"And it could not have been artificially coloured," added Mr. Heatherington. "Well, that proves the pearls are there. How——?"
The question was interrupted by a loud shout from one of the Kanakas. Regardless of the nauseating smell the five white men hurried to the spot. The native had found a flawless black pearl of about the size of a pigeon's egg.
"How much is it worth?" asked Kenneth.
"Anything from £2000 to £5000," replied his father.
"Hanged if I'd care to give that for a thing like that," rejoined the lad.
"And yet in our efforts to obtain it we have risked something far more valuable than that sum," added his father. "By Jove! Holbaek! Another half-dozen of that size and you'll go back to Esbjerg a rich man."
"I am glad to hear it," said the Dane sedately. "But our departure will not be possible until I have built my ship. Now that you know how to set to work and have located the beds, it would be as well if I devoted my energies to my work and left you to carry on with yours."
"Quite," agreed Mr. Heatherington. "And when we have found sufficient pearls then we can give you a hand with the ship-building. That is, if you can keep Mendoza out of the way."
"Talking of Mendoza; he had rather a violent outbreak yesterday," said Captain Holbaek. "He attacked one of the natives, so we had to lock him up. He'll be better to-morrow, and go back to his work quite docilely until he has another bout."
For the next fortnight work on the oyster beds proceeded almost uninterruptedly, though slowly, since two Kanakas only were available to act as divers, and for politic reasons the natives of Talai were not enlisted for the task. The results were fair. Half a dozen small black pearls were obtained during the first ten days, but it was not until the end of the fortnight that the work was rewarded by the discovery of five large and flawless specimens.
"That will be enough," declared Mr. Heatherington, and the others, including Captain Holbaek, concurred. Altogether the proceeds ought to result in each of the five white men receiving at least eight thousand pounds.
"That will be quite enough for the present," said Heatherington. "If we want more another expedition can be fitted out. Someone else can take charge of it, though. We can float a company, provided we take precautions against overstocking the market. That reminds me, Captain Holbaek. Are you going to tabu that part of the lagoon?"
"It might be quite safe to do so, although I cannot answer for it after we have gone," replied the Dane. "Tabu, in Talai, consists of two forms: one a prohibition placed on a certain thing by a chief; the other a kind of superstitious fear of a place or object owing to its associations with the dead. For instance, if a chief were to be eaten by a shark and the locality were known to the natives, the part of the lagoon would be tabu for generations. There is a grove on the east side of Talai. No native will go within a spear's throw of it. He'd sooner kill himself. The reason for that is, I found out, that over two hundred years ago a chief was killed by lightning whilst presiding at a tribal dance."
"We'll try your powers of tabu then," said Mr. Heatherington, laughing. "It's hardly worth while inducing one of the chiefs to throw himself to the sharks."
The precious articles having been carefully packed in down and placed in a strong case, Captain Holbaek solemnly announced at a general gathering of the natives that a part of the lagoon was to be henceforth tabu. This declaration was received in silence. No one questioned the reason, or, if he did, it was after the assembly dispersed.
Day after day passed in strenuous work. Slowly but surely the schooner approached completion. Her masts were stepped, spars fitted, and canvas, consisting of strong native flax cloth, bent to yards and booms. Chain being out of the question, a heavy coir rope was woven and stowed in the cable-tier, while for an anchor a formidable-looking contrivance of wood weighted with flat stones woolded with canvas and rope to hold them firmly in position, promised to carry out any ordinary duty in the way of mooring that it might be called upon to perform.
One afternoon after the day's work was accomplished, Kenneth and Peter were fishing off the rocks at the entrance to the cave when they noticed a small catamaran proceeding in the direction of the reef. To their surprise they saw that the occupant was Mendoza.
He had been extremely docile of late, and in consequence his movements had not been so closely watched, so that he had seized an opportunity to slip away, make for the beach, and launch one of the canoes.
Dashing along the shore the chums raised the alarm that Mendoza was escaping. Captain Holbaek was quickly upon the scene, followed by Mr. Heatherington. In obedience to an order from the former half a dozen canoes were manned and started in pursuit.
"A mad freak," declared the Dane. "He cannot hope to clear the reefs in that direction."
"By Jove! He's making for the pearl beds!" exclaimed Kenneth.
Observing the activity ashore, Mendoza quickened his pace, paddling rapidly yet unskilfully, his awkward efforts throwing up showers of spray and nearly capsizing the frail catamaran, not once but a score of times.
Undoubtedly Kenneth was correct in his surmise. Perhaps the Spaniard had been watching the diving operations from the island, and with the animal cunning of the maniac had guessed the reason for the presence of the Paloma's boat with his former prisoners amongst her occupants.
The pursuing canoes were overhauling their quarry hand over fist, yet not once did the Spaniard turn his head in their direction after the first glance that had warned him of their chase.
From their position on the beach, it was a difficult matter for Kenneth and his companions to gauge with any degree of accuracy the distance separating the catamaran from the foremost of the pursuers. It seemed as if the latter were almost level with Mendoza's craft, when the natives suddenly gave up the pursuit and backed vigorously with their paddles until the canoes remained almost motionless.
Mendoza held on.
"What have they stopped for?" asked Peter, addressing no one in particular.
It was Kenneth who supplied the information.
"'Cause that part of the lagoon is tabu, of course," he replied.
Such indeed was the case. Even although they had started to recapture the Spaniard on the direct orders of their paramount chief, Captain Holbaek, nothing would induce them to cross the imaginary line that formed the pale to the prohibited expanse of lagoon.
Mendoza's immediate actions were unhindered. Even if the white men launched the boat and made for the spot, nearly twenty minutes would elapse before they could arrive on the spot which the brown men feared to approach.
The Spaniard ceased paddling. Standing delicately poised upon the gunwale of the catamaran nearest the outrigger, he was peering down into the water.
"Yes, he's after the pearls," exclaimed Mr. Heatherington.
Even as they watched those on shore saw Mendoza disappear over the side. The empty canoe tossed in the disturbed water, and drifted rapidly from the spot under the impetus given it by the diver. The ripples dispersed. The surface of the lagoon resumed its mirror-like aspect. The luckless Spaniard did not reappear.
Back paddled the canoes, their crews looking awe-struck and terrified. To them the fate of Mendoza was a direct fulfilment of the curse that they firmly believed would overtake anyone reckless enough to violate the tabu.
In death Mendoza had performed the one and only good service he had ever rendered to the men he had so treacherously used. He had set for all time the seal of secrecy upon the black pearl beds of Talai.