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year of toil。
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Port Adams was now three years and a half away； so he stole a canoe
one night； hid on the islets in Manning Straits； passed through the Straits；
and began working along the eastern coast of Ysabel； only to be captured；
two…thirds of the way along； by the white men on Meringe Lagoon。 After a
week； he escaped from them and took to the bush。 There were no bush
natives on Ysabel； only salt…water men； who were all Christians。 The white
men put up a reward of five…hundred sticks of tobacco； and every time
Mauki ventured down to the sea to steal a canoe he was chased by the salt…
water men。 Four months of this passed； when； the reward having been
raised to a thousand sticks； he was caught and sent back to New Georgia
and the road…building gang。 Now a thousand sticks are worth fifty dollars；
and Mauki had to pay the reward himself； which required a year and eight
months' labor。 So Port Adams was now five years away。
His homesickness was greater than ever； and it did not appeal to him to
settle down and be good； work out his four years； and go home。 The next
time； he was caught in the very act of running away。 His case was brought
before Mr。 Haveby； the island manager of the Moongleam Soap Company；
who adjudged him an incorrigible。 The Company had plantations on the
Santa Cruz Islands； hundreds of miles across the sea； and there it sent its
Solomon Islands' incorrigibles。 And there Mauki was sent； though he
never arrived。 The schooner stopped at Santa Anna； and in the night Mauki
swam ashore； where he stole two rifles and a case of tobacco from the
trader and got away in a canoe to Cristoval。 Malaita was now to the north；
fifty or sixty miles away。 But when he attempted the passage； he was
caught by a light gale and driven back to Santa Anna； where the trader
clapped him in irons and held him against the return of the schooner from
Santa Cruz。 The two rifles the trader recovered； but the case of tobacco
was charged up to Mauki at the rate of another year。 The sum of years he
now owed the Company was six。
On the way back to New Georgia； the schooner dropped anchor in
Marau Sound； which lies at the southeastern extremity of Guadalcanar。
Mauki swam ashore with handcuffs on his wrists and got away to the bush。
The schooner went on； but the Moongleam trader ashore offered a
thousand sticks； and to him Mauki was brought by the bushmen with a
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year and eight months tacked on to his account。 Again； and before the
schooner called in； he got away； this time in a whale boat accompanied by
a case of the trader's tobacco。 But a northwest gale wrecked him upon Ugi；
where the Christian natives stole his tobacco and turned him over to the
Moongleam trader who resided there。 The tobacco the natives stole meant
another year for him； and the tale was now eight years and a half。
〃We'll send him to Lord Howe；〃 said Mr。 Haveby。 〃Bunster is there；
and we'll let them settle it between them。 It will be a case； I imagine； of
Mauki getting Bunster； or Bunster getting Mauki； and good riddance in
either event。〃
If one leaves Meringe Lagoon； on Ysabel； and steers a course due
north； magnetic； at the end of one hundred and fifty miles he will lift the
pounded coral beaches of Lord Howe above the sea。 Lord Howe is a ring
of land some one hundred and fifty miles in circumference； several
hundred yards wide at its widest； and towering in places to a height of ten
feet above sea level。 Inside this ring of sand is a mighty lagoon studded
with coral patches。 Lord Howe belongs to the Solomons neither
geographically nor ethnologically。 It is an atoll； while the Solomons are
high islands； and its people and language are Polynesian； while the
inhabitants of the Solomons are Melanesian。
Lord Howe has been populated by the westward Polynesian drift
which continues to this day； big outrigger canoes being washed upon its
beaches by the southeast trade。 That there has been a slight Melanesian
drift in the period of the northwest monsoon； is also evident。
Nobody ever comes to Lord Howe； or Ontong…Java as it is sometimes
called。 Thomas Cook & Son do not sell tickets to it； and tourists do not
dream of its existence。 Not even a white missionary has landed on its
shore。 Its five thousand natives are as peaceable as they are primitive。 Yet
they were not always peaceable。 The Sailing Directions speak of them as
hostile and treacherous。 But the men who compile the Sailing Directions
have never heard of the change that was worked in the hearts of the
inhabitants； who； not many years ago； cut off a big bark and killed all
hands with the exception of the second mate。 The survivor carried the
news to his brothers。 The captains of three trading schooners returned with
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him to Lord Howe。 They sailed their vessels right into the lagoon and
proceeded to preach the white man's gospel that only white men shall kill
white men and that the lesser breeds must keep hands off。 The schooners
sailed up and down the lagoon； harrying and destroying。 There was no
escape from the narrow sand…circle； no bush to which to flee。 The men
were shot down at sight； and there was no avoiding being sighted。 The
villages were burned； the canoes smashed； the chickens and pigs killed；
and the precious cocoanut trees chopped down。 For a month this continued；
when the schooner sailed away； but the fear of the white man had been
seared into the souls of the islanders and never again were they rash
enough to harm one。
Max Bunster was the one white man on Lord Howe； trading in the pay
of the ubiquitous Moongleam Soap Company。 And the Company billeted
him on Lord Howe； because； next to getting rid of him； it was the most
out…of…the…way place to be found。 That the Company did not get rid of him
was due to the difficulty of finding another man to take his place。 He was
a strapping big German； with something wrong in his brain。 Semi…madness
would be a charitable statement of his condition。 He was a bully and a
coward； and a thrice…bigger savage than any savage on the island。
Being a coward； his brutality was of the cowardly order。 When he first
went into the Company's employ； he was stationed on Savo。 When a
consumptive colonial was sent to take his place； he beat him up with his
fists and sent him off a wreck in the schooner that brought him。
Mr。 Haveby next selected a young Yorkshire giant to relieve Bunster。
The Yorkshire man had a reputation as a bruiser and preferred fighting to
eating。 But Bunster wouldn't fight。 He was a regular little lambfor ten
days； at the end of which time the Yorkshire man was prostrated by a
combined attack of dysentery and fever。 Then Bunster went for him；
among other things getting him down and jumping on him a score or so of
times。 Afraid of what would happen when his victim recovered。 Bunster
fled away in a cutter to Guvutu； where he signalized himself by beating up
a young Englishman already crippled by a Boer bullet through both hips。
Then it was that Mr。 Haveby sent Bunster to Lord Howe； the falling…
off place。 He celebrated his landing by mopping up half a case of gin and
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by thrashing the elderly and wheezy mate of the schooner which had
brought him。 When the schooner departed； he called the kanakas down to
the beach and challenged them to throw him in a wrestling bout；
promising a case of tobacco to the one who succeeded。 Three kanakas he
th