Within three hours of his return from Patutoa, a meeting was called of the council of state, the governor, the doctors, the druggist, a merchant or two, and a lawyer, and before it M. Lontane disclosed that the natives were possessed by a new devil that he feared was a recrudescence of the ancient struggle for independence.

Each fisherman he had examined refused to answer his interrogations, saying only, “I dobbebelly dobbebelly.”

The governor scratched his ear, and the mayor wiggled his hands behind, as he had on the wharf after the battle of the limes, coal, and potatoes.  The lawyer said it must be an incantation, but that it was not Tahitian, for that language had no “d” in its alphabet.  M. Lontane and all his squad were given peremptory orders to unriddle the enigma.

Meanwhile the fishless market continued.  It was not entirely fishless, for before the bell rang we would see over the railings a few handfuls of varos, crayfish, and shrimps and perhaps a dozen small baskets of oysters.  A policeman prevented a riot, but could not stay the rush when the bell rang and the gate was opened.  The lovers of shellfish and the servants of the well-to-do snatched madly at the small supply, and paid whatever extravagant price was demanded.  The scales were never touched, and any insistence upon the new legal plan and price was laughed at.  With these delicacies beyond their means, the natives stormed the two pork butchers, the Tinitos.  They grabbed the chops and lumps of pig, poking and kneading them, shouting for their weight, and in some instances making off without paying.  There was such a howdy-do that extra policemen were summoned to form all into line.

There were no scaly fish, and it came out that the shellfish were caught by women, widows who had no men to obey or please, who had children, or who wanted francs to buy gewgaws or tobacco; and a few unsocial men fishers who did not abide by the common interests of their group.

At Lovaina’s we were on a tiresome round of canned salmon, eggs, and beef, and eggs rose to six sous each.  In about a fortnight we began to have fish as usual, and Lovaina signed to me that the Dummy procured them in the country.  I was very curious, and asked if I might accompany him.  She said that he would call for me at the Annexe the next time he went.

I was awakened after midnight in my room—­the doors were never locked—­by the Dummy leaning over and shaking me.  I opened my eyes, and he put his fingers to his lips.  I dressed, and went with him in the old surrey.  We drove through the night along the Broom Road.  Once past the cemetery we were in the country.  The cocoanut-trees were gray ghosts against the dark foliage and trunks of the breadfruits and the sugar cane; the reef was a faint gleam of white over the lagoon and a subdued sound of distant waters.