Lumi's Lagoon.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 233, 29 September 1908, Page 6

Lumi's Lagoon.

By OWEN HALL

CHAPTER IV. : *. THE CHIEF OF MATAPI7. They stood still. That __s almost the most startling thing that had happened yet. A moment before the crowd of wild faces, glaring eyes, and tossing arms had looked as if nothing could stop them; now, in a single instant, they had stopped. The curious thing wa_> that they seemed as much astonished as I was, for they stood staring, with wondering eyes and open mouths, as if something had happened they had never dreamt, of. For a minute or more you might have heard a pin drop, ior there wasn't- a sound in the hut except the hard-drawn breath of the crowd; and then a voice that came from the back shouted: "Lumi! Lumi!" The crowd in front turned, almost like one man at the cry, as if to see where it had come from, and then they looked at one another, and at mc. No, after all, it wasn't at mc they were looking; it was at the young chief who was standing beside mc with his hand still resting on my shoulder. He must be Lumi, X thought, and next moment the cry, "Lumi! Lumi!" was taken up by other voices—all of them. I noticed, coming from the farther end of the hut, where nothing could be seen except moving black heads, aria the glitter of white eyeballs. The black fellows in front stared, tirst at one another, and then at the young chief, but then their eyes turued to where the white chief was stat ding. I hadn't thought of him in niv first surprise: now I couldn't help wondering what fle would do. I stared at him, too. Whatever it was that had happened, I knew the moment I looked at him uiat it had been as great a surprise to him as to anybody else. It hadn't been a pleasant surprise, either, and perhaps he liked the cries of "Lumi! Lumi!" tnat continued to come from the back of the crowd least of all. I thought so, at least, when I saw the angry scowl with which he looked into the crowd, as if he were trying to find out whose voices they were. Suddenly he wheeled round and looked savagely at us. 1 wasn't sure whether it was at mc or at Lumi he looked, but I could feei that Lumi turned to face him; then he lifted his hand from my shoulder. I glanced at him quickly to see what that meant, but he was looking the white chief straight in the face, with a proud look in his eyes: I had never thought a black man's eyes could look like that before; it almost seemed is if there was a smile in them. It was only for a moment or two; then he turned and looked at tue crowd of natives who were staring at him with eager eyes; then he raised his hand again and laid it on my shoulder. A kind of gasp ran through the crowd, and every eye went back to the white chief: they were evidently waiting to se? what he would do. He felt it. too. Even I could see that. though I understood so little what it meant; and what was more, I saw that he wasn't sure what would be best. He was ugly before, but 1 thought he looked uglier now. His eyes were as mean and cruel as ever, but now there was in them, and perhaps a little fea__ 'For a moment he glanced at Lumi, then at the crowd of black faces, and then his eyes rested on Bill, who was standing where he hnd been when he threw the big black-fellow at his feet. There were still cries of "Lumi! Lumi!" and they seemed to be growing louder, as if more of the natives were joining. I think it was that which settled, it. He made a step forward, and before I could guess what he was going to do, he had laid his hand on Bill's shoulder, ani Taised his right one —the one that held the little club—just as Lumi had done. A sudden exclamation, half shout and half sob, burst from the crowd, who evidently understood what the action meant. I could see that they were pleased, too: the only person who seemed to object was Bill himself. He moved his shoulder impatiently, as if he would have shaken off the hand, as he growled: "Well, mate, I ain't a-sayin' but what ye means right—not mc. No, nor I ain't wai'tin' to quarrel, neither; but what I says is, no tricks, mind ye, not wi' mc, nor wi' that theer youngster, or there'll be trouble, Bob, and don't you forget it." "Tricks, Bill? Who's a-tb_nk__i of tricks agin an old shipmate that I raised myself, in a manner o' speakin'. You can trust to mc, Bill, you bet. I ain't been cast away on this bloody island for a matter o' ten years without knowing the vally of a friend like you. As for youngsters, some of 'em's all right; anyhow, I'll keep an eye on yourn, and see as no harm comes to him, though, mind ye,; he ain't in too .good company, neither.'' I wondered whether Bill noticed his ugly cunning eyes while he was speaking, but, of course, I could only look, and hope he wasn't going to trust that man just because he was an old shipmate. Lumi was looking at him, too, and just once he glanced at Lumi. It was a curiI ous look, too, with a half smile in his eyes, aud yet half a threat: what did it ' mean ': I looked into Lumi's face for an answer, but it didn't tell mc anything. His head was raised proudly, and ho seemed to be looking over the white chief's head. Then he turned slowly away, almost as if he had been thinking of something else, drawing mc gently along with him by the shoulder on which he still kept his hand, and began to move down the middle of the hut, waving the crowd aside with the hand in which he held the little black cluh He didn't speak, but no words seemed |to be needed. The natives fell back Ito right and left, crowding those behind them back against the walls of the hut. and leaving a wide path for us between the rows of frightened faces and staring eyes that watched us as we passed. I thought to myself that even if he was young there could be no doubt Lumi was a chief; but then, it Lumi I was the chief, what was the ugly man ' Bill had called Bob? Surely there couldn't be two chiefs at the same time. It seemed to take some time, but at last we reached the entrance, and in another moment we stood outside. The stars were bright overhead, but it was dark where we stood, though a few of ! the torches had beeu brought out of the . hut and now sparkled here and there among the huts and trees. I stopped to wait for Bill, but Lumi pressed his hand on my shoulder and said very softly the one word "Come." The sound of the English word made mc start, and when I had gone a few steps I stopped again, and looked at him eagerly. "Yort speak English?" I asked, trying to see his face in the darkness. "Little piecy* only little jpiecy: -Cornel"

In my surprise I followed him, forgetting about waiting for Bill for the moment, till we reached the entrance of another hut. Then I stopped again. Here was news to tell Bill. But where had Bill gone to? I hesitated, for I felt my companion's hand drawing mc after him. "Big man —white man go Alawa —no i here," he said in the same soft tone in ' which he had spoken before. What? Bill go with the ugly white chief and leave mc alone? I didn't believe it. I turned from Lumi indignantly and shouted. "Bill! I'm heTe. Bill; where are you?" j * "All right, Sonny." There could be mo mistake, it was Bill's voice that • answered —"Never you fret yerself, I youngster; you'll be all right alongside Lumi. I'm goin' wi' Bob heTe for to get my bearings. I'll bear up alongside by-an-by, an' don't you forget it." I So Bill was going to trust that man. after all. I couldn't have done it. 1 knew; but then Bill needn't be afraid of anybody, and perhaps I might find | out some things from Lumi before he came back. I turned away, and followed Lumi into the. hut. It was a good big one, though not nearly so big as the one we had just left, and the only light there was in it came from a fire of red embers in the middle of the floor. Two or three dim figures were lying on mats at different places on the floor, but I had no idea whether they were men or women. Here i and there a head was raised, as if to see : who we were as we came in, but no- ' body rose, and the heads soon went j down again as if they had seen enough. I Lumi motioned to mc to sit down on a j heap of mats near the fire, while he sat ior crouched down on another just opposite. There wasn't light enough to see his face clearly, except now and then when a brighter flash came from the embers, but I felt as if his eyese were watching mc all the time, as if they were asking questions. It wasn't easy to make mm talk. He seemed able to understand a good deal of what I asked him, but either he wouldn't answer at all. or he only said a few words. In spite of this, however, I managed to find out some things. The island, I found out, was called Matapu, and there were some other islands not very far away. The natives from these islands sometimes came to Matapu to fight, and Lumi's father had been killed in one of these wars a good many years before. Lumi had only been a child then, and Alawa, the white chief, had helped to drive away the enemy, and so had become a great chief. I could see that Lumi didn't like him at all. Perhaps he had wanted to get rid of the little black chief, for he had put him on board a white man's vessel that hai called at the island many moons- before, we got there, and Lumi had only got back five or six moons ago. I don't know how long we sat and talked, but it must have been for a long time. Sometimes I wondered why Bill was so long in coming, but at last I grew sleepy, and although I don't remember doing it, I must have sunk down on the mats and fallen asleep. The last thing I remember was tha- shadow of Lumi sitting there. Something touched mc, and I woke with a start. It was quite dark now, but I knew that a hand had touched my cheek; T moved, and sat up. Then a soft voice whispered in my ear: "White boy come—no speak!" (To be continued daily.)