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vessels。 That was why Fanfoa ordered his slave； Mauki； to be carried
down and signed on for half a case of tobacco advance； along with knives；
axes； calico； and beads； which he would pay for with his toil on the
plantations。 Mauki was sorely frightened when they brought him on board
the schooner。 He was a lamb led to the slaughter。 White men were
ferocious creatures。 They had to be； or else they would not make a practice
of venturing along the Malaita coast and into all harbors； two on a
schooner； when each schooner carried from fifteen to twenty blacks as
boat's crew； and often as high as sixty or seventy black recruits。 In addition
to this； there was always the danger of the shore population； the sudden
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attack and the cutting off of the schooner and all hands。 Truly； white men
must be terrible。 Besides； they were possessed of such devil…devilsrifles
that shot very rapidly many times； things of iron and brass that made the
schooners go when there was no wind； and boxes that talked and laughed
just as men talked and laughed。
Ay； and he had heard of one white man whose particular devil…devil
was so powerful that he could take out all his teeth and put them back at
will。
Down into the cabin they took Mauki。 On deck； the one white man
kept guard with two revolvers in his belt。 In the cabin the other white man
sat with a book before him； in which he inscribed strange marks and lines。
He looked at Mauki as though he had been a pig or a fowl； glanced under
the hollows of his arms； and wrote in the book。 Then he held out the
writing stick and Mauki just barely touched it with his hand； in so doing
pledging himself to toil for three years on the plantations of the
Moongleam Soap Company。 It was not explained to him that the will of
the ferocious white men would be used to enforce the pledge； and that；
behind all； for the same use； was all the power and all the warships of
Great Britain。
Other blacks there were on board； from unheard…of far places； and
when the white man spoke to them； they tore the long feather from
Mauki's hair； cut that same hair short； and wrapped about his waist a lava…
lava of bright yellow calico。
After many days on the schooner； and after beholding more land and
islands than he had ever dreamed of； he was landed on New Georgia； and
put to work in the field clearing jungle and cutting cane grass。 For the first
time he knew what work was。 Even as a slave to Fanfoa he had not
worked like this。 And he did not like work。 It was up at dawn and in at
dark； on two meals a day。 And the food was tiresome。 For weeks at a time
they were given nothing but sweet potatoes to eat； and for weeks at a time
it would be nothing but rice。 He cut out the cocoanut from the shells day
after day； and for long days and weeks he fed the fires that smoked the
copra； till his eyes got sore and he was set to felling trees。 He was a good
axe…man； and later he was put in the bridge…building gang。 Once； he was
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punished by being put in the road…building gang。 At times he served as
boat's crew in the whale boats； when they brought in copra from distant
beaches or when the white men went out to dynamite fish。
Among other things he learned beche…de…mer English； with which he
could talk with all white men； and with all recruits who otherwise would
have talked in a thousand different dialects。 Also； he learned certain
things about the white men； principally that they kept their word。 If they
told a boy he was going to receive a stick of tobacco； he got it。 If they told
a boy they would knock seven bells out of him if he did a certain thing；
when he did that thing； seven bells invariably were knocked out of him。
Mauki did not know what seven bells were； but they occurred in beche…de…
mer； and he imagined them to be the blood and teeth that sometimes
accompanied the process of knocking out seven bells。 One other thing he
learned： no boy was struck or punished unless he did wrong。 Even when
the white men were drunk； as they were frequently； they never struck
unless a rule had been broken。
Mauki did not like the plantation。 He hated work； and he was the son
of a chief。 Furthermore； it was ten years since he had been stolen from
Port Adams by Fanfoa； and he was homesick。 He was even homesick for
the slavery under Fanfoa。 So he ran away。 He struck back into the bush；
with the idea of working southward to the beach and stealing a canoe in
which to go home to Port Adams。
But the fever got him； and he was captured and brought back more
dead than alive。
A second time he ran away； in the company of two Malaita boys。
They got down the coast twenty miles； and were hidden in the hut of a
Malaita freeman； who dwelt in that village。 But in the dead of night two
white men came； who were not afraid of all the village people and who
knocked seven bells out of the three runaways； tied them like pigs； and
tossed them into the whale boat。 But the man in whose house they had
hiddenseven times seven bells must have been knocked out of him from
the way the hair； skin； and teeth flew； and he was discouraged for the rest
of his natural life from harboring runaway laborers。
For a year Mauki toiled on。 Then he was made a house…boy； and had
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good food and easy times； with light work in keeping the house clean and
serving the white men with whiskey and beer at all hours of the day and
most hours of the night。 He liked it； but he liked Port Adams more。 He had
two years longer to serve； but two years were too long for him in the
throes of homesickness。 He had grown wiser with his year of service； and；
being now a house…boy； he had opportunity。 He had the cleaning of the
rifles； and he knew where the key to the store room was hung。 He planned
to escape； and one night ten Malaita boys and one boy from San Cristoval
sneaked from the barracks and dragged one of the whale boats down to the
beach。 It was Mauki who supplied the key that opened the padlock on the
boat； and it was Mauki who equipped the boat with a dozen Winchesters；
an immense amount of ammunition； a case of dynamite with detonators
and fuse； and ten cases of tobacco。
The northwest monsoon was blowing； and they fled south in the night
time； hiding by day on detached and uninhabited islets； or dragging their
whale boat into the bush on the large islands。 Thus they gained
Guadalcanar； skirted halfway along it； and crossed the Indispensable
Straits to Florida Island。 It was here that they killed the San Cristoval boy；
saving his head and cooking and eating the rest of him。 The Malaita coast
was only twenty miles away； but the last night a strong current and
baffling winds prevented them from gaining across。 Daylight found them
still several miles from their goal。 But daylight brought a cutter； in which
were two white men； who were not afraid of eleven Malaita men armed
with twelve rifles。 Mauki and his companions were carried back to Tulagi；
where lived the great white master of all the white men。 And the great
white master held a court； after which； one by one； the runaways were tied
up and given twenty lashes each； and sentenced to a fine of fifteen dollars。
They were sent back to New Georgia； where the white men knocked seven
bells out of them all around and put them to work。 But Mauki was no
longer house…boy。 He was put in the road…making gang。 The fine of fifteen
dollars had been paid by the white men from whom he had run away； and
he was told that he would have to work it out； which meant six months'
additional toil。 Further； his share of the stolen tobacco earned him another
year of toil。
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