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Show _ _ - ' - --v v ' - vy -y- y - 4 4F 4t F t Isip Isipwnr II wnr u aft sr CnAPTEB CDAPTER CHAPTER 1The 1 I 1The pitot pIlot pllot The weathered one-eyed one eyed - - little pI pl lot who wbo called hlinteU blm.ell blmell himself . Captain Ra Ramey Ramey Ranicy mey Was wa an unfamiliar figure on the theterraces theterraces hotelhe botellbe hotelshe terraces o pf of ( Honolulu s a luxujy lwauy luxury botell hotels * be he wa wax was . here now at the same am tabl table tablewith tablewith with Karen Waterson Water on and John Colt Coltonly . , only becauce because he was wa trying to persuade persuede per peruad suade suede uad Colt to charter his hi * Diesel Dieriboat DieselboaL Dieselboat boaL boat . In thia this connection conneetlon be he was wa tell tell- tellIng telling - . ing trig a rambling .tory tory story . lory concerned with withreefs withreefs withreef reefs * and shoals ihoal * and the tricky cur cur- currents currents current - - > rents rent * of the South Seas Sea * but now be he bestopped hestopped h topped stopped abruptly In mid sentence sentenceHis sentencelit centenceHis His lit single in le eye was looking across acrossthe acrossthe acroxthe * the tanal lanai of ofe off the Royal HawaIIan Hawaiian.acrots Hawaiianacrots , . , across the dimly lighted Ughted little tablell tables tablesto tablellto tablesto to the atepi steps which led onto the open openair openair openair air terrace where they sat Bat satThere . . ' There 'There he is 1 ' he said after a amoment amoment emoment moment . . His ma voice voJce cropped dropped trom from tromIts fromits fromlt Its narrative sing ing sane song ong to a tone of ofreality ofreality ofreality reality " ' That "n1at n1at 'That man there on thesteps thesteps the steps tep i ( Is s * Tonga Tonea DickKaren DickKaren Dick DickKaren Karen Watenon Waterson . . , her ber lachea lashes veU veil veUIng veillog veilIng Ing log her 'harp harp sharp ' harp curioclty curiosity . , moved ber her berbead herhead herhead bead head a little Uttle tlowly slowly so o that she shecould shecould hecould could look at the tb white-clad white clad wbite-clad wbite - - figure figureRamey Ramey figureRamey pointed out'The out outThe . ' The 'The ' one with the tray of ot dishes dicheOh * ? Ob Oh excuse excu e me I was wa * looking at atthe atthe atthe the wrong door " TongaDick The man decignated designated as a Tonga TongaDick Dick moved down to the th lanal lanai with witha a loose lelaure leisure The Tbe light lights * of ot the thehotel thehotel thehotel hotel lounge were behind him so sothat sothat BOthat that the girl could not see ee his hi * face facebut facebut facebut but cbe she .aw aw saw ( . aw that he waa was sl1m slim lim aa as aslat aslat a slat slat lat , , , an and that his bis slow low stroll ( troll almostslouched almost . slouched loucbed and almost swaggered swaggeredwhile swaggeredwhile swaggeredwhile while denying both Watching him himKaren himKaren himKaren Karen gathered a suggeition suggestion ot of oteasy ofeasy ofeasy easy going arrogance which she shefound shefound shefound found faintly Intimidating-perhaps Intimidating perhaps IntimidatingperhapsbFcause Intimidatingperhapsbecause Intimidating - perhapsbecause bFcause because sh the she had too often tried to toimagine toimagine Itbaglne imagine what this tbJs man was lIkeA likeA Uke lIke UkeA A table captain led Tonga Dick to toa toa toa a place at one on * fide 5ide side under a II wine winepalm winepalm winpalm * palm Karen saw a match flare in inthe Inthe Inthe the cigarettethen shadows as he lit a cigarette cigarettethen cigarettethen then she turned back to the two twomen twomen twomen men at her tableA tableA table tableA A shiver had run across acrosa Karen sshoulders s si sshoulders i shoulders as she turned from her inspection in inspectlon inspectlon spectlon spection of Tonga Dick but she was wasnot wasnot wasnot not cold No one could be cold Inthat In Inthat inthat that mild blossom fragrant 4agrant air The Thetruth Thetruth Thetruth truth was that the she was disturbed by bya bya bya a sense of utter unreality Hono Hono- Honolulu Honolulu Honolulu - - lulu itself seemed unreal and thenight the thenight thenight night lanai of the hotelseemed hotel seemed the themost themost themost most unreal thing in itMostly ItMostly It ItMostly Mostly that Ulusion Uluslon illusion was in the thetexture thetexture thetexture texture of the night itself It was In Inthe inthe inthe the mild mUd caress of the soft air Blr a Id rd IdIn rdIn idin In the strangely quieting strar star str r gely gelyexciting gelyexciting gclyexciting exciting odor of many blossoms blossomsThe blossomsThe blossomsThe The half hall darkness of the starlight starlightseemed starlightseemed starlightseemed seemed full of the ghosts of long for forgotten forgotten forgotten gotten thing thmgs things * crowding close in m the thewarmth thewarmth thewarmth warmth of ot a night that could not notturn notturn notturn turn coldKaren coldKaren cold coldKsren Ksren Karen supposed she would have havetelt havefelt havefelt telt felt differently dllferently if II she had been here hereas hereas hereas as a tourist tOUrlst to relax and to enj enl y ybut ybut ybut but she was not For the first t me meIn meIn meIn In her life hfe Karen found herself in a aposItion aposition aposition posItion of attack instead of defer segamblIng segambling se -gamblIng gamblIng - - gambling tor for stakes that a year yearago Yl yiarago ar arago ago would have been beyond her herbelIef herbelief herbelief herbeliefRamey belIef belIefRamey Ramey the 1 I l ttle ttJe one eyedsea eyed sea seatramp seatramp seatramp tramp was talking to Colt db ab ut utTonga utTonga utTonga Tonga Dick Like a hundred It U tl ers erswho erswho erswho who odd jobbed lobbed In the Islands the theweather theweather theweather weather faced Ramey conta nid nld ntd a avast avast av vast gt store of Island Informatioi InformatlOr- InformatlOr Informatiol- Informatiol InformatlOrm Informatiolm - m stiy stly unusab unusable- unusable unusableand unusable-and unusable and ) - - -and and - and very 1 I ttle the ttleelse theelse ttleelse ttleelseThis else elseThIs This here Dick DJck Wayne-T Wayne T WayneT19a Wayne - - T ) 19a 19ao igaD ga gaD : o D ck-he ck he ck - he s what you might c ( ' 11 II the theblack theblack theblack black sheep of the WaynesHe Wayneslie Wayneg Waynes WaynegHe He lie don t figure muchar muchanund much anund anundHawaii ar ariundHawaii ) und undHa.all Ha.all Haall Hawaii . Ramey explained explalned- explalned explained- explalnednoth explainednoth - noth nothIng nothing nolhing Ing like his uncle does not even evpn like likeh likeh likeh h s two br thcrs thers lhers Generally spc'Ik spcIk speck specking spc'Ikmg tpciking ' mg ing you c.in cin Cdn can . leave h m out of the thepicture thepicture thepicture thepictureMy picture pictureMy My exener excrtei cxpcrieice . , , ) ce cc John Colt s 1 i d dIS dis dis IS tha that t to leave le.lYe lelYe . a ly factor out f ( d a dP ap ap P cture is IIkl like lik ( . Icaviiie leaving a plankut plank ut utof utof utu of ( a sh i ( ! J hn hex t C It s pi pl a lnt tut lntJel tutlet > ntlc Jel let > ply pJy sIn s siive i n e vo YO ce carr c rr ed Die UJ the ( > re | as assurn ssur-i ssur i uf'1 uf1 ' - ce ( f ' ty and f r the theI theth theth theth I th ngs.h ngsh ngs v-h v h wh . - ch John C It II knew knl'w knlw ' h w tJ tJC t tic ) I C t I I 1 Black I > khetp help bhecp tr i ( r t he hec'lr hecir hecii c'lr clr cir ' t t I be bf . ' ir It u s fin gn fical fienr ficat t I bee b'c bc bec ( ' 51 s ( to 1 I t p o ( ' isone IS ISon isone on one ( ' f the W Waynes WaynesIn dynes dynesIn In s n e wiys w'lys wlys wmys ' Ramey admit admitted admitted admittod ted tW twirling t.lrlmg tlrlmg . irling h hs s whisky so sola in fa 10n Ton 10nga T on onga onga ga Dick h'l hl hih his ' ! > bee bce i J the m st lalked talked lalkedabout talkedabout talkedabout about of all 1) 1 ) the WaynesTalked WaynesTalked Wayncs Waynes WayncsTalked Talked about about7 " ' Colt pr n pledHe ptedHe pled pted pledHe He was always lway the wild one oneRamey oneRamey oneRamey Ramey remembered even whpn when whpnhe whenhe whenhe he was a 9 kid He pulled out on his hisown hisown hisown own when he was eighteenH eighteenHow eighteen eighteenHow H How w IS > c it he ne s II talked about aboutJohn aboutJohn aboutJohn John Colt suggested if he s never neverhere neverhere neverhere7 neverhere7People here " ' People keep wondering wondermg what his hisracket hisracket hisracket-is hisracket is racket racket1S -1S 1S - - + s Ramey said After Ton Tonga Tonga Tong ga Dick broke off olf aft from his uncle unclepeople unclepeople unclepeople people always wonderedwha wonderedwhat wondered wha what I he hewas hewas hewas was up to and how he got by 110 so 110well sowell sowell well He s a got him a good fast last fastschooner lastschooner fastschooner schooner carrying both power and andsail andsail andsail sail . . and he goes whacking around aroundthe aroundthe aroundthe the South Paciflc PacIfic all over from frum ViU ViULevu ViULevu ViliLevu Levu to the Tuamotus Uned Ued URed U ed to be bepeople bepeople bepeople people thought he was in the copra copratrade copratrade copratrade trade and Bnd even after alter the price prlce of ofcopra ofcopra ofcopra copra went to nothing some still stilt stillfigured stiltfigured stillfigured figured he was trading shell But Butthat Butthat Butlhat that boat of his can I t carry any anycargo anycargo anycargo cargo- cargo cargoaln cargoam - - am am aln t built for it And there s salways salways salways always beeo beeD been others that said-well said well saidwellyou saidwellyou said - wellyou you know how people peopll talk talk'They talk'They talkThey 'They They ' ' safd-T safd T said- said safdTI safdTOh saidOh said - T ? TOh Oh Oh . , , of course there was always alwaysa I a lot of " ' wild 'lid lid gild stones stories said Ramey1epre"storily Ramey4epreaatorily Ramey Rameyep but with relish IIe I 1epre"storily 1eprestorily 4epreaatorily ep e -atorlly atorlly eatorlly " - \ ve \Ie Ie ye I opiumI hear4 heard It .ald ald said . aid be wa wax was . In the oplu opiurI opiurItrade \ I Itraete trad traete trade * And then again alalo I beard heard itsaid U st it ] laid said aid be he h * wee was trading ttadlng Chinese Chtnese Chin * * * girls girl * . ; ' and If an any ) ' utboritia autboriUes authorities * took to over ovel'l ovell overhaul " ' , haul batd htrQ-wh7 htrQ wh7 him-why him why - biro - why , . he Just lust lu t drowned.em drowned'em drowned .em em 'em . ' cm .emor or " ' ' . Do you happen , . " Colt asked Ra- Ra Ramey Ra Ha Ramey - ' mey may , . "to to .to " . know of anything that that1Iebard thatRichard thatRichard 1\Iebard 1 Iebard Richard \ Wayne actually did ? ' Ramey , , who wbo bated hated to have his.torles hisstories bis his torles .torles stories . winnowed out . , , put forward forwardbls forwardhis forwardhi bls his * aext next offering with .ome ome some . ome heat . . . Well Welleverybody WeD-everybody WeD everybody Well--everybody Well - - - -everybody everybody - knows know . about the theUme thetime theUrn Ume time * he be threw the th * U S Revenue Revenueofficer Revenueofficer Revenueomcer officer overboard . . I don dOD t know why whythey whythey whythey they never booked hooked him for tor it It Jt , , but J I Jeot Igot Igot eot got my suspicions luapiclolU : And everybody everybodyknows everybodyknows very bodyknows knows be he was the th * one on * who shot old oldChlel oldChief oldChief Chlel Chief TahlU TahiU Tahiti . , . and the th * only onJy reason he henever henever bnever * never come to trial . , the th * natives nativeswouldn nativeswouldn nativewouldn * wouldn t let the Ule French Vrench auUlorltles authorities auUlorltlestake authoritiestake authoritiestake take him , . and the th * whol wbole whole * bu.J.oess buJ.oess buJoess business bu.J.oessgot businessgot businessgot . . got lost in the files Jes flies And then thet ) there therewas therewas therewas was the th * Ume time tim * he be b * boarded the th * British Britishmerchant Britishmerchant Britishmerchant merchant sloop , and took the th * cap capo capotaln captain . tain taln tale off at sea , and nothing came cameof cameof ame ameof of that because nobody on the sloop sloopnot , . not even ven the captain himself blmsell . , , wouJd would wouJdtestify wouldtestify wouldtestify testify All such phoney stuff atu like likethat likethat likethat that * . ' But what does he h do to t tb tbmake make makemoney makemoney makemoneyT money ? John Colt askedRamey askedRamey asked askedRamey Ramey looked sulky 8ulky Karen Wa Watenon Walerson Waterson tenon lerson sa saw w a hopeful hopetuJ flicker ftJcker passADS par pass parWell ADS ADSI ADSn I n 11 11Well Well everybody cTcryb y knvrs knows * abBt about * the thetime thetime thetime time ke be threw the U 8 B revenueofOcer revenueofficer reveBee revenue reveBeeCOccr ofOcer officer COccr Terbarl overboard * * * * . ' across his features and she knew knewit knewit it represented Hamey Ramey Rarney s impulse to tomake tomake tomake make up an answer to suit But the theflicker theflicker theflicker flicker died Something hard and andwatchlul andwatchful andwatchful watchlul watchful was always waiting behind behindColt behindColt behindColt Colt s habitually genial eyes Atter After Attermen Aftermen Aftermen men had known him for a little littlewhile littlewhile littlewhile while they did not offer him home homemade homemade homemade made stories about anything anythingI ai ar ything ythingI I don t know Ramey said suI sot suIlenly sotlenly sullenly lenly Suddenly he flaredup dared flared up GIve GIveme Giveme Giveme me a few weeks below the line he healmost healmost healmost almost snarled sndded If It you think there s e sanything eanything sanything anything in the everlasting PacIfic PacIfictbat Pacificthat Pacificthat tbat that I can t Ind find ( out- out out - Karen Waterson was amazed at atthe atthe atthe the ferocity of 01 the little man Very VeryeVidently Veryevidently Veryevidently eVidently Ramey s a pride was wastouched wastouched wastouched touched If an odd job man In the thePacltlc thePacific thePaciflc Pacltlc Pacific did not possess a futile futJIe om omnlsclence omnlscience omniscience nlsclence nlscience presumably he possessed possessednothing possessednothing possessednothing nothing at t allBut allBut all allBut But now J hn Colt sat back his hiscandId hiscandid hiacandid candId a air ir of interest Inlerest withdrew It Itsell itself itself sell self gr icefi.lly icefilly lcefL.lly lcefLlly icefUlly . . not too fastIll fast fastI Ill I 11 II see you ! ' liter 'Iter Iter Ramey Let Letme Letme Letme me hear he r from you n a y"eekFor weekFor " week y"eek yeek weekFor For a 8 moment Ran-iiy Ran iiy RamlY Ramty - WHS was mo motlOnlcss motionless motionlcss tlOnlcss tionless reluctant reluctdnl to lea leave ve a scene scenewhich scenewhich scenewhich which he could seldom afford but buthe buthe buthe he tossed off ofT oil his drink drmk and roseOkay roseOkay rose roseOkay Okay he said Good night MIss MIssI MIssWaterson MissWaterson MissWaterson MissWatersonWhen I Waterson WatersonWhen When he was gone John Colt rest rested rested rested ed his folded arms upon the table tableand tableand tableand and leaned across it toward KarenFrightened KarenFrightened Karen KarenFrightened7 Frightened7 Frightened ' he asked sympta sympa symptathetJcally sympathetically symprthetically symprtheticallyShe thetJcally thetically thetJcallyShe theticallyShe She met his steady gaze gaze with eyes eyesthat eyesthat eyesthat that were clear and cool under dark darkbrows darkbrows darkbrows brows Wherever I am she saidthere said saidthere there here will always be a little of the thespIrit thespirit thespirit spIrit of fresh country butter butler un on unconscious |