The Adventures of Don Lavington Part 43

"I will, Jem."

"First chance?"

"Yes, I am decided."

"That's a bargain then, my lad. So shake hands on it. Why! How rough and hard and tarry your hands have grown!"

"Look out, Jem!"

Don caught hold of the grapnel rope ready to haul up and get away from the sh.o.r.e, but Jem seized his hand.

"It's all right, Mas' Don. Only them two running back with a basket, and I'm in that sort o' way of thinking that they've only got to coax me a bit, and swear as there shall be no tattooing and meat-pie nonsense, and I'd go ash.o.r.e with them now."

"No, Jem, that would not do till we know a little more of them, and I can't help hesitating now it comes to the point."

"That's just what I felt, Mas' Don," said Jem, with a perplexed look on his face.

"Come, Jem, who's stealing some one else's ideas now?"

"Like fruit?" said the tattooed Englishman, coming down to the water's edge.

"That depends," said Jem, dubiously. "What is it?"

"Karaka," said their new friend, offering a basket of an olive-like fruit.

"Good to eat?"

"Yes; try it."

"S'pose you eat some first," said Jem suspiciously.

The Englishman laughed, and took some of the fruit, and began to chew it.

"Afraid these would drug you so that I could steal the boat?"

"I didn't know," said Jem sulkily. "Wouldn't be the first who has stolen a boat, I suppose."

Don took some of the berries, and began to eat, and this emboldened Jem, who tasted one in a very suspicious and doubting way.

"Hullo!" he said, with his countenance brightening; "know what these here taste like, Mas' Don?"

"Very mellow apple?"

"No; like the medlars that grew in my grandmother's garden."

"That's right!" said the Englishman; and his New Zealand companion began to select the best and ripest of the fruit from the basket and handed them to Don, watching him eat with what was meant for a pleasant smile; but as his face resembled one that had been carved in a piece of mahogany, and afterwards ornamented with streaks and scrolls, the effect was more repellent than attractive.

"My pakeha," said the great fellow with a childlike show of satisfaction; and he looked from one to the other and laughed.

"Here, he's took to you regular, youngster; only look out, for he'll want _utu_ for it some time. Eh, Ngati? Utu?"

"_Utu_, _utu_" said the chief, smiling.

"What's utu?" said Jem, in a surly tone.

"Payment."

"Oh, then we'll give him a bit of 'bacco."

He offered the New Zealander his tobacco-bag, which was quietly annexed with a smile.

"There, we'll leave you the fruit. They're good eating, my lads, and if at any time before you go, you feel disposed to settle down with us, there's plenty of room, and it won't be very long before you'll grow into chiefs."

He nodded, and then said a few words to his companion, who smiled at the two strangers in turn, after which they went off together into the forest, and were gone.

"Ugh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Jem. "Don't know whether it arn't safer aboard ship after all."

"Why do you say that?" cried Don.

"Because whenever that black chap looks at me, he gives me the shivers."

"Why?"

"Seems to me that he's too fond of you, Mas' Don, and as if he was thinking how good you'd be."

"Nonsense!" cried Don, who was enjoying the fruit. "Have some more of these. I wonder whether there are any more good kinds of fruit grow ash.o.r.e."

"Sure to be."

"Do you think if we left the ship, Jem, and found our way right along the coast to some place where we could live till the ship had gone, and then wait till another ship came, we could get enough to eat?"

"Dessay we could."

"Because if we did, we should be quite independent, and could do as we liked."

"To be sure, that's the way it seems to me; but just now, Mas' Don, I can only think of one thing."

"What's that, Jem?"

"How to get a bit of sleep, for the sun has made me as drowsy as a beedle."

"Well, then, sit down and sleep."

Jem wanted no persuasion, and in five minutes he was breathing very heavily, while Don sat watching the beauties of nature, the clouds of steam floating above the volcanic island, the wondrous sheen of the sea in the sun, the great lace-like tree-ferns which drooped over the mossy growth at the forest edge, and the beautiful b.u.t.terflies which floated about like gaily-painted flowers in the golden light.

Every now and then there was the sweet note of some bird ringing clearly in the air; then a loud and piercing screech heralded the coming of a parrot or c.o.c.katoo, which seemed tame enough to care little for the stranger who was watching its actions.

Then all would be still again--a dreamy, sleepy stillness that was wonderfully attractive to Don as he sat with his eyes half-closed. In the distance he could see some of the Maoris coming and going in a listless, careless way, as if their life was a very pleasant indolence without a care.