Both were half castes. The taller of the two was Hamie Baker, the man that Mr. Trollope had sent from Fiji; the other proved to be Lacost's diver from Tahiti, Philip Macauta, who had been left behind to look after their gear. Both being of the same profession, they had formed a friendship and were whiling away their time together.
Baker said that he had almost given up expecting the Mr. Sallust for whom he had been sent there to work; but, as he and the salvaging equipment had been hired for three months, he had meant to wait another week before writing to Mr. Trollope to arrange for the gear to be shipped back to Suva.
Gregory told him that they now expected to start work quite soon. Upon which Macauta made a grimace and said, `Lucky for you, bass, that you seem to be on the right side of the Ratu. My lot couldn't get a single one of the divers here to work for them. Though why, beats me. They were offered good money.'
`My people are very independent,' said James, `and easily offended. It may be that Monsieur Lacost approached them in a way that upset them. I am told that some days ago he left for Fiji, hoping to engage divers there.'
`That's right,' Macauta nodded. `He and the Brazilian gent had several talks, then their two boats sailed away in company.'
After a few moments' further desultory conversation Gregory asked Baker how he was off for money; then, learning that he was pretty low, and wishing to gain his goodwill, he gave him some French banknotes that had been returned from Noumea with his passport and other papers.
As the two friends climbed back into the jeep, James said, `This new development is very interesting.'
`Very,' Gregory agreed. `It's evident that de Carvalho and Lacost have gone into partnership. On the face of it, that's quite a sound arrangement, as one has the licence and the other the equipment already to hand.'
`I find it rather surprising, seeing that de Carvalho wouldn't do a deal with us.'
`That was different. We had nothing to offer him, and he was then under the impression that after a month or two Lacost would get fed up and leave him a free field. When he got there he found, to the contrary, that the Colons were not only still in the game but intended to go ahead, licence or no licence, as soon as they could get divers. So he was faced with the strong possibility that they would beat him to it. All Lacost apparently has to gain is legalising his operations. But I wouldn't mind betting that it was he who put up the proposition, and that he is only jollying de Carvalho along until he can get his hands on the goods. Then he'll push the Brazilian overboard.'
'I do hope you are right,' James said, with charming candour. `That would leave Olinda free, and I feel almost sure she would marry me.'
Gregory laughed. `You are not taking into account that
Lacost has no reason whatever to do de Carvalho in until after they have got up the gold. And the odds are now all against them. While they are still busy engaging divers in Fiji, unless something quite unforeseen happens we shall have salvaged the treasure ourselves.!
'Yes, of course.' James' face fell. `And I suppose the sooner we get to work, the better. I thought we might go out to the wreck late this afternoon, so that I can show it to you. We must get back by sundown, though, as my people mean to entertain you with a meke. Then I'll engage divers tomorrow and arrange for Baker's equipment to be towed out.'
`That will be fine,' Gregory agreed. `No doubt, old Elboeuf will appear on the scene and start creating a fuss. He'll naturally believe that you lied to him when you said that Lacost was not employed by you, and think that the Colons having failed, you're now taking over. But…
`In such a matter I should never lie,' the young Ratu broke in indignantly. `I shall tell him, as I have meant to ever since we learned that de Carvalho had got ahead of us in securing a licence, that as the Hereditary Ruler of Tujoa I consider the treasure mine by right. That I mean to take it and, if necessary, will fight my title to it in the courts.'
Soon after four o'clock that afternoon they again left the bure in the jeep. This time they took a road that led inland, mounting gradually as it wound through well cultivated land. After covering a mile they were high enough to see over the tops of the trees that screened the left sickle point of the bay. Beyond them lay a small, well wooded island, separated from the shore by a channel only a few hundred yards wide. Pointing to it, James said:
`That's where old Roboumo lives.'
`And who may he be?' Gregory enquired.
`I told you about him when we were in Rio. He is the great witch doctor of Tujoa and, for lack of a better expression, my enemy.'
`Yes, I remember now. He runs a sort of protection racket, doesn't he? Blackmails the natives with the aid of a gang of toughs, who tell the people that he'll put a curse on them if they don't pay up"'
`That's it. And he's naturally opposed to modernisation of any kind, because it would tend to lessen their superstitious fear of him, or, rather, of the White Witch who is his partner. They think she is a kind of goddess and even a mention of her scares the pants off them.'
`The White Witch,' Gregory repeated. `That rings a bell somehow. I've heard of her before, but I can't think where. Is she really a white woman?'
`I don't know, but I doubt it. I should think it more likely that she is either a very fair skinned Polynesian or just one of our natives who paints her face and the exposed parts of her body white. Anyway, there is no question about her potency. I've had ample proof that her curses do bring misfortune and even death to people.'
`Then why don't you clear out this nest of vipers? Old Elboeuf mentioned your body guard, although I haven't seen it. If you have fifty stout warriors at your disposal you should be able to overrun Roboumo's island any night.'
James laughed. `My body guard is really not much more than a piece of tradition. Six of them are my house servants; the rest are employed working in my plantations. They could, of course, be mustered in an emergency; but they have no modem weapons and have not been called on to fight for many years. All they do is attend me on State occasions, such as a visit from the Governor of New Caledonia, or at the funeral of one of my family. I've no doubt they would obey me in most matters; but, with the exception of a few of the more enlightened ones, like Aleamotu'a, not if I called on them to attack old Roboumo's stronghold and invite the anger of the White Witch.'
By this time they could no longer see the sea. The jeep had entered a valley, on one side of which there rose a mountain. Parts of it were covered with thick jungle; others consisted of sheer cliffs of brown rock. Down one of the cliffs there gushed a hundred foot high waterfall. Clouds of fine spray steamed off the tall white pillar that it made before crashing with a roar and churning wildly below a stone bridge over which they passed.
A few minutes later they came out of the valley and saw the sea again, blue and sparkling, in another bay. The descent there was precipitous, but, with the ease of long practice in driving on such roads, James brought the jeep down to the white, palm fringed beach.
Some way off, a launch was waiting and Aleamotu'a waved to them from her. Gregory and James were wearing only towelling robes over bathing trunks. Leaving their robes in the jeep, they waded, then swam out to the launch. As soon as they were aboard, Aleamotu'a headed her across the lagoon towards the reef. A few hundred yards short of the breaking waves, a buoy marked the site of the wreck. Near it a small speed boat, manned by two natives, was waiting. As they approached, its engine started up and, with spray festooning from either side of her bows, she began to race round in a narrow circle.
`What are those fellows up to?' Gregory asked.
`They are our shark patrol,' James answered lightly. 'Churning up the water scares the brutes away. And those boys have eyes like hawks. If they spot one they'll give us warning.'