Presently, as I turned to look seaward, I caught the old man’s dark eyes fixed upon my face, and in them I read a sympathy that at that time and place was grateful to me.

“Six months is long for one who waits, Pakia,” I said.  “I came here but to stay four months and trade for copra; then the ship was to call and take me to Ponape, in the far north-west.  And Ponape is a great land to such a man as me.”

“Etonu!  Etonu! I know it.  Thrice have I been there when I sailed in the whaleships.  A great land truly, like the island called Juan Fernandez, of which I have told thee, with high mountains green to the summits with trees, and deep, dark valleys wherein the sound of the sea is never heard but when the surf beats hard upon the reef.  Ah! a fine land—­better than this poor motu, which is as but a ring of sand set in the midst of the deep sea.  Would that I were young to go there with thee!  Tell me, dost know the two small, high islands in the ava[2] which is called Jakoits?  Hast seen the graves of two white men there?”

“I know the islands well; but I have never seen the graves of any white men there.  Who were they, and when did they die?”

“Ah, I am a foolish old man.  I forget how old I am.  Perhaps, when thou wert a child in thy mother’s arms, the graves stood up out of the greensward at the foot of the high cliff which faces to the south.  Tell me, is there not a high wall of rock a little way back from the landing beach?...  Aye!... that is the place ... and the bones of the men are there, though now great trees may grow over the place.  They were both good men—­good to look at, tall and strong; and they fought and died there just under the cliff.  I saw them die, for I was there with the captain of my ship.  We, and others with us, saw it all.”

“Who were they, Pakia, and how came they to fight?”

“One was a trader, whose name was Preston; he lived on the mainland of Ponape, where he had a great house and oil store and many servants.  The name of the other man was Frank.  They fought because of a woman.”

“Tell me the story, Pakia.  Thou hast seen many lands and many strange things.  And when ye come and sit and talk to me the dulness goeth away from me and I no longer think of the ship; for of all the people on this motu, to thee and Temana my servant alone do I talk freely.  And Temana is now at church.”

The old man chuckled.  “Aye, he is at church because Malepa, his wife, is so jealous of him that she fears to leave him alone.  Better would it please him to be sitting here with us.”