“It’s a fact I haven’t been,” said he.  “It was an oversight, and I am sorry for it, Wiltshire.  But about coming now, I’ll be quite plain.”

“You mean you won’t?” I asked.

“Awfully sorry, old man, but that’s the size of it,” says Case.

“In short, you’re afraid?” says I.

“In short, I’m afraid,” says he.

“And I’m still to be tabooed for nothing?” I asked

“I tell you you’re not tabooed,” said he.  “The Kanakas won’t go near you, that’s all.  And who’s to make ’em?  We traders have a lot of gall, I must say; we make these poor Kanakas take back their laws, and take up their taboos, and that, whenever it happens to suit us.  But you don’t mean to say you expect a law obliging people to deal in your store whether they want to or not?  You don’t mean to tell me you’ve got the gall for that?  And if you had, it would be a queer thing to propose to me.  I would just like to point out to you, Wiltshire, that I’m a trader myself.”

“I don’t think I would talk of gall if I was you,” said I.  “Here’s about what it comes to, as well as I can make out:  None of the people are to trade with me, and they’re all to trade with you.  You’re to have the copra, and I’m to go to the devil and shake myself.  And I don’t know any native, and you’re the only man here worth mention that speaks English, and you have the gall to up and hint to me my life’s in danger, and all you’ve got to tell me is you don’t know why!”

“Well, it is all I have to tell you,” said he.  “I don’t know — I wish I did.”

“And so you turn your back and leave me to myself!  Is that the position?” says I.

“If you like to put it nasty,” says he.  “I don’t put it so.  I say merely, ’I’m going to keep clear of you; or, if I don’t, I’ll get in danger for myself.’ "

“Well,” says I, “you’re a nice kind of a white man!”

“O, I understand; you’re riled,” said he.  “I would be myself.  I can make excuses.”

“All right,” I said, “go and make excuses somewhere else.  Here’s my way, there’s yours!”

With that we parted, and I went straight home, in a hot temper, and found Uma trying on a lot of trade goods like a baby.

“Here,” I said, “you quit that foolery!  Here’s a pretty mess to have made, as if I wasn’t bothered enough anyway!  And I thought I told you to get dinner!”

And then I believe I gave her a bit of the rough side of my tongue, as she deserved.  She stood up at once, like a sentry to his officer; for I must say she was always well brought up, and had a great respect for whites.

“And now,” says I, “you belong round here, you’re bound to understand this.  What am I tabooed for, anyway?  Or, if I ain’t tabooed, what makes the folks afraid of me?”

She stood and looked at me with eyes like saucers.

“You no savvy?” she gasps at last.

“No,” said I.  “How would you expect me to?  We don’t have any such craziness where I come from.”