The address ended, the natives gave a terrific shout of acclamation, and dispersed quietly to their huts.
Captain Holbaek led his guests into his home, ordered native servants to prepare baths and a meal.
"I am sorry I have no wardrobe to place at your disposal," he said apologetically, as he noticed the ragged, salt- and rust-stained garments of the four men. "I am reduced to the one suit in which I came ashore. I reserve that for special occasions, such as the present. Usually I wear native costume. Believe me, it has its advantages when one gets accustomed to it."
When the four guests sat down to an appetizing meal, they were rigged out in loin-cloths, and a sort of loose cloak, their own clothing being handed over to a native with instructions for it to be washed. The chums were obliged to admit that the clean native-woven linen was far more comfortable than the ragged and soiled rough canvas, which had been their sole garment for longer than they cared to remember.
"Now you must be longing for a sound and refreshing sleep," said their host.
There were no dissentients. Kenneth and Peter were hardly able to keep from nodding. Mr. Heatherington had difficulty to refrain from yawning, while Captain Gregory, whose greater allowance of sleep during the run from Boya had been set-off by the physical weakness owing to the reopening of his wound, actually fell asleep before the meal was over.
It was a comfort to the two chums to be able to rest on wicker couches, to have a roof over their heads, and, more than anything, to know that they were safe in the care of the genial Dane, whose personality had won for him the obedience, amounting almost to veneration, of the natives of Talai.
"Seems almost too good to be true, Peter," remarked Kenneth drowsily, as he adjusted the mosquito curtains.
There was no reply. Peter Arkendale was lost to the world in the kindly arms of Morpheus.
CHAPTER XXX. RETRIBUTION
The chums awoke to find themselves in a darkened room, but judging by the noises without, Captain Holbaek's establishment was up and about.
"Hang it all!" exclaimed Peter. "Do they work by night at Talai? Or is there a riot going on?"
"Dunno," replied his chum drowsily. "Where's my torch?"
He found the instrument close to the side of his couch, switched it on and looked round the room. One thing he noticed in particular. The jalousied windows had been carefully covered by thick mats so arranged as to admit a free current of air.
Getting out of bed, Kenneth went to the window and pulled aside one of the coverings. He was almost blinded by the glare of the sun.
"By Jove!" he ejaculated, noting the fact that the palms threw almost vertical shadows. "It's close on midday. We are lazy hogs!"
"Holbaek's been looking after us well, then," declared Peter. "Those mats over the jalousies weren't there last night. He evidently meant us to sleep as long as we could. I say! What a jolly place Talai is, our rough reception notwithstanding! Different from Boya!"
"If Boya is a specimen of a Pacific paradise——" began Kenneth, but was interrupted by a knock on the door-post—the door itself being made of rushes woven on bamboo frames.
Captain Holbaek appeared.
"I heard you talking," he said apologetically, "so I took the liberty of coming in. Is there anything you require? Your father and Captain Gregory are still asleep. I thought I would mention this in case you disturb them. Do you think you will like our native dress?"
The chums thought they would. It was rather good fun going about in a loin-cloth and a sort of light cloak. At any rate the "rig" suited the Dane to perfection. It set off his massive form and powerful, muscular limbs.
They bathed and dressed, the latter operation taking less than a couple of minutes, and made their way to the living-room, where a meal, consisting chiefly of plantains and mealie-cakes, awaited them.
"I wonder why Captain Holbaek warned us about disturbing the Governor?" remarked Kenneth. "There's a good deal of noise outside anyhow."
"Give it up," rejoined his chum, as he proceeded to attempt to satisfy a healthy appetite.
The meal completed, they went out on to the veranda. Then the reason for the commotion became apparent. Placed in orderly formation on the ground in front of the entrance were the whole of the belongings of the four guests. Not a thing was missing. The natives had even brought along three or four empty cartridge-cases, and a couple of rusty preserved-meat cans which had been used as balers. Owing to Holbaek's orders that the things were tabu the natives had moved each article by means of cleft sticks. Nothing would have induced them to lay a finger on any item of the white men's property.
Presently Mr. Heatherington and Captain Gregory appeared.
"My word!" exclaimed the former, when he saw his son and Peter in native attire. "You two are going in for the simple life!"
"Jolly comfortable any old way, Pater," replied Kenneth. "And streets above the rotten old canvas suits that Mendoza graciously permitted us to wear. How do you feel, Pater, after your night's rest?"
"Quite all right," replied Mr. Heatherington. "Well, lads, here we are, fixed up in comfortable quarters; but we can't remain indefinitely. The question is: how are we to get back to civilization?"
"I'm in no hurry," said Kenneth. "We've struck a pukka coral island at last."
"My bright boy seems charmed with your place, Captain," remarked Mr. Heatherington, to the Danish skipper, who had just come in.
"Indeed? Yes. Talai has its advantages. I, personally, shall be sorry to leave; yet I am hoping some day to return to my native land."
"It is some years since you last saw Denmark, then?" inquired Mr. Heatherington.
"Ten years," replied Captain Holbaek. "I was hoping to do so this year; but as you know my schooner the Svend was destroyed by those villains. She was not insured; and more than likely my goods in Tonga have been disposed of, since it is reasonable for the authorities there to think I am dead. So I must go on working," he concluded.
"Is there much of a commercial value in Talai?" asked Kenneth's parent.
"To a certain extent, yes," declared the Dane frankly. "Copra mostly. I am now building another vessel. My Kanakas are handy fellows, and the natives themselves are quite intelligent."
"Are there any pearl fisheries?"
"Not of a paying proposition," replied Captain Holbaek. "There are some under the lee of that part of the reef, but these are of poor quality. The yield is not worth the labour and risk. Now, gentlemen, are you prepared for a short tour of my domain? The sun is still fierce, but perhaps, even as I, you are now hardened to tropical heat."
The others, with the exception of Gregory, who had an objection to using his feet more than was absolutely necessary, agreed to the proposal with alacrity.
Of the four, only Mr. Heatherington wore foot-gear, consisting of a pair of plaited grass sandals, for by now the two chums were quite inured to going about barefooted. Captain Holbaek, too, was quite at home without shoes, and expressed his doubts as to his ability to be comfortable in leather only again.
Passing through the village—which at that hour was tenanted only by smiling women busily engaged in such occupations as making rush mats, grinding maize between stones resembling the old Saxon quaern, and weaving flax-cloth—the party reached the outskirts of a large coco-palm wood. Here pigs in semi-wild condition roamed in large numbers, while numerous fowls were to be seen scuttling through the undergrowth. It was evident that the inhabitants of Talai did not live in fear of starvation.