A HERITAGE OF HATE

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 27, 1 February 1910, Page 8

A HERITAGE OF HATE

BY CHARLES GARVICE, 'Author of "The Marquis," 'T-orrie," "A Modern Juliet," "By Devious Ways," etc.

CHAPTER IX. To return to the Isle of Refuge. Rath tvas not quite easy in his mind about the "bargain" he had made -with the strange being whom he had mistaken for a boy. His father had charged him to give men a welcome, but to keep women at arms-length; and Rath had already disobeyed him!

But he consoled himself with the reflection that he had refused to have anything to do with Stella's mother, that Stella herself was scarcely a woman, and that they had agreed to regard her as a boy. Besides, her agreement that he could shoot her if she proved "dangerous" carried a deal of weight with him, and seemed, indeed, unanswerable; though what she meant by "dangerous" he had not the least idea.

His ignorance of the world, and more especially of women, was of that intense kind which one would expect to find in a being who had lived with only one male companion on an unfrequented isle, and was ignorant of the art of reading and writing.

But though he had certain misgivings, and his conscience pricked him, Stella appeared to think the trouble had been e-et-tled in the most satisfactory manner. "Mind', I mean to keep to our bargain," she said when she ran back to him an hour or two later. Of course, she made no apology for keeping him waiting. The youngest and most unsophisticated of her sex seemed to regard the wasting of a man's time a3 their privilege. "You've got to teach mc how to do things—hunt'and—and— ■well, all the things you do. And I'm to help you with Your work. And there are things that I can do that you can't!"

""What are they?" asked Rath, with the di c-ctness which came of his peculiar upbringing. His father and he had grown to economise their speech, and Rath reversed the cynical adage, and used language to reveal his thoughts, not conceal them.

"Why. you can't sew, for instance," said Stella.

They were walking in the direction of the pine -wood, and the girl's step was lighter and her face brighter than it had been since she was cast ashore, and she looked up at the grave face of the lad with a smile in her beautiful eyes. "Yes. I can,"' he said. "I made the bed covering in the hut." Stella tossed her chin contemptuously. "Oh! if you call that sewing! I call it botching," she said. "I mean sewing properly. I could make you"—she looked him over —"some shirts, for instance. You seem to -want them." Ttath was not at all nettled by this piece of candour. "I buy them of the Indians," he said. "And a pretty price you pay, I expect," she retorted, with an air of superior intelligence. "I give theni pelts." "What on earth are they?" "Skins; seal and bear. And sometimes the breast feathers of the sea birds." "Do you know -what a seal-skin is -worth?" she asked, with an air of anticipatory triumph.

"Two hundred Winchester cartridges, a cask of sugar, and ten yards of calico," he replied, promptly.

She laughed him to scorn

"It's worth pounds and pounds!" she said. "Why, only rich people can afford furs! The Indians cheat you, I daresay."

"I dont know anything about money." he remarked, placidly. "It would be no use in the isle, while cartridges and sugar and calico are." She pondere-d over this for a moment or t wo. "Yes. of course: but you ought to get more for them: and that's where I shall be of use to you, for, you see, I know better than you do the worth of things. And now show mc where you live." Rath led her to the hollo-.v tree. He had rigged up a small shade, or awning, over the entrance, and Stella passed under it and looked in. It was a poor place compared with the hut. The bed consisted of a heap of dried bracken. There was no furniture. Stella gazed at it remorsefully. "It's like a, bear's den," she said. That was all she said; but she turned away with that peculiar expression in her eves which a woman weaTs when she is resolving upon something.

"And now, what were you going to do when I met you with that gun? I hope you're glad that you didn't shoot mc?"

"I don't know yet," replied truthful Rath. "I was going to try and get a deer. There are some round the point."

"Til come -with. you," she said, promptly, ''and you shall give mc my first lesson. I told my mother that I might t>e away some time."

He assented with a nod, and they ■went on through the little wood.

As they neared the clearing beyond, Rath dropped on all fours, and began to crawl, and Stella, after a moment's hesitation, followed his example; but when they had covered some little distance—it seemed at least twenty miles to her—she whispered, for Rath had motioned her to keep quiet: '•1 can'? go on much longer."

"Hush!" he whispered back. "There are two feeding just behind that rock. We will get between them and the wood." "Is there any—danger?" asked Stella. He glanced back at her, not contemptuously, but with a kind of speculative wonder. '•'Why. are you afraid? ~So; they are small things; they are not bears." They crawled round the rock, and presently Stella saw two graceful animals a little larger than sheep.

"Oh. how pretty!" she whispered, scarcely above her breath. "Isn't it a shame to kill them!"

He motioned her to silence, and slid the Winchester towards her.

"You shall have the shot," he said. "Aim at the shoulder of the first one. Look down the gun until "

But Stella, in her excitement had fired without waiting for further instructions. The bullet soared towards the sky, and she dropped the Winchester, and", with a cry of pain, rubbed her shoulder.

Hath rose and regarded her contemplatively.

"You didn't hold the rifle tight enough against you, and it kicked. I remember it did that the first time I shot when I "was a boy. n

Stella kept the tears out of her eves, but still rubbed her shoulder ruefully. "Did I hit it?" she asked. Rath pointed to the two deer rapidly Vanishing in the distance.

"Never mind," he said, consolingly; fill give you some lessons. You shall

aim at a tree-trunk. I should think that would be big enough," he added, innocent of irony. "Does your shoulder hurt? L.et mc look at it."

But Stella suddenly ceased rubbing and drew back.

"Xo, no; it's all right," she said, quickly.

"If it hurts much you'd better rub it with some bear's grease. You'll find it in the cupboard in the hut. It's no use trying after deer now; they've gone for a week, at least. We will go down to the boat and get some sea trout. They ought to be rising now. You must get mc the rod and tackle from the hut."

"Are you afraid of my mother, that you don't come in?" she asked, as they walked towards the hut.

"No, I'm not afraid," he said. "But she's a woman, and I don't like women," he replied, gravely.

"Why, I'm a wo Oh, no! I forgot. Xo. no; I'm a boy. Don't mind whn.t I said."

He waited a few yards from the hut while she got the fishing tackle, and they w?nt down to the beach. Rath ran out the rather heavy boat as if it were as light as a match-box, but first he made Stella get inside that- she should not wet her feet.

"The water rots your boots, and you won't get another pair until the Indians come," he remarked.

She opened her eyes at this ungallant explanation. '1 thought you thought I should catch cold." He stared at her. "Do you catch cold every time you get your feet wet?" he asked. "Xo, no; oh, no!" she responded, hastily. He rowed the boat clear of the reef, and took it towards a bend of the island where a stream ran over the sands into the sea.

"You can row, can't you?" he asked. "A—a little," she replied, doubt-fully. He gave her the oars, and stood at the bow of the boat and began to fish. Stella watched eagerly, and uttered a cry of delight as a sea trout, gleaming like a bar of silver, leapt into the air, and presently lay kicking in the bottom of the boat. ' * "That's better than shooting," she said," her eves sparkling. He signed" to her to take the rod. The boat was rolling a little, and of course she nearly fell over the thwart; but he caught her with his strong hand, and held her upright, as he showed her how to handle the rod aud throw the fly.

" It's heavy," she said. "It's a light rod," he responded, calmly. Stella performed the usual extraordinary tricks which mark the first attempt, and once or twice Rath had to duck his head to dodge the fly as it whirled around, and he smiled at the girl's flushed face and evident annoyance at her clumsiness; but presently a trout rose and took the fly—the fish were swarming at that spot —and she uttered a cry of triumph; but heT triumph was short, for the trout leapt, she failed to lower ber rod in time, as Rath directed her, and the fish got away. She stamped her foot, and of course, turned on Kath as if it were his fault.

"It's hard —being a boy, isn't it?" he said, gravely. " But you'll learn in time."

" Put mc ashore!" she said in accents of despair; but he shook his head.

" Xot yet. Try again: and do as I tell you this time," he said coolly.

She looked at him indignantly; but, with a pout, took up the rod again, and presently she had landed her first fish.

"Take it off the hook!' she said de lightedly.

"No; you must learn to take it off yourself," he said, as calmly as before. He showed her how to hold the fish, and watched her with a smile, as she, gingerly and with strange grimaces, performed the operation. Then she resumed her fishing, and was so absorbed in it that she forgot all about her companion. And Bath, noiselessly plying the oar 3, gazed at her thoughtfully. He was asking himself why it was almost as pleasant to watch her as to fish himself. The sleeve of her blouse shirt bad come unfastened and fell below her elbow, leaving the white arm bare. It was as white as snow, and looked so fragile and delicate that he wondered how she could hold the rod, and the sun shone on the soft, rippling hair and turned it to glistening silk. She reminded him of one of the sea-gulls, or a young deer.

She turned suddenly with a sigh. "I am tired!" she said. "How many have I caught?" " Ten," he said, counting them. "You can go ashore now; but I will go on fishing, for th'fy are rising very fast. You miss half of them. But you have done very- well for the first time."

" Thank you," she said, with the tilt of the chin to which he was already becoming accustomed. " How long shall you be?" she asked, as she leapt from the boat, which he had pulled well on to the beach.

"An hour," he answered, glancing at the sky.

She nodded and ran off, and he pulled out again. When he had finished fishing he strung the trout together, and carried them to a hollow tree which was now his home. But at the entrance he stopped with amazement. On top of the heap of bracken was spread the seal-skin coat from the hut and a rug; a tin cup and a jug, and similar articles were hung up on the natural walls, and on an upturned box was laid his supper.

He regarded this accession of luxury for a monieirt|or two in surprised silence; then he looked round, and even called

"Stella! Stella!" intending to thank her, and persuade her to take the sealskin coat back, at least, for she might want it—the nights wer sometimes cold. But no response came to his call, and after awhile he sat down to the food, for he was hungry.

Presently, with steps so light that even he did not hear them, Stella stole from the shelter of the trees, and, keeping out of sight, looked in upon him. She watched him for a moment or two; then, with a little sigh of gratification, she stole away. (To be continued daily.)