."
"This is all very instructive," Nares interpolated. "But is one permitted to ask how the eccentric son of a wealthy Scotsman in Liverpool affects us of Malita?"
Tomlin waited for his glass to be filled before answering. ”

“ Only a thousand would set us up with a canning plant, and the rest would be plain sailing."
"In that case," said Sterling (I could feel Rands's fevered breath down the back of my neck. Tomlin was on tiptoe, with mouth agape. Webb was standing with his grizzled head on one side like an inquisitive hen. He is slightly deaf in one ear) —"in that case, I should stretch a point to get that thousand."
"We have—intend to," Nares corrected himself. "Fair means or foul, you know." ”

“ At dinner our guest informed us that Malita was "topping; simply topping." "It's been the dream of my life to see the South Seas," he confessed. "Of course I kicked about the Mediterranean a bit in the gov'nor's yacht, but there's nothing at all like this—so unsullied, so dreamlike. It's hard to imagine here that somewhere people are slaving their lives away; scrambling after money."
"Sure," agreed Rands thoughtfully.
"I mean, now, what can you possibly want here?" Sterling proceeded. "You have three excellent meals a day, a comfortable house, and—this." ”

“ And to this day Sterling cannot be brought to believe that Webb's intentions with the rope on the veranda were serious. The argument invariably causes one to say: "Top—splendid!" and the other to swing an enormous foot, when we foregather on the veranda of a large white bungalow overlooking the Malita Pinepple Estate Incorporated. ”

“ The police squatted in a formal row in the com- pound, while one of their number remained with the launch.
"That's that," remarked Tomlin.
"Rats in a trap!" murmured Nares, presumably to add to the general gaiety.
Presently the three white men came out, the police sprang to their feet, and the entire cortège spread itself over Malita. Throughout the brazen day we lay on our ledge in agonized suspense. No one came near us. ”

“ As it happens we can ship the young cub back, and he'll never know what he's missed. Put it to the vote.... But mind you," he added, "if this thing goes through, there can be no more half measures about it. ”